Kyiv has yet to see a sushi bar that is affordable to the masses. Campai, the latest addition to the city's Japanese restaurant scene, does not buck the trend. If you're determined to savor exotic Japanese specialties in Ukraine, you're going to have to pay for it.
The inspiration behind Campai was bom many years ago on the shores of the White Sea, where Campai's owner, Yevgeny Samsanov, spent his childhood. "All my life I have had a connection to the sea and fish, especially mackerel, which is the staple diet in Northern Russia," he explained. "I fell in love with Japanese cuisine at first bite, andspent too 'much time and money in other sushi bars before deciding to open one of my own." To achieve authenticity in Japanese cuisine and etiquette, Samsanov invited a Japanese chef to train the Ukrainian staff. The training in service was apparent as the young, kimono-clad waitress happily took the time to explain the nuances of both the cuisine and the proper manner of sushi eating.
The menus are in Russian and English and will soon include photographs. Samsanov also plans to offer "trainer" or hinged chopsticks for sushi novices. Unlike many local efforts at creating a theme-style restaurant, Campai's management has been able to restrain itself when it comes to decor, which is kept to a tasteful minimum, with wood-trimmed walls and light wood tables. The relaxing jazz music in the background perfectly complemented our sake rice wine.
The restaurant is comprised of a sushi counter and a central dining room, furnished with a half-dozen light wood tables and booths, as well as a small private dining room that seats eight. When it came to ordering sushi, we tried to follow our server's recommendations, while avoiding the minefield of pricey raw-fish delicacies.
The more expensive dishes include the large sashimi sampler for Hr 306 as well as the large platter of nigiri and maki sushi for. We started our meal with the miso soup, which like everything that was to follow was well presented, subtle and tasty. The soup contained large strips of seaweed nori and chunks of tofu with traditional soybean broth. We followed this with the Tai red snapper, which consisted of four thin slices of fish topped with zesty Japanese horseradish paste. Looking for a little quantity to go with the quality, we opted for one of the house specialties - the six-piece sampler of maki sushi rolls. The rolls were wrapped in a thin slice of salmon and stuffed with shrimp, avocado, mayonnaise and rice. Having duly cleansed our palates with pickled ginger gari, we moved on to the exotic tobiko (Japanese for flying fish). This hand-pressed nigiri dish comes with bits of caviar and is topped with quail egg yolk.
Campai also offers a small selection of inexpensive alternatives to sushi - for example, the teppan-yaki grilled dishes such as scallops and the breaded pork with tonkatsu sauce. If you are in the mood for a simple sushi bar with a comfortable atmosphere and are willing to shell out the money, Campai is worth a visit.
New sushi bar offers the genuine article By DANIEL MACISSAC, Post Staff Writer /Kiev post 19.04.2001/
|
