Holodok

Bistro "Kholodok" with seafood, where the menu places primary emphasis on a raw bar featuring clams, tiradito, sashimi, crudo, tartares, and both black and red caviar. All ingredients are exclusively Russian: sourced from the northern seas, the Far East, and central Russia.

The Murmansk sea urchin with Kamchatka sockeye caviar and Far Eastern oysters with juice from Podmoskovye radish; an extensive map of northern wines and an inspiring selection of champagnes by the glass; the Nordic chill of deep gray and cozy minimalism in a late-19th-century old Moscow manor house — restaurateur Andrey Telezh opened the bistro "Kholodok" on Prechistenka.

The new "Kholodok" is a seafood bistro, with its menu focusing primarily on a raw bar: clams, tiradito, sashimi, crudo, tartares, black and red caviar. Everything is purely Russian: from the northern seas, the Far East, and central Russia.

Restaurateur Andrey Telezh (Moscow's Bagebi, St. Petersburg's bistro Grebeshki, and Teriberka) explains, "We are Russians; at home, we want to eat our fish, while ordering octopus in Morocco, seabass in Turkey, and tuna in Japan with pleasure. In Moscow, we offer our beloved Russian product, which we cherish with our hearts and prepare with our hands."

The compact "Kholodok," seating 35 guests, opened on Prechistenka in a historic manor built at the turn of the 19th century by architect Semyon Kulagin and immortalized by Mikhail Bulgakov, who set Professor Preobrazhensky there. From the majestic old Moscow architecture, the new project inherited the ideal proportions of two reception rooms, high ceilings with ornate plasterwork, panoramic windows on two sides, and a sense of slowness and solidity. Designer Svetlana Pozdnyakova, a member of the Union of Designers of Russia, transferred the aristocratic spirit of her beloved St. Petersburg into merchant Moscow: the Nordic chill of deep gray in the interior and cozy hygge without candles and throws, where comfort is achieved through spatial organization and furniture selection. The restaurant features two halls: the main hall with an open kitchen and a compact anti-bar — a fully open bar station facing the guest with no counter; and a smaller hall with a round table, a moon-shaped chandelier, and a flock of copper carp on the wall. The undeniable dominant of the main hall is a painting by Khabarovsk artist Ivan Fedotov, who depicted silver fish on the wall.

Head chef Yegor Popov (formerly of St. Petersburg's Grebeshki) avoids complex culinary techniques, preferring natural preparation methods that preserve the natural flavor. Product takes precedence in the kitchen, and caviar is the star of the menu. The creators of "Kholodok" bring large shipments of sockeye and chum caviar from the Far East; it contains no salts or preservatives. Caviar is served with farm bread and whipped butter and appears in half of all dishes. The menu has three sections: Cold, Hot, and Sweet.

The cold section begins with clams: Murmansk sea urchins with yolk and ponzu (300 rubles) and with lime (300 rubles); Far Eastern scallops with strawberry and basil (650 rubles), with Mexican spicy pico de gallo and cilantro (650 rubles); Far Eastern oyster with juice from radish and cucumber (650 rubles) — an homage to summer holidays at grandma's in Podmoskovye; with red Yalta onion marinated in hibiscus (650 rubles) — a twist on the classic serving with vinaigrette; with som-tam (dressing from Thai salad of green papaya) and yellow mango (650 rubles).

Head chef Yegor Popov purchases fresh, whole fish and prepares it himself: steaks go to hot dishes, the back for ceviche, tartares, and tiradito; the rest for rye or soup. For example, Amur muksun with its white, tender meat yields: ceviche from the back with "tiger milk" and tomatoes (700 rubles) — sour, spicy, stimulating the receptors; a soft, creamy rye from the tail section with smoked sour cream and citrus cream on shanyga (bread of northern peoples) (750 rubles). Bouillon is also cooked with muksun, along with Black Sea rapana, White Sea mussels, trout, Far Eastern scallops, northern and Magadan shrimp (950 rubles). A muksun steak is delicately seared on the skin and served with poached sauce, sorrel shreds, and caviar (1400 rubles).

Andrey Telezh highlights several dishes in the menu: an unclassic gazpacho with crab and watermelon, where all ingredients are finely chopped but not blended (900 rubles); sashimi from trout back with Japanese ponzu and red currant berries (650 rubles); lasagna with trout and pesto (1600 rubles).

"Where there is wine, there is gastronomy," says sommelier Yulia Lomi. For "Kholodok," she selected wines in a northern style, characterized by high acidity and purity, with more gastronomic appeal. The wine list features a substantial section of champagnes with a wide variety of options by the glass. Red wines are also offered (more than white ones); Yulia assures that reds truly pair well with fish.