Bekmuhamedova
Owner
Nargis Bekmuhamedova
Nargis is an architect-turned-designer based in Samarkand. She has fused her passions of vintage fabrics and good food by creating the Arts Café Studio, located just next to the gloriously-domed Bibi Khanum Mosque. She makes beautiful jackets and accessories using antique textiles. The suzani is the classic Uzbek hand-embroidered 'dowry' object, usually large enough to cover a double bed, often used as a decorative wall hanging. The silk embroidered designs represent weeks and weeks of labour by the women of the family in preparation for a wedding or a birth. These days high-quality suzani are increasingly hard to come by; they are keenly sought by antiquarians and textile collectors and even damaged pieces fetch high prices. Nargis finds pieces that are beyond repair and cleverly cuts them so that the patterns follow the form of the jacket in a flattering manner. Like the suzani fabric itself, all Nargis' work is hand-stitched to a high quality. Only the fragile base fabric of the suzani is reinforced with intricate machine work. Many of the suzani fabrics date from pre-1950.
Pilaf
Pilaf is a national dish of Uzbekistan that is cooked from rice, carrot and meat. Depending on the region of Uzbekistan such components as peas, garlic, barberries, quince, dried apricots and raisins are added to this delicious Uzbek national dish. Traditionally Uzbek pilaf is served hot on a large dish. Pilaf is washed down with tea, eaten with salads. Sometimes pilaf is eaten with patyr (type of Uzbek bread). But such eating is for rare eater. The main difference from other pilaf dishes is not the composition of the products but the technology of preparation. Depending on the method of preparation, pilaf is always different, but equally delicious.
Samsa
Samsa is considered a separate traditional Uzbek dish of flour, which the Uzbek people can cook almost from any product, depending on the season. But traditionally Uzbek samsa is baked from flavour with different kinds of meat. Traditional Uzbek samsa is cooked in tandyr (Central Asian stove). But there is also a kind of samsa (usually triangular and square shape), which is prepared in the electric and gas ovens. It is amazing, but, samsa is considered to be an absolutely correct dish, cause it is steamed in tandyr, without frying, that makes samsa health food. The natural fat in samsa is the most "useful" cholesterol, which makes our blood vessels strong.
Shurpa
Shurpa is a meat bouillon, which is widespread in Uzbekistan as a first course. In Central Asia and in Uzbekistan particularly shurpa is a symbolic dish. Shurpa is not only amazingly delicious, but also therapeutic cooking at the same time. It has restoring, stimulating and even relaxing features. Traditionally shurpa consists of meat, vegetables and various spices. In Uzbekistan there are two types of cooking shurpa. They are kaurma (fried shurpa) and kaynatma (boiled shurpa). From the above we can say that shurpa is the property and loved national food of Uzbekistan people and guests of the country.
Manty
Manty - traditional dish for Uzbek people. It is the pieces of meat wrapped in thin dough. The main feature of manty is that the dish is definitely steamed. So the dish keeps a great deal of useful properties. As many other Uzbek traditional dishes, manty is very tasteful and nourishing cooking. Manty - the dish that is eaten by hands. The dish is often served with sour milk or fried onion.
Tashkent street, 3. Reference point "Bibikhanum"
Tel: +998 91 5393849
Email: [email protected]