Wineshark Mystery Restaurant - Yurt

Located at Elgin Street, this restaurant offers Central Asian cuisine, not well known by the locals but apparently getting more attention with the community. Unlike most other restaurants on the same street, here the entrance is brightly lit, and the staff greeted us warmly and took us to our table.

The décor is neat and stylish, with some pottery on display on the side. The tables are quite packed but overall, the dining ambience is comfortable and relaxing. We have decided to go for the Tasting Menu ($498 each). 

There are three appetizers to start, beginning with Baursak, one of Kazakhstan's signature dishes. It is puffy fried dough stuffed with some minced shrimp, with a brush of truffle sauce, and finishes with some cheese shavings on top. A very nice savoury snack to start.

Achichuk is a tomato and onion salad to freshen the palate. On quinoa and chopped onion are cherry tomatoes that had the skin removed for ease of chew, and on the side the slices of red grapes provide a sweetness to balance the tartness of the tomatoes. Pleasant.            

The last starter is Sea Course, featuring a pan-seared seabass, seasoned well and flavourful, with pumpkin and mung bean puree on the side, drizzled with some herbal oil to add a touch of herbaceous note.

For the Main Course we had chosen Pilaf, with sliced beef with a nice sauce and some chilis to spice up the flavours. Together with basmati rice with cumin, raisins, and quail egg, this is a complete and hearty dish, and a good one to experience Central Asian cuisine. 

The other main course we picked was Lamb Racks, with marinated lamb that were flavourful and not gamey, paired with rich black pepper sauce. On the side is mashed potato with the sliced champignon on top. Again, it might look simple, but the flavours were fantastic.

To help cleanse the palate, we were served a scoop of Lime Ice Cream, with a nice-looking tuile on top. The right balance of acidity from the lime and the sweetness of the ice cream helped to keep this light and refreshing.

For Dessert, Shelpek is a type of flatbread popular in Kazakhstan, and the chef has put cherry and cream in between, and paired with homemade ice cream on the side. The crunchy texture of the flatbread is pleasant. 

Aport refers to green apple in Kazakhstan, and the apple is made to a puree, together with cheesecake and caramel, and having a yogurt sauce on top. More indulgent than the other dessert, this would be best for someone who prefers sweeter treats. 

Finally, on Petits Fours, Sarqyt are regional handmade treats, of three different flavours. These the traditional snacks Kazakhstan gives to guests when they are leaving. First time trying these and while they might not be the most delicious, it is a worthy experience.

Service was good, with the staff attentive and the manager coming to explain to us the philosophy of the restaurant. The bill on the night was $1,408 including three beverages. Considering the overall experience, I would rate this an Excellent 75 points, worth returning.