Chinar: Authentic Mediterranean Delights in Carol Stream

Curious about food from Central Asia? I sure am. Wasn't disappointed by this neighborhood place. Had the Olivier salad, a combination potato eggs and beef in mayo- fascinating and enjoyable. Also had the Plov a beef and rice dish- the beef was tender and vegetables cooked. I presume designed to be comforting. I'd like to continue down the menu!

Family home style cooking with a fun atmosphere. Very fresh food. The service is excellent

BTW the name is Chinor, at least the sign above the door. However, there are many sites that call it Chinar. We are leaving for a roadtrip and we were too busy to cook. I decided to look for something different and much to my surprise I see this Uzbek restaurant (and an Ethiopian one) very close to us. Say What?!?! When did that happen??? Oh yea!! I want Plov!! So we order takeout. Great choice!! Plov was moist and cooked just right with all the veggies and hot peppers. I would have prefer a bit more garlic cloves and lamb. We had beef and it was very good, tender, and tasty. The Samsas are also very good, crunchy pastry filled with beef, mild tasting. The Fresh Salad - tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and cilantro on a light vinegar dressing was refreshing, light, and very juicy tasty tomatoes. It was more than enough food for both of us and we have a whole Samsa and some Plov left over for tomorrow. Yay!!

Excellent food from Uzbekistan! We tried Home Samsa, Bread for Appetizer, Fruit Compote. We shared Jiz Biz, Salmon Kebab, Honum, Kazan Kebab and Tandoor Lamb. Every single dish was extremely tasty. Lamb was very tender. Our server was very polite, provided his recommendation which were very good. We did not have to wait too long for our food. Restaurant was very clean, well decorated, had soft background music. To summarize, if you are looking for an authentic Uzbek experience, go no further. Stop by and experience some very tasty and delicious Central Asian cuisine! We will definitely be back!

My friends and I come here every week. Service is always amazing and so is the food. Thank you to our server Nafisa!! Very much recommend.

always a pleasure , food is great and service is magnificent . Great prices on great quality products, been shopping here for years. As a truck driver , I drive in many places , all over US and have to stop to buy food or get quick lunch, this place I prefer.

My wife's friend mentioned this restaurant. Since we really enjoyed Anjir Restaurant recently, we had to give this place a shot. The sign outside the building says Chinor, but inside it says Chinar. The interior is nice and spacious, and feels fancy. No booth seating, just tables & chairs. The menu is pretty extensive. We ordered manti (dumplings), a beef samsa, lagman, and plov. The manti was really good, but seemed slightly less flavorful than Anjir's manti. The samsa was excellent; the beef chunks inside were nice and meaty, and the outside was a nice flaky dough. The lagman was super flavorful, and the veggies were cooked nicely. Some places chop veggies large (maybe to save time) and barely cook them, so it's like eating raw veggies. Even the noodles were cooked perfectly; not al dente, not soggy. The plov (traditional rice and meat dish) is the best I've had from any Uzbek or Afghan restaurant. The rice was moist, the fatty meat was tender and bursting with flavor, and the carrots were cooked to the point of caramelization. They have cakes in the back counter that you can buy. They even have raw meat skewers that I believe you can buy so you can grill at home. Side note -- they state 100% halal on their FB and Instagram pages, but I didn't see any certification inside. Service was friendly enough. Kind of on the pricy side, but it's a nice sit-down restaurant, not fast casual, so overall I'd say reasonable. We really enjoyed our meal here.

The menu at Chinar is a delightful fusion of traditional and contemporary flavors from Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Each dish showcased the culinary expertise of the chefs, with a careful balance of spices and textures. Service is attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate about their craft. Menu features from Uzbekistan's iconic Plov, a flavorful rice pilaf with tender meat and aromatic spices, to variety selection of kabobs. The generous use of lamb, beef, and fish in these dishes adds depth and richness to the flavors. Chinar also showcases a mastery of dough-based creations. Dumplings(manty) are a true delight. These delicate pockets of dough filled with savory meat, onions, and spices are steamed or boiled to perfection. The texture and taste are simply exquisite. The traditional kebabs(Shashlik) are a prime example of the mastery of grilled meats, but here Chinar can make some improvements by asking desired temperature of prepared meat. I received well done kebabs, which was soft but not juicy.

The best central asian cuisine in the Chicagoland area Everything is so delicious and mouth-watering Great service! Can't wait to come back