And the wine trading company "Simple". Creative gastronomy, an extensive wine and bar list, unique Wine Followers eno-parties - the wine history of St. Petersburg has received a new chapter.
The premises, which saw many restaurants, and before that the Trussardi boutique under the management of the Manager Lyudmila Putina, were offered to many, but everyone decided that “it won’t work”. Only the brave girls from the bar, armed with the help of the authors of Bekitzer, decided to take the Step.
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All the troubles of all sins, all intact reported. The hostess should be woken up with the words “do you work here?”. Awakened and silent. She doesn't talk about the concept, or about the presence of a second floor, she doesn't say anything at all: apart from handing over the menu folder to her little hands, she is not interested in anything. But you want to earn money: two times in a row they offer drinks with an interval of a minute. Water - she's alone here, "Baikal" for 190. The table is staggering, you have to change seats. Office gatherings in the hall are the trouble of the fashionable establishments of the center. One, two, three laptops: I can see everything from above, you know it! But there is not a single question about the rest of the interior details. Even the sofas are stylishly inscribed, giving a certain "bistrosh" to the restless first floor with a bar. In a good sense, "bistroshnost". Do not scare away the guest with seriousness - now it is very important. It is very important not to put on airs with tablecloths and silver appliances. Only reusable chopsticks in wooden boxes. The second day - and a meeting, and keeping the table on the "six" on a five-point scale.
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But to the menu and, I’ll run right away, there are absolutely no questions about food. Two pages full of stuff. Three soups. Three noodles. Let them not be separated, let them pretend to be the main dishes. This is joy. And there is nothing that I would suggest to add, there is nothing that I would reduce by accepting the general, pan-Asian game. All dishes are in the "plus", positive zone. If I write any notes, it’s only to fill the space between the photos and show the differences between some dishes of the “four with a plus” category from the unconditional “fives”. And here, honestly, an honest conclusion after sixteen tested: the restaurant is probably the leader of the year in terms of the "evenness" of the kitchen. Flatness 80 lvl. When you can’t deny yourself the pleasure: try almost all the menu! Portions are smaller than "King Pong", but the prices are exactly the same lower - most dishes are up to 400 rubles, and in the afternoon there is also a 20% discount. So here you can try almost all the menu.
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Salmon ceviche (360) finely chopped, not for tartare, of course. But a small cube-cucumber - it is not at all under the sticks. Under a big spoon. And almost unique: the "crunchy" rice is made cool! "Where's my big spoon?"
Beef tartare (360) is unusual for its abundant sauce. The bowl is deep, as everything is conveniently mixed, so there is only a spoon, like a lot here. And I would call it another difference of the project. Tartare, almost a classic, has been redone, reassembled in an Asian way.
Tuna tataki (420) - here, here's a thing for sticks. And under the "Wikipedia" illustration: a reference sample, "frame", warmly kissed, even. Smooth = Beautiful. And with the sauce, which is exactly as much as necessary for the beauties of taste, nothing remains on the plate, it's just wonderful.
Broken cucumbers (220) with an unusual impression. Another marinade, and the girl suggests that they don’t have a tom pit, but some of the components from it are used. I believe. I love this: it looks like a classic, and the author's note is “only here”.
Bao with beef cheeks and chimichurri (220) - a steamed, airy bun, you can directly squeeze into nothing. Bright meat from the cheeks, in itself, with a taste of liver by-product, and accompanying, just like that, non-clogging sauce. Fine.
Dim sum with shrimp (410) - chic dough, again "the same", barely sticky, but remaining light. Filling for the "four", but not everyone can be excellent students.
Gyoza fried (360) - chic dough, that's it. Thin, and even confidently fried crusts do not hurt, but caress, easily crunches. A super meat filling where the bone marrow works like an umami flavor additive from glutamate. Wow. And wow again.
corn soup with crab (390) - the most boring lunch dish. Good, generous, kind, everyone would be proud of him, but he came out childish - flat. The first and last spoon are the same. Impression. Eat - not because it attracts, but because "well, it's good." Don't call it fresh. Repeat? No.
Wonton soup (360) - mild but persistent meat broth, the protein is barely diluted, sweetish, complex ... Better.
