Once again, The Ukrainian Connoisseur Club deems a local eatery worthwhile; bivalves aplenty even out of season.
The Kyiv Post has once again joined with The Ukrainian Connoisseur Club (TUCC) in an attempt to objectively quantify new and existing restaurants according to an established standard for fine dining in Ukraine. Approximately once a month the not-for-profit TUCC selects a Kyiv restaurant, and, on April 6, the spot was Thai fusion restaurant Taboo in the Premier Palace Hotel, with foods prepared by Executive Chef Yaroslav Moskalenko and wines selected by house sommelier Dmitry Galva.
The stated goals of TUCC are to improve the quality of fine dining and service in the leading restaurants of Kyiv and familiarize its members with the cuisines and wine lists of various leading city restaurants, the compatibility of different wines with different dishes, and the history of gastronomy and winemaking of various cuisines.
At the bell
The evening started with a casual reception and drinks at the Taboo bar, and as at any particular TUCC event no more than 40 of the nearly 100 total members were able to attend; spots were reserved on a first-come, first-served basis, each member paying $80 for the event. TUCC members, spanning the local and ex-pat business communities, mingled about the restaurant before TUCC President Terry Pickard ushered everyone in to start the evening.
TUCC members at a given event must grade the restaurant on 18 different aspects of the evening, including restaurant service, decor, food and wine. Nothing is overlooked, from wardrobe service and timing to presentation and taste of dishes as well as comfort. Marks can range from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest). The aim for the restaurant, obviously, is to obtain the highest possible rating. Those restaurants achieving a total overall score of more than 4 out of 5 are invited to become a TUCC restaurant and allowed to feature the TUCC logo on their premises and in their advertisements. Restaurants achieving a score of 4.7 or more are awarded 5-star TUCC status.
On course
Before each course, Chef Moskalenko briefly introduced each dish with the help of a translator. He explained that the evening’s food was to be heavily influenced by traditional Japanese ingredients and flavors. The accompanying wines were an eclectic mix from regions as diverse as France, Argentina, Belgium and Japan.
The first course: seaweed with shrimp and ginger. A strong start, the viscous earthy crunch of the seaweed provided a perfect foil for the clean flavor of the shrimp, and the ginger offered a well balanced kick to a melange that ran the risk of being too bland otherwise. The presentation was commendable, considering that wet seaweed is not always the most aesthetically pleasing of objects. The wine, a 2001 Bordeaux sauvignon blanc, had delicate first notes that seemed promising and a good match, but the tang soon evaporated past the tongue.
Course two: soybean noodles with ruccola and tuna fish in sesame seeds, served with a 2002 Syrah. With the tuna flawlessly seared we had high hopes for this dish – and for the most part were rewarded. The noodles held the perfect amount of pliable heft, and the wine brought out the hearty flavors of the fish, although it could have been allowed to breathe for a few more minutes before serving.
Final stretch
The third course: foie gras with apple chips and teriyaki sauce, paired with a 2002 Trivento Chardonnay. This was, in my opinion, the most accomplished dish of the evening – and possibly the most well-executed dish I’ve had in Kyiv. I was a bit suspicious at first of covering a rich goose liver with a sauce that can easily cross the cloying line, but the two blended perfectly together, with the apple chips giving the palate something firm to deliver the creamy liver upon. The wine, as well, reinvigorated all the flavors with each sip.
In the interim between courses, my tablemates reflected on the categories unrelated to food. The service was impeccable (always out of sight but perennially within reach), and the decor was certainly warm and relaxed, befitting the classy cabaret club that Taboo becomes after 11 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays.
The fourth course, the entree: salmon on shitaki with buckwheat noodles and pickled seaweed, with a light Sho Chiku Bai Sake. Unfortunately, the excitement of the previous foie gras was quickly sedated by the tepidity of this dish. The salmon was an overcooked and rather flavorless pink slab (though, at least, still quite moist), and the sake had all the weight of mineral water.
The final course, the dessert: crispy ice cream tempura with a Mandarine Napoleon. Deep-fried anything is usually tasty, and the same held true for the ice cream. However, the confection’s sweetness was drowned out by the wonderfully crisp but rather bland coating, and the overly saccharine Mandarine liqueur only highlighted the contrast.
