Central Asian restaurants in Asia
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A
Silk Road Bar & Grill
Owner and chef Enkhee (aka Eddie) is Mongolia's original restaurateur. Silk Road, his third restaurant, features lots of cosy couches and bas-relief scenes of the ancient Silk Road from China to Europe. The menu reflects the name of the place, and you'll find sprinklings of Indian, Central Asian and Mediterranean treats, including shish kebabs, chicken tikka and pork gyros (pitta with meat and vegetables). You can try a sampling of these at the Sunday smorgasbord (between 12:30 and 15:00).
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B
Zheti Qazyna
This Uzbek-themed restaurant is the place for Central Asian cooking at its finest. Old favourites like manty, laghman and samsas (samosas) are styled for the Western palate, and there are Kazakh specialties including beshbarmak too. It's at least worth patronising for the colourful ambience and welcoming staff. On the same premises are Caramel, an equally popular European restaurant, and the Japanese/Chinese Tsi, and you can order from all three menus in any part.
Two courses will cost a minimum of around T1400, and you can easily spend a whole lot more. The entrance is actually on Maqataev.
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Khyber Bazaar
From the Cantonment you approach the Old City along Railway Rd and through Khyber Bazaar, consisting mostly of cheap hotels, kebab stands and carpet merchants (stand around for a few minutes and one will sidle up to you). The city wall and its 16 gates were knocked down in the 1950s but many gates remain in name.
The streets leading south and east from the Rose Hotel have several good (unsigned) Afghan cafés serving rice and kebabs, plus piping-hot Central Asian-style naan, although in the Old City you're never too far from good, filling street food.
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C
Farhad National Restaurant
Join the celebrating locals in one of the 20 private rooms surrounding an open courtyard. Specialising in traditional Kyrgyz cuisine, mains are ordered by weight and 1kg of plov (around Som400) feeds six adults. The minimum order is 500g and orders need to be placed by mid afternoon to allow the chefs time to prepare (Munduz Travel can help). Order ysyryk (burning grass), take a deep breath and kick back on your topchan (tea bed). Recommended.
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D
Dastarkhan
A good place for Kazakh as well as Russian food, with several modern rooms on two floors (one of them even nonsmoking), plus sidewalk tables. You can have beshbarmak or Balkhash sudak (pike) here as well as basics like plov, laghman and manty and a big choice of lamb dishes.
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E
Pamir Restaurant
Excellent lamb kebabs, nan bread and Central Asian noodles (try the suoman - fried noodle squares with tomatoes and green peppers) make for a refreshing change of tastes at this no-frills Uighur restaurant. Wash it down with a bottle of Xinjiang Black Beer or a pot of kok chai (green tea).
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F
Rich Men Café
South of town and recognisable by the blue awning, the Rich Men Café is top-notch. Good meat and fish dishes are complemented by specialities such as eggs stuffed with red or black caviar (around Som80) and excellent service. Wine and Soviet champagne are served, as are excellent beer snacks.
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Minara Restaurant
This classy restaurant is located on the 5th floor of the enormous waterfall-mall in Independence Park. The views are great and the menu is varied, if not a little amusing - dishes include 'squirrel salad', and 'English-style small cakes with brains'. The carp stewed in beer is recommended.
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G
Labyrinth Café
Cheap eats and cheap beer can be found next door to TsUM at this open-air café serving Central Asian dishes such as Kazakh-style ribs and beshbarmak (flat noodles with a meat broth). Find a spot under the willows or umbrellas and settle in for some serious people-watching.
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H
Kraman
This casual but spiffy (and spacious) place is among the top choice for locals looking for that special night out. The speciality is polo, or rice pilaf (zhuāfàn), accompanied with pickled salad, yoghurt and fresh fruit. Two can eat well for around Y30.
reviewed
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I
Inara
Opposite the State Philharmonia, arboretum-style Inara has friendly service, a buzzy atmosphere and big, cheap plates of barbecued meat with onion and cucumber trimmings - an authentic Kazakh experience.
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Arzu Café
Has good vegetarian options, very filling and popular with locals at lunchtime. Nonvegetarians might try the breizol (around Som55) - battered meat rolled around tomatoes and other vegetables.
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Café Mazai
Hop down the stairs into a faux cave, an indubitable burrow of rabbit specialities. The English menu details such dishes as 'fillet of rabbit' and the 'rabbit juicy' along with more conventional fare.
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Astana Café
Has a great atmosphere and cheap Uyghur food, including chicken shashlyk and tasty salads. At night the place is jumping and there's a small cover charge for the (for once) decent live music.
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M
Bakit Restaurant
The place to go if you have a big hunger with its decent sized servings. The menu has been incorrectly translated so you don't always get what you think you ordered. It's worth the gamble.
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Chaikhana Jalal-Abad
Has pleasant bamboo huts, cordial staff and, as the name suggests, serves up southern specialities such as larzuro (fried beef and vegetables), salads and shashlyk.
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O
Café Faiza
It's a wildly popular Kyrgyz restaurant in the north of town that offers high-quality local dishes at reasonable prices. You won't get near the place at lunch.
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Kench Café
One of the better restaurants in town, in the southern outskirts and with an English menu. The chicken with mushroom sauce is recommended.
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Farkhi
Excellent Kazakh and Uzbek food and good service, in a beautifully decorated yurt-shaped building, with a nice garden for summer.
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Xībó Grill
If you're in need of a mutton fix, try out the rooftop terrace of this stylish Xīnjiāng joint.
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S
Qorqyt Ata
A good-value budget place beside the Silk Way Mall on pedestrianised Zhibek Zholy. Offerings include plov, manty, shashlyk and pizzas.
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