Moscow Restaurant With Impressive Service Thus Far Avoids Desert “Cancel Culture”- Some In Kyiv Are Not Happy About It. But, Citizens (And Children) Crave Normalcy, Governments Not So Much.
Since 2014, But With Greater Intensity Since 2022, The Government Of The Russian Federation Has sought To Expunge Itself Of Ukraine Connectivity. If A Product Or Service Had A Ukrainian Name, Then It Should Now Only Have A Russian Name.
Since 2014, But Far More Robustly Since 2022, The Government Of Ukraine Has Weaponized The Goal Of Ridding Itself Of Russian Federation Connectivity. If A Product Or Service Originated In The Russian Federation, Then It Shall Be Likely Prohibited, Renamed- And Its Russian Federation Reference Shall Forever Remain Unspoken.
Since 2022, Citizens In Each Country Have Sought And Continue To Seek Normalcy, While Their Respective Governments Seek Anything But Normalcy.
Imported Oysters (Four Types) From France, Nightclubs, Strip Clubs, And Casinos Have Returned To Ukraine; The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Cellular Device Was Available In Ukraine Three Days Before Available In The United States. None Of Those Were Disrupted In The Russian Federation.
Thus Far, One Namesake Desert On A Restaurant Menu In Moscow Has Yet To Be Cancelled.
“Cancel culture refers to the mass withdrawal of support from public figures or celebrities who have done things that aren't socially accepted today. This practice of “canceling” or mass shaming often occurs on social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.” Merriam-Webster dictionary.
Some In Ukraine Want It Off The Menu. Others Want It To Remain- So Muscovites Can Be Reminded With Each Order, Portion, Spoonful, And Swallow Of What Their Government Is Doing.
Within the famous, and historically infamous Gorky Park in Moscow, Russian Federation, are a variety of food service offerings- from take-out to sit-down.
Note: The 1983 motion picture from the novel of the same name was filmed in Kaisaniemi Park in Helsinki, Finland. Gorky Park was named in 1932 after the writer and political activist Maxim Gorky.
However, none of the restaurants within Gorky Park compare with Syrovarnya. From its table olive oil and balsamic vinegar presentation to its bread presentation, to a surprisingly named desert.
Not uncommon for servers at upscale restaurants to pour olive oil and then balsamic vinegar onto a plate for dipping bread. Here, however, the server then adds salt and pepper, both ground at the table.
Then, there is the bread presentation- arriving in a closed paper bag which the server then opens, carefully folds downward the sides, and places on the table…. The aroma lingers and curiosity beckons to see what is inside- warm dark, and sliced goodness.
One desert among the eighteen (18) listed is surprising on a menu at a restaurant in the Russian Federation, though normal on a menu at restaurants throughout Ukraine. This is more relevant given the state of war existing between the government of the Russian Federation and the government of Ukraine.
On 24 February 2022, the armed forces of the Russian Federation invaded and further invaded the territory of Ukraine in what President Putin defined as a Special Military Operation [SMO] then on 22 December 2022 redefined as a war. The initial invasion by the armed forces of the Russian Federation was in part from the territory of the Republic of Belarus.
The war between the Russian Federation and Ukraine did not commence on 24 February 2022. The roots began their trajectories on 20 February 2014 when the armed forces of the Russian Federation invaded the Crimean Peninsula and the area known as the Donbas Region (Donetsk Oblast and Luhansk Oblast).
Curious too with the foundation of the restaurant resting upon its response to sanctions imposed in 2014 upon the Russian Federation by the then twenty-eight-country member Brussels, Belgium-based European Union (EU) to prohibit the export of certain food products, including cheeses, to the Russian Federation. The government of the Russian Federation then responded by prohibiting the importation of those food products.
European Union (EU): Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden. Until 2020, the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) was a member of the EU.
Arkady Novikov, the founder of the restaurant- now with multiple locations, decided to replicate those cheeses that would be unavailable.
The multi-layer sugary decadence of goodness is Kiev cake (670 Rubles: US$8.30) as written on the menu at Syrovarnya in Moscow and written as Kyiv cake at restaurants throughout in Ukraine.
From Wikipedia: “Kyiv cake (Ukrainian: торт "Київський", romanized: tort "Kyivskyi") is a brand of dessert cake, made in Kyiv, Ukraine since December 6, 1956, by the Karl Marx Confectionery Factory (now a subsidiary of Kyiv, Ukraine-based Roshen corporation owned by Petro Poroshenko, 5th President of Ukraine (2014-2019)).”
From Toronto, Canada-based CBC: “Kiev was the internationally accepted English-language spelling through the Soviet period and into the first years of this century. But, according to Natalia Khanenko-Friesen, director of the Canadian Institute for Ukrainian Studies at the University of Alberta, the name "Kiev" is now associated with the Russification of Ukraine. In recent years, more and more publications, governments, airports and geographical dictionaries have switched the spelling to the Ukrainian variant, she said. "The fact that we have been using the word 'Kiev' for so long has something to do with the history of the region ... the history of the relationship between the Russian Federation and Ukraine," said Khanenko-Friesen. Khanenko-Friesen noted that the region formally became part of the Russian Empire in the 17th century and only declared itself an independent country in August 1991, shortly before the dissolution of the Soviet Union [U.S.S.R.]. The transliteration "Kyiv" was legally mandated by the Ukrainian government in 1995, but the new name only started gaining traction a few years ago when the Ukrainian government mounted a campaign to secure international approval for the name of its capital city.”
From the company: “Syrovarnya is a restaurant chain run by Arkady Novikov, celebrating cheeses of all kinds, as well as cheese-based foods. As the name (Syrovarnya is Russian for cheese factory) implies, the restaurant has an in-house cheese-making workshop that uses Italian techniques to produce seven types of cheese: mozzarella, burrata, stracciatella, caciotta, scamorza (including the smoked variety), and ricotta. You can sample each of these cheeses at the restaurant, or buy them to go. The menu is quite extensive, and most dishes feature cheese as the main ingredient, one way or another. The restaurateur himself describes Syrovarnya's cuisine as country-style food: pasta with simple sauces and fillings, pizza from a wood oven, dishes served in a frying pan, meat patties, cabbage rolls, and baked chicken. From time to time, the restaurant hosts gourmet dinners, where the chef prepares sets of seasonal products. The restaurant has a terrace, as well as a children's play area with entertainment services provided over the weekends.”
From a review: “Specialising in the production of high-quality cheeses to create stylishly executed dishes, Syrovarnya was a welcome addition to Moscow’s restaurant scene following the sanctions’ elimination of Italian cheeses. Syrovarnya (Creamery), a Novikov Group member, opened on the site of owner Arkady Novikov’s own cheese factory, within the Badayevsky Brewery complex. Producing cheeses such as burrata, ricotta and mozzarella, the restaurant has successfully reunited the Russian market with excellent cheeses, using Italian technology to master cheese production, without any use of Italy-imported products. Dishes such as the classic ricotta ravioli have been carefully crafted to bring out the full-flavour of each cheese. The restaurant is as pleasing to the eye as it is to the palette, with charmingly rustic interiors which incorporate some of the old factory’s original features as well as featuring more modern sleek features.”