Olives Cafe

A short while ago I saw a tweet on twitter from someone who was sitting in Olives, a new café on Prospect Chui, not far from the office.  It referred, favourably, to the size of the portions and I decided that maybe I ought to go and check it out.

So, when a friend of mine suggested having lunch there one day, I was more than happy to agree.

In the main room

Olives is run by a young dynamic character – in fact he was chosen as one of the young and dynamic speakers for the recent TEDxBishkek event.

However, the décor and surroundings suggests something a bit more staid, with soft colours and quiet music.  (Actually, that’s quite an advantage as one of the problems with restaurants and cafés in Bishkek is that many feature loud music that can make it difficult to hear your dining companions talk.  There is a piano but, thankfully, I’ve never seen anyone playing it.)  There is nothing bright and garish or loud and conspicuous about it.

Although it’s called a Café, that’s slightly misleading although that accent over the final “e”, (é), gives the game away.  It is more to do with the way that eating establishments are classified here – it’s more “up market” than what we would call a café back in Britain.

A meal

The menu is varied, (although mainly European), and although some of the dishes such as Burger and Chips might be typical fare for a cafe at home, there are other dishes which would be perfectly at home on the menu of a much grander establishment.   I have tried several of the options on the menu and I already know several dishes which I will be ordering regularly.

Olives meets the criteria that I look for in a restaurant, (or café): it’s local – just a block away from the office; peaceful; it’s not too big, nor too small – just eight tables in a spacious room with a small bar at one end, (but there is also a patio which is ideal for indulging in one of my favourite summer occupations, “people watching”); it is scrupulously clean; the food is good; and the prices are reasonable.

The staff are young, polite, friendly and attentive – and speak English.

Suchariy

There are a couple of distinctive features which mark the Café out:

A bowl of complimentary olives is placed on the table, (which is something I could do without, not being very fond of olives), along with another of suchariy, (croutons made from dried lightly toasted bread – which, on the other hand, I really enjoy – they are definitely “moreish”).

Olives also offers wi-fi internet access and I have yet to go there and not see someone sitting with a notebook open, attentively scrutinizing the screen.

Perhaps that is one of the reasons it seems to be so popular with such a wide range range of clientèle, almost everyone can feel comfortable in it’s tranquil surroundings.  It’s a bit like Kyrgyzstan as whole in that respect – there’s a little bit of something for everyone.

What is this place called?

I it some time since I wrote about places to eat in Bishkek, and this time, I have a problem as I am not sure how to refer to this particular café.  Is it Vis-a-vis?, the Queen’s Head?, the Ozzie Butcher?, the Aussie Butcher?,  The British Butcher?, the British café?, or simply David’s place?

This is not a problem unique to this particular café; there’s a certain amount of confusion about the name of the country itself.   A lot of people have trouble saying or spelling Kyrgyzstan.  One problem is that there it has two names: The Kyrgyz Republic and  Kyrgyzstan, but this gets even more confused when you consider the different variations that have existed over time, (consider Khirgizstan – it used to be the Khirghiz SSR), or language, (in French it is Kirgizstan and in German, Khirghizistan).  Many of the Russians still refer to it as Kirgizia.  And so on.

If that’s not enough of a problem, many names of many places and streets have changed.  The main street in Bishkek is now called Prospect Chui, but in the past it has been called Kupecheskoi or Merchant Street; Grazhdanskaya or Civil Street – which seems to give the English phrase “Civvie Street” a whole new meaning; Joseph Stalin Street;  XXII Partciyezda, to commemorate the XXII Communist Party congress in 1961; Lenin Prospect; and, in 1997, part of it was also was renamed, in honour of the friendly relations with China, after the Chinese leader: Deng Xiaoping.

Bishkek has known three different names in the modern period, Pishpek, Frunze and Bishkek.  Nowadays there is a lot of discussion about renaming the city Manas, after the legendary hero of the national epic.

However … back to David’s place …

David is a “larger than life”, (literally!), British ex-pat who has been here about the same amount of time that I have.  I have no idea what actually brought him here but he has done a number of things including teaching, translating, editing and proof reading English language texts for official bodies and businesses.

I am not sure that he ever wanted to or intended to open a café.  At one time he was bemoaning the fact that it was not possible to find “good” cuts of meat here in Bishkek.  There’s plenty of meat … the Kyrgyz love meat and would probably eat nothing but meat given the chance.  The trouble is that the meat is cut up differently, often needs special treatment.

Steak, for example, is a mainstay of mainstay of many cuisines; European and American.   For example, Richard Stillgoe, a British musician and songwriter famous for satirical witty wordplays, once did a skit on how to write a successful Eurovision entry … and pointed out that one word which is common to most European languages is: “Beefsteak”,  so he suggested writing a “fairground” jinggly tune to which the word Beefsteak could be repeated over and over again: “Beefsteak, beefsteak, la la la la“.

