Arooj Grill Glatt Kosher Restaurant

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A «hole in the wall» Uzbek restaurant on the 3^rd floor.
I was actually on my way to the 4^th floor for El Rincon when I saw a their poster in the stairwell with images of kebobs and rice pilaf. As soon as I realized the food was from the eastern region of the Middle East, I had to try it, and I’m glad I did.
The people there seem very authentic and speaking in Arabic I assume. The place is a sit down with several tables however when I was there, everyone was getting takeout. The menu is a mix of standard middle eastern food, like kebobs and shwarmas, and authentic Uzbekistan food like the Lamb and Beef rice pilaf and Lepeshka (Uzbek naan bread) — these last 2 items, I ordered. The food looks just like the Uighur food from China (Xinjiang region) and tastes similiar to it as well.
The rice pilaf was very flavorful and oily as it should be since it should be made with lamb fat however the rice wasn’t soft enough. The carrots were savory and sweet and melts right in your mouth. The beef and lamb unfortunately were not as amazing. There was 1 piece of each and it was on the dry side. It’s missing the fat and moisture and the lamb wasn’t gamey enough. I will have to try their lamb kebob to see if that’s better.
The bread was the real deal — looks just like how they made them in Xinjiang. It was lightly salted and had a nice crunchy outer layer and warm soft dough on the inside. Tastes different from what I remembered and more doughy than the ones in XinJiang.
Overall I’d give the food 2.5 stars but being the only Uzbek restaurant I know of in the city, I’ll round up to 3 stars.