Mikhail amaev. Kosher "place
A kosher restaurant called Mestechko has opened on Sytinsky Lane near the Pushkinskaya metro station. The new establishment is another project of restaurateur Mikhail Amaev, who owns the brand « VillageKitchen»: the restaurant of the same name of the author's home cuisine and the well-known kosher restaurant "Misada" .
I always go to kosher restaurants, no matter where the end of the world takes me. I couldn't refuse an invitation to dine at the Place. While I was circling the lanes of the Presnensky district, I tried to imagine what the "Mestochko" would be like. A long chain of associations arose in my head, starting from shtetls - Jewish settlements that once existed on the territory of the Russian Empire, and ending with homemade soups.
As soon as I went in, I really found myself in the place. But not Jewish, but rather Italian. Suddenly, I remembered that my old friend, interior designer Riva Katz, once mentioned between the lines that she was starting to work on a new kosher restaurant. Mikhail Ilyich Amaev saw the future interior of the "Mestechka" as it originally appeared in my imagination: with wood and stone decoration and an abundance of paraphernalia, sending us hundreds of years ago. His wife, on the contrary, immediately sent Riva photographs of family Italian restaurants, where the homely atmosphere is combined with a unique Italian charm, and the food served, cooked with love, as if by grandmother's hands, with a delicacy that cannot be confused with anything. Riva was struck by the fact that the owners of family restaurants choose furniture themselves: they look for vintage chairs, antique floor lamps and paintings in attics and flea markets, creating a unique homely atmosphere. Inspired, Riva helped bring to life a restaurant in the center of Moscow that combines modernity and antiquity: sofas in trendy gray tones, Moroccan chandeliers and a whole library of Jewish literature, from the Torah to writers of recent years.
However, the first thing that caught my eye was not the design in my favorite wood-gray tones, like at home, not the familiar faces sitting at the tables. The first thing I saw were caricatures of a famous Hungarian illustrator on a Jewish theme, drawn on papyrus. Six months ago, during a trip to Budapest, one of the most amazing trips in recent years, I walked around the Jewish district of the city for a long time, choosing gifts, and constantly came across funny images with Hasidim, newlyweds on a chuppah and Jewish paraphernalia. And here I am, surrounded by wonderful illustrations in the center of Moscow! As it turned out, they were indeed specially brought from Hungary to decorate the restaurant. Soon, screens will appear on the walls between the drawings, on which favorite films on Jewish topics will be broadcast: “The Adventures of Rabbi Yaakov”, “Ushpizin and Others”. They will add even more Jewish warmth and comfort to the "Place".
Mestechko is a meat restaurant. According to the laws of kashrut, and the restaurant, as mentioned above, is kosher, milk and meat cannot be mixed. Therefore, my guesses that the choice of fish will be rather big, were confirmed. I was torn for 10 minutes between arctic flounder fillet, pike perch in traditional Moroccan sauce(looked at the red chandelier hanging over my table) and grilled salmon steak, focusing on the latter. From drinks, I settled on a refreshing homemade lemonade with raspberries and passion fruit.
“You should definitely try the quinoa salad. And kurze with beef. AND…"
"I think that's enough for now..." I stopped Rahel at the moment when the waiter entered our hall with my salmon. In front of me was a plate with a fragrant steak of impressive size, warm spinach and cherry tomatoes.
"The portion is really generous"- after tasting a piece of salmon, I added: "And the price is justified."
Jewish food traditionally comes in two forms. Either it is simple, tasty and slightly bland (it is no coincidence that stuffed fish is served with horseradish). Or, if we are talking about Israeli cuisine, which was strongly influenced by the Middle Eastern Arab countries, it is too sharp. In kosher restaurants, they often try not to overdo it with seasonings and sauces. Here, the salmon not only turned out juicy, but the amount of sauce, perfectly calculated and not interrupting the taste of the fish itself, made the dish come alive.
While the quinoa salad and beef kurze were being prepared, the waiter brought some amazing compliments from the chef. They are the only ones you can eat.
Rachel and I ate leisurely, talked about the restaurant, website design, discussed the menu, I didn’t notice how I left nothing on the plate, and my lips themselves asked the waiter to bring another lemonade, this time - berry. Muted music did not interfere with the conversation, the words of the Torah could be heard from the next table.
In order to keep track of kashrut, a special person works in the restaurant, called mashgiakh. His presence in the kitchen ensures that all food is thoroughly inspected. Kosher meat is known to be of higher quality and healthier. Vegetables, fruits, cereals and greens are thoroughly checked for the presence of insects.
