Rondel

UKRAINE 🇺🇦

The block of Coney Island Avenue between Avenue P and Quentin Road has become sort of a Black Sea dining destination over the years, with the nations that surround this continent-straddling body of water almost all represented within a few meters of each other. Taci's Beyti (Turkey) has been around longer than most restaurants in the city, while newer ones like Slavyanskiy Bazar (Russia) and Argo Restaurant (Georgia) seem to have taken hold as well. Azerbaijan, removed from the Black Sea by a few hundred kilometers is there too at Village Cafe. While Bulgaria and Romania are unfortunately left out, the northern shores of the sea have representation here at Rondel with its Ukrainian food.

Ukrainian cuisine might be seen through at least two different lenses if you look beyond the names of common dishes. The first would be if we had a Ukrainian grandmother and visited her in Kiev during holidays, enjoying the feasts she prepared for the family using recipes passed down from her mother and grandmother. The second, and the lense in which Ukrainian food is seen here at Rondel, is that in which some of its dishes were co-opted by the Soviet Union after its creation and became part of the spectrum of Soviet foods enjoyed throughout the vast empire. Foods from Ukraine and the Caucasus, particularly Georgia, become well-known and beloved throughout after the first world war.

For this reason, you will notice some differences between the food here and the simple preparations at Streecha in the East Village. Waves of Ukrainian immigration has landed many tens of thousands of people in the East Village since the end of the 1800's, whereas the Russian-dominated landscape of South Brooklyn and its foods is more Soviet-style.

Unfamiliar to both most likely is the Rondel salad ($10, above), a mixture of mushrooms, red pepper, and tomato combined with pastrami, mozzarella, and mayonnaise. Despite such a hodgepodge, it has good flavors and multiple textures.

A huge plate of assorted pickled vegetables ($13, below) is such a good value that it should probably make its way to every table. Much of the food can get heavy, so these crisp tart vegetables can easily remedy that.

Blintzes, thin rolled wheat flour pancakes are available with either red caviar or with meat and mushroom sauce. The latter is shown below, two pieces cost $6.

There were a few oohs and aahs at the table when the bowls of Ukrainian borscht ($7, below) showed up and we started digging in. The soup held its own and was quite delicious, full of hunks of beef just below the surface. Feel free to spoon in as much sour cream as desired, and eat the soup with a hot garlic roll known as a pampushka.

The English phrasing of One Big Potato Pancake ($16 with meat, below) caught our attention and deserved an order. Cheese was not part of the description, but dominated the dish as you can see. The fairly thin pancake is folded over the meat and mushrooms within.

Despite being possibly the most dramatic dish, arriving at the table with a fluffy top of bread, the beef stew ($19, below) was also the most expensive and the least interesting. It lacked much flavor. Check out our Instagram for the shot before the stew took its top off:
https://www.instagram.com/eattheworldnyc/

Somehow the little beauties known as vareniki, or Ukrainian-style dumplings, did not make their way onto the menu but they are available in both savory and sweet varieties. We chose the sour cherry version ($12, below) to double as our dessert and were not disappointed. These are just slightly sweet but supremely satisfying.

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SHEEPSHEAD BAY Brooklyn
2006 Coney Island Avenue

Map of Eat the World NYC:

Aksaray Turkish Cafe

TURKEY 🇹🇷

The blocks of Kings Highway underneath the B and Q lines are always flush with people. Many are heading to and from the station, but this area is also dense with commercial business seemingly nonstop. Around the corner on East 16th Street, and quite a few storefronts away from this bustle, Aksaray Turkish Cafe has set itself up as a 24 hour business.

As standard for any business with spits of spinning meat, the two here are right in the window announcing themselves to any hungry passersby. Around lunchtime you will see them at their most beautiful, new wheels put on and fired up for the busy early afternoon rush.

