Next station – Qand and The Butter Dinner Club

Qand, a national brand of premium handmade chocolates, and The Butter Dinner Club, a community that unites people with shared values, hosted two events aimed at popularizing the Tashkent Metro. The first dinner took place in an informal setting at the Qand boutique on July 27, in the format of a pre-party. The second dinner—the main event—was held on August 4 directly in the Tashkent Metro at the Alisher Navoi station.

photo: Veronika Lomukhina

Both events were an opportunity to connect with the history and culture of Uzbekistan, see the metro in a new light, and be part of a unique project that will go down in history. These events highlighted the special significance of the Tashkent Metro, which serves not only as a transportation system but also as a living reflection of Uzbekistan’s history and values. The Alisher Navoi station, known for its architectural beauty and artistic design, served as the perfect venue for this unusual evening.

photo: Abdurakhim Aslanov

On July 27, guests were invited to the Qand boutique for a pre-party and dinner hosted by The Butter Dinner Club. The dinner concept revolved around chocolate: every item on the menu, from the main course to desserts, was infused with chocolate. Guzal Said, founder of The Butter Dinner Club, curated the recipes from both renowned restaurants and private family homes.

photo: Veronika Lomukhina

The main event took place on August 4 at the Alisher Navoi metro station. As guests “descended” into the underground location, they were also immersed in the “whispers of ancestors”: greeted by recordings of Alisher Navoi’s ghazals in the old Uzbek language.

photo: Veronika Lomukhina

The event featured the premiere of a short film by Anvar Safo, director and creative director of Qand. The film narrated the construction of the Tashkent Metro, featuring archival footage last seen on television in 1984.

After the film premiere, the event’s honored guest, Yashnar Mansurov, was invited to the stage. Mansurov, the architect behind the Alisher Navoi, Tinchlik, Hamid Alimdjan, Badamzar, and Almazar metro stations, worked alongside a large team of architects to create these stations. He shared insights about the architecture of the Alisher Navoi station and the unique technologies used in its construction in 1984.

photo: Stanislav Boyko

Following the official part of the event, guests were invited to dine at a table conceptually designed by Guzal Said. The dinner was held in an interactive format, inspired by the metro film. Actions and objects depicted in the film were mirrored in the dinner setup, encouraging guests to view the dining experience from a different perspective.

A key highlight of the evening was the tasting of the new Metro chocolate flavor by Qand. Saidakmal Vakhobov, the brand’s founder and a structural engineer by profession, approached the creation of the new flavor from a professional perspective. Vakhobov replicated the metro’s structure inside the chocolate and used organic ingredients to creatively recreate the essence of the metro’s scent. This flavor will be available at the Qand boutique only until August 31.

photo: Veronika Lomukhina

Guests enjoyed the evening’s atmosphere accompanied by a set from DJ Sabine, a leading figure in electronic music in Uzbekistan and co-founder of the Sublimation label.

photo: Veronika Lomukhina