I've never been to Kazakistan, but one of my friends, a photographer, lived there for a few years, and its shots impressed me. The people was hard to forget, even if only by photographs. Those gazes, those wrinkles, the mixture between caucasian and asiatic features were incredible. Kazakistan featured in EXPO is, however, not just that: you can find progress and innovation. Not only nomads shepherds with their millenarian gastronomic traditions, based on goats, but also citizens from Almaty and Astana, two of the biggest cities of the country. In the end, i'm discovering a country with big resources and a desire to escape from poverty and analfabetism, projecting into the olympus of the most civilized countries.
Pavilion
The pavilion is without any doubt one of my favorites. It offers a lot of different experiences. Some of them are a bit naive, but you can appreciate the genuineness and spirit. First of all, Kazakistan was the pavilion who offered me the best hospitality and a true gastronomic experience, in a perfect traditional style.
The first attraction that awaits you is a video, a spectacular story about the history of the country made with colored sand. The journey continues with different interactive modules (some of them are like video games!) talking about the kazakhstani agricolture and their principal gastronomic resources. You will then taste the Kumis, the wonderful fermented mare's milk. You can even caress the Caspian sturgeons, unbelievably friendlies, from which you obtain the famous caviar.
And then the last attraction, the 3D room, almost 4D because seats move and you can even feel the wind in your hair while you travel across the country. It is for sure one of the countries that invested more, creating a fun and interactive pavilion. It is maybe an excerpt of the Kazakistan's International EXPO dedicated to the Energy of Future, that will be hosted in 2017.
Restaurant “Dastarkhan”
The restaurant is traditional: few simple ingredients, cooked fast (on the grill) or really slow (with embers, inside holes in the ground, needing up to 12 hours of cooking!). The setting is traditional too, with carpets, plates and typical ornaments... It's like being in a steppe's tent!
The more characteristic dishes are lamb, onions and potatoes stew "Kurdak" (13€), grilled horse meat (18€), fried dumpling "Baursaks" (4,5€), baked pastry filled with cheese and pumpkin "Samsa" (4,5€), Caspian Sea soup "Uha" (11€)
You can taste black sturgeon and red lumpfish caviar, and if you're tired from your EXPO day, your coup de grace can be the welcome plate, consisting of various tastes and 2 vodka shots. Meat is practically everywhere. If you're vegetarian, I suggest you to try the "Cheburek", cheese and spinach rolls (4,5€) combined with mixed salad, vegetables and yogurt sauce (4,5€). For dessert, try the "Chak-Chak", excellent unleavened dough cut rolled into hazelnut-sized balls, deep-fried in oil, then drenched with honey.
Overall, it's a good experience between contrasts, that I recommend.
Mark 3/5