Farida's New Downtown Location

Farida Central Asian Cuisine & Grill is a halal Uzbek restaurant that originally popped up in Hell’s Kitchen. We reviewed Farida’s first location (Hell’s Kitchen) in 2019. Here is our review for their second location in the Financial District.

Steak filled manti.

Food: 7/10
We had the manti (steak-filled with onions), plov (rice dish with lamb, chickpeas, rice), umka puff pies (chicken and steak), kovurma lagman (hand-pulled noodles with beef), chicken thigh kebab, and Mom’s Honey Cake for dessert. The manti wasn’t bad, but it could have been juicier and have more flavor. The umka puff pies were crispy but soft, delicious and generously filled. The plov was good, however very greasy. Flavor was there. The lagman could have used a little more flavor too. The chicken thigh kebab was phenomenal and so were the little cuts of roasted potatoes that came with it. Mom’s Honey Cake was a little underwhelming and did not feel fresh.

Price: 6/10
It is more on the expensive side for smaller portions.

Atmosphere: 10/10
Beautiful restaurant with a dark, cavern-like setting with lanterns and lights everywhere. Colorfully stained “windows” and intimate booth seating available.

Service: 8/10
Service was standard.

Farida Central Asian Cuisine & Grill
32 Cedar St
New York, NY 10005

Umka Puff Pies (chicken, steak)

Plov

Chicken Thigh Kebab

Kovurma Lagman

Mom’s Honey Cake