GAKKU

Visiting Kazakhstan would not be complete without eating the Kazakh way, and in truth there are few places offering a better authentic dining experience than the Gakku. Its décor intentionally recreates the spirit of the nomads and their culture, meaning that everybody who dines here can witness first-hand the way the old Khans (kings) and their subjects lived. The restaurant is adorned with antique jewellery, colourful carpets and fabrics which add colour to the whole experience. Guests checked into the major hotels such as Intercontinental and Holiday Inn can get to Gakku in a matter of minutes on foot.

Perhaps unless you are a strict vegetarian it might be fair to say that every item on the menu is a recommendation. Yet since Kazakh cuisine has not travelled in quite the way its Indian and Chinese counterparts have, let us make a few suggestions. Why not try the recommended salad zhailau made of fried goat cheese with rocket, lemon juice and olive oil? Then there is the national dish of Kazakhstan, beshbarmak, mostly comprising horse meat and lasagne type pasta. It may or may not be served alongside national sour milk products such as kumys or shubat either of which you may order to suit. The most popular side dish, baursak, rather like doughnuts but without the sweet taste.