The Samarkand Plov Center is a large, plain hall near the centre of town where the city's signature dish is cooked in enormous open-air cauldrons from early morning. By noon there is a queue out the door. The plov here is the Samarkand version — fluffier rice, less oil than the Tashkent style, with chunks of yellow carrot, chickpeas, raisins, and a piece of lamb on top.
Eat fast and go. Plov is a lunchtime dish in Uzbekistan and the kitchen runs out by mid-afternoon. Order tea, ask for green or black; an extra plate of fresh salad or carrot pickles will be brought without asking. The bill is a few dollars. This is not a place for atmosphere, but it is the best plov you are likely to eat in your life.