I was pleasantly surprised by the prices. for a restaurant located in the very center of Moscow with a wide range of dishes, tasty and kosher food - they are quite acceptable.
Menu 
really varied. The chef of the restaurant, Nikolay Gritskov, worked in Israel for a long time. There are both modern Israeli dishes and unusual names for Muscovites, taken from the traditional cuisine of the Jews of the Caucasus, Iran and Morocco: Arabic cube(dumplings from specially processed wheat grains - burgul) with tahini sauce and fresh cilantro, azerbaijani lamb plov with chestnuts, prunes and saffron. The main attribute of the royal pilaf is an appetizing crispy lavash crust in which it is cooked. Georgian chinakhs from a young lamb with garlic and chili pepper - stew in a pot, shoarma on fresh laffe(Arabic flatbread) with tkhina and matbuha sauces, stuffed fish gefilte fish, Krakow sausage with mustard and green onions and the famous Israeli scrambled eggs shakshuka, homemade desserts: cakes, eclairs, cookies…
“There are three halls in the “Mestechka”. In the large one you can hold holidays, noisy events. Small is an ideal place for dates and business negotiations”,“Rachel showed me all the nooks and crannies.
As a journalist, I couldn't help but agree with her. The atmosphere in the restaurant is conducive not only to rest, but also to work. I would boldly bring a laptop here, order a salad, a portion of which I would eat all day, and write until night.
I am not a businesswoman, not an economist and not a restaurateur, but "Mestochko", in my opinion, will be a great success. And the owner himself, Mikhail Amaev, does not worry about the future life of his new project.
The simple name reflects not only the Jewish spirit of the institution. "Place"– really pleasant for meetings place in the center of Moscow, where you want to return again and again. That is what I intend to do as soon as possible.
Moscow
The main activity according to the OKVED code:
- . Activities of canteens at enterprises and institutions and the supply of catering products;
Additional activities of the company:
- . Bar activities;
- . Activities of restaurants and cafes;
All-Russian classifier of products by type of economic activity:
- . Canteen services at enterprises and institutions and services for the supply of catering products and services for ceremonial events (banquets, weddings, receptions, etc.);
ELION LLC, registration date - September 28, 2010, registrar - Interdistrict Inspectorate of the Federal Tax Service No. 46 for MOSCOW. Full official name - LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY "ELYON". Legal address: 127473, MOSCOW, st. SELEZNEVSKAYA, 4, apt. 90. The main activity is: "The activity of canteens at enterprises and institutions and the supply of catering products." The organization is also registered in such categories as: "Activity of bars", "Activity of restaurants and cafes". Organizational and legal form (OPF) - limited liability companies. The type of property is private property.
Address and phone numbers "ELION"
Legal address
127473, Moscow, st. SELEZNEVSKAYA, 4, apt. 90
Company founders
The founders of the company according to Statregister as of October 2012:- . Russian citizens (1);
- . AMAEV MIKHAIL ILYICH (participation share - 100%);
Misha Amaev, who opened the beautiful Shallot kosher restaurant at the very beginning of HaBarzel - "the main restaurant street of Ramat ha-Khayal" - was still well known only to Moscow gourmets. One of his most popular projects so far is the Village Kitchen on Malaya Bronnaya in Moscow. Here they cook “like my mother used to cook in childhood”. And a very sophisticated Moscow "eater" happily shared this concept with Misha, simply because on this kitchen(cuisine) very tasty.
However, in Tel Aviv, Misha, who himself adheres to the Jewish tradition, decided to open a restaurant of kosher cuisine, which are surprisingly few in the secular capital, and even with the mark “glat-kosher” - the highest category of kashrut. And gave himthe name "Shallot" - the sweetest onion of all existing types.As in Moscow, the famous chef made a bet on products, choosingfor its menu the best varieties of meat, fish, vegetables. ABOUThe simply mixes them in different versions of various culinary traditions - Caucasian, European, Israeli - creating a unique author's cuisine.
The menu turned out to be very diverse and not Israeli rich. Here and grilled eggplant, served with black or green tahina (45 nis), veal tongue with garlic sauce (72 nis), tobacco chicken(NIS 125),fire cutlets, stuffed with mushrooms and herbs served with Pushkin potatoes (120 nis), Neapolitan-style tuna steak (108 nis), thin yeast-free tortilla Chudu with greens, chicken, spinach, etc. (65 nis, for 2-4 people),homemade belyashi, pancakes with veal, handmade dumplings andat least 30 more different items: snacks, dough, grill, hot meat and fish dishes, desserts.
