Reviews Cafe Arzu

The reviews for Cafe Arzu are clear indications of who is a foodie, and who simply goes to restaurants because this is a foodie's wet dream. Not only is the food FREAKING AMAZING, but the menu is exotic, and the ambiance transports you to a country you've probably never seen (and never will). If "authentic" means an Uzbeki restaurant run and staffed by Uzbeki people, and eaten at by Uzbeki patrons, then this is as authentic as it gets. You feel far, far away from NYC. This is the real deal -- not that I would know -- but the people who ate at the restaurant when we were there would know! It's a microcosm of people of Turkic origin. Listen to the languages. Look at their clothing! This is one of the glories of being a New Yorker! Why is it a good date place? It's a family restaurant. Everyone is taking care of their kids or else too involved with family stuff. Even though the tables are close together, nobody will be focused on you or your conversation. It's fun and exotic. You can order small amounts of food so you're not stuffed. Nan-toki: B- I wanted to like this more than I did. It's a gigantic round matzah, and. I love matzah, but, a) it tasted more like the square machine-made matzah than shmura matzah (and shmura is better), and b) the consistency was that of matzah in humid weather.. soft. I didn't know what to do with the bread: there was no obvious "food pairing" (e.g. Italian bread pairs well with saucy dishes). Another problem is logistical: the tables here are small, and this flat but large bread covers ~50% of the tabletop; not much room left for plates and food! Lepeshka: B+ Also called obi-nan, this is a "flat bread" of Uzbeki, Afghan, and Tajik cuisines. It's made similarly to nan, but is completely different in look and taste. You only need 1 for a table. They're huge, and they go well with the kababs, the manty, pretty much everything. It's a neutral bread: if anything, a very slight nice yeasty overtone... I was hoping it was more characteristic or unique, but it's still very good. Samsa (baked meat pie): B Chebureck (fried meat pie): B+ Meat was excellent -- lots of oniony and garlicky flavor, but the I found the baked dough to be too chewy and not interesting enough to warrant more than a B. I think the fried version was tastier because of the crunch, but the dough was still not intriguing. Uygur Handmade Lagman: A- A vegetable soup with noodles. Very fresh and dynamic tasting. The noodles (called "lagman") are hand-pulled, soft and chewy. Medium thickness. The noodles have a fascinating history - see "lamian" in Wikipedia; it's from Muslim Chinese cuisine. I wished the soup itself had stronger flavors (perhaps onion? garlic? beef?), but maybe its simplicity is part of the charm. Chicken Shish-Kebab: A Lamb Shish-Kebab: A Lamb Ribs Shish-Kebab: A Classic grill flavoring. These are some of the best kebabs I've had in NYC. Seriously -- they are unbelievably soft, incredibly char-grilled, juicy beyond belief, and just insanely delicious. The only reason why they don't get A+ is b/c the "lula" versions are even softer and better! If you come here, you MUST try these!

I would rate 5 start if you guys had better service. . Waiters come to you in like 5-10 minutes after you seat down (before Corona of course)Although, not gonna lie, the food is really delicious. Manti with meat are unforgettable. Shashlik is also tasty. Try it out. Order for take out if you don't want to just stand there and wait for no reason

Absolutely great Uzbek food. Lagman was raved a lot by many friends and I must say, it tasted amazing on a super cold winter day. Their food did not disappoint. Will definitely return.

This place is great. The lagman soup is great. I had chicken shish kebab, lamb shish kebab and liver shish kebab. I do not like liver but it was so succulent I loved it. The plov is great. The best thing is the BYOB policy.

I've ordered Palov (Pilaff) for our potluck party at work. They took my order to be made ready outside of their working hours and did a great job! The meal very delicious and since it was the first time many co-workers tried Tajik food they were delighted. Special thanks to the chef at Arzu! I recommend this place to anyone who wants to try an authentic Central Asian cuisine. You won't regret it!

This place is a gem in Queens. I went there multiple times and everytime I fall in love with the place more and more. The prices are very good, the food is top notch (try the manti and you won't regret it), and the staff is helpful. Kind of a small place, but it makes it that much more cozy and warm