“Don’t expect the food in Kyrgyzstan to be the highlight of your trip,” reads the back of the menu at the Jibek Jolu, the brand new Kyrgyzstani restaurant in Lincoln Square that some eagle eye on LTHForum spotted a mere three days after its opening last week.
The humility is endearing, but I think the folks at Jibek Jolu are selling their product short. The food from countries along the former Silk Road is pretty special, reflecting a synthesis of cuisines from eastern Europe, China, Persia, Turkey, and beyond. You can find representative dishes at a handful of Russian restaurants around town, but as far as I know this is the only place within city limits strictly devoted to Central Asian food. The only other one in the region I can think of is Buffalo Grove’s Uzbeki teahouse, Chaihanna.