Searching for lunch at a nearby market, I saw lots of the same: shashlik, samsas, soup. Then I saw a woman carrying a tray with plov, salad and bread. I asked her where it was sold and she pointed towards a passage leading out of the bazaar. I followed her and she led me out behind the bazaar. I looked for a cafe but didn't see any. She led me to a fence where there was a low table covered with pots wrapped in towels. She unwrapped one and pulled off a lid revealing a pot of plov- rice mixed with carrots. After I noted the steam rising from it, I had her give me a serving. She then opened a second pot which had the pumpkin pieces and meat.

I said she didn't need to give me any meat but she insisted on giving me a little piece. Then she scooped out some tomato/onion salad, placed a half loaf of bread on the salad pot, and gestured for me to sit on a stool next to the table.

There were 3 women working. They'd load a tray with orders from shop keepers—plov or noodles and meat-- and one would run off to deliver it while the others would scoop out some more dishes of food to be delivered when she came back. A couple porters wheeled their carts next to the table, ordered their food then sat on their carts eating it.

It came to 1400. She had initially quoted me 1600 but since I didn't want the bread it was 200 cheaper. Hopefully it won't give me stomach problems. I thought it strange that the only place I could find plov was surreptitiously served from behind the bazaar as if it were some illegal substance. Walking back through the market, I saw another plov seller in a more prominent location with a plov pot. Then I continued past the vendors and shops to the main street.

A couple days later we found another plov dealer in the market who served delicious plov made right there. There were no chairs so we ate it sitting on an empty cart.