Not afraid of a rather strange local stereotype that kosher places are tasteless places, Misha attracted to Shallot both those for whom the observance of all kosher traditions is important, as well as secular Israelis and his famous Moscow friends - musicians, artists, politicians, diplomats, businessmen.
Shallot is great for banquets and meetings with large companies, because it has plenty to choose from for everyone (and if at least one guest in your company adheres to the rules of kashrut, then the rest will definitely “not suffer”), for dinner “what- then to others”, if you are tired of the same steaks and salads in other restaurants and want to get a little “nostalgic” or, conversely, try something new for yourself. Shallot also organizes amazing catering. And it is here that the most delicious pies in Israel are baked.
P.S. When leaving home, I sincerely advise you to take a jar of pate and shallot jam with you, which you can enjoy together and separately, but, unfortunately, not for long, because, according to experience, the jar is completely “licked” along the walls in no longer than 2 days .
Address: 3 HaBarzel (Ramat ha-Hayal, Tel-Aviv),
Roman Gershuni, the owner of Steaks, the former chef of the Shafran restaurant and the permanent presenter, Mikhail Amaev, the owner of the recently opened kosher restaurant Misada, and Borukh Gorin, the editor, publisher and frequenter of kosher restaurants, we asked a few questions in the hope to understand why Jewish cuisine suddenly became so popular in Moscow and what the future holds for it.//
There are already a dozen Jewish restaurants in our city. Just a few years ago, there were significantly fewer of them: thinking about where to go for dinner, one could immediately think of only restaurants at synagogues. Independent establishments, of course, opened from time to time, but quickly disappeared. What is happening now and, most importantly, why?
Borukh Gorin
Borukh Gorin:Most likely, this trend was born and strangely continues to exist, based on several myths.
Firstly, large (for 500-600 and even 1000 people) and, of course, expensive kosher events have been regularly held in Moscow lately. Because of this, one might get the impression that many wealthy observant Jews appeared in Moscow. Secondly, there is a widespread opinion that the consumer is ready to go even where it is tasteless and expensive for the sake of kashrut.
Observant families in Moscow, of course, have become more numerous in recent years, but not all of them are as fantastically rich as restaurateurs would like. This segment of the public could be interested not in expensive restaurants, but, for example, in kosher eateries (in Moscow, due to the special economic climate, there are simply no such places now), where you can take children on weekends without much damage to your wallet.
Roman Gershuni:
In my opinion, this is a very significant example of creating a trend out of the blue. A few years ago, there was a boom in Japanese restaurants. The next in line, most likely, are halal. Although… Muslim culture is not too extroverted. This prediction may not come true.
Mikhail Amaev:
In fact, we have been working towards this for many years. Many thanks to Rav Yitzhak Kogan, this man did more than anyone to ensure that Jews and non-Jews here have the opportunity to eat kosher. I believe that a very important thing has happened in the last 20 years: kosher cuisine has appeared in Russia, so there is nothing surprising in the fact that it is developing.
Tell me, does kosher food really mean healthy? Are those who eat kosher not for religious, but, let's say, medical reasons, right?
Mikhail Amaev:
Of course, kosher food is the healthiest. After I began to observe kashrut, I began to feel better, even, it seems, became less aggressive. ( laughing.)
Roman Gershuni
Keeping kosher is not useful at all, it is a myth that is vital for restaurateurs to attract the public. Moreover: kosher for a restaurant is a big minus. It is simply not possible to make a delicious kosher meat restaurant, if only because steaks cannot be left unfinished at the kosher table. And, of course, due to restrictions on the use of a number of products, it is also impossible to create a gourmet kosher restaurant.
Borukh Gorin:
In America, up to 70% of kosher meat is consumed by non-Jews. This, you see, says a lot. Of course, kosher food is, first of all, healthy.
Which of the current Moscow establishments do you like the most and what, in your opinion, should be the ideal Jewish restaurant?
Roman Gershuni:
I was in Tel Aviv (it attracts young people and tries to create a fashion for Jewish cuisine and that is why it is called a bar, not a restaurant) and Chagall when it existed on the territory of the ECC. I don't eat kosher myself, so it's hard for me to say which of the current restaurants is the best.
In my opinion, if you take on the creation of a kosher restaurant, then you need to focus not on rabbis and oligarchs, and not even on expats (as does, for example, the Misada restaurant in Afimoll), but on ordinary people and rely on narrow niche cuisine . The location, of course, must be directly connected to the physical Jewish movement (near a synagogue or community center). In fact, what I miss in Moscow is not restaurants, but fast food - bright, safe and interesting.
