12$ for two thin small sizes salmon fish with rice and little broccoli?! What?! Are you serving for kids or something?! Was still hungry and order more food and paid more money. I was shocked! Guys you have to change your price! And also when I ordered, I heard microwave sound and after one minute the waitress brought my order, but my friend who order other food was waiting for 30 min. Can you believe it?! Ooh
(1)
Anthony M.
UNIQUE FOOD EXPERIENCE We love finding restaurants that people would just walk by. Recently we've found a few unique underground Russian Central Asian restaurants. This location is great because there menu is in English and has photos of what the food looks like. Score! Prior to coming here we consulted with our Russian friend (Olya) and she told us that this place is amazing. She had so many nice things to say about this place we wanted to go for a second dinner that night after talking to her. Unfortunately we decided to wait until another day to eat here but it was worth the wait. The place is cute on the inside. You will have to seat yourself so grab a table anywhere. There is a TV in the south room and it played a Russian bloopers show that seemed to have cats in it doing crazy things. My little one loved watching this and I did make my wife turn around to see a cat sitting in a sink playing with water. Those wacky Russian cat blooper shows rock. Are you listening Netflix? Our waiter was really good. It took a few minutes for him to take our order, once we got our menus. I know English is not his first language because he spoke perfect Russian to the table next to us when they ordered. But I've never had a waiter who actually could anticipate what I needed. It was like he could read my mind. I didn't want to ask him for anything because of the language barrier but he knew what I needed. I wanted to cut my little ones vegetables and meat. I started using a fork and he ran and got me a plate and a knife. What? This guy is great. I wanted to share my little ones soup. He showed up with an extra bowl and spoon. Who is this guy? Is he a Nostradamus? My wife and I were impressed. I wish every waiter in the world had this kind of instinct. This guy just understood customer service and was able to deliver without me even asking for anything. I ordered the steamed Manty dumplings with beef and onions. Honestly these were amazing. This dish is rooted in Turkish tradition and it was so good. A full order comes with 5 large manty but you can order just one for $2. These were full of flavor. I must admit that the filling reminds me of a Borek I typically order in Melbourne, Australia. When I pointed out the taste to my wife she completely agreed with me. I am so excited I don't have to fly around the globe to experience that taste again. It is unique to find a dish that no one else in Chicago is making. These dumplings are just delicious. My wife ordered the Borsh Soup with beef, carrots, onions, garlic, cabbage and beet. According to her it was the best Borsh soup she has ever had. I tried a few spoons of it and it was really good. I'm just not a huge fan of beets. I was just happy she orderd something that she loved. The first soup we tried to order for the little one was out. So we went with option B and she loved it. The Shorpo boiled soup comes with lamb, carrot, potatoes, red and green pepper & onions. I pulled the large vegetables out to cut them up for her and that's when the knife showed up as I mentioned above. I tasted the large potatoes and they were so tasty and flavorful. Our little one just dived in and called it the best soup ever. Our little one loves soup and she was so happy. I also cut up the three pieces of lamb in the soup. And we all agreed it was the best lamb we ever had. It wasn't gamey. It was completely tender and yummy. I would come back for this soup in a heartbeat. And I am going to have to because I lost my sharing rights according to the little one. I wanted to give a heads up to those who are always in a hurry and give bad reviews based on speed. This place is not fast so don't come in here expecting to be out the door in 5 minutes. Sometimes in life you have to appreciate the moment and this is one of those places. Everything is made to order and served with love. You can not rush that nor should you judge that in a review. This place really stands out and I enjoyed not being rushed. The food here is so good I would wait all day for my dish if I had to. So make sure you sit down in here with patience on your mind. It will be so worth it. Just relax and your food will be there. We were truly impressed with our dinner and we can not wait to come back. The waiter was amazing. His level of customer service is what every restaurant needs. The food was fresh and delicious. All of the dishes had a unique flavor and this sets it apart from all of the typical restaurants you find in Chicago. This place is a unique dinning experience and truly a hidden gem in Chicago dinning.
(5)
Mike R.
I'll admit this is the first time I've had Kyrgyz food before, even though I am familiar with some other cuisines that share a few things in common with it. This place isn't huge, but has a fair amount of seating, and some comfortable looking seating in one section. The walls are decorated with photos and some objects from Kyrgyzstan. My friend and I had no standard for this place and knew it could be either good or bad. I first saw Ayran on the menu, which I'm familiar with from Turkish cuisine. This Ayran is a lot thicker and a little sweeter than what I'm used to. Damn near full on yogurt, but it's still good if you are a fan of yogurt. I then ordered some samsy which are basically little baked pies of beef and onion. Decent, though more dry than I'd hoped, but still decent. I then ordered the Lagman because I know this is basically the national dish in Kyrgyzstan amongst some people. It's a noodle dish with a broth at the bottom that is a little spicy and full of some vegetables and meat. I have to say - way better than I thought. I thought the flavor was really good and for $11 and the area, the portion size was huge. My friend said his plates were good too. I don't think most people know this place is here, but I'll be back to try more. I think if you are in the area and like ethnic food, then try this place out. The only thing is that they don't accept credit cards and I wish they would. Fortunately, there is a liquor store nearby with an ATM. The owners (who I think were the owners) didn't speak very good English, but my waitress' english was pretty good and she seemed cool too.
(4)
Karina C.
This place is disgusting. It smells of cigarettes smoke inside, and the food definitely lacks taste. I should have known better when the menus do not include prices. DO NOT GO!!
(1)
Yuehao B.
Been there three times. Nice people and great food. The Krygzstan food is kind of like Uigur food in China.
(4)
Hamdan A.
The staff was so nice . The food was so goooooooood
(5)
Sofia R.
Cafe Central Asia is my new favorite in the city! Having grown up between Georgia and Russia, I find Kyrgyz cuisine to be the perfect mix of the traditional Eastern recipes with the added richness of central Asian cooking. Must try their "Pelmeni" and "Lagman". The interior decorations are charming and staff is extremely friendly, a great neighborhood find.
(5)
Khan K.
Great little place to eat some nice Kyrgiz(?) food. Started off with the appetizer (bread) which was very nice, soft, and tasted very fresh. Though they did not have my first chiice of food (plov), so instead I ended up having Kuurdaak and Lagman, amazing. Extremely light, extremely fulfilling, and totally healthy. The beef was tender and we'll cooked, the onions were nicely caramelized, and the noodles in the Lagman were very nicely done too. It's a small, but very nice and tidy place, not overloaded with customers, so you can enjoy a nice peaceful meal here. The service was not very fast tbh, but nothing off putting. The server was very nice and after a slight day initially, the food was served to us very quickly, and the food was steaming hot. I enjoyed this place and totally see myself coming back in future.
(5)
Gregory S.
