Furusato

Furusato is probably the best Japanese restaurant in Bishkek. The owner is Japanese, and the servers speak Japanese. The food and atmosphere are really great.

The Kirin beer and cold sake were great!

Otoushi appetizer and yummy sake

The saba (mackerel) from Norway was very good. The fish slices are resting on a cylinder of ice! I really liked the ginger.

I really liked the agedashi tofu.

This ramen was not really my style, and I think I ate too much ramen in Tokyo and can't really eat it anymore...

I liked the karaage chicken with daikon sauce. I also really liked the cabbage pile on the side!

She told us that this pork dish is really popular with the Japanese. It was good and not something I've had before in Japan.

The chicken teriyaki dish was not bad but I liked the karaage better.

Teriyaki salmon

Tantan ramen - not that spicy and really good, especially during the winter. 

Sesame saba (mackerel)

Sake nigiri

Zarusoba

Tamago

Matcha ice cream

Tonkatsu

Sakedon 

Oyakodon

A small dessert of fruit and cake!

Orozbekov Restaurant Street Food Festival

A part of Orozbekov street between Toktogul and Moskovskaia streets has around 10 restaurants that I've heard are all pretty good. During the summer, a local friend told me that every Sunday around 6pm to 11pm, there is a sort of "street food festival." I checked it out, and it turned out that the road is closed to car traffic and the restaurants put tables and chairs on the street for normal dinner and/or drinks. I heard there are also some discounts for beer at least. I really like this concept of closing down part of the street for just pedestrians like has been done in New York City's Times Square.

Free Walking Tour Audio App for Main Sights in Downtown Bishkek

A free audio walking tour guide for Bishkek is available on the izi.travel app. It is a great introduction to the city and covers the main tourism sights in the downtown area. Some of the sights on the tour are below.

More information and download the app and walking tour here: https://izi.travel/en/188d-bishkek-city-walking-tour/en

Victory Square 

Victory Square

A wedding tradition at Victory Square like mentioned in the audio tour!

Bishkek's "Big Ben" Clock

Opera and Ballet Theater 

Monument to Kurmanjan Datka

State Museum (under construction for 7 years so far and not sure for how much longer) 

Ala-Too Square

National Philharmonic Orchestra 

This was my favorite spot with the mist from the fountain cooling down the air all around!

Cafe Seoul

Cafe Seoul is an authentic Korean restaurant in the Koreatown here in Bishkek. There are many seating options including small rooms and a sushi bar. We tried typical Korean barbecue this time. I really liked the pork belly barbecue, and they had the kaet-neep (perilla or shiso) leaves!!! It was a great meal. Next time I want to check out the sushi bar!

All the yummy small plates including the kaet-neep (perilla or shiso) leaves!!!

I really liked the pork belly.

The vegetables and pork belly were great. The beef galbi (karubi) was not how I usually like it.

All of these were great! The kimchi was not spicy -- it was more sour.

I liked the gimbap.

Gyeran-jjim (steamed eggs)

I really liked this kong namul banchan (bean sprout salad) that came with the barbecue.

Japchae (potato noodles)

The soju was great with the meal.

The sushi bar is inside the building right outside the main restaurant.