Review: Astana Kazakh Restaurant at Sri Petaling

Kazakh cooking takes centre stage at Astana, named for the capital city of the folks who run this restaurant in Sri Petaling’s Endah Promenade complex. If you’re looking for something somewhat strange, you might like to head here.

The food is easy on the wallet & probably pretty authentic, since the place is helmed by Central Asians. Minor warning: Astana is NOT (repeat, NOT) the most cheerful restaurant around & its TV screens seem perpetually set to foreign soap operas.

Horse Meat

‘Kazi’ horse meat sausages. Yea or neigh? Traditionally made from smoked horse intestines filled with rib meat. Strongly savoury, with a fairly fatty texture. Can’t recall how much this plate cost exactly, but it’s not expensive; certainly below RM20.

Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth: Naryn hand-rolled Uzbek noodles, served in warm soup with more horse meat. Soul food.

Borscht

Borscht (RM7), thick with beetroot, potatoes, cabbage, beef, carrots, bell peppers & sour cream. Not a bad version; there are clear reasons why Astana attracts a fair number of Central Asian students living in Bukit Jalil’s surroundings.

Uigur Lagman

Uigur Lagman (RM7 for a half-portion). Hand-stretched noodles with beef, radish, carrots, kidney beans, eggplant & bell peppers. Comfort cooking, served hot & hearty, potentially perfect for wintry weather.

Pancakes

These rolled ‘pancakes’ might look innocently palatable, but one never knows what lies within.

At Astana, they’re well stuffed with chopped-up cow’s tongue & minced beef. Necessary nourishment for the hard worker.

Manty

Manty (RM8). Minced beef & onions in dough, with cutely cut cucumbers.

Solyanka

Solyanka (RM7): Unidentified floating meat (tastes processed) with stewed cabbage, pickles, olives, lemon & sour cream.

Zharkoe Beef Stew

Zharkoe beef stew with potatoes & onions (RM9). Meat was a little too tough.

Lepeshki

Lepeshki (RM2). The stuff of which Cold War-era art-house films about suffering Eastern European peasants are made.

Vareniki

Vareniki, soft, potato-stuffed dough. Dumpling lovers might like this. A few bites go a long way, fitting the fill-the-belly theme.

Desserts

Desserts are available; stuff that somehow looks simultaneously conventional & unrecognisable.

Beverages

Astana’s imported drinks are also intriguingly exotic, with bottled lemonade-style beverages & herb-nuanced teas.

Location and Contact Details

Astana Restaurant

A-01-10, Endah Promenade, Sri Petaling, Kuala Lumpur

Daily, noon through midnight.

Tel: 03-9054-3642

View Astana Restaurant’s directory page here.

What are your thoughts about Astana Restaurant? Post a thought in the comments below.