Uzbekistana Mediterranean Restaurant — Restaurant in Boonton

Exciting to have found dining within a native culture of my own, as I have reviewed other interesting reviews of this restaurant, unfortunately, I strongly disagree - the food was not aligned with the taste I know and grew up with of this amazing culture. The lamb kebab was not properly seasoned, tasted bland, and meat was not tender. I didn't enjoy chewing as the taste was depressing. Even basic mash potato was not fresh and tasted weak, definitely was not fresh as well, perhaps felt as if it was made week ago and was left in fridgerator, had no special sauce, very plain, bit dry, would not recommend. I was with other individuals, and they had felt the same. Sadly, the music also didn't represent the optimistic ambiance of the culture, was very dreary, typically Uzbek music is upbeat and combination of drums is entertaining. The low lighting ambiance made us sleepy. On the flip side, the lagmon soup was what had been the tastiest, but unfortunately, not enough to be able to come back, overall the food was just very disappointing. The original Uzbek taste palate was not represented by this establishment. The waiter was friendly and tried her best, which was much appreciated. I would recommend Samarkand, in Woodhaven, Queens, NY, to taste true Uzbek culture food or Tandori, in Rego Park, Queens as well. Both great restaurants will truly make you come back multiple times, if not always! The food really made me have a stomachache. The chicken plov was stale and wasn't very fresh, not a hint of cumin seasoning, even which is a primary seasoning ingredient of this cuisine. In all honesty, it is best recommended for the chef to really attain further Uzbek...

it was my birthday dinner and we wanted to have Mediterranean food. we always try new joints (especially those owned by locals). we live nearby and we saw this restaurant whenever we cross Boonton main street. So it was tough finding when we reached there and then we got to know its been moved but same street (like 200-300 feet far)

anyway, we reached. it was Thursday evening, the restaurant was almost empty, only 2 tables were occupied. the server came and we placed our order

Hummus with pita bread - it was amazing, I would definitely recommend any sort of hummus from their menu, but do try. - 4.5/5

Lamb chops - I asked for well done, but when it came I can say with full confidence, that it was medium rare. I asked the chef, and tell them it was not well done, but as per them, it's Uzbekistani way, and in their cooking style, it's well done. they did mention every spice and all - but I was not satisfied. though I could have asked for a replacement, but I don't believe in wasting food. there was 4 piece that comes with sides. I chose marinated onion and brown rice. after finishing 3 pieces, 4th piece was hard to chew. - 2.5/5

Chicken Kufta Kebab (spicy)- glad my wife enjoyed her meal. The only spice item was this kebab and by my standard it was mild. no worries, it was good, 2 big skewers filled with chicken kebab with fries and brown rice. it was soft-juicy and amazing. 4.5/5

except for the kebab, the meal was great, ambiance (as you can see from my pics) - was soothing and good. yeah, I can recommend this. I would definitely try their local...

Quite lovely, delightfully informative and delicious food!

The service was pleasant and the young woman shared a lot of Uzbek tidbits with us throughout the night.

If you enjoy tea at all, we recommend the black tea! It has the wonderful flavor of lychee which gives the black tea some character and went well with our meal.

We started with samsas and the Uzbek version of pelmeni dumplings. The meat for both was light and not heavy, the phyllo of the samsas were crisp and the compotes/sauces on the dumplings were creamy and flavorful.

The borscht was tasty with a light sour cream. There was no bread as part of the dish, so make sure to order some! This version was beef base with a lot of matchstick beets and seasonings.

Our main meal was the Lamb Plov and the Beef Plov. They were both fantastic and not fat-heavy(which is more traditional). We were silent except for lots of Mmmmms as we started this part of the meal, it was just too good to not be eating initially.

We ended with a takeout dessert due to being quite full and satisfied. Apparently the desserts alter, this time it was Baklava.

We will return in the future. It was a great all around experience and worth the 1hr ride out to Boonton.

Thank you Uzbekistana!

Note: We went on a rainy Sunday night, so we were essentially the...