Beyond Plov: 15 Things to Do in Uzbekistan for Foodies

1. Try the Cheesy Somsa from Minor Somsa

You can find good somsa all over the country, however, the very best we tasted during our trips were in Minor Somsa, Tashkent. This is a proper local spot with an open kitchen where you can see the somsa being slapped up against the inside of the ferociously hot tandyr. There are two vegetarian options here – potato, and potato with cheese.

Both are delicious but obviously the cheesy ones are better. The pastry is perfectly crisp, the inside is soft, the herby tomato sauce cuts through the rich cheesiness, and a couple of cups of tea washes it all down. There’s a nice outdoor seating area, and a beautifully decorated inside if the weather isn’t so great.

2. Watch Uzbek Non Being Baked in a Tandyr

Uzbek non straight out the tandyr is chewy and crisp and soft; it’s up there with Georgian bread! And we were absolutely beside ourselves when we wandering around Chorsu Bazaar only to find a bakery that we could walk straight into and see the whole process. Dough is shaped and then slapped up against the inside of huge tandyr ovens; the guys lean right the way inside! And then you can buy the bread fresh from the ovens. And if you ask nicely, they might let you film up and un the tandyrs. Such a unique experience.

>> Top 12 Things to Do in Tashkent <<

3. Have Dinner at a Traditional Topchan

A topchan is a traditional Uzbek/Tajik outdoor seating that is a large wooden bed raised maybe 50cm off the ground. It is often covered in long, decorated cushions and has a small table in the centre to eat from. You have to take your shoes off before climbing on to the topchan, and then to sit comfortably around the table, it’s easiest to cross your legs.

5. Eat at a Rooftop Restaurant in Khiva

Khiva is otherworldly and easily our favourite of the Silk Road cities. And one of the best ways to take it all in, is to eat at a rooftop restaurant in the centre of the walled city (Ichan Kala). Terrassa is THE restaurant. You might have to book a table if you want to eat at prime dinner time, and you’ll get views over the city as the sun starts the set.

>> Top Things to Do in Khiva <<

But it’s not all just about the views, Terrassa serves several veg versions of meaty Uzbek classics, including the Khivan speciality of shivit oshi. Thick, green, herby noodles are typically served with a meat casserole and sour cream, but Terrassa has a version where the meat casserole is swapped out for a root veg casserole.

6. Sample Uzbek Wines

Another thing that shocked me about Uzbekistan is that they make their own wines! There are a few regions that make wine and we tried wine from Samarkand, but the best wines we tried came from Surxondaryo region right in the south of the country. The region makes a good cabernet sauvignon & saperavi (the classic Georgian wine). We visited Termez, the main city of the region which is right on the border with Afghanistan, and this is where we actually saw the most alcohol shops in the country: wine, beer, vodka, imported spirits. Surprising, right?

7. Taste Traditional Gulingob

I had never heard of this and there is next to nothing about it online. It is a traditional drink made from dried apricots, and we have only seen it on a menu in this one café in Bukhara called Magic House. As you would imagine, gulingob is sweet and fruity, and refreshing on a hit day. And the café itself is also really interesting as it has carpets hanging on every centimetre of wall.

>> 10 Fascinating Things to Do in Bukhara <<

8. Gorge on Afghan Food

With Afghanistan being next door, it only makes sense that the Afghan food you find in Uzbekistan would be delicious. I don’t know about you, but it’s a cuisine that we had no experience with, so this was really exciting. We visited Zaytoon in Tashkent, and it ended up being one of the best meals we had in the whole country. We ordered the borani banjan and ashak with tea and bread, followed by sheer yakh. And when I tell you that everything was delicious, I’m not exaggerating!

Borani banjan is a dish of aubergine cooked in a lightly spiced tomato sauce, and served with a garlicky yoghurty sauce and coriander. Mop it up with some good chewy bread and wash it down with some tea.

Ashak is a type of small dumpling. They are light dumplings made with a thin dough and a fragrant chive or leek filling, topped with a lightly-spiced lentil curry and a garlicky yoghurty sauce.

