‘Ashbiz’ Uzbek cuisine in Riyadh

Sulafa Alkhunaizi

Ashbiz is a great spot for Uzbek cuisine, offering a rich and flavorful array of foods that combines influences from Central Asia and the Middle East.

The menu is small but full of dishes that burst with flavor, including a favorite of mine, chicken bukhari, which originated in the ancient city of Bukhara.

Bukhari, which can be made with beef, lamb or chicken, is served hot and packs a punch with its aromatic spices like cumin, cardamom and cinnamon.

Noodles are a key feature of Uzbek cuisine and the hand-pulled variety created at Ashbiz are key to its lag’mon: a delicious dish that combines beef or lamb with vegetables in a hearty broth.

Another favorite is the samsa, a tasty bun stuffed with spiced meat and vegetables, which resemble the samosa, but instead of being fried is baked in the oven.

The menu also includes manto — a popular handmade steamed dumpling stuffed with a choice of pumpkin or meat and a unique blend of spices — and shish barak soup which has small dumplings.

Ashbiz is a pocket-friendly option for anyone who enjoys that home-cooked feel to their food.

The restaurant has outlets in Riyadh’s Taawun district and the Mohammadiya district of Jeddah.