On the Menu: Marco and Polo restaurant brings Central Asian cuisine, culture to Bloomington

A serving of Central Eurasian hospitality is coming to Bloomington. Gairatjan Rozi and Arzuu Kadeer will soon welcome customers into their restaurant, Marco and Polo at 209 S. Grant St. The couple hope to provide delicious meals, hot herbal tea and coffee alongside knowledge of their culture as Uyghur people.

Photos of Rozi standing with the Dalai Llama and a tapestry of people playing Eurasian instruments are displayed on walls of the restaurant situated in the same building as Healthy Hoosier. The couple talk proudly of their home country, now known as the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) within China. Much like Tibet, Uyghurs speak their own language and are culturally and ethnically distinct. They consider themselves more closely related to Central Asian nations than China.

Rozi and Kadeer named their restaurant Marco and Polo to acknowledge Marco Polo, who traveled through their homeland, taking with him portions of their food culture — including polo, which means rice in Uyghur. Rozi opened a restaurant in Hyattsville, Maryland, in 2018, after moving to the U.S. in 2015 from Europe. One of the dishes served at Marco and Polo is laghman noodles with beef, a dish Rozi proudly tells patrons was taken back to Italy by Marco Polo and renamed spaghetti (with tomatoes, from the New World, being added later).

Besides being in the restaurant business for 20 years, Rozi is also a cultural activist, having been born in the XUAR. In 1994, he was imprisoned after petitioning the Chinese government to enforce anti-discrimination laws. Eventually, he found his way to Europe, and then the United States.

The COVID pandemic forced Rozi to close the Maryland restaurant.

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Rozi and Kadeer are proud to share their culture and language. They chose to move to Bloomington because of the Central Eurasian Studies department at Indiana University and anticipate meals with people, both IU students and others, who want to learn about their language and culture.

Already the couple is catering at IU and other locations. At the former restaurant location, Rozi catered for Yale University and the International Monetary Fund conference in Washington, D.C.

Some items that will be served at the Bloomington restaurant and are available for catering include the Himalayan vegetable kebabs (with grilled tomato, onion, green pepper, red bell pepper and mushroom and served with a choice of pita bread and yogurt sauce or plain rice), falafel plate, lamb Adana wrap, chicken pita sandwich, Doner gyros sandwich, Uyghur lamb shish kebab, lamb shank plate and a whole or half roasted lamb served with Marco Polo sauce, veggies and salad.

There will be pasta (laghman) on the menu, including tortellini (chuchra), and their cultural pizza, known as goshnun. The way to get to know a culture is often through its food and Marco and Polo will have roasted lamb and kebabs, as well as beef, chicken and vegetables. Their approach is farm-to-table, with ripe local produce being used in the dishes.

Other options include Uyghur polo, which is a ceremonial dish served on special occasions. Polo, also called pilaf or plov, is rice mixed with carrots, lamb or beef. Chicken will also be an option, although it is not a traditional meat. Eventually, the couple hopes to have a patio barbecue area where they can serve shish kebabs.

Marco and Polo will have Chuchura Uyghur soup with meat-filled dumplings, lamb soup with carrots and potatoes, shrimp and noodle medicine soup, Asian chicken noodle soup and several kinds of beef noodle soup.

Appetizers and small bites include: hummus; eggplant salad; fried eggplant with homemade garlic yogurt sauce; spring rolls (Sigara Boregi) filled with feta cheese and parsley wrapped in homemade dough and deep-fried; falafel; calamari; homemade organic yogurt with honey; and dolma (grape leaves stuffed with rice, onions, currants, pine nuts and spice).

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Friends and family combos, feeding two or three people, also will be offered.

Other healthful options include various herbal teas, some of which are brewed in glass pots so patrons can watch the flower arrangement blossom as the hot water opens the flower/tea blend. Special coffees and other beverages will also be served.

The couple anticipates Marco and Polo will open in mid-November. There is seating for about 30 people inside and more seating will be added on the patio in warmer months. Three of the tables are "cultural" tables with padded seating and pillows around a short table with window views overlooking Grant Street.

Because of the limited seating and the care the couple hopes to provide, they request people who want to come to enjoy a full meal at Marco and Polo make reservations by calling 203-514-1841 once the restaurant opens. People also can call and order meals to be picked up.

Bruster's Real Ice Cream to close for season on Nov. 12

Bruster's Real Ice Cream, at 4531 E. Third St., will close Nov. 12 for the season, so if you're on the east side of Bloomington and want some ice cream, now's the time. Bruster's sent out posts on social media early this week letting customers know unless they preorder online, their favorite flavor may not be available on the last day. Go online to Bloomington.BrustersOnline.com to place an order.

JS Thai is one of food booths at this year's Bloomington Winter Farmers' Market

For the second Saturday, vendors from both the Woolery Farmers' Market and Bloomington Community Farmers' Market will be selling products from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Switchyard Park Pavilion as part of the Bloomington Winter Farmers' Market.

One of the food booths is JS Thai, which will be serving traditional Thai breakfast items and some favorites, including rice porridge, Panang curry, fried rice and Tom Kha. Beverages will be Thai tea or coffee, which cost $2.50 with purchase of food.

McRib is back for a limited time at McDonald's

McDonald's restaurants in Indiana will bring back the McRib sandwich beginning Nov. 11 for a limited time.

The seasoned boneless pork patty slathered in barbecue sauce and topped with slivered onions and tart dill pickles, served on a bun is a favorite of many customers.

Besides standing in line, waiting for one, people can order McRib sandwiches on the restaurant's app. Bloomington area McDonald's are located at 1919 S. Walnut St,, 910 W. Third St., 2819 E. Third St., 2300 N. Walnut St. and 4499 Ind. 46 in Ellettsville.

Contact Carol Kugler at ckugler@heraldt.com or 812-331-4359.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Eurasian restaurant Marco and Polo set to open soon in Bloomington