From Bukhara to Dollis Hill: London’s first Uzbek restaurant opens

Buxoro restaurant in Dollis Hill. Photo: Rachel Millard

Much lauded for its culinary diversity, London now offers food lovers yet another national cuisine. Childhood friends Bobir Memedov, Sherali Ejuraev and Shokhrukh Yulghiev opened Buxoro in Dollis Hill in January – and they say it’s the city’s first Uzbek restaurant.

“There are Russian, Turkish places, but nothing focusing on Uzbekistan,” says Memedov, an ambitious 26-year-old who followed his uncle to London four years ago. “People are starting to know us as ‘The Uzbek corner’.”

Traditional Food

A landlocked country in Central Asia, Uzbekistan shares culinary traditions with Iran, Turkey and Russia. Stews, thick soups, kebabs, meat pastries and dumplings are staples. Its national dish, plov, is a hearty stew of rice, lamb, onions and carrots.

Buxoro serves its own special-recipe plov, among several dishes that twist as much as tempt the tongue: Shashlik kuskavoy (lamb kebab), Chuzma lagman (noodles with meat) and Achiq chuchuq (traditional Uzbek salad).

“All our food – even the french fries – is homemade by our Uzbek chefs,” says Memedov. “Our cooking techniques are complicated, but we do it properly.” Ingredients are bought in London and the meat is halal, he adds.

Named after Memedov’s native city of Bukhara on the historic Silk Road, Buxoro is on Dudden Hill Lane, minutes from Dollis Hill tube station, where it competes with Thai, Pakistani and other ethnic restaurants.

Uzbekistan In London

The area, says Memedov, is friendly, cheap, and as good as any to attract London’s scattered Uzbeks, who’ve embraced the restaurant has a home away from home. “The place helps bring the community together. Often they rarely see each other but bump into each other here.”

They also find a homage to their culture: The walls are lined with traditional Uzbek rugs and robes, a riot of golds, pinks, blues and reds, while photos of Bukhara’s ancient architecture dot the beams. Green tea comes in gold and deep blue china sets. Live music and belly dancing performances are regular.

Buxoro owner, Bobir Memedov. Photo: Rachel Millard

Buxoro’s owners hope the delights of their culture will lure outsiders, too. “We don’t want this to be a place just for Uzbeks,” says Memedov. “We want to show our culture to the world. People have often never heard of our cuisine.”

“The response from wider community is picking up,” he adds. “Whoever comes in once will come again.” Teachers from the nearby College of North West London, he notes, are hooked on the restaurant’s soups for lunch.

Memedov worked in restaurants back home, but this is his first stint as owner. “I thought it would be really difficult but we didn’t have any problems setting up. That’s what I like about this country: they let you make money.”

“Now we’re doing lots of deals and promotions to get the word out. We’ve done promotions on LivingSocial.com and kgbdeals.co.uk. On kgb we sold about two hundred vouchers in two hours; even the website’s manager was amazed.”

Nonetheless, he says, steering the restaurant through its first few months hasn’t been worry-free. “My one piece of advice to entrepreneurs? Have a lot of cash. A new business is like a child – keep giving it food or it can’t grow.”

Buxoro Restaurant is at 92 Dudden Hill Lane, NW10 1BD. Open 7 days, 11am-11pm.

No alcohol is served. Tel. 0208 459 7921.