Servers were excellent and made certain all requests we handled well. They also made great suggestions for what to order for a large group. This was valuable given the unique cousine. Food: Every dish was packed with flavor and exceeded expectations. The hand pulled pasta blew me away and I'm an italian foody. Great value place. We will be going back many times.
(5)
Jessica A.
Amazing food !!!!!! Manti were absolutely amazing !!! I called at 11:30 pm to make sure i will be able to order and eat before they close , and the lady I talked to was very Pleasant and friendly she told me told me it will be no problem. It is my second time in Chicago but first time at this restaurant and i'm absolutely sure not last . Thank you for great late night dinner .
(5)
Sofia J.
Wow, I'm so glad I happened to pass by this restaurant! A Central Asian restaurant close to downtown is EXACTLY what we need!!! Besides the fantastic home cooking, it is unbelievably cheap. 2 manty, small plov, and small lagman for $21 - and by small, I mean more than enough for 2 people. Very fast service - the above was prepared for a to-go order in 10 minutes. Lagman was fantastic - incredibly soft and richly flavored noodles with a great balance of meat and vegetables. Can't wait to return for samsy and fried manty...and the rest of their menu :) Btw they do take credit cards - one of the reviews below states cash only - this is not the case.
I didn't have a bad experience here but it wasn't amazing at that. I came here to grab a quick bite. A lot of what I wanted to order was unavailable. I ended up taking the beef sandwich (shaurma). It was pretty good. The waitress brought me some bread while I waited, no butter though. I did wait for a little longer than I expected to wait.
(3)
Jessica S.
Delicious, very affordable Russian/Asian cuisine. We've dined at Jibek Jolu before (another central Asian restaurant more north) and had a very similar experience. BYOB and a very casual environment. Be prepared to be the only one that doesn't drive a cab but don't let that scare you!
(5)
Jeanne K.
Delightful Kyrghyz place perfect for food adventurers who wish to go off the beaten path in the Gold Coast. Loved the garlic-y Korean carrot salad, the steamed Manti beef dumpling, and the Ayran -- a very thick salted yogurt drink. We also tried a stew of some sort but don't recall the name. The prices were quite reasonable and we got a lot for our money. The waitress was very kind and accommodating, explaining each dish to us. I definitely want to visit again to try the other dishes. I enjoyed the other patrons in the restaurant who were chatting away in Russian, Turkish, and other languages. Wonderful to get a sense of a world still very mystical to many just off the Gold Coast. Edited to note that the service is much better with the waitresses than the waiter.
(5)
Sasha R.
Really good Russian food, salads were killer. The borsch was great too. I speak Russian fluently and did not have communication difficulties. Will go again (often!) The place was filled with Central Asian people, perhaps cab drivers, judging by the empty cabs parked outside.
(5)
Jinn L.
Since we moved into the old town neighborhood, we have walked by this place numerous times. We did stop in once and decided to pass. Today we were in a more adventurous mood so decided to sit down and try this place. Note this is next to Hashbrowns where there were full of people. This restaurant only had one table of guests this morning. What comes into your mind when you think CentralAsia? Not Russian for sure... Anyway, the menu was very limited and showed pictures. The waitress was a little confused and did not bring water when we sat down. When I ordered water, she though I wanted apple juice..... We asked a few questions about the portion of the food and she was confused about that also. When I asked how many pieces of Mantry (dumplin look alike) came with the entree and she said five for $12.. I showed her the picture with six pieces and she said. "Five" again. My boyfriend ordered the lamb with white onion $12 dish, it came with 70 percent potato and very hard to chew lamb.. My fried rice beef was also overcooked with no taste. The bread did not come until we are almost finished with our meal.... We won't be back to this place for a very long while...
(2)
Nurbek O.
I love this place, the best service and the best Central Asian restaurant so far, EVERYBODY should try this place...
(5)
E L.
I almost gave up finding a decent place to eat Russian / Central Asian food in Chicago, but hey - this place is good! Food was good, cheap, place is decent! Will come again. This place is just like Chaihana... Lagman was good, plov was good and venigret as well! What I've tried before in Chicago: Russian Tea Time, Red Square. Will never go again. What I think a Russian restaurant should look like in America - try Marivanna in NY/LA/DC.
(4)
David M.
The best Kyrgyz food I've ever had, though that's not necessarily saying much. If you're looking for a waitstaff that refreshes your water every five minutes and romantic lighting, this is not the place. But if you want to try a cuisine you've maybe never had before, it was plenty good. Food was fine, affordable, and in good portions. I think they were hosting a private event because my friends and I didn't get a lot of attention - we ended up having to just drop some cash and leave because the waitress never came back around at the end. I wouldn't go by every day, but for a chance to try something different, my friends and I were pretty happy with it.
(3)
Molly S.
Really great experience here! We came late on a Monday night and were the only people in the place. Many things on the menu were unavailable but what we ended up getting (Kotlets and Lagman) were super good!
(5)
Aleksey C.
This is a very good Kyrgyz restaurant, but they do serve a lot of russian food too(borsch, pelmeni etc). Finally we have something in downtown beside "russian tea time", which I am personally not big fan of. The food in Cafe Central Asia is fresh and tasty and very well priced, especially given the location. Cousine is closer to west asia than east/south asia, so "asian fusion" category in yelp is a little confusing. I see how some people might expect the fusion of chinese/thai/japanese food instead.
(5)
Ralph M.
Just came back from eating here. The waitress doesn't even know English. She didn't understand anything i was trying to tell her. I tried to order fried chicken, sorry no fried chicken. I tried to order meatballs, sorry no meatballs. i ordered beef n onion noodles, nasty, had absolutely no flavor. They don't take credit card although there is a visa mastercard sign on the door. Now I'm at home feeling sick.
(1)
Michelle P.
The food was cheap and delicious. I had to go look for Kyrgyzstan on a map, but I can definitely recommend its cuisine.
(4)
Jim S.
Fresh, healthy, and tasty. Really liked the soups - don't remember their names but they weren't your usual processed soups, these were the real deal with massive chunks of meat. Entree I had (a meat dish piled high) was really flavorful. Didn't have room for dessert. Service was a real treat - truly genuine, not the fake caring you get at most every other restaurant, you could tell they really cared that you enjoyed your meal. Last place I saw that was in an African restaurant in DC.
(4)
Khan K.
Great little place to eat some nice Kyrgiz(?) food. Started off with the appetizer (bread) which was very nice, soft, and tasted very fresh. Though they did not have my first chiice of food (plov), so instead I ended up having Kuurdaak and Lagman, amazing. Extremely light, extremely fulfilling, and totally healthy. The beef was tender and we'll cooked, the onions were nicely caramelized, and the noodles in the Lagman were very nicely done too. It's a small, but very nice and tidy place, not overloaded with customers, so you can enjoy a nice peaceful meal here. The service was not very fast tbh, but nothing off putting. The server was very nice and after a slight day initially, the food was served to us very quickly, and the food was steaming hot. I enjoyed this place and totally see myself coming back in future.
