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Russian food meets Middle Eastern in Rego Park's Uzbeki kosher house of cuisine, Cheburechnaya, which boasts 23 varieties of kebabs, among them lamb testicles, quail, and lamb fat. For the slightly less adventurous, lamb chops, hearts, and ribs are available along with grilled chicken, veal, beef, and grilled tomatoes or onions. Vegetarians fear not, fresh salads, assorted plates of pickled vegetables (cucumbers, tomatoes, sour cabbage, and mushrooms) and heaping plates of garlic-y humus and babaganoush are a-plenty. Steaming hot and crustry bread comes straight from the brick oven in seemingly endless flow while the parabolic disk-shaped noni toki bread--almost like a thick wafer--asks to be dipped in the table's sauces.
Chebureki, half-moon shaped flaky pastries stuffed with vegetables and a choice of meat, mushrooms, potatoes, or cabbage are warming, savory appetizers for the table, and though kebabs reign and the specialty of the house, pilaff (chock full of onions, peppers, garlic, and savory chunks of lamb), and a selection of fish off-set the meat-heavy focus. Cheburechnaya is BYOB, and has the relaxed atmosphere of a cafeteria, sometimes with irritatingly inattentive service, but also appropriate for large, lingering, meat-hearty parties. For dessert, we ordered the Uzbeki specialty "chak chak," like a giant, dense rice-krispy treat stuck together with honey and made of large strips of fried dough.
For those in search of a savory meat-filled meal, easy on the wallet and big on flavor, head to Cheburechnaya and nosh on a lamb heart or two.
Cheburechnaya is located at 92-09 63rd Drive, Rego Park, Queens. (718) 897.9080.
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Wow--I never thought I'd see the day where a Rego Park restaurant would be reviewed on Gothamist!
I've walked by this place about 3,000 times on the way to the subway and always thought that the restaurant was just a front for the Russian mafia to launder money through a legitimate business. I can't believe it actually has food!
this place is numero uno! the village voice has been covering rego park's 63rd drive for years now; it's always had something different, from goody's soup dumplings to todays Central Asian and Bukharian restaurants. Besides this place; which is in my opinion the best of the lot, you've got a Chinese/Indian place around the corner (Tangra Wok), an execellent Turkish restaurant (Istanbul) also around the corner, and countless Russian delicatessens and dry goods shape. Rego Park is most excellent for chowing . . .
Usually the Uzbekis are not all that nice to non-Uzbeks, and they are in the mob. Don't want to even attempt to go into that restaurant although it's around the corner.