Cafe Dushanbe
“I went to New York last year , I asked my friends about Tajik food , they suggest me this place.”
“The ribs and Manti are delicious, the soups are actually more like stews, but really great!”
“Because while the lamb is tender & the fish credibly prepared, you should really have the breads, flaky fatir & bagelicious kulcha.”
Cafe Dushanbe
Takes Reservations: Yes
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
5 reviews
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It's not too surprising that Yelp lacks a special category for Tajik food. Instead, the cuisine here is described as "Russian, Middle Eastern, and Uzbek". Seems like a pretty accurate description anyway, as apparently Tajik and Uzbek cuisines share a number of similarities, and at least one of the dishes at Brighton Beach's Cafe Dushanbe reminded me of Russian fare.
We stopped in last night for a coworker's birthday party, and I think both my fellow partygoers and the accommodating attitude of the staff contributed to the festive atmosphere. We also appreciated the rich decor (notable accoutrements included a painting of two ghosts on horse ghosts prancing around in [probably] Dushanbe).
We sampled a few different dishes, from the pickle plate to the lamb and beef shish kabobs to the qurutob (spelled kurutob here), which I'm told is one of two national dishes. The kabobs, my boyfriend's favorite dish of the evening, were fantastic – tender and perfectly spiced – but the real standout for me was the qurutob, made of layered bread, onions, lamb, baked cheese, and other veggies, drenched in a dill-yogurt sauce.
I wasn't sure if reservations were needed but to be on the safe side, I made reservation for a party of 8.
I was under the impression that this is Uzbek food but read some other comments I see that it has dishes from another country as well.
So here's the scoop:
Location: not bad and close to the main street, not hard to find
Decor & ambiance: cute, cultural & authentic.
Food:
The fruit punch:tasty and not overly sweet
The bread: Hot, fresh and delicious.
Tashkent salad: probably the best tongue salad I have ever had
Avocado salad: delicious
Carrot salad: absolutely delightful
Plov: tasty but I felt like they could've added a little more meat on top.
French fries: not greasy but a tad salty
Kurtob: I have never had this dish before but we loved it.
Samsa : we loved this pumpkin filled wonder
Potato w/mushrooms: many people do this dish differently, this one was delicious but also a tad bit salty.
Lamb, beef, & chicken kebab: tender and delicious
Trout: we had the oven baked and oh my, this was a huge platter that came w/mashed potatoes-TO DIE FOR
Service: the waiters were friendly, attentive, & informative. They changed our plates and the service was prompt.
My one and only issue, the bathrooms, although clean, need to be updated. The doors are original but heavy and those sinks and base cabinets got to go. They seem dated and in need of a makeover.
Other than that, it's spacious and we will definitely return.
One of the great advantages of being in NYC's melting pot, is to be able to experience authentic ethnic cuisine and atmosphere. Cafe Dushanbe's food was delicious and the decor made the experience even better. Now, this restaurant is by Sheepshead Bay's waterfront, so parking was a bit of a hassle.
We had a big group and shared:
*3 types of Bread: can't remember the names but one was flat like a cracker, and the others were a bit more dense, like a bialys.
*2 types of salads: Cucumber tomato salad and avocado salad- both were very good and refreshing with a taste of lime, olive oil, and dill (which was pretty much present in all dishes)
*A few kebabs: the Chicken, beef and lamb kebabs were all good but the chicken was surprisingly the juiciest and most flavorful
*Samsas: some type of dumpling with ground beef inside, pretty good
*Dumplings: there were some fried and some steamed. The fried ones were a bit too oily and left the oil on the plate
*Fruit punch: comes in pitchers and it's good to share. It was a berry flavor
*Whole Trout: VERY GOOD although a bit too salty on some spots. Comes with yummy mashed potatoes and a sweet berry like sauce
Prices are super reasonable and service is good. Recommended!
Are expectations the most important element of the experience? Possibly.
So, the name was different, from the prior Cafe Rokhat. But, all the staff seemed familiar and the decor was the same, yet the food seemed just a tad different, and the service just a tad less focused: I didn't even get a glass of water for half an hour, and the server had to be reminded midway during the meal for my drink: Tarhun.
The flakey Fatir bread seemed just a bit less so and more brown than golden brown from memory. However, the Lagman tasted just the same (different from what you get at an Uzbek restaurants) and the Plov just as excellent.
Would you order the $27.95 menu item simply because it is in a different price bracket altogether, when everything else is $ 8 – 14 or less? Does that price point lead to expectations of higher quality or novelty? Apparently it does for me, as I ordered the dish despite learning that it's a pound or more of food! And, yes: it's a dish more for quantity, less for novelty (the Kurotob gets that award for living up to the lofty expectations of being the Tajik national dish) and least for the taste being the most delightful of all the menu items (still the Plov)
So, yes… Expectations, not perfect are the enemy of good. Cafe Dushanbe is still worth a visit, even if I'm now only a fan, as opposed to being a vociferous advocate.
Was driving through Brooklyn and was craving some ethnic food. After a quick Yelp search I came across this Russian/Mediterranean Cafe that received great reviews so I decided to give it a try. When I arrived and entered the location I was surprised by the small size of the restaurant. Initially I Only saw a few tables but I later found out they had another back room with more tables. I am somewhat familiar with this cuisine so I knew exactly what I wanted. Unfortunately two of their menu items were not available this evening. I then asked my waiter to recommend a few dishes and I added my own as well. My meal began with a fresh Greek salad. It was very tasty and was served with some hot Lavash bread. My next dish was a dumpling soup. The dumplings were good but the soup was under seasoned for my taste. The next dish was my favorite. Home made fried sliced potatoes with mushrooms and garlic. This appetizer was exquisite. For my entree I had their lamb shish kebob served with onions and a spicy pepper and garlic sauce. It was amazing. I was pretty full at the end of the meal but I still found room for their homemade apple strudel with whip cream and fresh fruit. I really enjoyed my meal and would recommend this place to anyone feeling adventurous.