Unfortunately, however, a fried or grilled steak is not really one of the mainstays of local cuisine.  Although many places in Bishkek offer steaks then Western diners are often surprised by what is served up. Once, for example, I was sitting with an American in one restaurant, who looked at the “Steak De Luxe” that he had ordered being placed before him, and he turned and asked the waiter, “What is this?”  It was a thin slice of meat, duly grilled, but it not exactly the thick succulent piece of meat that he had in mind when he placed his order.

Another problem comes when trying to do a typical English Roast, just as my mother used to prepare every for Sunday lunch.  Back in the UK we tend to buy special cuts of meat duly trussed up in as a Joint, ready for placing in the oven.  Here the meat that you buy from the market or shops is often just a slab, and “fresh” at that … it is not hung to cure.

Personally, it has never bothered me that much … I take the piece of meat and place around it onions, potatiews and other vegetables to roast and put it into the oven on a low heat … and, so far, I have been happy with the results, but many gastronomes agreed with David that they missed the more traditional cuts that they were used to.

Where I do have a problem, however, is that the diced meat which is available here, (goulash), tends to contain pieces of fat and gristle, and that it is not easy to find bacon and traditional sausages.  It would be nice, also, to find traditional Pork Pies … but that’s a bit of a speciality.

Well, David decided to start a butcher’s shop.  He arranged to bring a properly trained butcher from Australia, (hence the Aussie/Ozzie Butcher variations for the name).  As it happens, his current butcher is from Britain, (hence the British Butcher variation of the name).  He has arrange contracts with local farmers and set about setting up a butchery, getting all the necessary permissions and certificates.  He started looking around for customers and signed contracts with a few companies, and he also started looking for export possibilities.  However, he needed a shop, and was offered a shop next to a café – the Vis-a-vis.  He thought that, although he only needed a shop, it would be good also to have a place to showcase his produce and so took it.

Hence the café.  At one point, apparently, he thought of renaming it The Queen’s Head, but the hoarding outside still announced, Vis-a-vis.

Inside, the café is bright, clean and cheerful.

Inside the café, the space is bright, clean and cheerful.  The fayre on offer is predominantly based on meat provided by the butchery side of the business, which you would expect, ranging from all day, full English and American Breakfasts, Cottage Pie, Steaks and Roast Beef.

It’s not pretentious in any way, which is immediately a “plus” as far as I am concerned.  There’s a small bar with a few bar stools, and two large screen television sets which are often tuned to music programmes, but he will try to show sports programmes, for example, when there is a big game of Rugby on at Twickenham.

The patio operates in the warmer weather

In the winter, the café is warm and cozy, but for the warm summer evenings there is a patio outside, where tables are placed underneath a large metal canopy.  It’s possible to sit and eat, pass the time of day and watch the world go by – including soldiers from guarding the nearby White House as they make their way back to barracks.

David’s jovial, no-nonsense, plain speaking style, (he is prepared to “call a spade a spade”, as the saying goes), has made him very much a fixture amongst the ex-pat community here in Bishkek.  Having said that, he is a good example of a congenial “mine host”; he always has time to pass the time of day with clients and can enter into conversation on almost any topic under the sun.

On one occasion, some Americans were looking for sponsorship for a local orphanage and approached David for support.  Although he could have handed over some som and said goodbye to them, (which is what most businessmen here would have done), instead he said, “Look, I have a café, bring the children down here and we’ll give them a meal.”  The Americans decided to take him up on the offer and, apparently, the children enjoyed the experience immensely.

I have taken several people there to eat and Andrei, in particular, likes to visit.  When I do go, I always make sure to pop into the butcher’s shop next door to pick up my ration of bacon and Beef Jerky.

Some people have expressed surprise at my choice for the first few of the “Places to Eat” postcards that I have written.  Knowing that I have a particular affection for this restaurant they ask me, “What happened to Cyclone?”.

The answer is simple … Cyclone has been undergoing a renovation and I have been waiting for this to be finished.

I am not sure why the owners decided to name their restaurant after a weather system, especially one associated with low pressure systems and stormy weather.  As it happens, it doesn’t seem to put potential clients off.

I was introduced to Cyclone many years ago now, by a consultant and his wife.  I don’t know how many times I had walked past the place and not really noticed that it was there.  At that time there was no summer patio and although there was a notice over the door, it was set back from the main pavement so it was easy to walk by without noticing it.  My friend and his wife had invited me to lunch to talk over some question or other and when I asked where should we meet, they said: “Let’s go to Cyclone.”  My response seemed to catch them by surprise: “Where?”  They found it hard to believe that I didn’t know the place.  Apparently, it was quite popular with consultants and they in particular tended to eat there about once a week.  Anyway, they told me where it was located, (just off the corner of Prospect Chui and Togolok Moldo), and we agreed to meet there.

