Chaikhana Samarkanda - lviv, ukraine

Rating:  7 / 10

After a slightly embarassing episode at the hospital and a long walk through the glorious Lychakiv Cemetery, I had conjured a hell of a hunger.

Chaikhana Samarkanda was nearby, had great reviews and offered a glimpse into Uzbek cuisine of which I was ignorant.

Instead of ordering the most obvious offender: Plov, I decided to go for the lamb with potatos. The restaurant is a quirky cave in a cellar, helmed by a jovial woman and offering personalised notes from previous customers scattered all over the tables like literary confetti. 

Despite some undercurrents of herbs never tasted, the meal was a success.

It was perhaps more an experience than something I would crave again, but i'm glad I got the chance to visit this small gem hidden in an un-obvious part of town.

Worth a detour, especially if you are visiting the cemetery, which is HIGHLY recommended.

These recommendations are just personal opinions based on my palate, things change, chefs get fired or replaced, places open-close, relocate, so take it all with a pinch of MSG  and discover your own gems too. But please do try a few of these, they have been researched exhaustively.