Restaurants keep opening their doors in the capital despite recessions, flu epidemics and changing seasons. When some places close, others hurry to take their spot. Among the venues waiting to be checked out is a new sushi bar in Obolon, a Cuban cantina, as well as a pub and restaurant at the brand new InterContinental Kyiv hotel.
Beyond the Sea
Moscow’s expansion into Kyiv’s restaurant scene continues with success. Restaurateur Aleksandr Orlov, the owner of the Russian Lite Life restaurant chain, recently opened Zholtoye More (Yellow Sea) eatery in Obolon. The new venue offers Japanese cuisine, as well as some Chinese and Korean dishes. All three countries have shores on the Yellow Sea, hence the name.
This is a third addition to Orlov’s existing restaurants in Kyiv, the very fancy Moskva and the mid-range Tanuki – a sushi bar with delicious Japanese food.
One could say that Zholtoye More moved to Kyiv from Moscow, where the eponymous restaurant opened in 2000, becoming one of the pioneers of sushi eating, but closed earlier this year. The chef of the Moscow More, Aleksey Arbuzov, moved to Kyiv together with the restaurant. His menu features sushi (Hr 11-17), sashimi (Hr 37-58) and a decent choice of rolls (from Hr 26) – classical, warm and rolls in bacon. Also you can try a salad with marinated bits of veal with lettuce (Hr 35) or a mix of boiled octopuses with marinated seaweed and sweet pepper. The menu section “Chef is Fishing” contains Same-Yaki (Hr 35) – fried Black Sea gobies with Ponzu sauce and Wasabi cream sauce and Hirame Miso (Hr 90) – halibut fillet marinated in a special sauce and fire-grilled under a caramel crust, served on a palm leaf with a special Yellow Sea sauce. Plus the menu contains delicious noodles: buckwheat noodles with vegetables (Hr 21), wheat noodles with chicken and broccoli (Hr 29) or egg noodles with vegetables and veal (Hr 28); as well as 10 soups: corn soup with egg yolk (Hr 22), shark fin bouillon with crab meat and oyster sauce (Hr 60) and Chinese soup with dumplings and spinach (Hr 38) among others. The cocktail menu also deserves special attention – it was created by famous Moscow bartender Aleksandr Kan.
Yellow Sea’s interior feels fresh, light and airy – the right surroundings for enjoying healthy Japanese food. The minimalist look is created by a combination of nude and black tones, paper lanterns and lots of bamboo, original fountains and numerous green plants. The first floor is for smokers, the second is non-smoking plus there is an area with soft couches. As with most sushi restaurants in the city, you can order food from the restaurant’s website for delivery.
Cuba Libre
La Bodeguita del Medio which translates as “A Cellar in the Middle of the Street” is a legendary bar in Havana, open since 1942. At different times, its visitors included actresses Marilyn Monroe and Brigitte Bardot, writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez, film director Francis Ford Coppola and, of course, writer Ernest Hemingway. The latter lived in Cuba in the 1940s and left a message on the restaurant wall, saying: “Mi Mojito en la Bodeguita” (My Mojito at the Bodeguita), which remains there till this day. Other famous guests also left numerous inscriptions and warm wishes on La Bodeguita’s walls.
Since then the Bodeguita chain spread to Prague, London, Guadalajara, Milan and Nicosia. Now Ukraine’s capital has got one as well. The place has a big bar, ventilators instead of ultra modern air conditioning, high wooden chairs and tables and colorful stained-glass windows. The pictures of Havana streets are painted on the walls. The menu offers you an exciting trip to the world of Cuban cuisine. If you prefer meat, try “Empanadas” from the snack section – crunchy pastries stuffed with minced pork (Hr 65) and “Ropa Vieja” (Hr 88) – a traditional dish of shredded meat in sauce. Legend has it that it was invented by a poor Cuban man, who, in desperate need to feed his family, managed to magically turn his ragged clothes into juicy meat. Also several kinds of soups are on offer, including gazpacho and cream of corn soup (Hr 35). In the Moroz y Christanos (Moors and Christians) snack (Hr 33), black beans symbolize Moors and rice is for Christians. Also there are fried bananas (Hr 35), small corn pancakes (Hr 42) and a salad with spicy pork (Hr 58). Like its Cuban sister, Kyiv’s La Bodeguita aims to become famous for its selection of delicious Mojitos. There are six of them on offer at the moment, including a Cuban Mojito (Hr 58), “Double Papa” with double rum, invented specially for Hemingway (Hr 85) and European Mojito with mint leaves (not crushed) and brown sugar (Hr 52). It’s best to hit La Bodeguita in the evenings when Son de Oro band plays Cuban tunes, making you forget about the cold winter outside, and let your imagination transport you to Havana – at least for a while.