My first impression, to be frank, was not particularly favourable.  Once I had found the place, I discovered that there seemed to be only one room, which was quite small with just six tables, and it appeared a little dark and dingy.  On the other hand, it was clean and the staff were friendly and the food on offer was more than acceptable.  The menu was based on Italian cuisine, with lots of pasta and salads, and a selection of Pizzas but there was also a wide variety of other European style dishes which I hadn’t seen anywhere else here in Bishkek.

Apparently the owners are local, but they have a connection with Italy in that one of their family members had gone there to live.  She found them an Italian chef who came to Bishkek for a time and taught the staff how to cook traditional dishes. I think she did a good job.

On that first occasion I chose a pasta dish, which I was told by my experienced fellow diners, was a house speciality – Lasagne.

Apparently, they prepare Lasagne on four days a week: with a meat filling on Mondays and Tuesdays and with Spinach on Wednesdays and Thursdays.  There is only a limited number of portions, so that once they have gone, you have to choose something else.  I was in luck on that particular day, as they still had a couple of portions left.  So I tried it.

The portion didn’t seem as big as I had expected, being only about 10 centimetres square.  On the other hand, when I thought about it, it was about the same as I would get in the some of the other places in Bishkek that offered Lasagne, (where it is often presented in a special dish about twice as big), but this was a thick slice of Lasagne – about 4 cm thick which was twice as thick as most Lasagnes served in Bishkek.

I enjoyed it so much that I went back, and back … and back.  Lasagne became my staple order.  So much so, that after a while the waiter would tell me as soon as I walked in and sat down if there were any portions left that day.  If there wasn’t any then I would obviously have to scour the menu to choose another dish.  Fortunately, on the menu were several other favourites including Cauliflower Cheese, which my mother used to love, a Risotto, and, of course, the good old Spaghetti Bolognese.   I also ventured into other parts of the menu on occasion.

The kids,  whenever I take them to Cyclone, tend to go for Pizza and although I try to wean them off this onto some of the other dishes, they are fairly finicky when it comes to food … and they know what they like.  Considering the fact that I usually opt for Lasagne if it is available, I don’t have much ground for complaint.   Amongst the other things that they like are the Bruschetta, (slices of toast topped with finely chopped tomato, onion, garlic and herbs), washed down with Iced Tea.

If I have to meet or recommend a place to eat to someone who is new in town, then Cyclone is a fairly safe bet – the food is good, recognizable, and I have yet to meet someone who hasn’t liked it.  It’s a very popular venue amongst ex-pats in the city and visitors alike.  One of my friends, another consultant, tends to eat there several times a week when he is in town.

One of the big attractions for me is that in summer there is a nice patio, which means that it is a pleasant place to sit on a warm summer’s evening and watch the people passing by on one of Bishkek’s busy sidewalks.

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When it comes to selecting somewhere to eat, there are a few things that I look for.

Of course, there’s the menu – it should consist of interesting and tasty dishes, preferably distinctive, at a reasonable price.  Then there is the service, it always helps when the staff are pleasant, welcoming diners with a friendly smile.  The atmosphere is important, (things like surroundings and décor – a summer patio so that I can sit outside and indulge in people watching is an advantage, clientèle – for example, has anyone recommended it to me, music – not too loud and obtrusive so as to impede conversation); after all, nobody wants to eat in “dump”.

I have to admit, however, that this list is not in any particular order of priority and I am not sure what weighting I would place on each item.

There is one other thing that often affects my choice – accessibility.  Although I happy to travel to some particular café or restaurant if it means I am going to be rewarded with a special experience, but on the whole I prefer to frequent places in the immediate neighbourhood.

As it happens, the Mexican Cantina in Bishkek scores highly on practically every criteria in this list.

The Cantina is based in the corner of the Ai Peri building, which is just at the back of my office … it’s only minutes away which gives it a definite attractiveness for me.  Ai Peri was originally built in 1984 as a fashion and beauty centre to bring the latest in authorized fashion and hairstyles to the women of Bishkek.  The building has a bit of a history, having been apparently taken over by Aidar Akaev just before the Tulip revolution, who closed it and started to make renovations to make it a major shopping centre.  After the revolution, the ownership was disputed and it has only just started renting out and reopening some of the units.  The one occupied by the Cantina was at one point a small café and the current owners took out a lease on it last year.

