NYCReview
photo credit: Alex Staniloff
Kashkar Cafe
Included In
Kashkar Cafe is one of the best places to eat in Brighton Beach, and it's also one of the few Uyghur restaurants in NYC. When you get there, order a pot of tea and take your time exploring the menu, because there’s a lot to take in, and you’ll want to try as much as possible. It’s easy to get caught up in the myriad fried, meat-filled appetizers, but the juvova—tiny, tender boiled dumplings, stuffed with lamb and topped with the dill—are non-negotiable. Get a pickle plate for some vegetables and then dive into some noodle dishes like laghman and the heartier tsyoman with strips of fried dough. Before you know it, you’ll be very full, and very ready to come back.
photo credit: Alex Staniloff
photo credit: Alex Staniloff
photo credit: Alex Staniloff
Food Rundown
photo credit: Alex Staniloff
Juvova
There are about 20 tiny dumplings in an order of juvova, which means throughout your meal you can always return to the plate for another one, like an old friend, or your favorite pair of socks that will never get a hole in the toe. They are warm and gentle, stuffed with lamb, and swimming in just a bit of the water they were boiled in, which glistens with fat, and would be delicious all on its own.
photo credit: Alex Staniloff
Khushang
Baseball-sized fried manty, filled with lamb, that will arrive at your table right out of the frier, astonishingly hot. Let them sit, now matter how difficult it may be. Admire them while you wait, golden brown and glistening.
Samsa
Fried, flaky parcels filled with meat, served with a boat of tomato-based sauce with a pleasantly acidic bite. A great way to kick off your meal here.
photo credit: Alex Staniloff
Bosu Lagman
Probably the most popular dish on offer, these hand-pulled noodles are topped with lamb, tomatoes, and egg. This is a must-try dish, with all its deep cumin flavor.
Polov
This is lamb fried rice, but it’s also so much more than that. Every place in Brighton Beach that makes polov (or plov) does it a bit differently, and Kashkar’s version has heady spices and lots of carrots.