Borukh Gorin:
With my family, I most often go to Tel Aviv, this is not just a kosher, but a very modern leisure place with excellent cuisine, reasonable prices, live music, very cozy and at the same time European. In Israel, it seems to me, there are no such restaurants. In Odessa there is a wonderful Jewish restaurant "Rozmarin", but it may very well be that it enchants after all not with service and cuisine, but with Odessa itself. ( Laughs.)
In Moscow, in my opinion, it makes sense to create a restaurant for not yet "closed" segments of the public, for example, for business travelers. Not tourists or expats, but those who come to the capital for a short time and want to eat kosher. Once they were served by MEOTs, but one place for Moscow is clearly not enough.
Over the past year, about 900,000 Muscovites have visited Israel. Israel itself is a trend in Moscow. Most likely, an Israeli restaurant will also be popular here. On the other hand, it would be possible to open not just a Jewish, but an ultra-Jewish restaurant, for example, in Warsaw, with the appropriate cuisine and atmosphere.
Mikhail Amaev does not like to be photographed, but he loves his restaurant very much
My partner and I opened the first kosher restaurant in Moscow in 1997. He was on Red Square, called "On Montmartre". We put a lot of effort into it, it even began to pay off, but at the beginning of the 2000s it had to be closed due to the reconstruction of the premises. Since then, I have dreamed of opening a kosher restaurant again. I will not say anything about other restaurants, but I am sure that Misad has the best kosher cuisine in this city. I myself keep kashrut, I love to cook and I do it professionally. There is live music, people walk weddings, anniversaries. My restaurant has the soul of a real mountain Jew, it is very hospitable.
It is no secret that it is very unprofitable to keep a kosher restaurant in Moscow. There are not many suppliers, prices are high, and many products are rejected by the mashgiach. What are the chances of newly opened restaurants surviving? And what do their owners need to do so that the costs pay off and the business makes a profit?
Roman Gershuni:
In fact, a Jewish restaurant is, first of all, one that reaps the maximum benefit. ( Laughs.) It is not only difficult, but literally impossible, for a kosher restaurant to survive in Moscow conditions. The situation with suppliers is egregious, the prices for Russian kosher meat are exorbitant. And its quality is often worse than imported.
Mikhail Amaev:
What are you talking about? High prices? Yes, they are funny, because they should be much higher, because the products are completely special. In general, I imagine which of the current restaurants are likely to close, but I will not say.
Borukh Gorin:
The problem is not with suppliers, but with the fact that this kosher boom coincided with the development of the market, and should have happened after it. This is a situation of completely unique economic absurdity. In Russia, at this stage, there is no expert community, all research is done for any case and does not bring any benefit. I would like to hope that the emergence of Jewish restaurants will just allow the market to develop faster, and of all establishments they will become profitable and, therefore, those that figure out how to attract visitors, except for kosher, will continue to exist. After all, kashrut is not a feature. To survive, many restaurants have to find it, because in the civilized world people go to restaurants not because they are kosher, but in spite of them.
What experience did you have in the restaurant business?
I have been doing it all my life, this is my profession. I am a catering engineer by profession, I started in sports, with very good teachers. We developed the menu and prepared for the base of the Olympic reserve, where the tasks are always very difficult - it is important that the food is balanced and suitable for athletes from different teams and national teams.
How did you start in Moscow?
In the nineties, he opened the restaurant "On Montmartre", without thinking at all that it would be kosher. We were located in the French Galleries passage near Red Square, and after the crisis of 1998 we were left alone in this building: about forty boutiques closed in a very short time. We began to look for a niche that we could fill in order to simply survive, and this niche turned out to be kosher cuisine - very laborious, but interesting. At that time, we were ranked among the top ten kosher restaurants in the world. It was a very important experience, because since then I began to pay great attention to the raw material base.
So you wanted to do something special?
Yes, and this place turned out to be not only unique, but also spiritual. This is very interesting for me, and today I am happy to work in a restaurant Misada and, of course, I promote kosher food.
This propaganda is extremely important in general, because there are very few real high-quality raw materials, and not only in Russia, but also in the world. Due to the lack of proper checks, the meat of an animal with cold lungs or a diseased liver enters the kitchen, and this is unacceptable in kashrut, therefore it is rejected.
Most of those who experienced this in the following years, unfortunately, closed very quickly. Someone because they could not achieve a certain quality, because the raw materials undergo the strictest selection, there are very few of them, they are generally difficult to find, and this significantly increases costs. You also need to pay an employee of the kashrut department, who monitors the kosherness of all products. He opens a restaurant, checks all the products brought into it, up to the fact that he cleans the greens, sorts out cereals and the like. After all, if there are traces of an insect on a leaf of lettuce, it immediately becomes unusable. In addition, we are closed for about 30% of the working time per year, plus interruptions in supplies, and many things cannot be bought at all - only produced by ourselves.