I was introduced to it by some friends, international consultants, who had tried it out for lunch one day and were pleasantly surprised.  There are a couple of places in Bishkek that offer the odd Mexican dish, but this seemed to be an interesting and attractive alternative for the ex-pat community who, like me, enjoy different ethnic cuisines.  Indeed, most, (but by no means all), of the clients I have seen there have been foreigners.

As the name implies, the menu is mainly Mexican, (Tacos, Burritos, Fajitas, Enchalados, Quesadilla and Carnitas, not forgetting Gazpacho, Posole, Menudo and Guacamole – although that’s not always available).  They admit, however, that it is “Americanized“ Mexican rather than what you might expect to find in somewhere like Acapulco.  It’s quite a small menu and I have now tried virtually everything on it … and I have never been disappointed yet.  One of the advantages of being small is that you can be sure that the dishes are a speciality of the chef.

The Cantina experience starts with a portion of Tortilla Chips and Tomato Salsa, which are definitely “moreish” which are complimentary.  They say that they process and grind their own Masa Harina to make tortilla and tortilla chips, and that they make their own hot sauce from Arbol peppers imported from Mexico.  Although additional portions are not cheap, neither are crisps or pistachios at any café and so that doesn’t stop me ordering another portion.

For the vegetarians, there are a selection of dishes, and diners can be reassured that the food hasn’t been prepared using meat bullion or pots and pans that have just been used to prepare a meat dish.

They also have a selection of what they call “Mexican Pizzas”.

The bar is a little limited, but the Sangria adds a pleasant touch on a hot summer’s day.  It’s not meant to be a bar, but I am happy to while away an hour so on a Saturday lunchtime, sipping a Beer, or Sangia, munching on the Tortilla, reading a book and just soaking up the atmosphere if I don’t have a dining partner.  I have seen quite a few people doing the same.

The surroundings are not luxurious.  The café itself is quite small, and can seem quite dim with it’s marble tiled walls, but in summer there are tables set outside, so it is possible for me to indulge in my favourite pastime.    The chairs are hard wooden straight back chairs which I don’t think would encourage anyone to sit and linger for too long, but they are more than adequate and a welcome relief from the soft low couches which seem to be so popular here.

The large oil paintings which are meant to give it a Mexican atmosphere seem a bit out of place on the marble walls, but the marble does have the advantage that it helps to keep a cool atmosphere in the heat of the summer, and is easy to keep clean.  The music is not intrusive and they seem to vary the style of music that they play from time to time.

As I said, it scores highly on most of the criteria.

What’s more they do a delivery service … although I’ve never availed myself of this particular service, because it is located, literally, “just around the corner”.   Also, the kids are not that keen, they are not used to this sort of food and it’s really not their taste.

Still, as the saying has it – “You can’t please everyone.”

You can find out more about the Cantina on their website, at http://www.kyrgyzcantina.com/index.htm

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Sunday I was persuaded to go to the Orthodox Church.  I was told told it was St. Nicholas’ Day, the patron saint of Children who has been immortalized as Santa Clause.  It’s not on the list of Saint’s days I have and I thought his Saint’s Day was in December, (6th December – although the Orthodox work on the old Julian Calendar, so it’s celebrated here on the 19th), so I made a few sarcastic comments about Christmas coming early this year.  However, I decided to tag along after all.

Orthodox services aren’t quite the same as they are back in the West.  Services in the Methodist Church which I went to started at 11:00 and finished at 12:00, regular as clockwork.  You walked in, sat down in a pew, rose to sing hymns, sat or kneeled to pray and sat for the readings and the sermon.

Here, people can wander in … and out … at any time.  They stand in the hall whilst the priests chant the service, accompanied by a choir.  It’s not entirely passive as far as the congregation are concerned … there is plenty of genuflecting and at some points they also join in the chanting.  Actually, I thought that the singing was quite good, even if I didn’t really understand everything that was going on.

Anyway, having lit our candles and laying some flowers before the icon of Saint Nicholas, we made our way out of the compound.  As we walked back home, I suggested that we stop for lunch in the little Chinese café on Jibek Jolu: Shaiolin.

Actually, to be honest, we often call in to this café on the way back from church … it’s nearby, it’s en-route both to both the hotel and my office, it has a quiet and friendly atmosphere … and the food is very good.

Back in the UK we have lots of Chinese restaurants.  Most of them seem to offer Cantonese cuisine, although I personally preferred Szechuen, (Sichuan), which tends to be more spicy.  I remember when the first Chinese restaurant opened in Malvern, back in the 1960′s.  My grandfather said he wanted to go and try it, and treated us to a meal there.  We were all a bit surprised as we didn’t think that it was “his sort of thing”, but he obviously enjoyed it because he went back several time.  Remember, this was at a time when people usually ate at home and rarely went out for a meal.  Certainly, it was one of the first times I ever went to a restaurant.

