It's tough to keep all those 'Stans straight, huh?  If you can
name all seven such-suffixed nations, well, you're worldlier
than me. Those Central Asian nations conquered by Mongol khans,
then made into Soviet satellites before coming under the control
of men titled President For Life all run together, even after a
decade-long war in one of them. Much of what I know about the
region was informed by Kazakh journalist Borat Sagdiyev's well-
documented visit to "home of mighty U.S. warlord, Premier Bush."
East Portland's new Uzbekistan Restaurant piques curiosity. That
vaguely Asian carrot salad that comes with steamed bao-style
dumplings? Brought over by Koreans exiled by Stalin, and then
adopted by Turkic locals. The dumplings themselves? Manti
carried west by Mongol hordes. Hot borscht with shredded cabbage
and beef? Apparently very common outside Mother Russia.
Uzbekistan Restaurant—alternately known as Uzbek Grill and
billed as a "Mediterranean restaurant," although Uzbekistan is
double landlocked and no c