For long time, I could not go anywhere to spend a nice evening tasting new foods. In fact, we are now in the second half of the year and I did not add anything new to this blog. Now in Toronto, restaurants are offering the option of Dine in and finally I decided to try something new to return to one of my hobbies.
For some time, the traditional cuisine from Caucasus has caught my attention. The original recipes from the different countries of this region that has been a place of intersection between Europe and Asia. Not only I tried ordering food from some Georgian restaurants, but I had tried to prepare some of those recipes by myself.
My first choice was to visit the restaurant Armenian Bistro . This is a small restaurant with a very simple menu where you can expect a great selection of traditional dishes from the Armenian cuisine. It is located in Etobicoke. They also sell some Armenian products that you can enjoy later on at home.
My first dish was Lula kebab. It is minced meat mixed with onions, spices and cooked on skewers. The one I tried was a mix of beef and pork. The meat was very juicy and well combined with a mix of vegetables.
I tried a small selection of Khinkalis (ხინკალი), the typical Georgian dumplings that exist in neighbouring cuisines. The ones I tried were prepared with a mix of beef and pork.
The following week I went to the East of the city to try a Georgian restaurant: Restaurant Tiflisi . It is located in Queen st E close to the intersection with Woodbine. After my visit, I learn that this restaurant just opened this year. My experience in this place was amazing.
From past articles you an guess which kind of foods I like to taste from different Georgian places. But I noticed that here there are available some options that are not that common and I decided to try some of them.
For appetizer I tried Kuchmachi (კუჭმაჭი), a combination of chicken gizzards, walnuts, cilantro, onions and spices and topped with pomegranate seeds. It is served cold. I enjoyed this dish very much.
My main dish was the traditional Chakapuli (ჩაქაფული), one of the most popular dishes in that country and also a complex one. They present it as a lamb soup with plums and tarragon. But the lamb used is first cooked in white wine. Then it is mixed and cooked with green plums and a combination of herbs that include parsley, mint, dill, coriander. Garlic is added as well. A very nice soup to enjoy the evening.
Georgia is famous for its wines. And those wines are among my favourites. But this time I decided not to add alcohol to my dinner but try some soft drinks of grape from that country.
Finally, Khachapuri (ხაჭაპური), the traditional cheese-filled bread. My favourite one is the Imeruli, a soft pastry filled with Imeretian cheese.
