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During their dinner at Vostok, the connoisseur had lots of impressions to share. KP Media, photo by Konstantin Klimenko TUCC members are treated at Vostok

oisseur Club (TUCC) members gathered at Vostok, one of the oldest Chinese eateries in town, to have a traditional Chinese dinner and rate their gastronomic experience.

Rather humble looking from the outside, on the inside Vostok made a decidedly positive impression. All the traditional Chinese ornaments in the design, such as round tables, partitions, big Chinese fans, hieroglyphs, columns faced with bamboo – everything stylishly done to create an ambience of a classy Chinese eatery. One thing I found quite amusing were the dresses of the waitresses – they were traditionally Chinese but there were slits on both sides running up to girls' hips. It seemed an awkward detail in their otherwise conservative outfits, almost making you wonder if the eatery had an adjacent strip club.

The dinner started out really well. The owner Pen Chan welcomed the connoisseurs once again – they’ve already rated the place some years back – and talked a lot about Chinese cuisine, its long history and healing qualities. Next he presented the chef – the holder of a golden medal as the best cook in his own province, and promised that we’d be treated to a tea ceremony in course of the dinner. Pen Chan also started out presenting the dishes of the evening, telling about useful qualities of each, but after he was asked to leave some details for the next course (not to confuse the gourmets), he had withdrawn, and we never saw him again that night.

The first course was comprised of several different salads, and waitresses went around the tables, distributing the food among everybody. The guests complained about the size of portions, which were unusually small for a Chinese restaurant, as Chinese usually serve generously, but were quite satisfied with the actual food and so was I. The first salad of mango and shrimp (very good for the liver according to Pen Chan) was a refreshing seafood salad nicely combined with the sweetness of the fruit; “Buddha’s Touch Salad” of several kinds of Chinese mushrooms, celery, carrots and other vegetables had a mild taste and very healthy feel about it; and duck salad “Sichuan-style” felt as light as the other two, even though it contained meat – tender duck with mushrooms, cauliflower and broccoli. It’s hard to select a wine when enjoying Chinese cuisine but the restaurant's sommelier Italian Pinot Grigio Schiopentto which proved a good match.

The hot appetizer was also a selection of several dishes. Eggplants in soy sauce seem to be one of those Chinese dishes that’s hard to spoil, as they always taste fine and so they did, I enjoyed them with rice flat cakes with onion. Vegetable mix in coconut milk made a dubious impression – while it was an interesting though unusual combination, hard bits of carrot, cauliflower and broccoli weren’t especially tasty. The highlight of the second course was Peking duck. The chef cut it in front of the guests, and then one of the waitresses got busy wrapping bits duck in rice pancakes – only then Peking duck was ready to be eaten. The preparation process took a really long time, so I just couldn’t wait to finally try the dish and for a good reason – the pancakes with delicious duck and some sweet sauce were simply wondrous. With the meal we had Chilean Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon – it was fine with eggplants and the duck, though certainly didn’t combine with vegetables in coconut milk.

The main dish or rather dishes included fish dumplings “Emperor Chen Lun’s Favorite Dish,” “Miji Ribs” and pilaw “Tibet-style.” Dumpings – fried in oil instead of steamed were nice, and so was the pilaw (though I’m not a big fan of this rice dish in general), but unlike Emperor Chen Lun, I simply loved “Miji Ribs” – very soft and tender with fried in that wonderful caramel-like sweet sauce. Somehow I found that combination of sugar and meat (quite unthinkable in Ukrainian cuisine) simply perfect, and placed the ribs along with the Peking duck as my favorites of the whole dinner.

Unfortunately, we received no wine at all to go with the main course. According to the menu, we were supposed to be served the same Chilean wine once again, but waitresses told us we were only entitled to 100 grams, which we already drank with the previous course and that was it.

Our spirits low after the disappointment over the wine, size of portions and timing, we waited for the conclusion – the dessert. Again the dish – green tea tiramisu was perfect, very creamy but less sweet than regular tiramisu, sprinkled with green tea powder and Kara Plum Wine (Japanese brand of American produce) was a great dessert drink.

After we’ve finished the meal, we were finally treated to a show, that Pan Chen promised us in the very beginning. A boy of about 12, who supposedly have studied the art of tea ceremony since five, showed acrobatic tricks, playing with the teapot with a really long spout, and pouring the tea in the cups from some unthinkable angle. Unfortunately the tea was only for a show – we were offered none for drinking.

In the end Vostok made a mixed impression – in terms of service and atmosphere it was inspiring in the beginning, but turned sour later on. The food on the other hand was great all the while. Why the owner who appeared so hospitable at first didn’t attend to the guests who were in fact going to give grades to his restaurant remains a mystery to me. But it once again proved my theory – ethnic eateries in Kyiv are to be judged by the food – its taste and authenticity, and as for the service – just take it easy.

Vostok (11 Naberezhno-Khreschatytska, 425-5375). Noon till midnight

English menu: Yes

English-speaking staff: Some

Average meal: Hr 150