In June, the Post visited Pokhmelye and the reviewer, Jake Rudnitsky, didn’t find much about the restaurant that he liked: The service was atrocious; the decor was cheap; the entertainer was talentless; local beer was unavailable; and the food quality was poor, Rudnitsky wrote.
Restaurants so uniformly awful usually don’t get a second look. Nevertheless, nine months after our initial review, I sought the place out.
It was a good idea.
Immediately evident was that the restaurant’s name has changed. Pokhmelye (Hangover) is now National, though the menu still sports the old name and, presumably, offers the same dishes served up when Rudnitsky visited last year. The interior doesn’t appear to have changed either, although I’d disagree with my colleague’s characterization.
Tables at National are enclosed in small individual rooms off a central floor, creating an intimate atmosphere. The decor is reminiscent of a home in an old Ukrainian village, making clever and extensive use of white stucco walls, foliage and traditional woven bramble fences.
The menu, available in English and Ukrainian, makes entertaining reading. Travelers know that there is no worldwide shortage of bad-English menus containing poor, literal translations and comical misspelling, but the humor in National’s menu is intentional, for the most part.
I passed on the Potato Pancakes with Plucks (Hr 17) and the Herring in a Fur Coat (Hr 11) appetizers, as well as the Southern Bug Salad (Hr 10). While I still don’t know what plucks are, or why herring would wear fur, I am relieved to report that the salad contained beets, prunes and nuts rather than bugs, and that no young women were sacrificed for the Ukrainian Girl Salad (Hr 16), a rustic combination of boiled chicken, potatoes, salted cucumbers, carrots, apples, peas and mayonnaise.
A nation bares its collective soul in its traditional cookery, whether it is Cuban black beans and rice, Indian curry or Ukrainian varenyky. I enjoy Ukrainian food.
National provides a reasonable representation of Ukrainian fare, too. The menu includes the fish, chicken, beef and pork dishes most locals grew up with, presented nicely. The unpretentious dishes are straightforward renditions of Ukrainian cuisine, and the abundant portions ensure that nobody stops at Mak Smak on the way home.
I thoroughly enjoyed my pork cutlet with cheese and mushrooms (Hr 37) but the highlight was a side order of homemade baked noodles (Hr 12). Fresh pasta is always welcome, and this didn’t disappoint.
The crunched meat (Hr 35) my companion ordered was a satisfying plateful of fried and shredded beef in a flavorful, slightly spicy sauce. A stuffed baked potato (Hr 10) rounded out the meal nicely.
We found the service was attentive and appropriate and appreciated that our server knew enough English to answer our basic queries.
The restaurant offers Obolon (Hr 5 for a half-liter) and a few imported beers at reasonable prices – a bottle of Heineken goes for Hr 8. There is a full bar and an appropriate selection of regional wines.
With its creative decor, solid menu and reasonable prices, National would be a regular stop for tourists, if Kyiv had any. Until then, it’s a pleasant place for the rest of us.
National
18/24 Dmytrivska.
Tel: 235-4859, 201-3661.
Open noon to 11 p.m.
