Amani Cafe

I finally got around to trying checking this place out tonight, only to arrive before 9 to find it closed. I just wanted to leave this review as a placeholder to let future Unilocalers know that the current hours for this place listed on Unilocal are wrong. There aren’t posted hours on the store front either.
I’m really eager to try this and will re-​review if I can go once it’s open during normal restaurant hours.

The current stars of the ever-​changing cast of characters running this wonderfully warm Central Asian café are now Natalie and her Spanish-​speaking cook. The cook doesn’t speak a word of English, and Natalie is fluent in English and Russian. Natalie is just beginning to learn Spanish and can only say, «Grande problema!»; the cook in turn can’t pronounce Natalie’s name and just calls her «Nacho.»
Reassuringly, all of this communication dysfunction is for entertainment value only… the culinary results are nothing short of marvelous. Though under new ownership and having changed its name from Chill Café to Amani Café, the same staples are available as always– chicken cutlet, samsa, lamb soup, etc. Catering to primarily Kazakh and Uzbeki immigrants, the menu board is written in Cyrillic, but there’s always someone around who can speak English. All dishes can be served with a choice of rice, barley, mashed potatoes, or a mix. One of my new favorites is the Lagman… a delicious soup with lamb and thick noodles.