The Green Bazaar, Almaty Kazakhstan

On my way to Kazakhstan, my already excited mind was pretty much occupied with the anticipation of finally getting closer to this one particular place in Almaty. You can say that the Green Bazaar almost turned my cerebrum green before I even reached there. From all that I have researched before my trip and my indispensable habit of visiting markets in foreign countries, the Green Bazaar has quite some treasure in store for me. I found basically most of the food in Kazakh that I had my mind on can be found here. 

The Green Bazaar

The Green Bazaar opens at 9am and being the overkeen traveller I am, I was around the area by 8am. I took the opportunity to visit the Zenkov Cathedral a.k.a. Ascension Cathedral while waiting for the stalls to greet good morning. 

When the shutters rolled up, my eyes rolled wide with them -starting with honey stall!

The first stall that greeted me was a honey stall!

Meat stalls are hygienic and minimal odour detected. It is nowonder as I found out post-visit that it is one of the cleanest markets in whole of Central Asia!

Sheep head and brains not for the faint hearted

Salty cheese and milk candy store that I have been waiting to visit

With no signage and scarce English, determination was all I had to lead me to kumis (fermented horse milk) hidden behind the salted cheese piles. I noticed some white liquid a seller was stirring and asked what it was. To my relief, he could manage to tell me "horse milk".

Sour was the first taste that hit my taste buds. I thought all horse milk tasted sour until I found out that kumis is fermented- a nomadic way to preserve food. The consistency though, was lighter than cow milk. With that, fresh horse milk was added to my "to-eat" list.

I could not find any fresh horse milk but came across fermented camel's milk instead. How can I possibly skip something so unobtainable in South East Asia. I bought a cup for RM5 without a thought. As any fermented drink, it tasted sour as well but a little thicker with some chalky and fishy notes. 

Horse meat is one of the real reasons I came to Central Asia for. Hunting it in Green Bazaar was the right decision. Generally priced RM90 per kg, the horsemeat here are ready to eat. The seller was kind enough to let me sample some slices. I took home the salt flavoured one at last for my family to try. 

I found a seller who speaks English and her explaination gave more clarity about the flavours and price

Sampling horse meat for the first time

As Kazakh is land locked, fish is not exactly an easy supply. I presume most of the fish here are preserved for this reason. 

Preserved fruits and nuts

At the Green Bazaar also you can find decent local dishes. Rice, noodles and manti are all found here. 

Local dishes at the bazaar

Okhroshka...has made it to one of my favourites

Trying different dishes at the Green Bazaar

Noodle soup with horse meat

Manti dumplings- Kazakhs and other central asians must have known that other than the filling, the dumplings are just as good as how thin the skin is, like how the Chinese makes it.

Lagman is tomato based noodle dish

Having lagman at the upper level of Green Bazaar

THE 6TH WORLD TOP GOURMET AWARDS 2024: MALAYSIA’S CULINARY EXCELLENCE TO BOOST TOURISM FOR VISIT MALAYSIA YEAR 2026

World Top Gourmet Awards 2024 will take place at the Sunway Resort Hotel

The 6th World Top Gourmet Awards ceremony will take place on October 3, 2024, at the Sunway Resort Hotel. This prestigious event aims to honor the most outstanding culinary brands, restaurants, chefs, entrepreneurs, and food personalities. The highly anticipated occasion seeks to enhance Malaysia's reputation as a top tourist destination while showcasing the richness and diversity of Malaysian cuisine.

The World Gourmet Platform held a press conference today at the Sunway Resort Hotel, attended by over 180 participants, including YBhg. Datin Rafidah Idris, Senior Director of the Domestic and Events Division of Tourism Malaysia, and various representatives from the culinary industry and media.

In her speech, Dr. Peggy Chong, President of World Gourmet stated, “Service quality and innovation are indispensable parts of promoting the culinary and tourism industries. Thus, the World Gourmet Awards will take a step further this year by collaborating with the Malaysian Association of Skill Development Education (MASDEA) to introduce training courses aimed at improving the service and food quality of the local culinary industry.”

From left, Dr. Peggy Chong, President of World Gourmet Awards, Chef Bob Adnin, Ambassador of World Top Gourmet Awards 2024 and YBhg Datin Rafidah Idris, Senior Director of the Domestic and Events Division of Tourism Malaysia

YBhg. Datin Rafidah Idris also addressed the audience, stating, “Malaysia continues to see a surge in international tourists this year, with a target of welcoming 27.3 million international tourists and generating RM102.7 billion in tourism revenue.” Food and beverage services accounted for 14.9% of this tourism revenue from international tourists, totaling RM10.6 billion, making it one of the top three contributors to tourism receipts, just behind shopping and accommodation.

Senior Director Datin Rafidah Idris continued, “The F&B sector holds tremendous potential in enhancing the tourism industry. We will further leverage collaborations with stakeholders in this industry to achieve the goal of attracting 35.6 million foreign tourist arrivals with projected receipts of RM147.1 billion in the forthcoming Visit Malaysia Year 2026.”