Szechuan with noodles and duck (370) - the best soup, the brightest, the most filled, the sharpest, the most energetic. Not thick, but the density of the broth. It seems ... how much is it, but it seems that the portion is larger. And here it is not only to repeat - to take every visit.
Duck Hoisin with Fried Quinoa (420) - utterly mashed fibers on quinoa grits, an uncomplicated, precise dish that hits the target of joy.
pork belly with kimchi cabbage (420) - slices (I rarely write this word with the most direct meaning) are tender and pliable, they cover their spicy girlfriend in a round dance, perfectly combined.
Lamb with vegetables and buckwheat noodles (420) - a circle of additions with kimchi at the head, the "sun" from the center, makes the dish look like a Korean bibimbap. But here the most important thing is noodles. You can put anything on top, even a spoonful of black caviar, but to make the noodles themselves the desired “solo”, this is an art.
Halibut (520) is melted to a very jelly-like state, trembles when the plate is placed on the table, and under it is the same spinach stewed in cream. Delicious, but it was definitely a fish, wasn't it? Not fish jelly?
Ahi Poke with tuna (460) - in the city, it turns out, there is a creamy-ripe avocado, but the men didn’t know! Cubes of well-marinated yet freshly raw tuna and skillfully boiled rice. Simple, "common", but tasty on its own. Yes, there is a somewhat “salad” impression from the sauce, as if they were supplementing, fearing whether all the guests would understand. And the “mayonnaise” impression (I later read this on the menu!) from “masago caviar sauce”.
Dessert "Mochi" (370) - "there was one left, one serving, and it seems to be with blueberries." The only dish that can be reproached for the price: just two sweets of a weightless soufflé, but there is no such meal, the most serious one, where such a dessert is not suitable.
Total. Unexpectedly for a viscous start, smooth and good. When I managed to accumulate negative: I came on the tenth day, and they work from 18.00. On the door "it is written capitally", the mosquito does not stick out its nose. How about posting on social media? Not all problems have been solved, but already now they give more impressions than calories. More impressions than money.
On Bolshaya Morskaya Street, in the profitable building of the Rossiya insurance company, where the Rossfoto exhibition center is located, the Made In China restaurant has started operating. This is the reincarnation of the project, which worked for some time in Baskovy Pereulok, and then was closed for technical reasons. The new establishment opened in an updated and expanded format - now it is a full-fledged restaurant with an unusual bar, which appeared as a result of the merger of two notable gastronomic duets - restaurateurs Anna Dolgushina and Madina Kazhimova (Wong Kar Wine) and Ilya Bazarsky and Pavel Steinluht ("Bekitzer", Social Club, Terminal).
The Village has visited a new restaurant and tells you why you should go here.
Interior
Those who have been to the bar in Baskovy Lane will be first of all surprised by the scale: Made In China occupies a spacious room for 80 seats in a historic building with stucco, display windows and a mezzanine, which is reached by a modern staircase. Designers from the DA Architects bureau, who were involved in the design, tried to use the advantages of the room to the maximum. Historical details were emphasized with the help of special plaster imitating wear, while, in order not to overload the visual range, the halls were furnished with modern furniture with a minimum of details. Of the decorations, only mirrors that expand the space were used, as well as greenery - bananas and palm trees in large pots. The dominant feature of the interior is the bar counter, located in the center of the hall, decorated with light wooden structures and hanging lamps reminiscent of Chinese paper lanterns.
Food and drink
Made in China combines bar and restaurant formats. The main innovation compared to the previous project is a full-fledged kitchen built on the author's interpretations of Asian dishes. For appetizers, three types of tataki (380–420 rubles), classic vegetable spring rolls (260 rubles), dim sum (330–410 rubles), and Chinese steamed bao buns are served here. The latter are now available with a choice of beef cheek stew (220 rubles) or with pork and bean sauce(220 rubles), but in the future they plan to seriously expand the range of bao. Among the main dishes are lamb with vegetables and buckwheat noodles (420 rubles), halibut with spinach and nut sauce (520 rubles), duck hoisin with fried quinoa and two versions of ahi poke with tuna (460 rubles) or soy asparagus(380 rubles).