Aksaray is an old silk road city near the geographical center of modern day Turkey that is much more quiet today than in certain times of history. Because it is surrounded by some of the best agricultural regions in the country, Aksaray is well known for its good cuisine.

The dining room here has been renovated in the last few years after the long-running restaurant took over half of the space occupied by their next door neighbors who offer buses to Atlantic City. The new look is modern and clean, and businessmen and others seem to be taking advantage of this, bringing their laptops and scheduling meetings here.

While most seem to eat the gigantic platters with rice, I opted for the somewhat less substantial chicken gyro ($6, above) served on Turkish bread for an extra dollar. The chicken here is excellent and juicy, not needing but certainly not hindered by the yogurt and hot sauces they provide. The extra dollar for the bread is recommended, the freshly baked loaf is briefly charred on the grill and wonderful.

Turkish and American sodas are all available, but why not perk up your day with a thick and muddy cup of Turkish coffee ($2, below), made fresh and enjoyable as always, if that is your thing. Take your cues from the others and bring out your laptop to get some work done.

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SHEEPSHEAD BAY Brooklyn

1618 East 16th Street

Map of Eat the World NYC:

Padishah

TAJIKISTAN 🇹🇯
UZBEKISTAN 🇺🇿

While I rarely (read: never) use Yelp for gathering opinions of positivity, I have come to the conclusion that it does have some use in our society. For the cuisines of former Soviet countries, you can be guaranteed to find a long list of whiney reviewers unhappy with their service in area restaurants. If you take these as a whole, there could be some reverse relationship with how good the food turns out to be. Testing this theory, we headed to Padishah on Avenue U in Sheepshead Bay, which has a growing number of critics.

Our 19:00 start time was on the early side for a Friday, but the restaurant filled up nicely as we progressed through our meal. Two couples sat and ate together, but the rest of the tables were mostly groups of men drinking multiple 1.75L bottles of vodka and Johnny Walker Red, using their water glasses to fill up for constant toasts.

As our first cold dishes began arriving like the Tashkent salad ($9.95, above), a woman took a seat in the front window and began singing along with her karaoke machine. She would be our entertainment for the evening, and sort of faded into the background rather than being too loud.

Eggplant salad $8.50

Along with these salads, the lepeshka bread ($4 each, not pictured) was very strong here, fluffy and served warm from the oven.

Korean carrot $8.50

Achichuk $7.95

The warm courses started with Uzbek lamb plov ($8.95, above, two portions shown), a better than average rendition and then continued with samsa ($2.29 each, below), cheburek ($2.75 each), and kootabi ($2.50 each).

Cheburek.

Kootabi. There were two, the first was grabbed before photo!

The chef and owner here is Tajik but was raised in Uzbekistan. The cuisine tends to focus on the foods that overlap between the two countries, of which there is plenty. An order of the manti ($6.95, below) was appreciated by the whole table.

Also above average was their selection of shish kebabs ($4.50-5.95 each, below), that spanned the range of available offerings. Chicken hearts, veal liver, a couple different lamb and beef preparations were all included in the array.

The grilled vegetable kebabs ($4.95, below) are also worth including in your spread.

In what seemed like a flurry, we were finished, but actually a good chunk of time had passed and the giant bottles of liquor had all been finished on other tables. Or maybe they just drank fast?

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SHEEPSHEAD BAY Brooklyn

1920 Avenue U

Map of Eat the World NYC:

Lagman House

KYRGYZSTAN 🇰🇬
KAZAKHSTAN 🇰🇿

While out doing the legwork to try and find Russians excited about the upcoming World Cup, I instead found something very different but actually more important to New York City. On the awning in both English and Chinese scripts was the announcement of Dungan cuisine, a first in the city, and according to our friendly server a first in the entire country.

Dungan peoples are Muslims of Western Chinese origin, different from the Muslims in Central Asia of Turkic origin that are usually associated with the countries in this region and Xinjiang in western China. They migrated away from their homelands starting in the 1800's because of various persecutions and have always been stateless. They have their own language and long history, and it is with absolute joy that we can welcome their cuisine to Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn.