(5)
Gregory S.
Servers were excellent and made certain all requests we handled well. They also made great suggestions for what to order for a large group. This was valuable given the unique cousine. Food: Every dish was packed with flavor and exceeded expectations. The hand pulled pasta blew me away and I'm an italian foody. Great value place. We will be going back many times.
(5)
Jessica A.
Amazing food !!!!!! Manti were absolutely amazing !!! I called at 11:30 pm to make sure i will be able to order and eat before they close , and the lady I talked to was very Pleasant and friendly she told me told me it will be no problem. It is my second time in Chicago but first time at this restaurant and i'm absolutely sure not last . Thank you for great late night dinner .
(5)
Sofia J.
Wow, I'm so glad I happened to pass by this restaurant! A Central Asian restaurant close to downtown is EXACTLY what we need!!! Besides the fantastic home cooking, it is unbelievably cheap. 2 manty, small plov, and small lagman for $21 - and by small, I mean more than enough for 2 people. Very fast service - the above was prepared for a to-go order in 10 minutes. Lagman was fantastic - incredibly soft and richly flavored noodles with a great balance of meat and vegetables. Can't wait to return for samsy and fried manty...and the rest of their menu :) Btw they do take credit cards - one of the reviews below states cash only - this is not the case.
(5)
Anthony M.
UNIQUE FOOD EXPERIENCE We love finding restaurants that people would just walk by. Recently we've found a few unique underground Russian Central Asian restaurants. This location is great because there menu is in English and has photos of what the food looks like. Score! Prior to coming here we consulted with our Russian friend (Olya) and she told us that this place is amazing. She had so many nice things to say about this place we wanted to go for a second dinner that night after talking to her. Unfortunately we decided to wait until another day to eat here but it was worth the wait. The place is cute on the inside. You will have to seat yourself so grab a table anywhere. There is a TV in the south room and it played a Russian bloopers show that seemed to have cats in it doing crazy things. My little one loved watching this and I did make my wife turn around to see a cat sitting in a sink playing with water. Those wacky Russian cat blooper shows rock. Are you listening Netflix? Our waiter was really good. It took a few minutes for him to take our order, once we got our menus. I know English is not his first language because he spoke perfect Russian to the table next to us when they ordered. But I've never had a waiter who actually could anticipate what I needed. It was like he could read my mind. I didn't want to ask him for anything because of the language barrier but he knew what I needed. I wanted to cut my little ones vegetables and meat. I started using a fork and he ran and got me a plate and a knife. What? This guy is great. I wanted to share my little ones soup. He showed up with an extra bowl and spoon. Who is this guy? Is he a Nostradamus? My wife and I were impressed. I wish every waiter in the world had this kind of instinct. This guy just understood customer service and was able to deliver without me even asking for anything. I ordered the steamed Manty dumplings with beef and onions. Honestly these were amazing. This dish is rooted in Turkish tradition and it was so good. A full order comes with 5 large manty but you can order just one for $2. These were full of flavor. I must admit that the filling reminds me of a Borek I typically order in Melbourne, Australia. When I pointed out the taste to my wife she completely agreed with me. I am so excited I don't have to fly around the globe to experience that taste again. It is unique to find a dish that no one else in Chicago is making. These dumplings are just delicious. My wife ordered the Borsh Soup with beef, carrots, onions, garlic, cabbage and beet. According to her it was the best Borsh soup she has ever had. I tried a few spoons of it and it was really good. I'm just not a huge fan of beets. I was just happy she orderd something that she loved. The first soup we tried to order for the little one was out. So we went with option B and she loved it. The Shorpo boiled soup comes with lamb, carrot, potatoes, red and green pepper & onions. I pulled the large vegetables out to cut them up for her and that's when the knife showed up as I mentioned above. I tasted the large potatoes and they were so tasty and flavorful. Our little one just dived in and called it the best soup ever. Our little one loves soup and she was so happy. I also cut up the three pieces of lamb in the soup. And we all agreed it was the best lamb we ever had. It wasn't gamey. It was completely tender and yummy. I would come back for this soup in a heartbeat. And I am going to have to because I lost my sharing rights according to the little one. I wanted to give a heads up to those who are always in a hurry and give bad reviews based on speed. This place is not fast so don't come in here expecting to be out the door in 5 minutes. Sometimes in life you have to appreciate the moment and this is one of those places. Everything is made to order and served with love. You can not rush that nor should you judge that in a review. This place really stands out and I enjoyed not being rushed. The food here is so good I would wait all day for my dish if I had to. So make sure you sit down in here with patience on your mind. It will be so worth it. Just relax and your food will be there. We were truly impressed with our dinner and we can not wait to come back. The waiter was amazing. His level of customer service is what every restaurant needs. The food was fresh and delicious. All of the dishes had a unique flavor and this sets it apart from all of the typical restaurants you find in Chicago. This place is a unique dinning experience and truly a hidden gem in Chicago dinning.
(5)
Karina C.
This place is disgusting. It smells of cigarettes smoke inside, and the food definitely lacks taste. I should have known better when the menus do not include prices. DO NOT GO!!
(1)
Yuehao B.
Been there three times. Nice people and great food. The Krygzstan food is kind of like Uigur food in China.
(4)
Hamdan A.
The staff was so nice . The food was so goooooooood
I didn't have a bad experience here but it wasn't amazing at that. I came here to grab a quick bite. A lot of what I wanted to order was unavailable. I ended up taking the beef sandwich (shaurma). It was pretty good. The waitress brought me some bread while I waited, no butter though. I did wait for a little longer than I expected to wait.
(3)
Jessica S.
Delicious, very affordable Russian/Asian cuisine. We've dined at Jibek Jolu before (another central Asian restaurant more north) and had a very similar experience. BYOB and a very casual environment. Be prepared to be the only one that doesn't drive a cab but don't let that scare you!
(5)
Mike R.
I'll admit this is the first time I've had Kyrgyz food before, even though I am familiar with some other cuisines that share a few things in common with it. This place isn't huge, but has a fair amount of seating, and some comfortable looking seating in one section. The walls are decorated with photos and some objects from Kyrgyzstan. My friend and I had no standard for this place and knew it could be either good or bad. I first saw Ayran on the menu, which I'm familiar with from Turkish cuisine. This Ayran is a lot thicker and a little sweeter than what I'm used to. Damn near full on yogurt, but it's still good if you are a fan of yogurt. I then ordered some samsy which are basically little baked pies of beef and onion. Decent, though more dry than I'd hoped, but still decent. I then ordered the Lagman because I know this is basically the national dish in Kyrgyzstan amongst some people. It's a noodle dish with a broth at the bottom that is a little spicy and full of some vegetables and meat. I have to say - way better than I thought. I thought the flavor was really good and for $11 and the area, the portion size was huge. My friend said his plates were good too. I don't think most people know this place is here, but I'll be back to try more. I think if you are in the area and like ethnic food, then try this place out. The only thing is that they don't accept credit cards and I wish they would. Fortunately, there is a liquor store nearby with an ATM. The owners (who I think were the owners) didn't speak very good English, but my waitress' english was pretty good and she seemed cool too.
