Nurzhan Kilibaev

I met Nurzhan Kilibayev, the chef of the Byblos restaurant. My journey began at Steklo, where I mastered the basics of local cuisine, and continued at Simple Pleasure in Almaty. With the opening of the Byblos restaurant, an important stage in my career began: it was here that I grew as a chef, gained significant experience and established my own vision of gastronomy.

I work in the direction of Lebanese and Greek cuisine, adding touches of local traditions. I can cook stewed veal in a tagine with rice, gradually revealing the taste of the meat with delicate seasonings and vegetables. During the cooking process, the veal becomes tender and juicy, and the rice absorbs the aromatic sauce and combines all the flavors into a harmonious and warm dish.

It is important to me that everything is simple: I want to serve my guests a simple, yet delicious and easy-to-understand dish that will make them want to eat it again and again.

Water is the foundation of any kitchen. We use it for broths, batters and marinades, and it affects not only the taste, but also the texture.

Borjomi, with its natural mineralization and alkaline environment, is ideal for cooking: it softens the texture of products, emphasizes the taste and can speed up the heat treatment process. Its minerals preserve the color of vegetables during cooking, and the light saltiness delicately balances the taste. It is not just water — it is a technologically interesting component in the hands of a chef.