The space was quickly turned over from its previous tenant, a forgettable Azerbaijani restaurant. "50 shades of tan" is the best way to describe the bare bones design, but once the menu is placed on the table, the magic is far from the atmosphere.

Like many other restaurants in the area, feel free to BYOB here. Other Dungan families, speaking to the staff in a language that almost sounded Mandarin but not quite, all brought bottles of wine and spirits to accompany their meals.

We were warned about the sourness of the cold Dungan-style salad ($6.99, above) when it was ordered, but this seemed to be out of experience with their Russian customers' reactions. It was certainly on the sour side, but it was enjoyed enough to order a second plate later in the meal. Our server suggested it be used to combine with the noodle dishes as a garnish.

Dungan-style samsa ($6 for 2, below) were served with a side of deep red sauce (not pictured). The flakiness and texture of the shell are wonderful enough to order this, but the insides and surprisingly good sauce make it almost jaw-dropping. These samsa take much more care and time in preparation than "normal" Central Asian versions, so this is the reason for a bit of higher price.

As the name of the restaurant might suggest, noodles are king here, and all house made. Do not feel bad about ordering multiple dishes that could all be considered soups. Sharing is a bit of an issue, but they are fine bringing small bowls for everyone, and you would not want to miss out on these delicious and very long noodles.

The first selection was a cold noodle "soup" called ash lan fyn ($9.99, below), noodles in beef broth topped with bean jelly, pickled vegetables, egg, tomatoes, and beef. A special garlic sauce barely seen in the background was recommended to combine with this dish.

The namesake lagman ($9.50, below) is called thon lamian on the menu and painfully good. The beefy broth and rib-sticking heavy noodles would make a wonderful winter meal, but even in late spring we were in awe. A homemade pepper sauce that was brought out (not pictured) paired very well with the richness of this bowl.

Our server described lagman (lamian) as originating in their culture, describing what Uzbeks and others make as kind of a knockoff. Regardless of origins, this version rises right to the top of the city's best list of lagman.

Underneath the top layer

Described as "minced dough," we also really enjoyed the less hearty but just as flavorful ban thon ($7.99, below), another Dungan-style beef soup. Their ways of spicing these soups are familiar and unfamiliar at the same time, it's definitely like enjoying something for the first time while having a deep feeling for it from your past. I do not know how to describe it any other way.

Our only swing and miss on the evening was braised meat ($10.99, below), which came sizzling like fajitas but tasted more like an American-Chinese dish that swapped out the broccoli for tomatoes and bell peppers. We later learned this is in fact not from Dungan kitchens, which made sense as its sweet flavors really stood out from the rest of the meal.

Eager to end the meal on a high note, we asked for the Huascu Dungan style ($15.99, below), which takes 15-20 to prepare. This beef broth is full of pickled cabbage and topped with all types of different meatballs, something of a unique part of the culture as they prepare them all individually.

When the ton momo ($6.99, below) arrived, our server again apologized for the "high" price of the very small dessert, explaining that the process of creating it was very difficult. Of course we were not about to get upset about trying something so new and unique, and were delighted enough to order a second that was eventually given to us free.

These flaky buttery pastries are definitely a good end to the meal, and somehow you can taste all that extra expense in the small bites.

Asked if this was just a normal Russian-style honey cake ($5.99, below), we were told that this was in fact a Dungan-style honey cake and were immediately sold. I must admit I am no honey cake expert though, and would not be able to tell the difference. Despite this, the honey cake we ate was extraordinary.

They even have their own vinegar

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SHEEPSHEAD BAY Brooklyn

2612 East 14th Street

Map of Eat the World NYC:

Belarussian Xata

BELARUS 🇧🇾

The surroundings may feel a little familiar when you walk into this new Belarusian restaurant for the first time. The lobby, the bar, the elevator between floors, even some of the wall decor reminds you of somewhere you have been before. The cuisine will convince you that this is your first time though, as Belarusian offerings have been on hiatus from New York City for a few years since the closing of Syabri on Kings Highway.