(4)
Sofia R.
Cafe Central Asia is my new favorite in the city! Having grown up between Georgia and Russia, I find Kyrgyz cuisine to be the perfect mix of the traditional Eastern recipes with the added richness of central Asian cooking. Must try their "Pelmeni" and "Lagman". The interior decorations are charming and staff is extremely friendly, a great neighborhood find.
(5)
Jeanne K.
Delightful Kyrghyz place perfect for food adventurers who wish to go off the beaten path in the Gold Coast. Loved the garlic-y Korean carrot salad, the steamed Manti beef dumpling, and the Ayran -- a very thick salted yogurt drink. We also tried a stew of some sort but don't recall the name. The prices were quite reasonable and we got a lot for our money. The waitress was very kind and accommodating, explaining each dish to us. I definitely want to visit again to try the other dishes. I enjoyed the other patrons in the restaurant who were chatting away in Russian, Turkish, and other languages. Wonderful to get a sense of a world still very mystical to many just off the Gold Coast. Edited to note that the service is much better with the waitresses than the waiter.
(5)
Sasha R.
Really good Russian food, salads were killer. The borsch was great too. I speak Russian fluently and did not have communication difficulties. Will go again (often!) The place was filled with Central Asian people, perhaps cab drivers, judging by the empty cabs parked outside.
(5)
Jinn L.
Since we moved into the old town neighborhood, we have walked by this place numerous times. We did stop in once and decided to pass. Today we were in a more adventurous mood so decided to sit down and try this place. Note this is next to Hashbrowns where there were full of people. This restaurant only had one table of guests this morning. What comes into your mind when you think CentralAsia? Not Russian for sure... Anyway, the menu was very limited and showed pictures. The waitress was a little confused and did not bring water when we sat down. When I ordered water, she though I wanted apple juice..... We asked a few questions about the portion of the food and she was confused about that also. When I asked how many pieces of Mantry (dumplin look alike) came with the entree and she said five for $12.. I showed her the picture with six pieces and she said. "Five" again. My boyfriend ordered the lamb with white onion $12 dish, it came with 70 percent potato and very hard to chew lamb.. My fried rice beef was also overcooked with no taste. The bread did not come until we are almost finished with our meal.... We won't be back to this place for a very long while...
(2)
Nurbek O.
I love this place, the best service and the best Central Asian restaurant so far, EVERYBODY should try this place...
(5)
E L.
I almost gave up finding a decent place to eat Russian / Central Asian food in Chicago, but hey - this place is good! Food was good, cheap, place is decent! Will come again. This place is just like Chaihana... Lagman was good, plov was good and venigret as well! What I've tried before in Chicago: Russian Tea Time, Red Square. Will never go again. What I think a Russian restaurant should look like in America - try Marivanna in NY/LA/DC.
(4)
David M.
The best Kyrgyz food I've ever had, though that's not necessarily saying much. If you're looking for a waitstaff that refreshes your water every five minutes and romantic lighting, this is not the place. But if you want to try a cuisine you've maybe never had before, it was plenty good. Food was fine, affordable, and in good portions. I think they were hosting a private event because my friends and I didn't get a lot of attention - we ended up having to just drop some cash and leave because the waitress never came back around at the end. I wouldn't go by every day, but for a chance to try something different, my friends and I were pretty happy with it.
(3)
Molly S.
Really great experience here! We came late on a Monday night and were the only people in the place. Many things on the menu were unavailable but what we ended up getting (Kotlets and Lagman) were super good!
(5)
Aleksey C.
This is a very good Kyrgyz restaurant, but they do serve a lot of russian food too(borsch, pelmeni etc). Finally we have something in downtown beside "russian tea time", which I am personally not big fan of. The food in Cafe Central Asia is fresh and tasty and very well priced, especially given the location. Cousine is closer to west asia than east/south asia, so "asian fusion" category in yelp is a little confusing. I see how some people might expect the fusion of chinese/thai/japanese food instead.
(5)
Annabel V.
12$ for two thin small sizes salmon fish with rice and little broccoli?! What?! Are you serving for kids or something?! Was still hungry and order more food and paid more money. I was shocked! Guys you have to change your price! And also when I ordered, I heard microwave sound and after one minute the waitress brought my order, but my friend who order other food was waiting for 30 min. Can you believe it?! Ooh
(1)
Ralph M.
Just came back from eating here. The waitress doesn't even know English. She didn't understand anything i was trying to tell her. I tried to order fried chicken, sorry no fried chicken. I tried to order meatballs, sorry no meatballs. i ordered beef n onion noodles, nasty, had absolutely no flavor. They don't take credit card although there is a visa mastercard sign on the door. Now I'm at home feeling sick.
(1)
Michelle P.
The food was cheap and delicious. I had to go look for Kyrgyzstan on a map, but I can definitely recommend its cuisine.
(4)
Jim S.
Fresh, healthy, and tasty. Really liked the soups - don't remember their names but they weren't your usual processed soups, these were the real deal with massive chunks of meat. Entree I had (a meat dish piled high) was really flavorful. Didn't have room for dessert. Service was a real treat - truly genuine, not the fake caring you get at most every other restaurant, you could tell they really cared that you enjoyed your meal. Last place I saw that was in an African restaurant in DC.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Accepts Bitcoin : No Parking : Street, Validated Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : No Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Annabel V.
12$ for two thin small sizes salmon fish with rice and little broccoli?! What?! Are you serving for kids or something?! Was still hungry and order more food and paid more money. I was shocked! Guys you have to change your price! And also when I ordered, I heard microwave sound and after one minute the waitress brought my order, but my friend who order other food was waiting for 30 min. Can you believe it?! Ooh
(1)Anthony M.
