Caravan

How much would you pay for a dinner in a fairy tale?

Food

Service

Atmosphere

“Assalamu Aleikum!” – I receive a warm greeting at the doorstep to an Eastern fairytale. Although I hardly believe in genie in the bottle, but I surely feel like Aladdin as I walk under the thatch, past ceramic pots, ornate carpets and copper crockery. I enter restaurant Caravan as if I step into an ancient village, where desert wanderers used to lead their long camel caravans in search for a good rest and a real meal. Antiques are everywhere: jars, baskets, vases and chests lie in the yard looking like their owners have forgotten them there, enchanted by odors coming from the inside. 
As I move from the yard into the Small Hall, I realize how much the inside atmosphere resembles my first impression of the place. Neat and polite, the waiter lays in front of me a thick book. “Arabian Nights?” – I assume… Nope. It’s the local menu! And off I go on a journey with the Caravan across the desert of Uzbek national cuisine. 
My first stop – the rice dunes of pilaw lie sparkling, colorfully adorned with yellow and orange carrots and juicy lamb. Tasty, but greasy... Shinning like the sun above the desert is the national round bread - lepeshka. The curled forms of mants (pasty cooked on steam) make me think of a desert rose. And what is that I see? Glimmering of water… This must be a mirage... a seeming oasis. It often happens in the deserts because of overheating (or overeating in my case!). No, it’s real! It’s an oasis in the desert of local cuisine – traditional Uzbek green tea. Splendid riches surround this oasis – halvah, sherbet and dried fruits. With the last raisin my gastronomical journey ends, leaving me with a sweet aftertaste and a bill for 25 dollars. Rather expensive compared to other restaurants of the city, but how much would you pay for a dinner in a fairy tale?!