If eating out in Kyiv is a gamble, ordering food online is even a riskier venture. Ukrainians trust a virtual cook only with things like sushi and pizza.
But even with these dishes, it can be a hit and miss experience. And if it’s a failure, what can you do? Apart from berating the person who took your order over the phone or making your friends vow they’d never order from this shop, there is hardly any other way to get your money back.
After numerous epic failures in sushi bars – whether over price or quality, I have migrated online. Keeping my expectations low, I came across the Roll House website and was pleasantly surprised.
In the ocean of sushi pages, I stopped by the Roll House thanks to their user-friendly design. Decidedly one of the company’s stronger points, it grabs your attention from the first click. When you point at any picture, it automatically expands giving you a better view of your future meal.
Salmon rolls with tofu and cucumber for Hr 60 at Roll House.
If you forget what you’ve already added to your basket, there’s no need to reload the page. Just point at your shopping bag with a mouse, and the image pops up immediately. They promise to call you back in half an hour to confirm the order, but my phone beeped in three minutes after I logged out. The lady on the other end of the line sounded polite and got my order right. The only downside was that she asked me, in a truly Ukrainian fashion, to prepare cash that wouldn’t require change.
The Roll House has a wide selection of moderately priced rolls, sushi, soups, hot Asian dishes, as well as desserts and drinks. You can also order customized sushi by mixing and matching different ingredients, sauces and pastes.
California rolls with shrimp (Hr 54.95) had tiger shrimp, avocado, and tobico caviar in generous supply. Our second choice was triangle maki, or rolls, with tuna fish and cucumber, covered with sesame seeds and Japanese mayonnaise – lighter in flavor compared to its traditional version (Hr 31.95).
We also chose individual sushi, made with smoked eel, cucumber, avocado and tofu, which came up to Hr 43 for eight pieces. Everything arrived fresh and delicious. I was very impressed and happy to order again.
The fact that delivery was faster than expected – in just 45 minutes, was perhaps due to a slow road traffic on a Saturday afternoon, but nevertheless a pleasant surprise. This was the third time I ordered but the first time when the courier was polite and attentive. Other times delivery men acted like vending machines – money in, order delivered, job done.
Apart from sushi, we also had desserts. Besides regular Ukrainian cakes, there are three Japanese sweet entries on the menu: chocolate and cashew or fresh fruit rolled inside a thin crepe, and hurumaki – a banana wrapped inside a thin rice dough. Soaking in honey and sugar, the banana dessert only had two small pieces, which wasn’t probably the best deal for the money (Hr 32.95), but still nice.
The drinks on offer have no trace of Japanese beverage industry in them and include soda, mineral water, juice and beer for the price just a little more expensive than in a supermarket.
For free delivery, place an order above Hr 80. Mind the working hours: 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. Good news for the English-speakers: the website has an English language version: www.rollhouse.com.ua. If you don’t have a computer handy, the order can be placed by phone: 222-5151.
Kyiv Post staff writer Nataliya Horban can be reached at horban@kyivpost.com