After dinner we were treated to a fine Tesseron Lot 90 cognac courtesy of Grand Cru, a drink so supple and lithe that we were willing to forgive nearly any shortcoming from the kitchen; Perrier and Vittel mineral water from Pilsner Ukraine; and rich Dunhill cigars courtesy of British American Tobacco. At this moment, the lights dimmed and a rather impressive cabaret show ensued. The girls in the show would never have been that flexible if they’d eaten even half the evening’s courses.
Many of the other TUCC members revealed they had enjoyed the event, despite having found a few of the dishes uneven. But the final tally showed that diners had certainly taken to Taboo: it was 4.5 out of five, giving it three stars.
Taboo (at the Premier Palace)
5-7/29 Taras Shevchenka Blvd., 537-4532.
Open daily from noon until 11 p.m.
English menu: Yes.
English-speaking staff: Yes.
Average price of main dish: Hr 70.
Those wishing to join TUCC should email: [email protected], or see www.tucc.kiev.ua.
Other restaurants with a 5-star TUCC rating: Mille Miglia, Tokio, Marche, San Tori, Nobel and Avalon.
Another high-end option: Oyster mania hits Kyiv
Though remaining a delicacy, oysters have ceased to be exotic in Kyiv, as a number of restaurants carry them year-round. Modern equipment allows for the storage of these shellfish even through the summer which, as their season of reproduction, is considered a “non-season” for oysters. Prior to introducing a number of new oyster varieties to its menu, the restaurant Ikra held an oyster tasting and master class for the press. After all – how much do we really know about oysters?
There are two basic types of oysters: Ostrea Edulis – the European flat oyster known as “belon” in France and “plate” in English-speaking countries, and Crassostrea Gigas – a cupped oyster called “creuse.” Belons or plates are native European oysters while creuses came to Europe from Japan in the 19th century. The latter gained in popularity over the belons for growing faster and began to be cultivated; today, plates are still caught.
It’s easy to tell a plate from a creuse both by appearance and flavor. The shape of their shells are different, and in terms of taste, belon has a strong metallic after-taste (that I certainly recognized) due to its high iodine content (which is actually very healthy for us). As for the freshness of either kind of oysters, the only way to check is to open the shell – it should have the fresh smell of the sea.
When it comes to eating oysters, you’ll have to forget about etiquette because there is hardly any way to keep this activity neat. Some restaurants simplify the task by serving oysters with the foot cut, but if it’s not, you have to simply grab the shell and use a special fork to pick out the oyster. And when it comes to eating, it’s up to you – have it with fresh lemon juice and pepper or a horse-radish sauce. I found that they taste best with lemon – it neutralizes the fishy taste without affecting the flavor of the oyster as much as the sauce does.
And finally, don’t get confused by oyster names. There are only two varieties, but while belon almost always goes by the name belon, creuses may be designated by the place they come from – like “du Belon,” from the river of the same name – or simply by creative monikers such as Black Pearl. The oyster menu of Ikra presently includes two kinds of belon (Hr 47 and Hr 35, respectively), and five creuses – White Pearl (Hr 33), Pousse en Claire (Hr 41), Black Pearl (34), Cadore du Belon (Hr 34) and Authentique (Hr 33).
Egoist restaurant also has an impressive oyster assortment served in six-oyster portions – Belon (Hr 220) and Oleron, While Pearl, Silver Shell and Fin de Claire (each for Hr 190). At Porto Maltese you`ll find Fin de Claire (Hr 25), Belon (Hr 36) and Black Pearl (Hr 34). Casa Bella offers Belon (Hr 37), Fin de Claire (Hr 31) and Gillardeau (Hr 31), and Da Vinci Fish Club carries only two kinds – Belon (Hr 47) and Fin de Claire (Hr 25).
Ikra (11 Pankivska, 244-1990) Open 11 a.m. until midnight
Egoist (44 Moskovska, 280-2222) Open 10 a.m. until the last customer
Porto Maltese (72 Chervonoarmiyska, 206-8387) Open from noon until midnight
Casa Bella (27 Sahaydachnoho, 425-2309) Open 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.Da Vinci Fish Club (12 Volodymyrska, Millenium business center, 490-3434) Open 8 a.m. until midnight
