The nights are longer, the days are cooler, and the walk to and from the subway is becoming a tad less pleasant — which means, of course, that it’s time to swap summer salads for warm, filling lunches. If you’re looking for one such bone-sticking meal, rest assured that Farida (32 Cedar St.) will have something that hits the spot.
One of the only restaurants in Manhattan that showcases Central Asian cuisine, Farida, owned by brother-and-sister duo Farida and Zhanibek, offers an impressive list of Uzbek, Kazakh, Uyghur and Tadjick dishes, with plenty of soups, meats and rice meals on the menu. The Uzbek plov (saffron-infused rice cooked with lamb and beef or chicken) is a particular belly-toasting highlight, though you also can’t go wrong with the manti (hand-folded dumplings filled with meat or pumpkin), lamb chops or many kebab options.
If the food options don’t kill the chill enough, a wine list featuring Central Asian offerings will do the trick, as will homey decor that makes you feel like you’re dining in someone’s cozy kitchen. And of course, you can’t leave without grabbing a dessert baked by the owner’s own mother — nothing will warm you up faster.
For the full menu and reservations, visit Farida’s website.
