Cyclone – and Lasagne
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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Bishkek