Samarkand, Uzbekistan Meets Seoul
07 September 2007 09:12
Named after the second largest city in Uzbekistan, Samarkand restaurant boasts a unique atmosphere it shares with its namesake. The 2,750-year-old city is most noted for its central location on the Asian Silk Road between China and the West. In 2001, it was inscribed by UNESCO on the World Heritage List as Samarkand - Crossroads of Cultures.
By John Redmond
The Samarkand restaurant is not nearly as old, in fact I first discovered the place five years ago, and seeing there is no ``since’’ date outside the entrance, judging by the decor, my guess is that its been around for at least a decade.
Located in Dongdaemun, the textile trading center of Seoul, Samarkand is clearly Uzbeki, though the diversity of its customers reflects a more international feel.
The interior at Samarkand is very simple and practical, resembling more a cafe than a restaurant, with small tables, prints on the wall and a TV at one end of the room playing Russian dramas, giving it a true sense of authenticity.
Seating 40 indoors and room for about eight outdoors, when crowded it tends to be a little noisy.
The clientele is usually mixture of Uzbeki fabric traders and Korean and American businessmen.
Though the menu is in Russian and Korean, an inability to speak or read Russian is not a problem. The menu has a photo of each dish. It’s a simple case of point and nod. If you speak Korean you’ll do much better as most Uzbeki’s speak better Korean than English.
The Samarkand restaurant is not nearly as old, in fact I first discovered the place five years ago, and seeing there is no ``since’’ date outside the entrance, judging by the decor, my guess is that its been around for at least a decade.
Located in Dongdaemun, the textile trading center of Seoul, Samarkand is clearly Uzbeki, though the diversity of its customers reflects a more international feel.
The interior at Samarkand is very simple and practical, resembling more a cafe than a restaurant, with small tables, prints on the wall and a TV at one end of the room playing Russian dramas, giving it a true sense of authenticity.
Seating 40 indoors and room for about eight outdoors, when crowded it tends to be a little noisy.
The clientele is usually mixture of Uzbeki fabric traders and Korean and American businessmen.
Though the menu is in Russian and Korean, an inability to speak or read Russian is not a problem. The menu has a photo of each dish. It’s a simple case of point and nod. If you speak Korean you’ll do much better as most Uzbeki’s speak better Korean than English.
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The first dish I chose was a traditional Uzbekistani soup _ Shurpa (beef, potatoes, carrots, and chick peas) _ followed by a serving of Borscht (a popular Russian dish consisting of red cabbage, beef and potato stew with a sour cream sauce). As an accompaniment I also ordered some Lepyoshka (unleavened bread) and a beetroot salad.
The Shurpa was delicious. Russian food is not very spicy but still tasty. The Borscht on the other hand was a little watery and quite bland. The sour cream seemed more an afterthought rather than part of the dish. Both the bread and salad were plentiful and tasty, though the salad was a little too oily.
My menu choice was based on previous experiences and on reflection I should have chosen the Shashlyk (Russian kebabs) and the Pelmeni (dumplings very similar to mandu) for the warm weather this time of year.
The drink selection at Samarkand is pretty straightforward. Beer (Korean and Russian), Vodka, Brandy, Soju, Tea and soft drinks.
My meal including a pint of draft beer cost me 13,000 won.
Though not the ideal place for a first date, or that business meal to impress your new client, Samarkand has a unique sense of charm. If you happen to be in that neck of the woods it’s definitely worth checking out. Samarkand is open from Monday through Saturday, opening times vary so it’s worth calling ahead.
For more information telephone 02-2277-4261/2 (Russian, Korean and some English), or mobile 010-9860-5778. To get there leave Dongdaemun Stadium (lines 2, 4 and 5) exit#12 and walk towards Boston Bar. Turn left at the first street, past Korean restaurants, and turn right at the end of the street. Samarkand is in the lane on the right.
The Shurpa was delicious. Russian food is not very spicy but still tasty. The Borscht on the other hand was a little watery and quite bland. The sour cream seemed more an afterthought rather than part of the dish. Both the bread and salad were plentiful and tasty, though the salad was a little too oily.
My menu choice was based on previous experiences and on reflection I should have chosen the Shashlyk (Russian kebabs) and the Pelmeni (dumplings very similar to mandu) for the warm weather this time of year.The drink selection at Samarkand is pretty straightforward. Beer (Korean and Russian), Vodka, Brandy, Soju, Tea and soft drinks.
My meal including a pint of draft beer cost me 13,000 won.
Though not the ideal place for a first date, or that business meal to impress your new client, Samarkand has a unique sense of charm. If you happen to be in that neck of the woods it’s definitely worth checking out. Samarkand is open from Monday through Saturday, opening times vary so it’s worth calling ahead.
For more information telephone 02-2277-4261/2 (Russian, Korean and some English), or mobile 010-9860-5778. To get there leave Dongdaemun Stadium (lines 2, 4 and 5) exit#12 and walk towards Boston Bar. Turn left at the first street, past Korean restaurants, and turn right at the end of the street. Samarkand is in the lane on the right.
The Korea Times
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