Raw materials for the preparation of kosher dishes are strictly selected, they are very scarce, they are generally difficult to find, and this significantly increases costs.
What was the state of the market for kosher restaurants at that time, and did it exist at all?
There were no kosher restaurants at that time, even in synagogues. There were two aunts who cooked something on the stove, and those who kept kashrut were content with this. Visiting religious people carried biscuits in suitcases ...
Are there any special requirements for employees of kosher restaurants?
The employee must understand that he must work within strict limits, follow the rules: it is forbidden to bring non-kosher products into a kosher restaurant. The rest is like everywhere else.
Has the situation with raw materials improved lately?
Yes, a lot. There are professional meat-packing plants, slaughterhouses that are engaged in the production of kosher meat, the right livestock has been found, healthy. After all, earlier out of hundreds of purchased lambs, only 15 could turn out to be kosher, and the rest could be sick. Now this is much easier.
What is the reason for this?
The common titanic efforts of many, many people. However, we still lag behind the rest of the world. In America, for example, the turnover of kosher products last year amounted to $13 billion. This suggests that kosher food is also popular among people who do not adhere to the rules of kosher.
Today, Russian passengers, when ordering a plane ticket, often automatically order kosher meals, although they are not related to Judaism. Many began to simply read about kashrut, and realized that it is at least harmless, clean and tested many times.
Does Misada have competitors?
If we talk about business, of course - this is a restaurant on Bolshaya Bronnaya and a restaurant in Maryina Roshcha, both at synagogues. Misada, as a conceptual institution, also has competition, but this is normal. I was not at all happy that Tel Aviv and Zucker were closed, but in terms of business, I didn’t feel anything from the closure of the same Tel Aviv - it didn’t get better or worse. Today, the time of risks, I hope, is behind us, the restaurant has become popular and works in plus.
There was no desire to make "Misada" a network project?
Misada cannot be a network project. Firstly, it will not be in demand, and secondly, much more high-quality products will be required to provide the network, and it is not easy with them.
Why did you stay at Afimall? Do you think this place is good?
The owners of the building are an Israeli company, we have been cooperating and friends with them for a long time. Most of Misada's clients are not religious Jews, but employees of neighboring office centers, whose presence saves us on weekdays and in the daytime: we have a very popular business lunch, it costs a lot - 650 rubles, but people really like it. Also nearby is a multiplex cinema that provides an influx of visitors, the Kosmik children's club, with which, being a family restaurant, we cooperate - we supply kosher food for children's holidays.
Another restaurant of yours, Village Kitchen, you did not want to make kosher?
Didn't want to. I have collected here various homemade recipes, traditions, rare products and try not to spoil them. To get nelma, wild - not farmed - salmon, and other rare regional specialties, I use, of course, friendly ties in Kamchatka, Yakutia, Naryan-Mar, Arkhangelsk. But I still try to send guests to Misada, to introduce them to kosher cuisine.
Where do you collect recipes?
Yes, wherever I go. I come to the kitchen to the chefs, put on an apron and go! Sometimes I pay money for it (smiles). It's interesting to me, I wanted the Village Kitchen to have many different moods, stories. So, lobio, baba ganoush, hummus, foie gras on coals and eggnog coexist on the menu.
Are you interested in opening restaurants in the future?
I do not only them, but also catering, corporate catering. We provide in-flight meals for business class passengers, we supply kosher meals to Aeroflot and Transaero. Small volume - 5000-6000 sets per month, but this is enough to support the business.
What are you working on now?
Over two interesting fast foods. One is American, we will most likely open it as distributors, and the first two outlets will be in a month. I can’t say anything about it yet, except that it is delicious and sweet. And harmful - because it is tasty and sweet (smiles).
We come up with the second fast food ourselves based on the cuisine of Southern Italy.
From the height of your experience in the restaurant business, can you tell if this business has become easier to run?
The market has become abundant, and this is undoubtedly a big plus. I like it not because I'm a great cook, but because it's generally right. The choice should be the widest, so that everyone can find something for their pocket, taste, and mood.
A lot of random people began to come into the business, who simply want to have their own restaurant out of ambition. Many got burned, and many, on the contrary, managed to create successful, interesting and tasty projects. For example, I really like the As Is restaurant, which was created by a married couple - people who are far from the restaurant business, but who made a very warm and cozy place. And this, perhaps, is the main indicator of the right attitude to one's work.
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