One of the oldest cafés in the city has preserved the unique taste of its signature “tapaka” chicken (correctly pronounced “tapaka”) for more than half a century. The café is attached to the building of the State Law University, which previously housed the biology faculty of the National (formerly Central Asian) University. To those familiar with the city’s history, this building is known as the former men’s gymnasium on the Square. Nearby stands the Museum of Timurid History, built during the years of independence.

“Ugolok” was constructed in 1964 according to a design by the talented architect Nuzet Zaidov. The café nestled so successfully to the right of the historic gymnasium that many believe it has been there forever. The compact and original building includes a kitchen, two dining halls, and what was once an open terrace — now glazed and used in winter.

A spiral staircase and a sloped ramp lead to the second floor. In the past, an ice-cream café operated upstairs; today, the “Ugolok” restaurant functions there — a natural extension of the ground-floor café.

The main hallmark of “Ugolok” is the unmistakable taste of its fried chicken, which draws people from far away. Like any beloved city institution, the café has acquired its own legends. It is said that it originally had a different name, but the popular nickname “Ugolok” stuck and eventually became official. The first director was Nikolai Fyodorovich Moshkin, former goalkeeper of Pakhtakor FC, whose energy quickly made “Ugolok” famous. The author of the famous recipe was chef Ruben Mikhailovich Baliev, who essentially introduced tapaka chicken to Tashkent’s gastronomic scene.

And most importantly — both the self-service café on the first floor and the restaurant on the second continue to operate under the single name “Ugolok”. They still serve chicken with that unforgettable taste and the signature sauce, the recipe of which has remained unchanged throughout the establishment’s entire history.