Besh Qozon Central Asian Plov Center

Besh Qozon Central Asian Plov Center is the best-known plov centre in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, standing at 1 Iftihor Street in the Yunusobod District beside the TV Tower. The name refers to the five cauldrons (besh qozon) in which the rice dish is cooked, and the kitchen operates on the scale of a production line, with enormous kazans set over open flames and tended by oshpaz cooks who specialise in a single dish. Plov centres of this type are a Tashkent institution: the city's style of plov uses long-grain rice, yellow carrots, lamb or beef, chickpeas and whole garlic heads, cooked in layers rather than stirred, and served in the early afternoon while still steaming. The signature order here is the wedding plov (to'y oshi), the festive version prepared for celebrations, usually accompanied by achichuk, a fresh salad of thinly sliced tomato and onion that cuts through the richness of the rice. Hot samsa pastries are also on offer, and tea is served throughout the meal. Service is lunchtime-focused, with cooking timed so that the plov is ready around midday, and the kitchen is typically open roughly from 12:00 to 15:00. Because each batch is finite, the plov can sell out, so arriving before 13:00 is the practical rule. The dining halls are large, bright and functional, with long rows of tables that fill with office workers, families and tour groups, so the atmosphere is busy and fairly noisy rather than intimate. There is no dress code. Reservations are not needed for individual diners, although groups can arrange a table in advance through the venue. Prices are modest at about 50,000 to 90,000 UZS (around $4.2 to $7.5) per person, which makes it one of the more affordable ways to try Uzbekistan's national dish. Alcohol is not the focus of the beverage programme; green and black tea are the standard accompaniment. Its position beside the TV Tower makes it easy to combine with a visit to that landmark in north-central Tashkent.