After the remarkable samsas in Moscow (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/depo-moscow-and-batman-and-uzbeks-moscow-06-2019) I was keen to get another fix of Uzbek food. Chaihona #1 in St. Petersburg is at the Moscow train station and further than I wanted to travel. I found Uchkuduk on Google somehow and this little place had no reviews and the other branch had them all in Russian.
Indeed upon walking inside, the hostess looked surprised - what did we want her face (and maybe Russian words) said? It was an odd time for lunch at 1500pm but eventually sat us down with a smile. With no spoken English and no English menu, it was back to pictures and a decently functioning Google translate. Definitely worked well enough.
Unfortunately they don't have samsas... oh my disappointment.
- Beef soup 300g 200rub with slight spice, although looking at the menu and pictures now, I think they brought us the wrong one as I wanted the macmaba 300g 180rub (I also sampled the lamb soup 400g 220rub which was strong in salt and lamb fat);
- Pilaf 320g 200rub - very nice. Good rice a little chew, some flavour of fat and cumin.
- Lagman 400g 200rub - the classic spiced noodle dish I had been reading about. It had medium level spices, chewy noodles and soft beef pieces. It could have used a bit stronger flavour;
- Dumplings had a good skin, nice lamb mince, no liquid;
- Lamb chops spiced with a bit of cumin. Nice flavour and char but very very cooked.
Look at those prices. The flavours were good (could have been a bit more spiced and seasoned) but I'm not complaining. Great.