Smoked bacon and egg ice cream on French toast with tomato jam sounds like a bizarre combination of ingredients, but with the right molecular cuisine techniques, they can make a delicious dish.
Culinary science has always just been physics and chemistry in disguise — heating things up, mixing them, freezing them. But not many people had viewed food processing from a scientific perspective until 1988, when the term “molecular gastronomy” was introduced to the world by Hungarian-born physicist Nicholas Kurti and French chemist Hervé This.
The science of molecular gastronomy combines traditional cooking techniques with new technologies and approaches, such as creating foam from fruit and vegetables, or using dry ice for presentation.
The Kyiv Post has picked some of the best restaurants offering molecular cuisine dishes, where adventurous diners can experience extraordinary tastes, textures, and shapes.
Kanapa
Located in a protected building from the 19th century, Kanapa combines authentic Ukrainian recipes with the elements of molecular cuisine.
Kanapa offers two molecular appetizers, including a butter and garlic spread served in the shape of a candle for Hr 39, and goose liver with apple jelly served with a gold-sprayed long loaf. They have another starter with unusual presentation — Kanapa’s guinea fowl and pheasant liver pate is usually served in a tin can.
Among the entrees, the restaurant offers aspic made with hare and pheasant meat and served with jellied horseradish. And as for desserts, Kanapa makes an extraordinary dish of salo (pork fat) covered in chocolate for Hr 19. A box of unusual candies called “5 Local Flavors” includes flavors like mushroom, fermented garlic, smoked salo, freeze-dried cilantro, and buckwheat. Visitors can purchase a candy set at the souvenir store inside Kanapa.
Apart from that, the restaurant’s guests can try traditional Ukrainian dishes such as the house specialty, borscht with pork ears, prunes and smoked pear, served in a hollowed-out head of cabbage for Hr 129.
The menu also lists a selection of caviar sets, appetizers, salads, desserts and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
Prices: varenyky filled with hare meat and hazelnuts— Hr 149, rose hip lemonade — Hr 49.
Kanapa. 19A Andriivskyi descent. Mon-Sun. 10–12 a. m. +38068 044 3050
Black Market Restaurant
Each dish here has its own secret — whether it is a serving feature or some unusual cooking technique.
The restaurant’s menu includes a range of meat, fish and seafood entrees based on extraordinary combinations of ingredients. Among the many options served up at Black Market are veal carpaccio with fermented black garlic for Hr 286, and rare-cooked veal served with balsamic caviar — balsamic vinegar transformed into little balls with the use of a spherification molecular gastronomy technique.
The Black Market’s specialty menu also offers a sashimi seafood plateau, which is beautifully adorned with flowers and served with dry ice, producing heavy, billowing smoke.
In addition, Black Market can serve up an experimental dinner for its guests. The chef offers customers a choice of ingredients hidden in covered pots. After the visitors choose three pots, the chef cooks for them a dish using the mystery ingredients from the pots they picked. These meals costs Hr 470 per person and must be ordered by phone at least 12 hours before the meal.
Prices: Steak Tartare — Hr 415, Kyiv cake — Hr 167, latte — Hr 85
Black Market Restaurant. 2 Mechnikova St. Mon-Fri — 8–12 a. m. Sat-Sun — 10–12 a. m. +38050 388 3088
Koya
Located in the yard of the Arena City business center, Koya proves that Asian cuisine is not only about soy sauce, miso soup and ginger.
The place offers sous-vide veal, which is vacuum-sealed and immersed in a low temperature water bath, which allows it to retain its moisture. The veal is served with stir-fry vegetables cooked in a wok, and the altogether dish costs Hr 316.
Koya’s specialty is molecular cocktails. For instance, a Smoky Mary cocktail, which is served under a glass flask filled with smoke, adding a smoky taste to the drink. Apart from that, Koya has 11 signature drinks symbolizing 11 countries, which are on the menu from Thursday through Sunday.
In addition, Koya has a whole number of traditional Asian options from poultry to noodles, and a delivery service available daily from 12:30 p. m. to 2:30 a. m.
Prices: udon noodles with veal — Hr 182, panna cotta — Hr 145, green tea — Hr 65
Koya. 1–3 Velyka Vasylkivska St. Mon-Sun. 12 p. m. — 3 a. m. +38050 450 5335. Order delivery online at www.tarantino-family.com/delivery/koya
Spotykach
Despite saying it offers “Ukrainian cuisine of the Soviet period”, Spotykach also has modern molecular cuisine on the menu.
There is a range of so-called cosmic tube dishes, served in plastic tubes, which resemble astronauts’ food, and their recipes were inspired by the actual meals Ukrainian astronauts have eaten while in space. The menu includes tubed Napoleon cake desert, borscht, and Beef Stroganoff with mashed potatoes.
Apart from that, Spotykach offers borscht ice cream — a traditional Ukrainian beetroot soup frozen on a popsicle stick for Hr 95. And the restaurant also offers “Flag of Ukraine” varenyky (Ukrainian dumplings), which are made in the national flag’s colors — the yellow ones are filled with potatoes, and blue ones stuffed with cottage cheese.
In addition, the restaurant serves extra-large portions for groups of two-three people, salads, appetizers, desserts and more.
Prices: vorschmack — Hr 115, vinegret salad — Hr 85-195, cranberry mors (cold fruit drink) — Hr 35
Spotykach. 16 Volodymyrska St. Mon-Sun. 11–12 a. m. +38044 586 4095
