Khachapuri Moscow – Georgian cuisine at its best

If you asked your Moscovite friends about their favorite places for Russian cuisine, you might give them a real hard time. The most probable scenario would be that, after a long pause, you'd hear something like "Uhh... Well... My granny's kitchen, she's a wonderful cook".

However, if you asked about a favorite Georgian restaurant, you'd get an answer immediately. Moscow loves Georgian cuisine, and everyone I know seems to have their favorite place for khinkali (closest resemblance I can think of for this Georgian specialty would be dumplings, on steroids).

Mine is Khachapuri, a cozy restaurant with assorted chairs, a friendly staff and an overall cheerful atmosphere. It offers Georgian cuisine at its best: huge portions meant to be shared, fresh produce, delicious food. I always order something cheese-based: once you've tried some Georgian fresh or smoked cheese, you can never say no to it.

Under no conditions should you skip the specialty that lends its name to the restaurant. Get adjarian khachapuri: a boat-shaped pastry filled with melted cheese and a semi-raw egg on top. Pinch a piece of dough, dip it into the egg and cheese mixture, enjoy. Heaven.