"Kashkar Cafe isn’t just the best place to eat in Brighton Beach, it’s one of our top 25 restaurants in the entire city. This Uyghur-Uzbek restaurant serves life-affirming, lamb-centric food, in a curtained space that feels like a refuge. Even the fluorescent lighting is oddly comforting. Eat some reassuringly soft hand-pulled noodles, fried to the slightest char, a plate of petite dumplings in a fat-accented broth that could probably cure the plague, and kebabs that have us looking up synonyms for the word “succulent.”" - molly fitzpatrick, willa moore, kenny yang, carina finn koeppicus
"If it’s skyscrapers and traffic noises that put NYC on your sh*t list, Kashkar Cafe is pretty much as far removed from those as you can get. The Uyghur restaurant is in Brighton Beach, so you can combine a visit with some tanning, or a polar plunge, depending on the season. Once the waves have washed away your anxiety, walk a block off the water to Kashkar, where you'll find some of the city's most comforting, reassuring food, like stir-fried, lamb-filled bosu lagman, and juicy veal kebabs. With your stomach full and your soul warmed—by way of cumin, and the YouTube carousel of Central Asian choirs on their TV—you’ll be ready to once again go back to ignoring the nightly wailing of various emergency vehicles." - sonal shah, bryan kim, willa moore, will hartman, molly fitzpatrick, willa moore, molly fitzpatrick, sonal shah, will hartman, willa moore, bryan kim, will hartman, bryan kim, sonal shah, willa moore, sonal shah, will hartman, neha talreja, neha talreja, sonal shah
"Living in NYC is expensive, and sometimes exhausting. When you need a reminder of why you love it anyway, head to Kashkar Cafe. Steps from the ocean in Brighton Beach, this Uyghur-Uzbek restaurant serves life-affirming, lamb-centric food, in a curtained space that feels like a refuge. Even the fluorescent lighting is oddly comforting. Eat some reassuringly soft hand-pulled noodles, fried to the slightest char, a plate of petite dumplings in a fat-accented broth that could probably cure the plague, and kebabs that have us looking up synonyms for the word “succulent.” Bring cash, and a group so you can order as much as possible. The scent of smoky meat will keep you company for hours after—a souvenir of one of the best meals you’ve had in recent memory." - bryan kim, molly fitzpatrick, willa moore, will hartman, sonal shah
"Living in NYC is expensive, and sometimes exhausting. When you need a reminder of why you love it anyway, head to Kashkar Cafe. Steps from the ocean in Brighton Beach, this Uyghur-Uzbek restaurant serves life-affirming, lamb-centric food, in a curtained space that feels like a refuge. Even the fluorescent lighting is oddly comforting. Eat some reassuringly soft hand-pulled noodles, fried to the slightest char, a plate of petite dumplings in a fat-accented broth that could probably cure the plague, and kebabs that have us looking up synonyms for the word “succulent.” Bring cash, and a group so you can order as much as possible. The scent of smoky meat will keep you company for hours after—a souvenir of one of the best meals you’ve had in recent memory." - bryan kim, neha talreja, willa moore, will hartman, sonal shah
"Located in Brighton Beach, this restaurant has seriously good tsomyan. The sliced fried rice noodles are accompanied by tender lamb and vegetables, and the fried aspect gives it a delightful crispy crunch. The lamb rib kebabs should also be on your table: they’re soft as butter and bursting with salty lamb flavor. They use bone-in ribs and stack it onto a steel kebab skewer topped with fresh sliced white onion that provides a crisp freshness to the meat. Their Kashkar soup is also excellent—it has lamb meatballs with pulled noodles in a clear but rich broth, along with bell peppers and potatoes that make it one of the heartier dishes on the menu. Make sure to start with some manti or samsa for good measure, too." - jiniya azad, tahirah baksh, sameen choudhry, molly fitzpatrick, neha talreja