In Mood is where the Middle East and West merge. Opened just two months ago, the eatery’s interior is up to the conception – there is a weird combination of oriental and occidental decorative elements. Plenty of candles, dark purple velvet sofas and small embroidered satin pillows evokes an Asian fairytale that doesn’t blend with the soft-rock radio music playing, or the piano standing in the corner and the hanging chandeliers.
In Mood’s tiny dining room can seat up to 50 guests. Located on 19 Nyzhniy Val, one of Podil district’s main arteries, it doesn’t appear to be a local favorite, yet. On Saturday evening you might be its only diner.
Whether by design or chance, slowness is the main feature of the restaurant and it might be explained with the roots of its Lebanese owner who is the chef. It still lacks printed menus and the wait for a server to take your order is 15 minutes. Be ready to also spend another hour waiting for the ordered dishes to be served.
But the joint’s shortcomings are quickly forgotten when sipping the fantastic ginger and lemon tea (Hr 25), which is served in a glass teapot. A big portion of honey is offered to sweeten it.
The tea is perfectly combined with hummus (Hr 45) – a creamy sauce made of chickpeas served with lavash, a traditional Asian and Caucasian unleavened bread. The delicacy alone is worth a visit to In Mood.
When it comes to appetizers, Fatush salad (Hr 45) is a good choice. It includes cucumbers, lettuce and tomatoes and is served with a lemon dressing combined with pomegranate seeds that make it savory.
The average price for main course dishes is Hr 70. Naknek sausages (Hr 65) are served with lemon sauce. Cherry sauce is combined with Sudzhuk sausages (Hr 65). Barbecue chicken (Hr 69) is served with fried potatoes. Portions are quite large, and one might find it hard to finish a three-course meal.
The chef cooks three types of pakhlava (Hr 40), a popular Mediterranean confection made of puff paste. However, at the end of the day it turned out to be not particularly fresh. It’s better to choose tiramisu, panna-cotta or crème brulee – all classical European desserts – that are also available there. A check for a dinner of two could be up to Hr 400, excluding hot drinks.
The restaurant, with its drowsy atmosphere and infrequent visitors, might be an ideal place for couples in love that want privacy.
In Mood
19 Nyzhniy Val
9 a.m. to midnight
tel. 425-9580
Kyiv Post staff writer Nataliya Trach can be reached at [email protected]