The cocktail menu largely repeats the one in Black China. Drinks created by head bartender Konstantin Berlinets based on Korean and Chinese distillates are divided into four sections. The first one features refreshing light aperitifs, such as Golden Boy, based on gin infused with coconut oil(250 rubles). The second section includes sours (380 rubles), the third and fourth, respectively, are devoted to classic twists and Asian interpretations of tiki cocktails with a lot of spices and tropical fruits (400 rubles). In addition to cocktails and a large collection strong alcohol(there are sake, soju, sechu and Chinese vodkas), the bar list includes about 60 types of wine, ten of which are poured into glasses.
Future
It is planned that the first week after the opening, the restaurant will operate in a technical mode, only in the evenings, and then it will begin to open at noon. At the same time, both the format and the atmosphere are primarily conducive to a leisurely evening pastime. Understanding this, on Fridays and Saturdays the organizers are going to extend the opening hours and invite DJs.
Madina Kazimova
co-owner
We found this room almost immediately after we closed Black China. The guys (Pavel Shteinlukht and Ilya Bazarsky - Ed.) then suggested that the project not be frozen, but restarted by joint forces. Anya and I responded and started looking for a suitable place. When we saw this space, at first we were a little confused, it was difficult to immediately imagine how everything could be arranged here. We came across a special room, it dictates the rules itself, so we looked at it for a long time with the architects, thinking about how to emphasize its character, bringing our own mood.
Among other things, it is very large, and the project itself is complex, so, probably, it was the partnership that helped us, together with Anya, we most likely would not have decided on it. Pasha and Ilya are strategists, they brought a lot in terms of business, building relationships.
We have built a menu based on Chinese, Korean and Japanese cuisine Thus, the guest can feel both the most intense, specialized tastes of China and Korea, as well as a clean, minimally thermally processed product, such as it is served in Japan. We mix these directions with each other, mix with European recipes, in general, we play, invent, select interesting combinations.
New cocktails have appeared in the bar, our chef bartender Konstantin Berlinets has doubled the range of sake and baiju Chinese vodka. This includes exclusive items from Chinese suppliers who have recently come to St. Petersburg and so far work only with us. It is no secret that China is starting to engage in winemaking, they planted vineyards some time ago, and now they are harvesting their first crops. We are now tasting Chinese wines. So far we have not found something that could be put on the map, but nevertheless we are looking closely and we want people to learn something new through us through us about food and alcohol, which are becoming fashionable and popular in Asia.
Bao with beef cheek stew with chimichurri sauce - 220 rubles
Halibut with spinach and walnut sauce - 520 rubles
Tempura salmon tataki with cuttlefish ink - 390 rubles
Menu excerpts
Beef tartare with coconut and shiitake cream - 360 rubles
Smashed cucumbers tree mushrooms - 220 rubles
Dim sum with shrimp and marinated radish - 410 rubles
Bao with beef cheek stew with chimichurri sauce - 220 rubles
Halibut with spinach and walnut sauce - 520 rubles
Ahi poke with tuna and masago caviar sauce - 460 rubles
Duck hoisin with fried quinoa - 420 rubles
I give verbatim quotes - I’d rather not write, with errors: “Chinese food and bar at Shkolnaya, 14. We work in a crowded mode - the official opening is on August 26.” Great, ten days went, went ... Gone! “A modern Chinese restaurant in the north part of the city has opened in the premises where the Meltcer Fish House has operated for many years.” Great, now you know where to go! It's still funny while you're walking: two restaurants open in one month with such similar names. It's just a coincidence, and one in a million. I'm talking about the center.
The service is pretty weird. In words, according to words, from the very meeting - everything is great. Exemplary. Reference. An order of magnitude higher level than what can be expected in " Chinese restaurant at the School. So caring. Apparently, experience in several premium restaurants affects. At the same time, our Experienced carries water (190) for almost twenty minutes. Tea (320) - forty minutes. Fine. Maybe this is the "tea ceremony"? After all, there are no questions about the rest of the service. As for the interior - if the artist sees the need on the deserted School Street, so be it. Modern, completely without an Asian spirit at the core, although red is present: young people, and most of the guests this Friday evening were with backpacks, the surroundings are understandable. She (the essence of youth) did not go to Chinese canteens at the beginning of the century. And it's comfortable here, I must admit. And not a single tablecloth burnt by cigarettes!
