The family was excited about trying a new Uzbek restaurant, Cafe Vostochniy Palace, in the neighboring town of Hawley, especially after we looked at the google images for Uzbek cuisine!
In fact the food we were offered at the Vostochniy Palace bore only a faint resemblance to the rich and interesting cuisine of Uzbekistan. This supports one of my beliefs; not everybody who opens a restaurant can necessarily cook. The only thing we liked in this restaurant was the tea cup.
First of all, not everything on the menu was available. In fact, of the 5 items we ordered, 3 were not available. This doesn’t really bother us because it used to happen a lot in West Africa and we adjusted by always asking before ordering if they had everything on the menu. If only we had known. Secondly, the descriptions of their plates were whimsical; schnitzel was called schnitzel and two other meats that were schnitzels were called something else. Thirdly, everything was dry and the chicken schnitzel cold, as in pre-breaded meat taken from the refrigerator and plunked on a plate without the accompanying side of mashed potatoes. Fourthly, appetizers, mains (cooked or not) arrived all together, just shoveled onto the plates and plunked down in front of us unattractively. Ugly. I have other pictures but I really can’t be bothered. So there. We need never discuss this restaurant again.
Vadim had given me some bones to make soup with and when we got back from the restaurant, I thought I would roast them and use them to make a pho stock.
As the bones were slow roasting, Jessie constantly sniffed the air and whined hungrily, so I just gave her the bones when they had cooled. She was grateful.
After that, I called our neighbors Skip and Caroline and invited them to share wine, blueberries, cheese and conversation. The smartest thing I did all day 🙂
Cooking in Sens 
Oh dear, you’ll need double the amount of bones next time 😉
It’s so cold outside Mad that she can’t go out for more than 20 -30 minutes at a time. This is very hard for an Irish Terrier. The bones were a treat to make up for her forced inactivity.
Ha ha – I get that 😉
Reblogged this on Sally out and About – Food, Wine, Travel and Gardening and commented:
What a terrible experience you all had. Did you actually have to pay for this unfortunate incident?
We usually always pay and just try to forget it an never go back.
Oh no! I’ve been to places like this before. Uzbeki cuisine seems delightful, so what a poor representation.
We were so disappointed!
Well said! The Uzbek cuisine is one of the most colorful of Oriental Cuisine.
Thank you Ema.
You are most welcome dear.
Ambushed! In my book, Uzbekistan has never been famous for its food…more famous for its lack of food which maybe why those dudes have come to the US and opened a “restaurant”:)
Probably Roger. Something is very wrong and they can’t last. I thought about going over there and saying let me help 😀
Interesting restaurant experience, Rosemary, shame that it wasn’t an enjoyable one. Your comment about not all people opening a restaurant being able to cook, reminded me of the fact that not all people in the hospitality business understand that it means being hospitable :).
True.