UNIQUE FOOD EXPERIENCE We love finding restaurants that people would just walk by. Recently we've found a few unique underground Russian Central Asian restaurants. This location is great because there menu is in English and has photos of what the food looks like. Score! Prior to coming here we consulted with our Russian friend (Olya) and she told us that this place is amazing. She had so many nice things to say about this place we wanted to go for a second dinner that night after talking to her. Unfortunately we decided to wait until another day to eat here but it was worth the wait. The place is cute on the inside. You will have to seat yourself so grab a table anywhere. There is a TV in the south room and it played a Russian bloopers show that seemed to have cats in it doing crazy things. My little one loved watching this and I did make my wife turn around to see a cat sitting in a sink playing with water. Those wacky Russian cat blooper shows rock. Are you listening Netflix? Our waiter was really good. It took a few minutes for him to take our order, once we got our menus. I know English is not his first language because he spoke perfect Russian to the table next to us when they ordered. But I've never had a waiter who actually could anticipate what I needed. It was like he could read my mind. I didn't want to ask him for anything because of the language barrier but he knew what I needed. I wanted to cut my little ones vegetables and meat. I started using a fork and he ran and got me a plate and a knife. What? This guy is great. I wanted to share my little ones soup. He showed up with an extra bowl and spoon. Who is this guy? Is he a Nostradamus? My wife and I were impressed. I wish every waiter in the world had this kind of instinct. This guy just understood customer service and was able to deliver without me even asking for anything. I ordered the steamed Manty dumplings with beef and onions. Honestly these were amazing. This dish is rooted in Turkish tradition and it was so good. A full order comes with 5 large manty but you can order just one for $2. These were full of flavor. I must admit that the filling reminds me of a Borek I typically order in Melbourne, Australia. When I pointed out the taste to my wife she completely agreed with me. I am so excited I don't have to fly around the globe to experience that taste again. It is unique to find a dish that no one else in Chicago is making. These dumplings are just delicious. My wife ordered the Borsh Soup with beef, carrots, onions, garlic, cabbage and beet. According to her it was the best Borsh soup she has ever had. I tried a few spoons of it and it was really good. I'm just not a huge fan of beets. I was just happy she orderd something that she loved. The first soup we tried to order for the little one was out. So we went with option B and she loved it. The Shorpo boiled soup comes with lamb, carrot, potatoes, red and green pepper & onions. I pulled the large vegetables out to cut them up for her and that's when the knife showed up as I mentioned above. I tasted the large potatoes and they were so tasty and flavorful. Our little one just dived in and called it the best soup ever. Our little one loves soup and she was so happy. I also cut up the three pieces of lamb in the soup. And we all agreed it was the best lamb we ever had. It wasn't gamey. It was completely tender and yummy. I would come back for this soup in a heartbeat. And I am going to have to because I lost my sharing rights according to the little one. I wanted to give a heads up to those who are always in a hurry and give bad reviews based on speed. This place is not fast so don't come in here expecting to be out the door in 5 minutes. Sometimes in life you have to appreciate the moment and this is one of those places. Everything is made to order and served with love. You can not rush that nor should you judge that in a review. This place really stands out and I enjoyed not being rushed. The food here is so good I would wait all day for my dish if I had to. So make sure you sit down in here with patience on your mind. It will be so worth it. Just relax and your food will be there. We were truly impressed with our dinner and we can not wait to come back. The waiter was amazing. His level of customer service is what every restaurant needs. The food was fresh and delicious. All of the dishes had a unique flavor and this sets it apart from all of the typical restaurants you find in Chicago. This place is a unique dinning experience and truly a hidden gem in Chicago dinning.
(5)Mike R.
I'll admit this is the first time I've had Kyrgyz food before, even though I am familiar with some other cuisines that share a few things in common with it. This place isn't huge, but has a fair amount of seating, and some comfortable looking seating in one section. The walls are decorated with photos and some objects from Kyrgyzstan. My friend and I had no standard for this place and knew it could be either good or bad. I first saw Ayran on the menu, which I'm familiar with from Turkish cuisine. This Ayran is a lot thicker and a little sweeter than what I'm used to. Damn near full on yogurt, but it's still good if you are a fan of yogurt. I then ordered some samsy which are basically little baked pies of beef and onion. Decent, though more dry than I'd hoped, but still decent. I then ordered the Lagman because I know this is basically the national dish in Kyrgyzstan amongst some people. It's a noodle dish with a broth at the bottom that is a little spicy and full of some vegetables and meat. I have to say - way better than I thought. I thought the flavor was really good and for $11 and the area, the portion size was huge. My friend said his plates were good too. I don't think most people know this place is here, but I'll be back to try more. I think if you are in the area and like ethnic food, then try this place out. The only thing is that they don't accept credit cards and I wish they would. Fortunately, there is a liquor store nearby with an ATM. The owners (who I think were the owners) didn't speak very good English, but my waitress' english was pretty good and she seemed cool too.
(4)Karina C.
This place is disgusting. It smells of cigarettes smoke inside, and the food definitely lacks taste. I should have known better when the menus do not include prices. DO NOT GO!!
(1)Yuehao B.
Been there three times. Nice people and great food. The Krygzstan food is kind of like Uigur food in China.
(4)Hamdan A.
The staff was so nice . The food was so goooooooood
(5)Sofia R.
Cafe Central Asia is my new favorite in the city! Having grown up between Georgia and Russia, I find Kyrgyz cuisine to be the perfect mix of the traditional Eastern recipes with the added richness of central Asian cooking. Must try their "Pelmeni" and "Lagman". The interior decorations are charming and staff is extremely friendly, a great neighborhood find.
(5)Khan K.
Great little place to eat some nice Kyrgiz(?) food. Started off with the appetizer (bread) which was very nice, soft, and tasted very fresh. Though they did not have my first chiice of food (plov), so instead I ended up having Kuurdaak and Lagman, amazing. Extremely light, extremely fulfilling, and totally healthy. The beef was tender and we'll cooked, the onions were nicely caramelized, and the noodles in the Lagman were very nicely done too. It's a small, but very nice and tidy place, not overloaded with customers, so you can enjoy a nice peaceful meal here. The service was not very fast tbh, but nothing off putting. The server was very nice and after a slight day initially, the food was served to us very quickly, and the food was steaming hot. I enjoyed this place and totally see myself coming back in future.
(5)Gregory S.
Servers were excellent and made certain all requests we handled well. They also made great suggestions for what to order for a large group. This was valuable given the unique cousine. Food: Every dish was packed with flavor and exceeded expectations. The hand pulled pasta blew me away and I'm an italian foody. Great value place. We will be going back many times.
(5)Jessica A.
Amazing food !!!!!! Manti were absolutely amazing !!! I called at 11:30 pm to make sure i will be able to order and eat before they close , and the lady I talked to was very Pleasant and friendly she told me told me it will be no problem. It is my second time in Chicago but first time at this restaurant and i'm absolutely sure not last . Thank you for great late night dinner .
(5)Sofia J.
Wow, I'm so glad I happened to pass by this restaurant! A Central Asian restaurant close to downtown is EXACTLY what we need!!! Besides the fantastic home cooking, it is unbelievably cheap. 2 manty, small plov, and small lagman for $21 - and by small, I mean more than enough for 2 people. Very fast service - the above was prepared for a to-go order in 10 minutes. Lagman was fantastic - incredibly soft and richly flavored noodles with a great balance of meat and vegetables. Can't wait to return for samsy and fried manty...and the rest of their menu :) Btw they do take credit cards - one of the reviews below states cash only - this is not the case.
(5)J. K.
We won't be going back. $45+tip for two with water to drink. We thought it was worth $25 but menu had no prices. Only 3 menus for entire restaurant, and when we asked for more menus, waitress said Yes and never came back. When we asked again, she went to the neighboring table and took their menus away. Incompetent and very odd service although tried to please with a smile and saying Yes to everything when the answers should've been a No (zero English). Although I do speak Russian that did not seem to help much either, huge cultural gap. She brought my soup and entrée together and at once. My husband had to wait 20min for his food. All dishes use the same meat. The only difference is over rice, noodles or in soup. Manty was weird tasting. The worst dumplings of all ethnic dumplings out there. The picture had 6 dumplings but we got 3 (someone here mentioned they got 4). We thought we just got an appetizer version but the price remained the same- $12. And you don't know the price until you get the bill (no prices on menus). Hours of operation on Yelp do not match actual hours. Menu items on Yelp do not match with what is actually offered that day. They clearly make sh... up as they go. Overall not worth the experience. Too weird.
(2)Kristina M.
I didn't have a bad experience here but it wasn't amazing at that. I came here to grab a quick bite. A lot of what I wanted to order was unavailable. I ended up taking the beef sandwich (shaurma). It was pretty good. The waitress brought me some bread while I waited, no butter though. I did wait for a little longer than I expected to wait.
(3)Jessica S.
Delicious, very affordable Russian/Asian cuisine. We've dined at Jibek Jolu before (another central Asian restaurant more north) and had a very similar experience. BYOB and a very casual environment. Be prepared to be the only one that doesn't drive a cab but don't let that scare you!
(5)Jeanne K.
Delightful Kyrghyz place perfect for food adventurers who wish to go off the beaten path in the Gold Coast. Loved the garlic-y Korean carrot salad, the steamed Manti beef dumpling, and the Ayran -- a very thick salted yogurt drink. We also tried a stew of some sort but don't recall the name. The prices were quite reasonable and we got a lot for our money. The waitress was very kind and accommodating, explaining each dish to us. I definitely want to visit again to try the other dishes. I enjoyed the other patrons in the restaurant who were chatting away in Russian, Turkish, and other languages. Wonderful to get a sense of a world still very mystical to many just off the Gold Coast. Edited to note that the service is much better with the waitresses than the waiter.
(5)Sasha R.
Really good Russian food, salads were killer. The borsch was great too. I speak Russian fluently and did not have communication difficulties. Will go again (often!) The place was filled with Central Asian people, perhaps cab drivers, judging by the empty cabs parked outside.
(5)Jinn L.
Since we moved into the old town neighborhood, we have walked by this place numerous times. We did stop in once and decided to pass. Today we were in a more adventurous mood so decided to sit down and try this place. Note this is next to Hashbrowns where there were full of people. This restaurant only had one table of guests this morning. What comes into your mind when you think CentralAsia? Not Russian for sure... Anyway, the menu was very limited and showed pictures. The waitress was a little confused and did not bring water when we sat down. When I ordered water, she though I wanted apple juice..... We asked a few questions about the portion of the food and she was confused about that also. When I asked how many pieces of Mantry (dumplin look alike) came with the entree and she said five for $12.. I showed her the picture with six pieces and she said. "Five" again. My boyfriend ordered the lamb with white onion $12 dish, it came with 70 percent potato and very hard to chew lamb.. My fried rice beef was also overcooked with no taste. The bread did not come until we are almost finished with our meal.... We won't be back to this place for a very long while...
(2)Nurbek O.
I love this place, the best service and the best Central Asian restaurant so far, EVERYBODY should try this place...
(5)E L.
I almost gave up finding a decent place to eat Russian / Central Asian food in Chicago, but hey - this place is good! Food was good, cheap, place is decent! Will come again. This place is just like Chaihana... Lagman was good, plov was good and venigret as well! What I've tried before in Chicago: Russian Tea Time, Red Square. Will never go again. What I think a Russian restaurant should look like in America - try Marivanna in NY/LA/DC.
(4)David M.
The best Kyrgyz food I've ever had, though that's not necessarily saying much. If you're looking for a waitstaff that refreshes your water every five minutes and romantic lighting, this is not the place. But if you want to try a cuisine you've maybe never had before, it was plenty good. Food was fine, affordable, and in good portions. I think they were hosting a private event because my friends and I didn't get a lot of attention - we ended up having to just drop some cash and leave because the waitress never came back around at the end. I wouldn't go by every day, but for a chance to try something different, my friends and I were pretty happy with it.
(3)Molly S.
Really great experience here! We came late on a Monday night and were the only people in the place. Many things on the menu were unavailable but what we ended up getting (Kotlets and Lagman) were super good!
(5)Aleksey C.
This is a very good Kyrgyz restaurant, but they do serve a lot of russian food too(borsch, pelmeni etc). Finally we have something in downtown beside "russian tea time", which I am personally not big fan of. The food in Cafe Central Asia is fresh and tasty and very well priced, especially given the location. Cousine is closer to west asia than east/south asia, so "asian fusion" category in yelp is a little confusing. I see how some people might expect the fusion of chinese/thai/japanese food instead.
(5)Ralph M.
Just came back from eating here. The waitress doesn't even know English. She didn't understand anything i was trying to tell her. I tried to order fried chicken, sorry no fried chicken. I tried to order meatballs, sorry no meatballs. i ordered beef n onion noodles, nasty, had absolutely no flavor. They don't take credit card although there is a visa mastercard sign on the door. Now I'm at home feeling sick.
(1)Michelle P.
The food was cheap and delicious. I had to go look for Kyrgyzstan on a map, but I can definitely recommend its cuisine.
(4)Jim S.
Fresh, healthy, and tasty. Really liked the soups - don't remember their names but they weren't your usual processed soups, these were the real deal with massive chunks of meat. Entree I had (a meat dish piled high) was really flavorful. Didn't have room for dessert. Service was a real treat - truly genuine, not the fake caring you get at most every other restaurant, you could tell they really cared that you enjoyed your meal. Last place I saw that was in an African restaurant in DC.
(4)Khan K.
Great little place to eat some nice Kyrgiz(?) food. Started off with the appetizer (bread) which was very nice, soft, and tasted very fresh. Though they did not have my first chiice of food (plov), so instead I ended up having Kuurdaak and Lagman, amazing. Extremely light, extremely fulfilling, and totally healthy. The beef was tender and we'll cooked, the onions were nicely caramelized, and the noodles in the Lagman were very nicely done too. It's a small, but very nice and tidy place, not overloaded with customers, so you can enjoy a nice peaceful meal here. The service was not very fast tbh, but nothing off putting. The server was very nice and after a slight day initially, the food was served to us very quickly, and the food was steaming hot. I enjoyed this place and totally see myself coming back in future.
