Arzan Cafe

You think of Central Asian food, what do you have in mind? Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan right. Perhaps portions of Mongolia? Was super excited to try out their food since I've made my itinerary to explore the Silk Road next year and only read about the food, culture, country, etc.Found this place by accident. Lollapalooza had begun and I was returning from the airport after dropping off a friend so my trusty GPS took me from the back roads when I noticed this. Looked it up and said yeah, gotta try.I wanted to order a plov (the traditional Central Asian dish), beef samsa and the lentil soup. Sadly, they were still making a fresh batch of the plov which would have taken 45 min and were out of the beef samsa so instead they recommended I try gan-fan. I also got the chicken samsa instead along with the lentil soup.The lentil soup we weren't able to try as we ended up giving it to someone more needy.I did however try with some friends the Gan-fan and Chicken Samsa. The samsa was really really good. The bread it was in was so soft and the chicken seasoned so well. We all know chicken is one meat hard to put flavor into. These folks did a great job. It was juicy, warm and hmmmm hmmmm hmmmm.The gan-fan was really good too. Flavored with light spices and/or herbs. Not too heavy. Would be an excellent dish to have fresh on a cold night.My only complaint would be the actual beef pieces. I think they could easily double that from the price point. There were perhaps 6 'tiny' pieces of beef in the entire dish.The proportion of the rice provided to the quantity of the gan-fan provided seemed off but I will not duch anything on this because I have never tried gan-fan before. There are many cultures where the rice being a carb is mixed with the main dish and meant to be eaten almost like a soup. Perhaps that is the case here? Not sure.I did get into a brief conversation with one of the servers and learned that the food here depicts Krygyzstani cuisine. I asked this because from my research months ago, while plov is a popular dish in Central Asia, each country (and each region of the countries) prepare it differently. One suggestion I would have for the folks; they need someone to audit their listings online, pricing online and the pricing on the app they use. It was actually cheaper to order with them directly (nearly 20% cheaper)I can't wait to try the plov now. Never tried it.

We've had a little experience with Uyghur cuisine closer to home, so we came in knowing a little bit about our favorites and what we hadn't tried yet elsewhere. We went with a plov (a standard that we had previously passed over) and oromo. To round things out we added an avocado salad and tandoor samsa. Pot of green tea is just $2 (stays hot) and is served in wonderful bowls. With their bakery next door, having dessert here is a bonus with a selection in a case that you can peruse up close. We went with a slice of poppyseed milk cake that was great with our tea (still hot) at the end of our meal.Nicer chairs and tables (still in good shape) than expected for strip mall dining and service was great on getting everything we needed at the table without us asking first. Clientele seemed mostly central Asian with families mixed in with others without children.

Ordered the beef soup with vegetables.Beef was very tender and great service. Will come back again soon !

I have never eaten at a halal restaurant. Have to say I highly enjoyed it. The food was hands done one of the best places I have been to. You could Taste how fresh the food was and the flavors in every bite. The server was also the best I have seen at any place. I will suggest the central Asian bread, honey cake, fruit tea, and stir fried vegetables with hand pulled noodles!

Soooo insanely good. Uyghur food is a great mix of Russian, Mongolian, Chinese, middle eastern influences. We had the hand pulled noodle, dumplings and plov. It's simple and delicious. Will absolutely be back

Came here during Flavors of Albany Park. It was the first stop on our map and it set the precedent for how our night was going to go. First off, their set up was smart, no one was waiting and there were many samples. Their chicken wrap was 10/10 my favorite with their sauce that was light, savory, and delicious. I've only ever seen the marketplace but next time will definitely get the chicken wrap again. Also to mention, the people there were incredibly nice and genuinely seemed happy that people were enjoying their food. It was a great start to our tour but overall delicious.

Great middle asian food, atmosphere and service. Definitely recommend this place! Manty are perfect here :)

The food is really delicious - highly recommended. I really like the variety of their cuisine and the service of the staff.

Arzan has became one of my favorites places to eat shawarma. It is very authentic and full of flavor. I prefer the chicken one. Don't hesitate about ordering fries, one of the best I have tried, they are crunchy and soft inside. I highly recommend to try the pancakes. They are very different and unique, better if you order a pot of tea to accompany it.We always have received a really good service. The staff is friendly and helpful. I enjoy to see the paintings of Kyrgyzstan, makes the place look nice and authentic.

If you are in the mood for homemade genuine Kyrgyz cuisine, Arzan Cafe is an excellent choice. The staff are exceptionally friendly and caring. The atmosphere is amicable and comfortable. In fact, I absentmindedly left my phone at the table when I went to bathroom. The restaurant was full with people. Yet ten minutes later my phone was still on the table and the food was waiting for me. This was amazing!