The Bite: Hot Lagman Soup & Samsa At Aziza 7 Cafe Is Perfect For Escaping Autumn’s Chill
THE BITE: Now that fall has begun — heralded by this weekend’s dramatic blood-red moon — and the hot summer nights are slowly falling into autumn’s biting chill, it seems like the time of year to cozy up with a steaming bowl of soup and warm meat pastry.
One place to get your fix is Aziza 7 Cafe. This Russian/Uzbek eatery, located on Avenue Z between East 21 and East 22 streets, almost feels remote in that it’s placed equally distant from the Sheepshead Bay subway station and the B44 bus line on Nostrand Avenue. But if you’re looking for belly-warming comfort, it’s surely worth the trek.
While the Aziza 7 Cafe’s bright red sign makes it almost indistinguishable from the deli beside it, the inside is beautifully decorated. The glass entryway is painted with a leafy pattern and the walls are adorned with intricately designed rugs and pottery. Bright, pumpkin-colored lanterns hang from the ceiling and splash the inside with a campfire glow. The charming atmosphere makes for a cozy nook to enjoy a meal.
When I journeyed to Aziza 7, I was looking forward to sampling their pumpkin samsa ($2) — imagining it as a perfect autumn snack. Unfortunately, the waiter informed me that they were out, so I instead opted for the meat samsa ($2) and paired it with a bowl of lagman soup ($6). I was not disappointed.
The samsa’s crust is perfectly flaky, and cracks open with a satisfying crunch. Inside, the hot ground lamb and carmel onions have married their flavors together with a sweet dash of spice that tingles your tastebuds. The pastry is complimented by a side of red bell pepper sauce that adds a flash of cheery sweetness to this hearty dish.
When the lagman soup arrived, I was amazed by the bounty of vegetables and meat that climb out of the broth. The kitchen is not frugal when is comes to filling your bowl and it pays off in the terrifically rich flavor of the broth. Underneath the layers of onions, peppers, green beans, celery, and hunks of lamb, I discovered the hand-pulled noodles. They were wonderfully doughy and climbed onto my fork, twisting around the other ingredients, to bring the soup’s cozy and complex flavors into my mouth.
The restaurant also offers several other soups that look promising as the colder months approach, including borscht ($4.50) and kharcho ($4.50), a Georgian beef and walnut soup made with rice, tomato and spices. Hopefully, they bring back the pumpkin samsa on my next visit. I’m eager to try it.
Aziza 7 Cafe, 2113 Ave Z, between East 21st Street and East 22nd Street, 718-934-0717. Open daily, 11am – 11pm.
The Bite is Sheepshead Bites’ column exploring the foodstuffs of the Sheepshead Bay area. Each week we check out a different offering from one of the many restaurants, delis, food carts, bakeries, butchers, fish mongers, or grocers in our neighborhood. If it’s edible, we’ll take a bite.