The menu is strange. Until the waiter introduced it as "not Chinese, but Chinese-Pan-Asian!" The strange menu is not only the composition: there are repeated pages, and Xiechuan. Inconvenient besides - do not open all the sewn pages. Even the first one: in front of it is a wine list attached. Even more strange - even more uncomfortable. I found the page, but how do I keep it open? Or food or wine?
After taking out the first courses, I realized that I would not like anything. One fifth of a traditional Chinese portion. A third of the "re-adapted" Made in China. Crispy squid (-) as if not cooked. The dish is shameful even for a pub. No traces of heat treatment, oil. Soft, like toilet paper, rings, as if taken out of a bag. White as toilet paper. This is definitely the worst dish among all categories since the beginning of the year. Taken away after the trial with a three-minute story about why the waiter should have thrown it away at the handout, and not brought it to the guest. And a portion: even for 100 rubles it would be very expensive. Not included in the bill. Thank you.
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Cucumbers are not named broken. Named cucumber salad with peanuts and garlic sauce(290) but tastes completely fresh raw. On which a drop of sauce fell. I do not argue - I got it. It's not tasty.
Chicken Bong-Bong (340) - boiled chicken, it's just decently laid out on a cucumber straw. Salad? Because it's sprinkled with nuts? Boiled, dietary chicken - even writing the word “spices” in one paragraph seems like a mistake. Edible, but I can't imagine the person who took it at work. Or did he like the sauce?
Crispy eggplants in orange-tomato sauce (370), unlike the rest, are edible. Thick batter, not crunchy properly as promised, but generally edible.
raw beef in hot oil (370) - six small plates per classic carpaccio thick and barely warm oil. Carpaccio! The taste of barely seasoned carpaccio, such a "Russian version". It's not even horror, it's just a misunderstanding brought to the table. Not funny to watch.
Spicy and sour soup with chicken (360) - normal, edible. Lighter than traditional "snotty" Chinese soups, but just this adaptation is only to be welcomed. Plus.
Dim sum with duck (360) - tin. Minced meat was tried by three people, none of them recognized the presence of a duck in the composition. My version - mixed up in the kitchen with beef, but this is only a version. The waiter swore by Duck. I do not argue. This is the first time with me. How not to trust a person?
Tom Yam (380) is difficult to determine. By the look. “Quiet and smooth of the pond on a windless day” - the surface is such that you wonder if there is something inside. The taste is also hard. The sour taste is dominant, not balanced by anything, from this the "pickle" impression began. In terms of filling, it’s not bad, but when you find bamboo cut into strips, it seems that raw potatoes, which is a third of the "thick"! There were three versions of the origin, including the daikon, only the waiter helped to decide. Edible, yes, but it's the most... uh... "unconventional" tom yum of the year.
Pork in tomato-orange sauce (440) - almost raw pepper, pineapple, then soaked pieces of piglet, almost without batter, draw attention to themselves. Something that would cover the surface, keeping the juices alive inside.
Assorted Nautical set in oyster sauce (580) - pike perch, shrimps, squid. Vegetables and mushrooms up to half the volume, pepper and corn the most. Normally fried. The second quality dish. AND...
best dish dinner - Beef in black bean sauce (470): soft, pleasant, I even call it affectionate, meat, active important sauce, which gathered all the other parts under its wing.
A complement (almost everyone scolded the waiter for a reason!) Curd balls are dense, heavy, powdery, only a very experienced taster can see the curd in them. Not me. Thank you. No thanks.
What can I say… Closing is not clear how the Meltcer Fish House existed in any case. Good - although it was not after the opening, it is clear that the format is more than outdated, even without the oppression of counter-sanctions. A new young team has arrived. Welcome. Pleasant service, pleasant surroundings, not at all "thematic", one has only to enter. Enter, ceasing to look at the facade with the words " Chinese cuisine and all so red-red. But the kitchen itself, given that they talk about a Chinese chef and a Chinese brand chef, has just left for China (the more repetitions of this keyword, apparently, the sweeter), it doesn’t even look like a “culinary school graduate”. I'm not talking about the features of the "pan-Asian" tradition, I'm talking about elementary skills. Tasting, seasoning, warming up, maintaining the temperature of the oil, knowing more than one batter recipe and much more.
