Well good day from a chilly summer day here in Kiev (Kyiv -
Київ - Киев).
It is lunchtime and today we are going in search of food.
What are we going to have?
We're going to be having a whole bunch of different Ukrainian dishes (українські
страви).
Yes.
And this is a cuisine we're not too familiar with.
Not at all.
So we're just hoping to order a whole bunch of different things and try most of them for
the first time.
Let's go.
Alright guys, so we've made it inside the restaurant.
This place is called Katyusha (Катюша) and we were actually here yesterday and we
ordered so much food and it was really good so we decided to come back and show you guys
what Ukrainian food (українська кухня) is all about.
So we've gone all out once again today and we've ordered like four different mains and
dessert and drinks.
Yeah.
So yeah, this is going to be a fun little introduction to Ukrainian food for both us
and you guys watching because this is basically our first time you know getting acquainted
with Ukrainian dishes (українські страви).
So it should be tasty.
Sam is loving the vibe.
Yeah, I know.
This restaurant is so cool.
It is like stuck in a time warp.
I mean it has got so many different retro things going on from old tvs to old video
game consoles and just like the paintings, the wall hangings and the different decorations
in the restaurant.
It is kind of a fabulous place I have to say.
Yeah, it kind of looks like the 70s but with lots of antiques.
Yes.
Yeah, it has a very 70s 80s type of feel.
Okay, so first up we are starting with Borscht (борщ) which is a sour soup.
This is one of the traditional dishes that you've got to try here in the Ukraine.
Now the original recipe calls for beetroot but I think we somehow managed to order the
cabbage one so it is lacking that distinct like purple-y red color.
This one is a big more orange instead.
Lots of shredded cabbage in there.
It looks like we've got potatoes, a little bit of meat, some dill which I've mixed in.
So yeah, this is really tasty.
I love soups and sour stuff is great for me.
Especially on a little bit of a chilly day huh?
Yeah, it is so chilly out so love to be having some soup.
Really good.
This is tasty.
Alright, my time to try the borsch (борщ).
But before I even do that over here we have some it comes with bread.
Yes, it does.
Two little bread rolls.
And we had these yesterday so I know what this is.
This is like a little container of sour cream.
Yep.
And in here it is kind of like a buttery oily garlic-y mix.
It could be called it is olive oil and dill.
I'm not sure about the garlic in there.
I did taste garlic.
Really?
Oh yeah.
Yeah.
Okay, so I'm going to try the bread.
Dunk it in this one and then have a bit of that with borscht (борщ).
It looks really good.
Oh, there is a big piece of meat.
Look at that?
Mmmhmmm.
Oh yeah.
I also remember reading that you can add the sour cream to your borscht (борщ).
Mmmm.
You can actually just put it in your soup.
That sounds like a really good idea.
Yeah.
My gosh that meat so tender.
It just melts in your mouth.
And yeah, this is let's experiment.
Alright, let's actually try that then.
So take a bit.
Just like that.
Scoop it right in.
I'm just going to stir it in a bit.
This time I'm going to go for more of a cabbage potato bite.
Mmmmm.
Oh yeah.
That tastes way better with the sour cream.
Yeah?
Oh yeah.
Way better.
Sam approved.
So Sam here went for salad.
Yeah, I wanted to try the think it is called the Olivier Salad (Оливковий салат).
Olivier.
And it is just a very it is very visible.
You can see exactly what is in it.
Yep.
You've got like eggs and carrots and peas and then I think like little cubes of ham
and it looks like it is kind of like in a type of a mayonnaise type of sauce.
Mmmhmm.
Time to try that.
Alright, in he goes for a bite.
Mmm.
Olivier salad.
It is good.
What does he think?
It kind of reminds me a bit of like a potato salad or something.
Like that kind of salad that you would have like in Canada.
It is most similar to that.
Yeah, but it is also really good because it has got like more ingredients that a typical
potato salad.
Oh la lah.
So I do very much like it.
I like that it is a uh.
Yeah, it is a bit of a richer salad obviously.
More of a high calorie one.
We all know my boy needs his calories.
Right?
In this weather yeah.
I'm ready for plate number 3.
Have a look.
So for this one we got potato pancakes (деруни deruny) and yesterday we tried zucchini pancakes
which were green and they were really tasty.
But we figured potato ones were probably a bit more traditional.
And we just are slather that sour cream on.
Because so yeah these are a nice little size.
You can probably order them as appetizers or as a side dish.
So they look like they've been pan fried.
Yeah, and you can actually see if you look at the texture I mean I've kind of made a
mess of it but it is like shredded potato.
With like a yeah battered dough.
So it looks really good.
You really have made a mess of it.
Hahaha.
It is quite nice.
Messy Audrey.
Mmmm.
Nice on a cold day?
Mmmm.
If we could just melt some cheese all over this.
That would be heaven.
Is it more crispy or mushy?
I would say it is more mushy.
Yeah, it doesn't really have a crispy exterior like those Korean pancakes we used to have.
This is definitely more mushy and oily.
Good none the less.
In he goes.
In I go.
What would he prefer?
The potato ones or the zucchini ones from yesterday?
Good question.
Oh wow, you can really see the potato.
Yeah.
The stringiness of it.
Mmmmm.
Oh my gosh those are awesome.
They are kind of greasy aren't they?
Yeah.
Hahaha.
Yeah.
Artery clogging.
Yeah, I think I think on a cold day I prefer the potato ones.
They are a little more they have a little more substance to them I'd say.
Man, these are nice.
Mmmm.
And then we have four more.
Moving on to our 4th dish.
We believe this is called Varenyky (Вареники) or pyrohy (Вареники).
Yeah, we're not entirely sure.
And having just traveled in Poland these are these look awfully similar to the pierogi.
Yeah.
These look awfully familiar.
It is cool how there is like there is a lot of regional similarities.
Yeah.
Between the cuisines in Eastern Europe.
It even has like caramelized onions on top.
It does.
Yeah.
And I think the ones we ordered, these dumplings have uh mushrooms and cabbage.
So let's try them.
They're definitely a little smaller than the ones we had in Poland.
Yes.
They are more bite sized.
Mmmm.
Oh man.
What do you reckon?
They're so good.
Oh my gosh I love any kind of dumplings.
They are really tasty.
Um, yeah these ones are they've got like a kind of greasy exterior which is really nice
but then when you bite into it the filling is really tasty like oh my gosh that is so
good and I just love how you have the onions on top as well.
It is so good I'm going in for another one.
You know what else we noticed on the menu?
You can actually order these dumplings baked.
Mmmmhmm.
So you can have it boiled or baked.
That is right.
Either way.
And they have a separate name for the baked ones.
I forget what it is but yeah.
You can get them definitely done.
In we go.
So yeah, these are definitely just kind of like miniature bite sized.
I feel like I could just be snacking on them watching television.
Popping them in.
Mmmm.
I know.
I could eat like I could probably have like 20 of these if I was hungry.
If not more.
It is quite nice.
They are very good.
Mmmhmmm.
And do you like the fillings?
I do.
Yeah.
I purposely ordered the mushroom ones because when I had those in Poland I just loved them.
I think Poland still leads the way with pierogi but this is an interesting variation.
So yeah, definitely enjoying it.
Still go strong.
Time for dessert.
Viola.
We believe this is called Medovik (Медовик).
If we've deciphered the menu correctly.
And if you take a closer look it basically looks like a whole bunch of like little pancakes
stacked on top of each other with layers of cream in between.
Mmmm.
And honey.
Wow.
Decadent?
This is quite nice.
I feel like I've had something similar before and I can't remember where?
Where did we eat a cake like this?
Maybe lately in Kyrgyzstan.
Yeah!
Yeah, it was in Kyrgyzstan.
Yeah, for dessert.
I think it was called a honey cake.
Yeah.
And it had all these layers and just honey and cream in between.
It is really tasty.
What is on top?
Though I'm still trying to figure this out.
It looks like some kind of nut.
Maybe?
It comes with ice cream too.
Mmmm.
I think this could be ground up nuts.
It is really really nice.
And vanilla ice cream.
Mmmmm.
Really good stuff.
Time for me to try it.
I feel like you've had like half the cake already.
There isn't a whole lot left.
Scientific purposes.
How many bites did you have before me?
Just a few.
Just enough.
Only half.
I'm going to try some with ice cream.
Oh man that is nice.
Isn't it?
That is one delicious cake.
Mmmhmmm.
And I can tell that this place specializes in desserts because when you walk up the stairs
there is this big like display like of all of the cakes.
So yeah.
Yeah, they are really pointing out all the different cakes that you can have when you
come for lunch or dinner here.
Yeah, so just wrapping up a delicious meal.
Yeah, that was absolutely delicious.
That was five dishes including dessert.
Yeah, we ate a lot.
We definitely definitely ate a lot.
And it was all really good.
It was just like that I'm glad that we ordered a whole bunch of different things.
We tried to kind of order an eclectic mix and I think that we accomplished that for
sure.
So the bill has arrived.
It comes in this cute little bucket.
So time to do the conversion.
Access the damage.
Going to my app.
XE dot com.
So basically this came to ‎₴349 Ukrainian Hryvnia.
I can't even say the currency properly guys.
And in US dollars.
Or UAH.
UAH for short.
That would be $13 US dollars and 71 cents.
So that is not a lot considering we had four dishes and dessert and drinks.
And that was like we each got our own salad too.
Yeah.
So it was even more dishes than what we had expected.
Also, do you want to see where I carry my currency?
Oh my gosh.
My sunglasses case.
That is how I roll.
That is how you roll.
Anyways, nice affordable meal here in the Ukraine and delicious Ukrainian food (українська
кухня).
Absolutely.