Get lucky
What used to be the French restaurant Marche run by the Kozyrnaya Karta chain has now been turned into Lucky Pub by a rival chain, Mirovaya Karta. It is located on Chervonoarmiyska, a few steps from Lva Tolstoho metro. Those who still remember Marche’s pompous interior with a multitude of colorful details may be a little shocked by the look of Lucky Pub designed in the strict British fashion. Coldly elegant, it’s all about dark brown and green, heavy wooden and leather furniture. But you may be warmed up by looking at the menu which carries a selection of pub dishes for very reasonable prices. You can get a steak for Hr 100, salads for Hr 50 and beer snacks: shrimp (Hr 135 for 700 grams), assorted grilled meats plate (Hr 195) or a portion of toasted bread with smoked salmon (Hr 57) which is big enough for two. Plus, the menu features staples of any good pub, including fried chicken wings, cheese sticks and onion rings (for about Hr 50). Lucky Pub’s house beer is yet to be introduced, but so far the beer selection includes the usual: Lvivske (Hr 15), Guinness (Hr 35), Newcastle (Hr 35), Erdinger (Hr 35) and three kinds of Mykulynetske (Hr 21). You can get a sampler of seven beers for Hr 35. Non-smokers can choose a seat in the upper hall, which has a different entrance, and sport fans can watch games on big screens or play football.
Way it should be
The newest addition to the city’s high-end hotels, InterContinental Kyiv has dining facilities to match its amazing luxury suites. The centerpiece is Comme Il Faut – a French cuisine restaurant where everything is, naturally, just the way it should be. The “perfection” concept starts with a royal interior that is done mainly in a pearly white color. Its furniture, chandeliers and table setting simply breathe chic and elegance. Comme Il Faut’s kitchen is managed by Bohdan Mykhaylov who honed his culinary skills in France. But to be truly honest, the restaurant combines some French classics with delicious examples of modern high-end fusion cuisine.
At present, the restaurant has two separate menus for lunch and dinner. Both menus are available all day long, but naturally, the dinner options are more exquisite and complex. For lunch you can have seafood bouillabaisse (Hr 190) and “Coq au Vin” – a French classic of a rooster slowly cooked in red wine (Hr 290) among other things.
For dinner, the chef prepared some really surprising combinations. For instance, Panna Cotta, which most of us know as a classical Italian dessert, here come with caviar, mollusks and orange emulsion. And if you expect a dish called “Linguini” to be pasta, think again – at Comme Il Faut, it’s tender young calamari (cut in the shape of linguini), stewed with cabbage and curry sauce. Such a common garnish as potatoes here is used as a basis for pancakes, which, in turn, are served with beluga caviar and truffle paste (Hr 2,300). Potato pancakes also accompany fried lobster (Hr 980).
The “Chocolate” page of the menu is also somewhat misleading. Instead of sweets, you’ll find Australian veal carpaccio with vanilla emulsion and chocolate chips, salmon steak served with white chocolate sauce and almond paste (Hr 390) and venison medallions with chocolate sauce (Hr 590). But, naturally, there are traditional desserts as well, including the good old classics such as Crepe Suzette with orange sauce and strawberries (Hr 140) and Creme Brulee (Hr 130).
Alexandra Matoshko can be reached at [email protected]