[Editor's note: We interchange three different spellings, some incorrect, based on the uses by the restaurant in their name and menu items.]

The space, and those memories you could not quite put your finger on, were formerly Cafe Glechik, a mediocre Ukrainian restaurant that took over this address and brand new construction. The two floor restaurant has now taken on the cuisine of Ukraine's northern neighbor Belarus, and stepped up its game to the nth degree.

This is actually the second branch of Belarussian Xata in the world, the first lives in Moscow. Those triangular-shaped guitar-like instruments and accordions might be hand-me-downs from Cafe Glechik, but all the new rustic furniture and decor is new. Along with the red and white dress of the staff, it tries to present a traditional, possibly country setting in Belarus.

The staff is very friendly, and happy to answer your never ending questions about the foods which are unfamiliar. Order a glass of Belorussian kvass ($2.50, above) or a black tea pot ($4, below) to quench your thirst while you peruse the full menu. Surprisingly, the place has a full bar, although we did see a couple groups bringing bottles as you often see in Brooklyn Eastern European restaurants.

Many menu items overlap with Russian food, as expected and similar to Ukrainian and other former Soviet cuisines, but there are standouts and you can ask which are more specifically Belarusian if that is to your taste. Thankfully, a basket of bread shows up and includes sour rye, which any Belarusian table should include. While our meals were shared and we opted not to get soup, the place seems to excel in them, with a special mushroom soup being seen most served in a bread bowl.

As if it were the most popular dish, our waitress showed us a beautiful photo of the herring "village style" ($7, below). Both of us passed glances about how we felt about herring, but decided to give it a try anyways. Lovers of herring should enjoy this open-faced sandwich of sorts, with a fried potato as the base with cucumber and egg to accompany the fish.

Staying with the village theme, a plate of appetizer "village style" ($15, below) was ordered on a second visit. This is a selection of three different types of salo, cured slices of fatback. Keeping with the visuals of the restaurant, both items were served on wood whether it be tray or cutting board. The salo is served with really nice fried potatoes and spicy mustard. Use bread and/or potatoes with each bite of salo for the best experience.

Also recommended was the fried hog's ears ($12, below), which when agreed to the waitress giggled and gave us a look of real pride. Two whole ears come out deep fried with generous amount of garlic. This really gives you the opportunity to enjoy the hard cartilage of the ear, but it could have used a side of pickles or something to break the texture up a bit.

There is nothing more Belarusian than machanka ($16, below), a thick meat gravy served with pork sausage and ribs. You can have this served with potato pancakes, but the thin blini were our choice on this already heavy meal. First rate.

The source of our potato pancakes, or draniki, was one of many options under the "Belarussian Specialties" section. Potato pancakes with pork ($14, below) sounds innocent enough, but comes with a very thick piece of meat and is covered in cheese sauce. The pork is very well marinated, and this dish was well received.

Typically, Belarus does not have so much access to seafood and this is seen in the cuisine. After so much pork, a little fish was absolutely necessary and initiated an order of grilled branzino with vegetables ($21, below). The chef did a great job with the cooking of this, and flaky hunks of meat were singed with rosemary.

For dessert, do not let the opportunity slip by to try the mini cheese balls "Orshanskie" ($11, below). These balls of cottage cheese are smothered in a sauce of sweetened sour cream and topped with poppy seeds. It comes hot, and is an amazing end even when you think your stomach is past the point of accepting more.

A very warm welcome back to Belarusian cuisine in New York City. Go see what you've been missing and tell us what you find that we did not try.

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SHEEPSHEAD BAY Brooklyn

1655 Sheepshead Bay Road

Map of Eat the World NYC: