Inside Samarkand, Minnesota's only Uzbek restaurant
PLYMOUTH, Minn. — They're the only Uzbek restaurant in Minnesota, and co-owners Aziz Radjabov and Djafar Muminov feel a certain pride, knowing that they're providing their community with a sense of home.
They named the restaurant, Samarkand, after their hometown. The nephew-uncle duo covered the inside of the restaurants with murals of their city. In one corner is a stage where they host live music, and a soft yellow glow shines from the lamps hanging from the walls.
Radjabov and Muminov's family moved to the United States in 2000 after they won a diversity visa. Seeking better opportunities, they stayed in New York City for nearly 20 years before some family friends convinced them to move out to Minnesota.
Radjabov opened the restaurant with his uncle in November of 2019. That first year was, understandably, rough. As Radjabov recalled, the community pitched in to help the small, family-run operation amidst the pandemic, and nobody got paid for six months.
"That's how we survived," he said. "But we survived."
The root of all their recipes is Samarkand-style authentic Uzbek food. Their most traditional is the polov — a combination of rice, carrots and beef. Each ingredient is cooked in different layers; first the beef and then the carrots, sprinkled generously with raisins and cumin.
Also on their menu is the tuy kabob — a traditional wedding soup with beef served in Samarkand — that isn't common in other regions of Uzbekistan.
Radjabov's two uncles both work in the kitchen, making the ever-popular samsas and kebabs, though only one was trained as a professional chef. Muminov worked on the stage and on TV back in Uzbekistan, and was quite popular on some soap operas.
Running a restaurant as a family has its ups and downs. Before work, they are family, Muminov explained. When they get to work, everyone has their roles and duties, and after the restaurant closes for the night, they go back to being family again. It's a balance that has worked for them all, and it's a strategy they'll continue.
"It's a challenge at times but it has its own merits," Radjabov said. "We survived COVID just because we were family and everybody was so understanding of the situation."
Even though it's only been a few years, the family has big dreams to expand the restaurant. Dreams of offering treats and baked goods. But their biggest dream of all is to open an Uzbek community center.
Radjabov and Muminov didn't really anticipate that their restaurant would become a pillar in their community. It's a new role for them, and one that they're still growing into. They want to help more Uzbek community members as they settle into Minnesota.
"Help them out," Radjabov explained. "Show them the way."
Until then, they love providing a touchstone of home for their customers. To the customers that don't know much about Uzbek culture, Radjabov says he likes to explain the country's history.
"When they leave they thank us," Muminov said of his new customers. "You know, show a appreciation that we are here. Every time we enter the room. We did not really open a restaurant for just for Uzbek community. We opened it for everyone living in the Twin Cities."
"Hospitality is very important to us. Back home they have a tradition," Radjabov explained. "If somebody knocks on your door, they will invite you without asking your name, they'll give you food, they'll feed you up. Then they'll ask you what's your name and why you're here. So that's our way of thinking. We like to take the guests, treat them as our own guests as, as if they are coming to our own home."
For now, Radjabov said with a smile, it feels great to be the only Uzbek restaurant in Minnesota. But he's also looking forward to seeing, as the community grows, more and more restaurants pop up in the future.