Our profile of two restaurants in the capital that indulge the meat lover in all of us.
Perhaps the only benefit of having been conquered and reconquered again by so many of the world’s most powerful empires is the lasting impression it leaves on your national cuisine. So it is with Georgia, whose traditional dishes are rightly feted for their curious mix of Russian, Turkish, Persian and uniquely Caucasian flavors. Kyivans are lucky enough to have a variety of options when it comes to indulging your Georgian palette, and new arrival Khinkhali – yet another member of the constantly expanding Kozyrnaya Karta group – continues the trend of high-quality alternatives.
After grasping the dagger-shaped door handle and descending the dark twisting stairs, find yourself ensconced in a warm, low-lit comfortable cavern, with thick and darkly-stained wooden beams hanging overhead and soft shaggy fur fringing the well-stocked bar. The management has worked hard to recreate the feeling of a small Georgian dacha – and it shows. Various Caucasian trinkets dangle from the walls, and, with wide comfortable tables offering varying levels of privacy, Khinkhali is ideal for both a hurried business lunch or a languorous date. But if you plan on supping after dark, we strongly recommend a reservation.
You could obviously start with the eponymous peppered mutton dumplings – and the bolder among us might select the horse sausages – but we went for the Adjari-style khachapuri (Hr 38). Baked in the traditional style of the small breakaway province, everyone’s favorite Caucasian finger food is, in this incarnation, shaped like a boat and bejeweled with an over-easy egg whose yolk only adds to the perfect synthesis of flaky dough and succulent soft cheese. I am, sadly, a relative neophyte when it comes to this wonderful dish, but my guest assured me it was one of the best in town.
Though impressive in scope and creativity, we forewent the salads to save room for the many meat dishes on offer. And if we weren’t sure we were going to choose the shashlyk upon arrival, we certainly found it impossible to say no after we smelled a few cooking in the kitchen. Greeted with four huge chunks of steaming juicy pork (Hr 69, chicken and veal also available), the plate was also adorned with two small piles of red and white onion sliced and marinated into sharp little bracelets of piquancy. The quality of the meat was of the utmost, but more memorable was the seasoning mixture that had been so perfectly applied before grilling. We love Ukrainian food, with all its heartiness, warmth and surprising nuance given the simplicity of the ingredients – but every now and then we want a kick. The seasoning certainly slaked our thirst for spice.
Next we ordered pike perch baked on a “ketse” (a traditional Georgian clay frying pan) with Sulugani cheese and tomatoes (HR 63). Graciously informing us they were out of perch, we happily substituted catfish instead. While certainly not as peppery as our pig, the two small thick steaks of fish covered in cheese were a nice contrast, and a good option for those who can’t handle heat.
To be sure, the menu was an embarrassment of riches, and we could’ve had a half-dozen such meals without exhausting our options. Ask the staff for help if you find yourself overwhelmed by the deliciousness. There should always be someone available: Khinkhali is your typically overstaffed midrange eatery, and there was one young man whose sole job it seemed was to watch over the two cauldrons of plov. In the course of a two-hour meal we watched him serve only a handful of portions, spending the rest of his shift staring intently at us and consuming his body weight in ginger ale. Next time we’ll be more compassionate toward his boredom and order up a scoop.
And – lest we forget– what would a Georgian meal be without the regional wine? Enjoy a nice dry Saperavi red or a sweet Cinandal white (Hr 16 for 50 ml/120 for the bottle) no matter what you order. With its central location and reasonable prices, there’s no reason not to sample the delicacies at new Khinkhali.
Khinkhali
4 Shota Rustavelli, 234-0692
Open 24 hours
English menu: Yes
English-speaking staff: Yes
Average price of main dish: Hr 65
10 percent discount with Kozyrnaya Karta
Anyone who’s ever visited a real Carpathian “kolyba” finds it hard to forget this special type of village bar – a wooden hut loud with laughter and music, filled with the smells of frying meat and the sound of patrons swallowing vodka in hearty gulps. But if you can’t get away to the mountains, fear not – Kyiv has its own: Na-Dezu-Do-Gazdy. The name of the place (which means “for a drink with the host”) as well as a lot of the dishes on the menu are in the Magyar-Hutzul dialect (which won’t be understood by your average Kyivan). The restaurant’s owner comes from Zakarpattya himself, so we can thank him for the authentic interior and food. In fact, having opened just over a year ago, Do-Gazdy has gained quite a number of regulars, which certainly speaks in its favor and means the capital’s kolyba is worth checking out.
The menu is a real treat for meat eaters and portions are big enough to feed more than one burly outdoorsman. Take, for example, house special “Meat from Gazda” (Hr 40) – a pork chop covered with a layer of mayonnaise and garlic, then topped with a coating of mushrooms and bits of fried home-cooked sausage, and finally crowned with veal liver and still more mushrooms. While it may be Atkins-diet approved, we still wouldn’t recommend it for anyone watching their waistline. But many dishes there seem to coincide with the simplistic ideology of Zakarpattya cooking: simply stuff yourself with food. This type of eating makes a lot of sense, considering that the original meaning of the word “kolyba” was to describe a temporary abode for lumberjacks, shepherds and others engaged in calorie-burning careers.
Judging from the menu and the atmosphere, Na-Dezu-Do-Gazdy is more of a “guys’ night out” than a place for an intimate second date. Bring all the friendly and noisy companions you can find to smoke, drink and eat as much as possible. And after stuffing yourself for an hour or two, enjoy a glass of Uzvar (Hr 20 per liter) – a traditional Ukrainian drink made from dried fruit – to help digest the heavy victuals.
If you’re looking for a really authentic evening, every Thursday, Friday and Saturday your dinner will be accompanied by a group of musicians performing classic Ukrainian pop hits and folksongs on the violin, double bass, pipe and accordion. But before loosening your belt on the way over, make sure to book a table in advance because the place is known to fill up quickly with clamoring hungry patrons.
Na-Dezu-Do-Gazdy
12/16 Vandy Vasylevskoyi, 236-3292
Open daily from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m
English menu: no
English-speaking staff: no