After that, of course, I had the caught the bug.  The food was different from the usual fare that Mum served up at home and seemed a little exotic … well, I suppose it was.  A few years later and “Chinese Take Away’s” popped up all over the town … and not just in Malvern; most towns can boast at least one Chinese Restaurant and no-one bats an eyelid if someone suggests having “a Chinese”.

Now, China is just over the border from us here in Kyrgyzstan.  You might expect, therefore, that there would be lots of Chinese restaurants, but it can be difficult to find one outside the main cities, (Bishkek and Osh).  Here in Bishkek, however, there is a sizeable Chinese community and there are some very good Chinese Restaurants.

Shaiolin, however, is one of my favourites … and I am not alone, the place is frequented by whole variety of foreigners, locals and Chinese alike.  Actually, to give you an idea of the universal appeal that it enjoys, let me tell you that I have been surprised on a number of occasions by some of the people who have suggested that go there for a meal … people for whom, like my grandfather all those years ago, it Chinese cuisine doesn’t seem to be “their sort of thing”.

In the winter there is one dining hall, but in summer they have a covered patio where it’s possible to sit outside, in the shade and feel the fresh air.  Because it is in a closed yard, there is no chance to watch the people walking by, but it is not on a street where people promenade, so that’s not a big problem.

The menu is quite extensive and varied.  Dishes with Beef, Chicken, Mutton, Pork, Fish, and Tofu are all on offer.  There is something for almost everyone.  I remember when I first came to Bishkek and someone told me that one of the restaurants had a new Chinese chef and suggested that we go and try it, I agreed thinking back to the many enjoyable Chinese meals I had eaten back home.  When I got there and looked at the menu, however, I was shocked.  I recognised only one dish – Sweet and Sour Pork, and so I ordered it.  When it arrived, I looked at it and asked the waiter “What is it?”  ”What you ordered,” he replied, to which I countered, “and what was that?”  It looked nothing like the ‘Sweet and Sour Pork’ that is usually served up back in the UK.  I was sure that he had made a mistake.  But, even if he thought that I was a ‘right idiot’ who couldn’t remember his order, he calmly assured me that it was indeed ‘Sweet and Sour Pork’.  So, I demurred and set about to eat it … and I was very pleased.  It was tasty … even if it didn’t look like the dish that I was expecting.

Although I tend to play “safe” and order a “sweet and sour” dish, (pork, beef, chicken or fish), especially if there are only two or three of us, I have been known to venture further afield in my choice from the menu.  To be honest, however, I enjoy it more when there are a crowd of us, especially if the others are not used to Chinese cuisine, so that we can order a wide selection of dishes and then share them between us – getting the chance to savour a wide variety of tastes.  This gives me the chance to experiment with new dishes.

In fact, I have taken several people to Shaiolin who are not used to eating Chinese and they usually look askance when I order ‘sweet and sour’ … they think that meat should be savoury, not sweet.  (Sweet tastes should be reserved for dessert).  However, once they’ve tried it, and once they have got over their initial reaction, they tend to like it … and they order it again next time that we decide to “go Chinese.”

The portions are a good size, and not too expensive, although for some locals it might be a little “out of their budget”.

Usually, there isn’t any loud music to distract and interfere with conversation, although there is a television in the main dining hall.

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Last week I posted an entry about the Alabama Steak House in Bishkek and although I said that I might post some more postcards in the future about places to dine out, I wasn’t expecting to write another one featuring a different eatery quite so soon.

This postcard, however, was prompted by an article on Eurasianet, (Kyrgyzstan: Banking on Turkish Trade).  This was not a post about “eating out” but rather about a tendency in Kyrgyzstan today to look to Turkey as one of the potential sources of international assistance in developing the Kyrgyz economy.

The current Prime Minister, Almazbek Atanbaev, is one of a number of local politicians whose eyes turn to Turkey as an example of successful development.  A former civil servant who works in tourism, for example, refers back to a conference when Turkey was just beginning to emerge as a destination.  “Who would have thought that they would be one of the major tourist destinations of the world, serving millions of tourists each year?  We laughed when they outlined their plans.  Now look at them!”

The Kyrgyz, and many of the other Central Asian nationalities, are a Turkic people.  This is a broad ethnic-linguistic group, and includes the modern day Turks of Turkey, who were not the indigenous inhabitants of Anatolia.  Perhaps that is one reason why the Turks feel a strong affinity with their cousins in Central Asia, and have offered considerable assistance to them since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The article cited a number of Turkish businesses here in Kyrgyzstan, such as the Beta Stores supermarkets, and focused in particular on a couple of entrepreneurs.  One of these was Orhan Eker who owns and runs a small restaurant/café in downtown Bishkek – Obzhorka.  As it happens, Obzhorka is our neighbour – literally, our next door neighbour.

