We stayed for one night in the Tajikistan city of Khojand at the Hotel Sugdiyon.
Rather than eating in, our guide suggested a place for dinner which was literally just round the corner. As this was our last night in the country and our Somoni stocks were running low, we wanted to know if credit cards were accepted, so visited for late afternoon beers.
Restaurant Adibon with its large, covered pavement terrace with comfortable chairs and banquettes, was relatively busy. Lots of men were sat with appealing looking large beers which we ordered, and we discovered it was cash only. We debated how much the beers would cost as we’d been paying around 35 Somoni (£2.50) in the capital Dushanbe, so thought perhaps around 25, especially as they were served with complimentary qurut or dried yoghurt balls. When the bill arrived, we were astonished to find they were an incredible 7 Somoni (50p) each, although 12% service charge was added. Having given them a note, we received the small change in a packet of sweets.
On our return at 7.30pm, the terrace was relatively quiet but very quickly got busy with locals. Despite the lack of tourists, there was a menu in English with pictures, and we began with a beetroot salad with cheese, mayonnaise and walnuts. Their speciality of shashlik or kebabs were being cooked on a pavement BBQ, resulting in irresistible aromas. We opted for cubed and ground beef kebabs, bread and what were described as ‘farmers potatoes’ because of the tempting photo. The food was delicious: the kebab skewers came with a garnish of thinly sliced onions and chopped herbs; small pieces of fat between the beef cubes kept them moist; and the potato wedges had been slow cooked and covered in a spicy sauce. With four beers our bill came to 135 Somoni including service, or less than £10, and once again we got the small change in sweets.
At prices like that, it didn’t matter whether or not credit cards were taken, and it’s clear to see why it’s Khojand’s number one restaurant.
