WHEN IT COMES TO FOOD,
PART OF THE ADVENTURE INCLUDES EXPLORING OTHER CULTURES. STEP OUTSIDE YOUR
COMFORT ZONE OF SANDWICHES, WANTAN MEE OR EVEN NASI LEMAK, AND
SAMPLE THIS NO-FRILLS PLACE OPENED SINCE DECEMBER 2011 WHICH SERVES UP EXOTIC
FOOD FROM CENTRAL ASIA.
LOCATED AT THE HEART
OF KL, RESTAURANT CENTRAL ASIA PULLS IN THE CROWDS WITH ITS DELICIOUS FARE
SERVED A LA CARTE OR ECONOMY RICE STYLE.
CENTRAL ASIAN CUISINE
COVERS THAT OF FAR-FLUNG COUNTRIES LIKE KAZAKHSTAN, KYRGYZSTAN, TAJIKISTAN,
TURKMENISTAN, AFGHANISTAN AND UZBEKISTAN. AS THE REGION HAS MANY INFLUENCES,
BEING PART OF THE SILK ROAD, YOU WILL FIND A MISH MASH OF DISHES HERE WITH
DIFFERENT ORIGINS.
ENJOY MANTI OR STEAMED DUMPLINGS FILLED WITH JUICY MINCED
MUTTON, ONIONS AND CUMIN DRIZZLED WITH SOUR CREAM.
MOST OF THE DISHES
SERVED IN THIS RESTAURANT SLANTS TOWARDS UZBEK CUISINE, AS THE PLACE IS RUN BY
NATIVES OF TASHKENT, THE CAPITAL OF UZBEKISTAN. SOME DISHES FOUND HERE
LIKE SHASHLIK CAN TRACE ITS ORIGINS BACK TO GEORGIA OR BORSCHT TO
RUSSIA. EVEN THE SIMPLE BUT COMFORTING OLIVYE OR POTATO SALAD
WITH MAYONNAISE FOUND IN THE RESTAURANT IS A CLASSIC RUSSIAN SALAD.
ON THE SURFACE, THE WELL-HIDDEN
RESTAURANT AT MEGAN AVENUE 2 ALONG JALAN YAP KWAN SENG SEEMS TO BE IN AN
ILLOGICAL SPOT. A CHAT WITH THEIR OWNERS REVEALS THAT THE CHOICE TO OPEN HERE
WAS DUE TO ITS PROXIMITY TO THE UZBEKISTAN AIRWAYS OFFICE (WHICH HAS NOW MOVED
OUT) AND THE PRIVATE COLLEGE THAT IS ATTENDED BY MANY STUDENTS WHO HAIL FROM
THE SAME REGION.
JOIN THE QUEUE FOR LUNCH AS THE STUDENTS TRICKLE IN BY 12.30PM.
ON WEEKDAYS, LUNCH
FROM 11AM TO 3PM IS SERVED ECONOMY RICE STYLE TO CATER TO THE ENDLESS STREAM OF
COLLEGE STUDENTS AND OFFICE WORKERS LOOKING FOR A QUICK MID-DAY BITE. REGULARS
POINT US TO THEIR JUICY TENDER MEATBALLS OR EVEN TENDER CHICKEN PIECES TO BE
EATEN WITH LEMON SLICES.
EVEN THE
SIMPLE-LOOKING SCRAMBLED EGGS SWIMMING IN A RED HUED BROTH IS SO TASTY THAT YOU
WANT SECONDS. MOST OF THE DISHES ARE STAPLES FOR THE RESTAURANT AND CHANGES TO
THE DAILY LINE-UP OF FOOD ARE USUALLY MINIMAL. YOU WILL NOTICE THAT THE
STUDENTS PILE THEIR PLATES HIGH WITH CARBOHYDRATES — A MIXTURE OF RICE, FRENCH
FRIES AND EVEN PASTA — WHICH FILLS YOU UP.
PICK UP SAMSA WHERE FLAKY PASTRY IS FILLED WITH MINCED BEEF,
MUTTON, CHOPPED ONIONS AND FLAVOURED WITH CUMIN.
IF YOU PREFER, LOOK TOWARDS THEIR A LA CARTE
MENU TO SAMPLE OTHER DELICACIES. START BY NIBBLING ON SAMSA WHICH
IS THE UZBEK TRIBUTE TO THE ALL-TIME FAVOURITE SAMOSA, WHICH IS BAKED RATHER
THAN FRIED. OUR CLOSEST LINK TO IT LOCALLY WOULD BE OUR SIEW PAU,
THOSE GOLDEN PASTRIES MADE FAMOUS IN SEREMBAN TOWN.
