A sister restaurant to Fahri, Satti and Tre Kronor, Izumi breaks away with a completely unique style. Eschewing the normal global offerings, the menu is exclusively Japanese with sushi galore. The waitresses shuffle about in kimonos, chopsticks in hair, and traditional Japanese folk music floats soothingly in the background. The upmarket crowd give a clue as to the position of Izumi as one of the more sophisticated restaurants in Astana, and the comparatively large expansion at the back is testament to its continued popularity. Always busy in the week thanks to its prime Left Bank location (just under the flyover in Round Square), it is slightly quieter at weekends, something we rather like.