(5)Gregory S.
Servers were excellent and made certain all requests we handled well. They also made great suggestions for what to order for a large group. This was valuable given the unique cousine. Food: Every dish was packed with flavor and exceeded expectations. The hand pulled pasta blew me away and I'm an italian foody. Great value place. We will be going back many times.
(5)Jessica A.
Amazing food !!!!!! Manti were absolutely amazing !!! I called at 11:30 pm to make sure i will be able to order and eat before they close , and the lady I talked to was very Pleasant and friendly she told me told me it will be no problem. It is my second time in Chicago but first time at this restaurant and i'm absolutely sure not last . Thank you for great late night dinner .
(5)Sofia J.
Wow, I'm so glad I happened to pass by this restaurant! A Central Asian restaurant close to downtown is EXACTLY what we need!!! Besides the fantastic home cooking, it is unbelievably cheap. 2 manty, small plov, and small lagman for $21 - and by small, I mean more than enough for 2 people. Very fast service - the above was prepared for a to-go order in 10 minutes. Lagman was fantastic - incredibly soft and richly flavored noodles with a great balance of meat and vegetables. Can't wait to return for samsy and fried manty...and the rest of their menu :) Btw they do take credit cards - one of the reviews below states cash only - this is not the case.
(5)Anthony M.
UNIQUE FOOD EXPERIENCE We love finding restaurants that people would just walk by. Recently we've found a few unique underground Russian Central Asian restaurants. This location is great because there menu is in English and has photos of what the food looks like. Score! Prior to coming here we consulted with our Russian friend (Olya) and she told us that this place is amazing. She had so many nice things to say about this place we wanted to go for a second dinner that night after talking to her. Unfortunately we decided to wait until another day to eat here but it was worth the wait. The place is cute on the inside. You will have to seat yourself so grab a table anywhere. There is a TV in the south room and it played a Russian bloopers show that seemed to have cats in it doing crazy things. My little one loved watching this and I did make my wife turn around to see a cat sitting in a sink playing with water. Those wacky Russian cat blooper shows rock. Are you listening Netflix? Our waiter was really good. It took a few minutes for him to take our order, once we got our menus. I know English is not his first language because he spoke perfect Russian to the table next to us when they ordered. But I've never had a waiter who actually could anticipate what I needed. It was like he could read my mind. I didn't want to ask him for anything because of the language barrier but he knew what I needed. I wanted to cut my little ones vegetables and meat. I started using a fork and he ran and got me a plate and a knife. What? This guy is great. I wanted to share my little ones soup. He showed up with an extra bowl and spoon. Who is this guy? Is he a Nostradamus? My wife and I were impressed. I wish every waiter in the world had this kind of instinct. This guy just understood customer service and was able to deliver without me even asking for anything. I ordered the steamed Manty dumplings with beef and onions. Honestly these were amazing. This dish is rooted in Turkish tradition and it was so good. A full order comes with 5 large manty but you can order just one for $2. These were full of flavor. I must admit that the filling reminds me of a Borek I typically order in Melbourne, Australia. When I pointed out the taste to my wife she completely agreed with me. I am so excited I don't have to fly around the globe to experience that taste again. It is unique to find a dish that no one else in Chicago is making. These dumplings are just delicious. My wife ordered the Borsh Soup with beef, carrots, onions, garlic, cabbage and beet. According to her it was the best Borsh soup she has ever had. I tried a few spoons of it and it was really good. I'm just not a huge fan of beets. I was just happy she orderd something that she loved. The first soup we tried to order for the little one was out. So we went with option B and she loved it. The Shorpo boiled soup comes with lamb, carrot, potatoes, red and green pepper & onions. I pulled the large vegetables out to cut them up for her and that's when the knife showed up as I mentioned above. I tasted the large potatoes and they were so tasty and flavorful. Our little one just dived in and called it the best soup ever. Our little one loves soup and she was so happy. I also cut up the three pieces of lamb in the soup. And we all agreed it was the best lamb we ever had. It wasn't gamey. It was completely tender and yummy. I would come back for this soup in a heartbeat. And I am going to have to because I lost my sharing rights according to the little one. I wanted to give a heads up to those who are always in a hurry and give bad reviews based on speed. This place is not fast so don't come in here expecting to be out the door in 5 minutes. Sometimes in life you have to appreciate the moment and this is one of those places. Everything is made to order and served with love. You can not rush that nor should you judge that in a review. This place really stands out and I enjoyed not being rushed. The food here is so good I would wait all day for my dish if I had to. So make sure you sit down in here with patience on your mind. It will be so worth it. Just relax and your food will be there. We were truly impressed with our dinner and we can not wait to come back. The waiter was amazing. His level of customer service is what every restaurant needs. The food was fresh and delicious. All of the dishes had a unique flavor and this sets it apart from all of the typical restaurants you find in Chicago. This place is a unique dinning experience and truly a hidden gem in Chicago dinning.
(5)Karina C.
This place is disgusting. It smells of cigarettes smoke inside, and the food definitely lacks taste. I should have known better when the menus do not include prices. DO NOT GO!!
(1)Yuehao B.
Been there three times. Nice people and great food. The Krygzstan food is kind of like Uigur food in China.
(4)Hamdan A.
The staff was so nice . The food was so goooooooood
(5)J. K.
We won't be going back. $45+tip for two with water to drink. We thought it was worth $25 but menu had no prices. Only 3 menus for entire restaurant, and when we asked for more menus, waitress said Yes and never came back. When we asked again, she went to the neighboring table and took their menus away. Incompetent and very odd service although tried to please with a smile and saying Yes to everything when the answers should've been a No (zero English). Although I do speak Russian that did not seem to help much either, huge cultural gap. She brought my soup and entrée together and at once. My husband had to wait 20min for his food. All dishes use the same meat. The only difference is over rice, noodles or in soup. Manty was weird tasting. The worst dumplings of all ethnic dumplings out there. The picture had 6 dumplings but we got 3 (someone here mentioned they got 4). We thought we just got an appetizer version but the price remained the same- $12. And you don't know the price until you get the bill (no prices on menus). Hours of operation on Yelp do not match actual hours. Menu items on Yelp do not match with what is actually offered that day. They clearly make sh... up as they go. Overall not worth the experience. Too weird.
(2)Kristina M.
I didn't have a bad experience here but it wasn't amazing at that. I came here to grab a quick bite. A lot of what I wanted to order was unavailable. I ended up taking the beef sandwich (shaurma). It was pretty good. The waitress brought me some bread while I waited, no butter though. I did wait for a little longer than I expected to wait.