Sheer yakh is Afghanistan’s traditional and famous ice cream. It is super creamy and dense and confusingly chewy, which we actually really loved. 10/10. Would fly to Tashkent just for this. It also got us contemplating a trip to actual Afghanistan.

>> Tashkent’s Best Restaurants for Vegetarians <<

9. Savour the Rich Flavours of Uyghur Cuisine

Another restaurant serving up a delicious cuisine that we hadn’t tried before: Diyar Uyghur Food in Tashkent. Spicy tofu, peanut and cucumber salad, marinated mung bean jelly, dry-fried green beans with Szechuan peppercorns. Everything we ate from here was stunning; so much so that we went back twice!

10. Eat All the Proper South Korean Food

We didn’t realise, but during the Soviet occupation, there were many South Koreans who had settled in East Russia who were then deported to Central Asia. Today, Uzbekistan has the largest South Korean population of the Stans, and they have brought along their cuisine. Now, we haven’t tried food in South Korea, however, the food that we had in Uzbekistan made up consider a trip to South Korea after we’ve been to Afghanistan!

Think tteokbokki (chewy rice cakes) in spicy gochujang, seaweed salads with toasted sesame oil, ramen, tofu, gimbap, bibimbap. Our favourite South Korean restaurant in Uzbekistan is called The Kitchen in Fergana City. 10/10 again.

11. Grab a Local Cider at a Craft Beer Pub

What? Really?

Yeah, we were really surprised too.

Sam Craft Pub in Samarkand serves up several locally brewed craft beers, plus a local cider. And it’s a good cider, not too sweet. The guys that run the place are really friendly and the place is very unique, especially in Uzbekistan!

After a day of sightseeing and walking 30,000 steps, this is the perfect antidote.

12. Try Uzbekistan’s Premium Soft Drinks

There is a soft drinks company named Flavis that sells shockingly tasty soft drinks that puts the likes of Coca Cola and Fanta to shame. The bottles are brightly coloured so you won’t be able to miss them, and they have four main flavours: pomegranate, lemon, mojito, and tarragon. We have only tried the pomegranate and mojito ones, but they are both really good. I’m sure it’ll only be a short time before the Coca Cola Company swoops in and tries to buy them out because they are far superior.

13. Try a Unique Coffee with Pomegranate

So, you might have heard of or tried a bumble (orange juice with espresso), but what about a pomegranate bumble? Uzbekistan is the land of pomegranates, so mixing this beautifully sweet and sour juice with a rich coffee and some ice is the perfect pick-me-up during the hot Uzbek summer. It’s not on every coffee shop menu, but we did find it in a few places in Tashkent and Samarkand. Our favourite was from a tiny little spot called Smash Coffee.

14. Stop for All the Softy

Uzbekistan knows how to do soft-serve ice cream. It’s really creamy, always super affordable, and you’ll find stalls all over the country. And it won’t always just be your standard vanilla, or chocolate, or a mix of the two; we actually found mango softy on several occasions around the country!

15. Melons

Uzbekistan grows some good tasty melons and loads of different types. Melons are such a big deal in Uzbekistan that there is a melon festival each year held in August in Khiva. We have never been in the country at the right time to attend, but it is REALLY high on our list!

What’s Next?

Uzbekistan’s food scene will surprise you! If you’re planning your trip to Uzbekistan, make sure you plan your itinerary around some of these experiences above. Check out our vegetarian Uzbek food guide and our Tashkent veg restaurants guide too.

Plan more of your trip with these:

• Travel Tips for Uzbekistan: 13 Useful Things to Know
• Uzbek Food: What to Eat as a Vegetarian Traveller
• Uzbekistan Railways: Your Guide to Uzbek Train Travel
• What to Wear in Uzbekistan: Responsible Travel Tips
• Top 12 Things to Do in Tashkent
• 9 Spectacular Things to Do in Samarkand, Uzbekistan
• 10 Fascinating Things to Do in Bukhara (plus food & drink spots!)
• Things to Do in Khiva: The Traveller’s Guide
  • See all Uzbek posts here