Lots of meat in "Myasoyedoff"; breakfast breaks at Golden Gate
, the Andriyivsky Uzviz has a new attraction – a restaurant with a very meaty name.
Though Myasoyedoff (11 Andriy-ivsky, 416-5037), which means “Those Who Eat Meat,” is the younger brother of Steak House (16A Chokolivsky, 241-0597), its interior and menu differ quite a lot. Diners who have settled into a warm spot by the fireplace have to know the importance of making the right choice in terms of how their meat should be prepared. To some extent, it’s about color-coding. They can choose “Blue,” where the meat is quickly seared on both sides, but left raw inside; “Rare,” where the meat is seared 5-6 minutes on both sides, with just a fine layer of red meat inside; “Medium-rare,” where the meat is left with just a trace of pink; “Medium,” which means the meat remains juicy, but is consistently brown in color; “Medium-well,” which means the meat is roasted a little longer; and (you guessed it) “Well-done,” which gives you thoroughly roasted meat, almost rent of juice, and therefore drier, if that’s your thing.
We like the way all cuts of meat at Myasoyedoff are cooked on an iron grill, so they’ve got that great barbecue look, finish and taste. The meat is well-matched with Georgian wines, beer and a standard bar assortment of liquors, and the restaurant also has personnel at hand to give diners competent advice and answer questions. Prices are reasonable: the veal entrecote in a portion sized for two, for instance, goes for just Hr 69.90.
Autumn offerings east
Cool autumn wind and rains seem to inspire certain chefs, such as the ones at Campai sushi bar (20 Saksahanskoho, 220-1409), which is launching a new batch of dishes. The “Tako” salad (don’t think Mexican here) of marinated octopus tentacles (Hr 54) would go exceedingly well with Japanese fish soup and spinach (Hr 22); follow it up with roasted rice with shrimp and vegetables (Hr 26). Among other new offerings: sashimi of flying fish roe in cucumber in which every delicate taste is emphasized, and topped by quail’s egg yolk. Daikon radish, green and red seaweed and soya sauce serve as a good complement, and it all goes for just Hr 84.
Campai’s chef roll is another good score, consisting of a mix of eel, avocado and rice wrapped in thinly sliced raw salmon. Put alongside that raw Coquilles St. Jacques, tobiko caviar and Japanese mayonnaise, and you’ve got a winning dish. Plus, it costs only Hr 58.
New dishes at Lun Van Chinese restaurant (26 Bohdana Khmelnytskoho, 229-8191) have poetical names, such as “Eastern Fancy,” an appetizer consisting of salmon, saffron, Eastern mushrooms and spinach. This combination is served with pineapple juice and rings in at Hr 50. “Red Sea” is a grilled trout fillet sweetened with fresh pineapple, pineapple juice and celery, for Hr 70. And “Golden Coins” is a leg of pork served with Pekinese cabbage and broth for Hr 70.
Weekend breakfasts
Golden Gate Pub (40/2 Volodymyrska, 235-5188) is renowned for their Eggs Benny, which they offer on their weekend breakfast menu (Hr 31), but there are also new breakfast choices: the “Fantasia” breakfast of ham, mushrooms and tomatoes baked in layers with cheese and served with French fries (Hr 31); steak and eggs (Hr 39); a so-called “Asian” omelet (Hr 29); and strata, Italian style – bread with mushrooms and Irish sausages baked in a clay pot with scrambled eggs and cheese (Hr 31).
Other restaurants have also updated their menus. At Nobel (65 Chervonoarmiyska, 238-6971), new offerings mean a crawfish menu: a marinated crawfish salad; lightly salted herring with freshwater crawfish; cream of crawfish soup; catfish roasted with crawfish; and fish dumplings (quenelles) made of zander and crawfish meat.
The simply elegant Egoist (44 Moskovska, 290-2222) has a revamped menu featuring the following amazing dish: fresh oysters with salmon and black caviar with foie gras in berry sauce. The menu at Woody pub (109 Frunze, 468-2298) has also seen a near-complete overhaul. Among the new dishes are the “Woody” salad; a zander fillet in white sauce with spinach; chicken fillet with basil on zucchini; grilled house sausages; and medallions of veal.
Joss club (2 Okipnoyi, Livoberezhna metro, 516-8674) also has some news. The English Pub and Riviera restaurant, both of which are located inside the club, are offering the following new dishes: mango stuffed with crabs; carpaccio of veal; zander in dill sauce and pork medallions in a sesame crust with pineapple and mango sauce; and the best of the bunch, chicken in almonds with a cheese sauce.