I remember when Obzhorka opened, under the previous owners, we all smiled at the name.  Obzhorka is Russian for “glutton” and their hoarding showed a sort of troll sitting at a table and tucking in to a huge dish set before him.  “What a good name for a café,” one of our staff commented.  I quite like Justin Vela’s version of the translation in the article on Eurasianet, however, when he said: “Obzhorka roughly translates as ‘Pig Out’, without, of course, any reference to pork.”

We often used to go and sit on the patio and have tea, lunch or supper.  Our office was so crowded that two or three of us would sometimes retire to the café to sit around a table and hold an informal meeting.  We would also, sometimes, take clients there to discuss their plans for their tour itineraries.  We joked that it was our “second office”.

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Eker came to Kyrgyzstan after his telecommunications business back in Turkey closed, a victim of the financial crisis.  He looked around and thought that he had discovered a niche in the market that was not catered for, (no pun intended!).

Back in his native Istanbul there are plenty of small cafés, (that are often an extension of someone’s apartment), but despite the existence of several Turkish Restaurants and “kebab joints”, there was no equivalent here in Bishkek – until, that is, he took over Obzhorka.  Like many of the stolovayas, (canteens, refectories, cafeterias and dining rooms), in the Soviet period, Obzhorka was located in the basement of a building, (in this case an apartment building), set just off one of Bishkek’s main roads, (Kievskaya).  Outside was space for a patio, with plenty of trees to provide shade which provides a cool calm atmosphere.  In the winter, when the patio is not a practical alternative, it is quieter as the rectangular dining room, set in the basement, can seem a bit off-putting, but the diners are rewarded with authentic homemade Turkish dishes.

The café is popular, particularly with fellow Turks, serving home-cooked favorites: spinach and rice dishes, salads, and chicken cooked in herbs that they import from Turkey.  The menu changes from time to time, but there are some standard dishes such as different types of kebabs, stuffed vine leaves, and Tzatziki.

As well as the authentic, no-nonsense, Turkish cuisine, amongst the other reasons for its popularity might well be the location – in the heart of the city centre but set off the main road providing a nice setting for simply sitting outside and relaxing, sipping chai and playing backgammon; the friendly, almost homely, atmosphere provided by mine host and his wife and, not forgetting, the prices, (it’s not, by any means, an expensive café).

For me, of course, there’s another attraction: it’s close the office … and home.  Although, today, there are lots of Turkish restaurants and cafés in Bishkek, Obzhorka remains one of my favourites.

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They say that “there is no point in arguing about taste” and that “one man’s meat is another man’s poison“.  Different people like different things.  In Bishkek we are quite fortunate in that we have a wide selection of restaurants offering cuisines to choose between.

Last week I had a “business lunch” with a publisher from the UK.  He suggested that we meet at the Alabama Steak House on Baitik Baatyr Street, (formerly Sovietskaya).  They claim to be the only Steak House in Bishkek, although there are lots of places where you can find steak in the city.  However, I have to admit that heard very good things about both their steaks and shashliks … and, as it happens, I have been there before and so I was happy to agree.

As well as being a Steak House, they have an extensive menu of European and Georgian Cuisine.  I have tried the steak before but as I like to try different cuisines and was particularly keen to try some of the Georgian dishes.

This time I chose the Satsivi, (Chicken in a walnut sauce), but there is quite a variety of other traditional dishes.  The Khachapuri, (stuffed breads), were an interesting variation and would make a good snack in themselves.  

There is a wide variety of salads and soups on the menu, and a good choice of Pizzas which should please Maksim who is very fussy about what he eats, but loves Pizza.  He’ll also like the choice of Iced Teas.

The portions are a good size and the food tasty – cooked individually to order.

The bar is quite well stocked.  I like Georgian wine, so that went down well.  There also have a number of spirits including a selection of Scotch Whiskey, such as the exclusive Gold and Green Label Johnny Walkers and an 18 year old Chivas Regal.  They even have a couple of brands of Absinthe, which was made illegal in France in the First World War but is being decriminalized.

For those who are interested, (I am not), they also offer a range of cigars.

Despite that, they are not pretentious.  They describe themselves as “cozy”.  Certainly, it’s been quiet and friendly when I have been there.

I am not sure, however, why they call it Alabama.  They have renovated the interior and wooden surfaces abound with booths like in an American diner.  Although the rooms are quite small, there is a large patio out front with some tables set in the shade provided by trees. As summer progresses I will be keen to go back as I quite like sitting outside in the sunshine, “people watching” as pedestrians pass by.

It’s not exactly a “budget” place, but it isn’t very expensive.  My soup, main course, bread and a drink cost about 600 som, (or the equivalent of about USD13).

