Again, there’s pretty much nothing to talk about. In respect of food Astana has got stuck deeply in the 2000s – stuck to such an extent that it’s like in the Russian fairy tale about the turnip: you pull it, then you pull it again, but it just won’t come out, and that’s pretty much it.

Now we aren’t taking in consideration the traditional stuff – shashlik/pilaf/beshbarmak – which is always on top.

I’m speaking of what is called “contemporary grub” (c).

Therefore, the emergence of Selfie™ in here is like a certain type of educational attraction.

Actually, the entire Ritz cluster with a super mall and a panoramic restaurant at the top reminds of the best traditions of Tokyo/Singapore/Hong Kong and kind of looks like an artifact. But at the same time it seems very well-established in these steppes – think of Almaty for instance.

Overall, it’s a Moscow restaurant of the new formation with all that follows. Please, read the article about the Moscow Selfie.

Though the local dishes, which are marked here with the small azure letters KZ, are a different story. Of course, it was them we immediately ordered.

Foal steak (a portion is 500 grams, the price is about 15 Eros) is EXCELLENT. It’s prepared in josper and it’s juicy, bright, textured and not too spicy so that some pantywaist won’t feel uncomfortable (if he isn’t already bummed by the mere word “foal”, of course).

Foal’s cheek with gratin is ok, there’s the same dish in Moscow, but with beef.

And the tongue with a thin layer of fat from under the foal’s withers is superb! Texture, taste, and savory are totally different. Probably, foals use their tongue in a somehow different way.

I should also mention kumis in the wooden bowl. It looks like some liquid processed cheese churned into soft foam. And did you know that kumis has a more hardcore brother shubat, made of camel milk?

There’s a type of “bruschetta” made of smoked kazy – the bomb!

This is obviously the light version of local cuisine. It is very different from what you may find below in the real steppe. If you want the super authentic food with 2-kilo portions and the like, you have to go there. That food is wonderful, indeed, Kazakh authentic is wildly tasty, although afterwards you’ll hardly fit through the door. But this Kazakh food is for jet-set people who stay in Ritz/Mandarin/Aman and jump from one plane to another, but not for the snobs who aren’t ready to try and appreciate something new outside “the foie gras zone”™.

Oh yeah, of course, the Moscow megahits are still there (by the way, they go even better with ayran).

Do enjoy!