Jibek Jolu

This family-run Krgyzstani restaurant is the city’s only of its kind. While the menu tempers expectations with the warning, “Don’t expect the food in Kyrgyzstan to be the highlight of your trip,” a visit to Jibek Jolu, whose name translates to Silk Road, is certainly worthwhile—if not simply to satisfy curiosity about the distinctly Central Asian dishes. Try the slick, eggy lagman noodles; plov, a hearty plate of buttery, carrot-studded rice dotted with a few chunks of lamb; and oversize dumplings called manty stuffed with tender ground beef. Much of the food is subtly seasoned and meat-centric, so cut through it with the spicy “Korean” carrot salad and plenty of hot tea.