The one disadvantage, as far as I am concerned, is the location … it’s quite a way from the city center which means making a special journey.

For anyone in Bishkek who wants to try it out, you can find more information on their website: http://alabama.kg/

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Oh, and, for the record … this is not an advert.  The other day I was asked by a visitor to Bishkek if I could recommend somewhere to eat, and when I asked what sort of food he wanted, (European: French, Italian, , Local: Kyrgyz, Uzbek; Russian; Chinese; Japanese – e.g. Sushi; Turkish; Mexican; Georgian, etc.), he said he would like to try the Georgian and I told him about the two Georgian restaurants in town that I know.  He then suggested that I might like to post a few revues on the site … and that’s what led to this particular post.

I’ll do some more from time to time and try to cover a range of places available in Bishkek.

Breakfast is the first meal of the day and, in English, the word is a composite bringing together the two words “break” and “fast” and accurately so it describes the meal that “breaks the fast” since the previous night’s meal.  It is said that it used to be the most important meal of the day, which may well be why a “Full English Breakfast” was, (is), almost a full meal … Bacon and eggs, sausages and/or that strange concoction “black pudding”, fried tomatoes and mushrooms, baked beans, fried bread, toast and jam … not mention the ubiquitous pot of tea.  Then there was also porridge, and/or kedgeree, and/or kippers, and/or … you name it.

When I was growing up, breakfast was usually a bowl of cereal: Corn Flakes, Weetabix, Rice Crispies, … that sort of thing.  Then, when I was a teenager, a new craze came along … Muesli … which was billed as the “healthy” option, although because it lacked the sugar content, it never seemed as popular.

In college, in the hall of residence, breakfast was the least well attended meal of the day – but it was good value and gave you the energy to face the ordeal of the morning lectures, or a day of TP, “teaching practice”.

When I started to feed myself instead of relying on the efforts of my mother or the college kitchen staff, breakfast became a cup of coffee, (instant coffee, as it was quicker and easier to prepare than tea), and a couple of slices of toast.   That’s much closer to a “Continental Breakfast”: a hot drink, (for example, coffee or chocolate), and a bread (such as croissant) or a sweet “Danish” pastry.

Here in Bishkek I have taken to not bothering about breakfast.  That’s probably a feature of getting up early … I am usually in the office by six … and the fact that I live over the office, (literally – my bedroom is directly above the office).  I rise, wash and dress and come down to the office where I turn on the computer and whilst the emails are being downloaded I put on the kettle on and make myself a cup of coffee – and that’s it, Breakfast.  I start going through the emails and before I know it, the working day has started and I am busy … so I never get round to making a proper breakfast.  Mid morning, during the summer, I do go outside and get a Shoro from the stand on the street … a traditional refreshing Kyrgyz made from wheat – but from what I gather from visitors and other ex-pats, it is very much an acquired taste.  Well, I’ve acquired it and, as I say, I find Shoro refreshing.

Not long ago, however, my early morning routine changed a little.  Just round the corner from my office a hamburger stall opened: Begemot.  I have taken to ordering one either first thing in the morning, or later for my midmorning “elevenses”.

Now, Kyrgyzstan has a wide range of restaurants, especially in the capital Bishkek, and it is possible to find one to suit almost every taste: European, French, Italian, Russian, Turkish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indian, Lebanese,  Moldavian, Georgian, and, of course, Central Asian. There are places where you can get Mexican and a variety of other tastes.  There aren’t, however, many places which serve vegetarian food – and there aren’t any English restaurants …

I think it was Alistair Cooke that told the story about arriving in New York and asking a taxi driver to take him to a restaurant.  “Sure,” they taxi driver said, “What sort of restaurant do you want … we’ve got Mexican, Chinese, Indian, French, Spanish …”.  “How about an English Restaurant?”  “Now there you’ve got me,” said the driver, who sat and thought for a while.  Eventually he turned to his passenger and said, “You know, I don’t think there is one.  Is there any such thing as British cuisine?”.

Yes, there is … although British cuisine, like Kyrgyz cuisine, tends to be simple … roasts, pies, casseroles and stews.  If the British, mistakenly call the French “Frogs” because they sometimes eat frog’s legs, then the French know the Brits as “Roast Beef” due to our predilection to that particular dish.  When I was growing up the favourite dish was probably Fish and Chips … and people here are fascinated, if not horrified, by my accounts of walking along the street eating a packet of chips wrapped up in newspaper.

There are no fish and Chips shops in Bishkek, but there a growing number “Fast Food” outlets in Bishkek, leading to a rise in popularity for Turkish kebabs, hamburgers, cheeseburgers and the like, in addition to the traditional Central Asian Samsi.  Places like Begemot.

