Though occidental food has its charms, it is the orient that truly knows what it is doing. Sue me. I have always been a huge fan of noodles, ramen, sushi, and so on, and I am glad to report that Astana will sate your appetite for some decent oriental cuisines, as far as the more popular cuisines are concerned that is. Read on to find out about my favourite establishment in town, alongside many other decent competitors.
Bao Noodles-Sushi-Izakaya – https://baofood.kz
Let us start slowly, with a place that is not necessarily the best. Bao has a ton of options, but much like any other spot with a ton of options, what it has in quantity, it lacks in quality. They have some decent appetizers, like shrimp rolls, but their noodles are simply not up to the standards. Overcooking the noodles or pasta is pretty common here in Central Asia, and Bao takes that up to a whole new level with the mushiest noodles known to our kind. They still have a few decent options on the menu, and prices are reasonable, so they are an option. Besides, some people love their noodles that way…
Peek-a-boo Korean Street Food – https://go.2gis.com/npbzf
There are a lot of Korean restaurants in Astana, actually, in Kazakhstan as whole. This is good news for lovers of kimchi and kimbap like me. They range from high-end restaurants to humble kiosks, with prices (often) matching up with the looks of the place. Peek-a-boo is certainly one of the better-looking Korean restaurants out there, but it is also one of the tastier ones. Their rice cakes are simply to die for, though they can definitely improve their kimbap a bit. They also have an amazing selection of lemonades, which I certainly recommend as well.
The Pocha – https://go.2gis.com/r8y6ob
If I had to pick the best Korean spot in town, I suppose I would have to go with the Pocha. They have an amazing service, superb interior, and it should go without saying, excellent food. The food here was recommended to me by Korean professors of Nazarbayev University through a common friend, so suffice to say that what you get here is bound to be legit. Other than it being authentic, I, as a non-Korean, can also vouch for its tastiness! Most certainly a must visit if you are visiting Astana, or living here for that matter.
Mi Gen – https://go.2gis.com/d9pff
Not all Korean restaurants are created equally, some are a bit on the pricier side whilst being not as tasty as the others. Despite being slightly more expensive than its counterparts, Mi Gen has smaller portions, and the taste of the food is not necessarily matching the extra few hundred KZTs that are demanded. Now do not get the wrong idea, the food here is still good. It is just, not the best in a market where there are many better alternatives.
Momo – https://go.2gis.com/qk3i7
Well, though Korean food is good, I must say that my heart beats for some Japanese delicacies for the most part instead. Café Momo is the place to fix that yearning, and what a fix it is! This place is amazing, and yes you guessed it right, this is my favourite place to eat at in town. They just do everything right. There is an amazing menu with good choices, even better prices, and huge portions. There are superb deals for weekday lunches. There are friendly servers, a fast service, and a lovely homey decoration. What else can you ask for? And on top of these, the everything tastes amazing. From their ramen to fried fish, from rice to potato salad, literally everything screams top quality. If only this place was a bit closer to my university…
Okadzaki – https://okadzaki.kz
Though this will not really go well with the rest of this article, I have to say that there is a huge pizza and sushi craze in Kazakhstan, and yes, that is pizza and sushi delivered together by the same restaurant… The idea that one can bake a proper pizza, and make a decent sushi, at the same time, is laughable at best. Almost all the spots I tried so far failed at either one of them, or both, mostly both… Still, if you are swamped with work, or you are just feeling lazy, know that apps like Yandex Go and Wolt will deliver some generic sushi sets and often cold pizzas to your door for a humble fee.
