New life for old cuisines(2)

Salmon steak with vegetable (Photo by Feng Yongbin / China Daily)

More than 60 percent of ingredients are imported from Azerbaijan. Strawberries and walnuts set off crumbly motal's sharpness. Ayran is conjured with homemade yogurt.

Baku mutton is big, from lamb chops to deep-fried liver with potatoes, and kebabs slung like the sails of a metal-statue ship sailing on the serving plate. Guests can also order a whole roasted sheep (1,600 yuan, or $260).

Diamond-sliced baklava is a dessert-menu gem.

But the crown jewels of royally sweet treats are massive fruit sculptures that look like flower arrangements, relished on special occasions in the country. Diners often digest meals while puffing on hookahs and nibbling nuts.

Azerbaijan's diet also pervades Shenlu's regional fusion eatery Kavkaz, which features fare from the eponymous region that includes the country, southern Russia and Georgia.

Mixed kebab trays offer cuts from each country. Georgian skewers are marinated in grape juice, salt and sometimes lemongrass. Azerbaijan's are simply salted, Azerbaijani owner Jafarou Nemat explains. Russia's borrows barbecue from the others.

Georgian standouts include crispy garlic chicken; beans with minced garlic, cilantro and red-onion; and khingal (soupy meat dumplings).

Service is exceptional. Used napkins are swapped the instant they hit the table.

Less stellar is the service at neighboring Kazakh eatery Astana, where local servers won't name a specialty upon request and may direct diners to a menu - outside. The eatery charges a 10-percent surcharge for service with a shrug.

Astana shepherded in the Central Asian flock two years ago. While horsemeat is a Kazakh-cuisine given, Astana's only salute is naryn soup. Diners plop slices and hand-rolled noodles in broth festooned with diced spring onion.

While billing itself as Beijing's first Kazakh eatery, Astana liberally borrows from beyond its borders. The khachapuri - a cheese-smothered bread - is Georgia's answer to pizza.

While enjoyed throughout the region, the cheburek - crescent moon-shaped meat pastries - are typically associated with Crimean Tatars. The cold okrashka soup hails from Russia.

Shenlu's proliferation of Central Asian diners proves international policy is nourishing Beijing's dining scene. It's not foolproof - the restaurant business is volatile and Dilshodbek Bakiev's Uzbek restaurant Minaret was a recent casualty despite its excellent food and lively character.

But it seems more "stan" cuisines will be feeding China's capital as the New Silk Road keeps the region in the limelight.

IF YOU GO

Caspi restaurant

39 Shenlu Jie (Street), No 1-10, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-8563-3306.

Kavkaz restaurant

39 Shenlu Jie, Build No1, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-85696448.

Astana restaurant

39 Shenlu Jie, No 1-63, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-8563-0091.