Kantin is Turkish for «canteen» — the name chosen by a group of KTL, or Kazakh-Turkish Lyceum, graduates for their new coffee shop overlooking the Botanical Garden. Its tech-driven character is apparent from the moment you walk in: the menu is displayed on LED screens, while selected drinks are prepared using the Australian Six Simple Machines system. Hot batch brew, cold brew and seasonal specials flow straight from the taps. Elsewhere on the menu are espresso, filter coffee, bumble coffee and several styles of matcha, alongside signature drinks such as a milky piña colada, ube matcha and cherry punch. The display counter is filled with tartlets and sweet snacks, while toasted sandwiches with Doktorskaya sausage offer a playful nod to the school canteen.
Tata is an inclusive bakery and pâtisserie where pastries and desserts are made by employees with autism. The project was founded by Aigul Yeshmatova, head of the Darmed clinic network, and named after her son’s nanny. The pastry kitchen is led by Ilyas Dosanov, a graduate of the École Nationale Supérieure de Pâtisserie. The display counter is lined with Napoleon cake, caramel and pistachio medovik, cinnamon rolls topped with pistachio, Nutella, apple and cinnamon, or berries, as well as crumble cookies. On social media, the team shares not only what happens in the kitchen, but also the people behind it — addressing and dismantling common myths about autism along the way.
Table’s understated concept is summed up in a few words in its social-media bio: we do coffee, matcha and breakfast. Every day, the kitchen prepares four sandwiches on handmade focaccia, with pastrami, tuna, mortadella or bacon. To drink, there are coffee classics, batch brew, pour-over, cold brew, matcha and hojicha. Pets are welcome, too.
A newcomer to Presidential Park, Sichou has its sights set firmly on fine Chinese dining. Chef Ethan Duan captures the bold character of Sichuan and Hunan cuisine while leaving plenty of room for experimentation. Foie gras in cranberry pastille, fiery Shandong-style fried chicken and a meat pie prepared to an old Beijing recipe ensure that dinner here is anything but predictable. The must-try list continues with silver carp head, slowly braised in a wok with chilli, onion, ginger, cardamom, rice wine and honey. Equally compelling is the crisp fried beef, made to an ancient Beijing recipe and wrapped in a paper-thin soy sheet with tahini paste and a blend of traditional spices. And leaving without ordering the fruitwood-roasted Peking duck with caviar would be nothing short of a culinary offence.
Photos: restaurant websites and social media; Yandex Maps