Breakfast at Begemot was only the start.  It led to a reawakening in my interest in the early morning meal … and in food generally.

Being put off by having to stand in line waiting for my daily hamburger, cheeseburger or whatever, one day I was walking by a shop selling kitchen equipment and remembering the toasted sandwiches which my mother used to make, I went in and bought an electric “toasted sandwich maker”.  My mother’s sandwich maker was more versatile than my modern version.  It was basically two metal cases, hinged at one side opposite long arms, which closed round the sandwich and was placed on the gas ring.  Inside the casing it was possible to cook eggs, baked beans or, (my favourite at the time), cheese, ham and Branston sweet pickle fillings, I and sorts of other fillings.  Although I can now prepare toasted sandwiches with my favourite filling, it won’t let me do ones with eggs and baked beans.

However, I am more than happy with my purchase.  As it happens, it’s possible to get a wide variety of ingredients for fillings … different sorts of cheeses, meat pastes, and a variety of spreads for sauces … garlic, horseradish, mustard, chilli … oh … and, of course, Marmite.

Marmite … that typical, quintessentially British condiment, that people either love … or hate.  I happen to love it, and I tend to spread it far too thickly on my toasted “soldiers”.  It is one of the things that I really miss here – because you can’t buy Marmite in Bishkek.  Most of the local people here fall into the category of those who “hate” it.  They find its salty taste too strong.  They seem to like it, however, when I use it in cooking, for example in a casserole or soup.  I only know one or two local people who really like it … and one of them is a bit of a joker.  When a visitor saw the characteristic black jar in his kitchen, they asked him what it is was … and he replied: “English jam.”  “Oh, can I try it?”, he was asked and replied, “Sure, no problem.”  The visitor took a teaspoon and dipped it into the gooey mixture just as he would into a jar of Raspberry jam and spooned into his mouth only to scream in disgust as it hit his taste buds.

It’s proved to be very popular in the office.  Especially the variety of different fillings.

Cheese and Onion proved to be interesting.  Although onions are widely used they are basically just an ingredient in salads and soups and the idea of employing onions as a basic taste came as a surprise … perhaps because the onions here tend to be small and sweeter than we have in Britain … even though they don’t have the sharp tart taste and don’t bring tears to the eyes in the same way, they still compliment the taste of the cheese.

Another “delight” of English cuisine which has aroused interest here is pickled eggs.  To be fair, even in Britain, pickled eggs are not exactly common … but I have fond memories of walking home on Friday nights munching away at a packet of fish and chips  … and a pickled egg.  Now, the Russians seem to pickle everything  … you name it, they seem to pickle it: herrings, tomatoes, cucumbers … Pickled cucumbers, for example, are almost an essential element to an evening of drinking vodka.  A shot of vodka, (50 grams, that’s a “double” to an Englishman like me), downed in one, is swiftly followed by a piece of sliced pickled cucumber … presumably to mask the bitter taste.  However, they don’t pickle eggs and the idea seems send people into a mix of apoplexy and curiosity.  Earlier this year I pickled a small batch of eggs … and they stood in the office for six months with everyone looking at them askance with wonder.  I was worried about the results because we can’t get malt vinegar here and I had to use a mix of pure transparent vinegar, apple vinegar and grape vinegar.  When we came to try them, nearly everyone said something like, “interesting …”, which I took to mean, “Thank you but once was enough”.  Anyway I went out and bought sixty eggs and about three liters of vinegar in order to another batch.  I was told that I had boiled more eggs than most Russians do at Easter.

Roast Lamb with Mint Sauce has proved to be a bit more acceptable, although the mix of mint, vinegar and sugar in the sauce causes a few raised eyebrows as do Honey Roast Lamb and Chinese Sweet and Sour Pork.  There seems to be a strong dislike for sweet sauces with meat dishes … I wonder how a Caribbean Restaurant would fare here … probably not very well.

Indian Restaurants face a similar problem.  In Britain there are Indian Restaurants almost everywhere.  If Roast Beef and Yorkshire pudding used to be the typical English dish, it gave way to Fish and Chips Chips a long time ago.  Nowadays, “curry” is probably the favourite dish in England.  Here in Bishkek, on the other hand, there used to be two Indian restaurants, but they closed down some time ago and for a while there was nowhere where you find a real curry … but now Bishkek is graced with a fine Indian Restaurant.  My only concern is that they sometimes seem reluctant to serve “hot” and “spicy” curries which are so beloved in England … probably because most locals find them too strong.

With such a host of tastes, we have started planning a new website: www.tastes.kg which will feature some of the wide variety of cuisines available here in Kyrgyzstan … I wonder what Audrey Hepburn would have made it …