Devouring tasty noodles at a new Uzbek restaurant in Chicago

👋 Hey, it’s your pal Monica. About 30 years ago, I lived in Uzbekistan for 15 months and fell in love with Uzbek food.

• So I was pretty excited to hear that Uighur/Uzbek restaurant Cafe Alif recently opened on Devon, and I hightailed it over to try the hearty winter-friendly food.

The best bite(s): I’m a big fan of hand stretched lagman noodles that, here, come out delicious, springy and bathed in a rich beef stew ($21).

• Equally tasty is Cafe Alif’s plov, a sticky pilaf studded with carrots, onions and more beef ($19.50). The accompanying tomato and onion salad offers a perfect foil.

Yes, but: The bland pelmeni and Turkish breakfast, which turns out to be Kraft-like singles of cheese and pickles, is a must miss.