HAPPENING 17 OCT– 23 NOV 2025 | Fenix on Katendrecht is shining a spotlight on a cuisine rarely found in the Netherlands. Through Mooncake’s rotating lunch pop-up, Rotterdam now hosts something truly uncommon: home-cooked dishes from Kazakhstan, prepared by mother-and-daughter duo Zhanna and Aleyna. Their menu is available until 23 November.
A rare taste of Kazakhstan in Rotterdam
The Kazakh community in the Netherlands is small, and the cuisine remains largely undiscovered here. That makes this lunch pop-up at Plein inside Fenix particularly special. For several weeks, visitors can try dishes shaped by nomadic traditions, harsh winters and the wide Kazakh steppe, with influences from China, Turkey, Mongolia, Russia and Uzbekistan.
Kazakhstan declared independence in 1991 as the last republic of the former Soviet Union, and its cuisine reflects a blend of Central Asian hospitality and history. Sharing is central: large platters in the middle of the table, endless tea refills and the rule that guests always receive the best piece of meat.
What’s on the menu
Zhanna and Aleyna serve a warm, comforting selection of dishes including:
- Beshparmak – Kazakhstan’s national dish, meaning ‘five fingers’, made with hand-rolled pasta, slow-cooked meat and broth
- Manti – soft dumplings filled with meat or vegetables
- Fresh salads and homemade lemonades
- Alma ata tea for cold days
- Chak-chak – fried dough with honey
- Medovik – a layered honey cake served during celebrations
This menu offers flavours rarely available elsewhere in the Netherlands.
Hospitality at the heart of Kazakh cuisine
In Kazakh culture, food is about nourishment and generosity. Bread and tea are essential, and no meal begins or ends without them. Guests receive the first cup of tea, and baursak—small pieces of fried bread—are broken as a symbol of friendship.
“Whoever shares bread, shares their soul” is a widely known saying that captures the spirit of Kazakh communal eating. Zhanna and Aleyna bring that same warmth to Rotterdam.
About Mooncake
Mooncake, created by culinary journalist Jonneke de Zeeuw, celebrates the flavours and stories that shape the Netherlands. Every six weeks, a different Rotterdam-based cook presents their food culture at Plein. From dumplings to Fernandes ice cream, the pop-up highlights the diversity of the city through dishes and conversations.
Practical information
Location: Plein @ Fenix, Rotterdam
Period: 17 October – 23 November 2025
Opening hours:
- Monday: closed
- Tuesday: closed
- Wednesday: closed
- Thursday: 11:30 – 15:00
- Friday: 11:30 – 15:00
- Saturday: 11:30 – 15:00
- Sunday: 11:30 – 15:00
More info: https://www.fenix.nl/nl/plein-keuken/
This Kazakh pop-up runs for only a short period, and it may be the only place in the country where you can try this cuisine. A good moment to explore a new chapter of Rotterdam’s food culture while it lasts.