(3)Jessica S.
Delicious, very affordable Russian/Asian cuisine. We've dined at Jibek Jolu before (another central Asian restaurant more north) and had a very similar experience. BYOB and a very casual environment. Be prepared to be the only one that doesn't drive a cab but don't let that scare you!
(5)Mike R.
I'll admit this is the first time I've had Kyrgyz food before, even though I am familiar with some other cuisines that share a few things in common with it. This place isn't huge, but has a fair amount of seating, and some comfortable looking seating in one section. The walls are decorated with photos and some objects from Kyrgyzstan. My friend and I had no standard for this place and knew it could be either good or bad. I first saw Ayran on the menu, which I'm familiar with from Turkish cuisine. This Ayran is a lot thicker and a little sweeter than what I'm used to. Damn near full on yogurt, but it's still good if you are a fan of yogurt. I then ordered some samsy which are basically little baked pies of beef and onion. Decent, though more dry than I'd hoped, but still decent. I then ordered the Lagman because I know this is basically the national dish in Kyrgyzstan amongst some people. It's a noodle dish with a broth at the bottom that is a little spicy and full of some vegetables and meat. I have to say - way better than I thought. I thought the flavor was really good and for $11 and the area, the portion size was huge. My friend said his plates were good too. I don't think most people know this place is here, but I'll be back to try more. I think if you are in the area and like ethnic food, then try this place out. The only thing is that they don't accept credit cards and I wish they would. Fortunately, there is a liquor store nearby with an ATM. The owners (who I think were the owners) didn't speak very good English, but my waitress' english was pretty good and she seemed cool too.
(4)Sofia R.
Cafe Central Asia is my new favorite in the city! Having grown up between Georgia and Russia, I find Kyrgyz cuisine to be the perfect mix of the traditional Eastern recipes with the added richness of central Asian cooking. Must try their "Pelmeni" and "Lagman". The interior decorations are charming and staff is extremely friendly, a great neighborhood find.
(5)Jeanne K.
Delightful Kyrghyz place perfect for food adventurers who wish to go off the beaten path in the Gold Coast. Loved the garlic-y Korean carrot salad, the steamed Manti beef dumpling, and the Ayran -- a very thick salted yogurt drink. We also tried a stew of some sort but don't recall the name. The prices were quite reasonable and we got a lot for our money. The waitress was very kind and accommodating, explaining each dish to us. I definitely want to visit again to try the other dishes. I enjoyed the other patrons in the restaurant who were chatting away in Russian, Turkish, and other languages. Wonderful to get a sense of a world still very mystical to many just off the Gold Coast. Edited to note that the service is much better with the waitresses than the waiter.
(5)Sasha R.
Really good Russian food, salads were killer. The borsch was great too. I speak Russian fluently and did not have communication difficulties. Will go again (often!) The place was filled with Central Asian people, perhaps cab drivers, judging by the empty cabs parked outside.
(5)Jinn L.
Since we moved into the old town neighborhood, we have walked by this place numerous times. We did stop in once and decided to pass. Today we were in a more adventurous mood so decided to sit down and try this place. Note this is next to Hashbrowns where there were full of people. This restaurant only had one table of guests this morning. What comes into your mind when you think CentralAsia? Not Russian for sure... Anyway, the menu was very limited and showed pictures. The waitress was a little confused and did not bring water when we sat down. When I ordered water, she though I wanted apple juice..... We asked a few questions about the portion of the food and she was confused about that also. When I asked how many pieces of Mantry (dumplin look alike) came with the entree and she said five for $12.. I showed her the picture with six pieces and she said. "Five" again. My boyfriend ordered the lamb with white onion $12 dish, it came with 70 percent potato and very hard to chew lamb.. My fried rice beef was also overcooked with no taste. The bread did not come until we are almost finished with our meal.... We won't be back to this place for a very long while...
(2)Nurbek O.
I love this place, the best service and the best Central Asian restaurant so far, EVERYBODY should try this place...
(5)E L.
I almost gave up finding a decent place to eat Russian / Central Asian food in Chicago, but hey - this place is good! Food was good, cheap, place is decent! Will come again. This place is just like Chaihana... Lagman was good, plov was good and venigret as well! What I've tried before in Chicago: Russian Tea Time, Red Square. Will never go again. What I think a Russian restaurant should look like in America - try Marivanna in NY/LA/DC.
(4)David M.
The best Kyrgyz food I've ever had, though that's not necessarily saying much. If you're looking for a waitstaff that refreshes your water every five minutes and romantic lighting, this is not the place. But if you want to try a cuisine you've maybe never had before, it was plenty good. Food was fine, affordable, and in good portions. I think they were hosting a private event because my friends and I didn't get a lot of attention - we ended up having to just drop some cash and leave because the waitress never came back around at the end. I wouldn't go by every day, but for a chance to try something different, my friends and I were pretty happy with it.
(3)Molly S.
Really great experience here! We came late on a Monday night and were the only people in the place. Many things on the menu were unavailable but what we ended up getting (Kotlets and Lagman) were super good!
(5)Aleksey C.
This is a very good Kyrgyz restaurant, but they do serve a lot of russian food too(borsch, pelmeni etc). Finally we have something in downtown beside "russian tea time", which I am personally not big fan of. The food in Cafe Central Asia is fresh and tasty and very well priced, especially given the location. Cousine is closer to west asia than east/south asia, so "asian fusion" category in yelp is a little confusing. I see how some people might expect the fusion of chinese/thai/japanese food instead.
(5)Annabel V.
12$ for two thin small sizes salmon fish with rice and little broccoli?! What?! Are you serving for kids or something?! Was still hungry and order more food and paid more money. I was shocked! Guys you have to change your price! And also when I ordered, I heard microwave sound and after one minute the waitress brought my order, but my friend who order other food was waiting for 30 min. Can you believe it?! Ooh
(1)Ralph M.
Just came back from eating here. The waitress doesn't even know English. She didn't understand anything i was trying to tell her. I tried to order fried chicken, sorry no fried chicken. I tried to order meatballs, sorry no meatballs. i ordered beef n onion noodles, nasty, had absolutely no flavor. They don't take credit card although there is a visa mastercard sign on the door. Now I'm at home feeling sick.
(1)Michelle P.
The food was cheap and delicious. I had to go look for Kyrgyzstan on a map, but I can definitely recommend its cuisine.
(4)Jim S.
Fresh, healthy, and tasty. Really liked the soups - don't remember their names but they weren't your usual processed soups, these were the real deal with massive chunks of meat. Entree I had (a meat dish piled high) was really flavorful. Didn't have room for dessert. Service was a real treat - truly genuine, not the fake caring you get at most every other restaurant, you could tell they really cared that you enjoyed your meal. Last place I saw that was in an African restaurant in DC.
(4)