To this day, my answer to "go back to Russia" is "but I'm from Ukraine." But ever since I went to Nanuchka, I want to be Georgian too. For once I changed my ethnicity, and judging by the food, the rest of the country should be following my lead.
I must confess I don't know much about Georgian cuisine. I had fond childhood memories from big courses of amazingly tart plum sauce with meat and dumplings that made everyone happy. Although this was correct, it was much more than I remembered. The basics are central at Nanuchka – combinations of fruit and meat, stuffed pastries and happiness.
Nanuchka has a prominent atmosphere. Filled with antiques from grandma's house in Caucasus and art from the grandchildren's house in prestigious Saint Petersburg, filled with people who got up and danced at 11 PM, and most importantly, filled with incredible food. The courses are big, which is great 'cause they're really good. I started with one of the all-time favorites – a red caviar Bellini (36 NIS). It sounds Italian, but it isn't. It's actually from the Soviet Union. It includes tiny pancakes with cream and salmon caviar. I needed a few bites to realize the best technique is to fold each bite so the caviar is really mixed with the dough and then I really enjoyed it. The combination of the sweet pancakes, salty caviar and fresh cream – what a delight. My spouse had the Nanuchka Star (49 NIS). I thought it was going to be a star fish, but it actually included 5 kibbes (what is really the correct plural form ? kibbes ?), which are placed like a star. They didn't really taste like kibbe, being stuffed with calamari and mushrooms and sea fruit broth.
After the appetizers, and around 10.30, I noticed the place was packed and on a Sunday night. Pretty unusual. Rumor had it there will be dancing soon, so I hurried to order the entrées. My spouse actually wanted to dance, but I'm more into the food. Tabilisuri (86 NIS) is lamb Ossobuco with white beans in white wine with rice and vegetables. Even without the rice it was a large course. The meat was tender and cooked just right. I don't know what makes it Georgian, but I loved it. We also had vegetable stuffed with lamb and beef (55 NIS) – eggplant, zucchini, onions, cabbage and above all, my favorite – carrots. What made it unique were the stuffing and the sauce of tomatoes and dried fruit. The combination of meat and fruit is so different than anything else, making it new and exciting. I highly recommend it.
By that point the customers were getting 'jiggy' with it, so we focused on desserts. A Marquis de Sade (32 NIS) was a chocolate bombshell with delicate whiskey cream, which was just what I've been craving. My spouse tried the fruit soup (32 NIS), which was an upgraded version to my mom's compote. Instead of cooked apricots there were solid plums and cherries, lightly seasoned with cloves, cinnamon and tarragon. Tasty and refreshing. As we left I think I saw someone dancing on the bar, but I can't be sure.
*The writer dined at the restaurant.