In line with Visit Malaysia Year 2026, the World Gourmet Platform will also launch the “Explore Nation” app. This essential travel tool offers a range of features and functions to promote Malaysia’s tourism industry and enhance the travel experience for both domestic and international visitors.

During the press conference, Dr. Peggy Chong also announced the appointment of Chef Bob Adnin, president of the Professional Culinary Association (Malaysia), as the ambassador for the 2024 World Top Gourmet Awards. Since its inception, the World Top Gourmet Awards have bestowed over 400 awards, with an additional 100 awards expected to be given this year. The awards gala will host over
1,000 guests from both local and international communities.

With Chef Bob Adnin, Ambassador of World Top Gourmet Awards 2024

This year’s event will feature:

Awards Ceremony: Recognizing outstanding achievements in various categories, including top culinary brands, chefs, entrepreneurs, and personalities.

Cultural Performances: Vibrant traditional cultural performances reflecting Malaysia’s rich heritage, complementing the country’s culinary offerings.

Networking: Opportunities to meet, exchange ideas, and share knowledge with renowned chefs, culinary entrepreneurs, industry leaders, food bloggers, culinary experts, and celebrities.

The World Top Gourmet Awards ceremony will take place on Thursday, October 3, 2024, at 5 PM in the Grand Ballroom of the Sunway Resort Hotel.

See you thereChef Bob Adnin!

About the World Gourmet Platform

Established In 2017, the World Gourmet Awards is a platform aimed at stimulating economic growth by promoting the culinary industry, providing learning, networking, and business opportunities for culinary operators.

The World Top Gourmet Awards is an annual event dedicated to celebrating and recognizing excellence in the culinary and gastronomy sectors. The mission of the awards is to honor culinary industry excellence and innovation, providing a platform for chefs, restaurant entrepreneurs, and food enthusiasts to connect and celebrate culinary culture.

For more information about the 6th World Top Gourmet Awards, including ticket details and event schedules, please visit www.worldgourmet.biz or follow Facebook @WorldGourmet.

Cotta Hidden Rooftop Cafe at Mont Kiara

Cotta is known for making fresh ricotta everyday. Thus, the name Cotta. Their hearty open face sandwiches are generously spread with fluffy yet luscious ricotta and crunchy greens thats are harvested just seconds from soil. Every plate is wholesome with carefully sourced ingredients.

The cafe also has a cosy environment with plenty of plants accompanying guests. Its not surprising that guests carry better mood because of all the oxygen!

Having dessert in this cafe is a delightful experience too! Smooth latte and a delicious slice of cake in a cozy corner full of flora are all one needs to heal the soul sometimes.

#cotta #rooftopcafe #ricotta #montkiara #cheesydishes #breakfast #brunch #lunch #openfacesandwiches #foodie #pasta #cakes #nutbutter #lushgreenery #malaysianfoodie #foodblogger @cottakl

Check out this Cotta restaurant at L6-1A, Verve Shops, 8, Jalan Kiara 5, Mont Kiara, 50480 Kuala Lumpur. 

Wonderful display of vegetation at cotta

The place is cosy and warm for all occasions

The owner's love for greenery results in a fresh and comfortable cafe environment

Owner zesty sense of humour

Cotta features their freshly made cheese on their famous open face sandwiches

Chuck Mooris RM28

I took the opportunity to try one of their most popular dishes and did not take long to understand why it is the majority's favourite. Who can resist a melting pulled Australian beef on top of a generous bed of ricotta mixed with rich runny yolk. This dish left me quiet to savour every bite. 

Twice smoked 6 hour slow cooked Australian beef with home made chimichurri topped with sous-vide egg with generous spread of ricotta on a wholesome sourdough bread

Nobody can resist a perfectly runny yolk

The Prawn Special RM46. Limited to 10 a day

Limititng this dish to 10 a day makes this dish even special. The freshness of the meaty prawns topped with crunchy ebiko is a sumptuous combo. Extra points for using local Sabah prawns, highlighting the quality of local ingredients. 

Local Sabah prawns poached in a homemade running tomalley broth drizzled with Cotta's secret sauce, cleverly paired with ebiko, sous-vide egg, nori with with generous spread of ricotta on a wholesome sourdough bread

Pate-k Philippe RM27

Cotta-made chicken liver pate with arugula, balsamic reduction and roasted garlic oil with generous spread of ricotta on a wholesome sourdough bread

Those who likes a liver can count on this dish to make their day!

Mushroom Ricotta Pasta RM29

3 kinds of local mushrooms, smoked mushrooms, sous-vide egg, arugula, Sarawak black pepper, freshlymade ricotta on al-dente pasta

It is not difficult to fall in love with Cotta-made ricotta cheese. You can place your order with them!

The salads and greens here are as fresh as it gets as they harvest them straight from the planters!

Time for dessert

Lemon Curd Cake RM18

Strawberry Panna Cotta RM18

Chocolate and peanut butter cake RM19

Sometimes, a good slice of cake, with a smooth latte is all the remedy we need for the weekend!

A wide spread of nut butters

Sourdough bread

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