HERE THE PASTRY IS
CRUMBLY AND GENEROUSLY STUFFED WITH A FILLING OF MINCED BEEF AND MUTTON,
CHOPPED ONIONS, FENNEL AND PEPPER. IN A SIMILAR VEIN, THERE’S MANTI OR
DUMPLINGS WITH THE SAME FILLING USED IN THESAMSA. AS THESE ARE STEAMED
WITH THIN STRETCHED WHEAT FLOUR SKINS, THE LARGE DUMPLINGS MAKE JUICY BITES AND
ARE BEST EATEN PIPING HOT.
LAGMAN MAY SOUND
STRANGE TO OUR EARS BUT WHEN THE PLATE OF NOODLES ARRIVE, YOU WILL RECOGNISE
THE FAMILIAR STRANDS AS IT’S THE UZBEK VERSION OF LA MIAN. THE
NOODLES ARE SIMPLY SUPERB WITH A BOUNCINESS AND BITE THAT WILL TRUMP ANY OF THE
FAMOUS LA MIAN RESTAURANTS IN TOWN. SLURP DOWN THE STRANDS
WITH THE HEARTY BROTH SWEETENED WITH CELERY, CAPSICUMS AND TOMATOES, ALL TOPPED
WITH TENDER BEEF SLICES.
THEIR LAGMAN IS SUPERB WITH HANDPULLED NOODLES THAT BOAST AN
ELASTIC TEXTURE AND A TASTY BROTH MADE WITH TENDER BEEF SLICES, TOMATOES,
CELERY AND CAPSICUMS (LEFT). ORDER A POT OF UZBEK BLACK TEA OR GREEN TEA TO
SHARE (RIGHT).
FOR
A TRADITIONAL TASTE, ORDER THE PLOV BETTER KNOWN AS
UZBEKISTAN’S NON-OFFICIAL NATIONAL DISH. SIMILAR TO BIRYANI RICE AND BOASTING
PERSIAN INFLUENCES, THIS VERSION AT THE RESTAURANT HAS BEAUTIFUL FLUFFY BASMATI
GRAINS COOKED WITH SHREDDED CARROTS, MUTTON FAT, CHICKPEAS AND RAISINS, WHICH
IS LIGHTLY SPICED AND TOPPED WITH TENDER PIECES OF MUTTON. THE CARROTS GIVE THE
RICE A SLIGHT SWEET TASTE. HEARTY EATERS CAN ALSO ORDER THEIR SHASHLIK OR
SKEWERS OF MEAT. THE MEAT HERE IS LIGHTLY SEASONED AND EACH PIECE IS JUICY THAT
PAIRS WELL WITH THE REFRESHING ONION SLICES.
FOR A COMFORTING MEAL, TRY THE SHO’RVA WITH MUTTON, POTATO AND
CARROT IN A TUMMY SATISFYING TOMATO BROTH
.LIGHT EATERS CAN SLURP A BOWL OF THEIR HEARTY SHO’RVA SERVED WITH
A PIECE OF MUTTON WITH BONE, POTATO AND CARROT. PAIR THIS WITH THEIR FRESHLY
BAKED BREADS KNOWN AS NON. THE UZBEK BREAD HAS A LIGHT CRUMB
WITH A SLIGHT CHEWY GOLDEN CRUST, WHICH IS SPRINKLED WITH NIGELLA SEEDS.
OTHER DISHES LIKE CHUCHVARA WHERE SMALL DUMPLINGS ARE EATEN
WITH SOUP, OR THEIR VERSION OF THE RUSSIAN BORSCHT WILL REQUIRE MORE VISITS TO
THIS PLACE.
FOR DESSERT, THERE’S
AN ARRAY OF HOME-BAKED CAKES YOU CAN ORDER, LIKE MEDOVIY, A HONEY
CAKE, WHICH TRACES ITS ORIGINS TO RUSSIA. THE LAYERS OF HONEY CAKE AND CREAM IS
DUSTED WITH FRESHLY BAKED BREAD CRUMBS. IT’S A LITTLE SWEET ON ITS OWN, SO PAIR
IT WITH A CUP OF UZBEK BLACK OR GREEN TEA, WHICH IS DRUNK WITHOUT ANY MILK. IF
YOU PREFER A COOL REFRESHING DRINK, ORDER THE AYRON — YOGHURT
DILUTED WITH WATER AND MIXED WITH SALT. SIMILAR TO LASSI, IT QUENCHES YOUR
THIRST ESPECIALLY ON A HOT HAZY DAY.
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