By Kate Antoni – FG London correspondent
Two peas in a pod..
I cannot profess to being a huge lover of Russian food. I am averse to mayonnaise (unless I make it myself). I’m preferential about my pickles and I have never liked buckwheat grains. I must profess that vodka is excellent and that I’m partial to caviar on a blini. Though, that is about it. I also like layered honey cake. My boyfriend, however, is a huge fan of food that hails from the the transcontinental region. Often he asks if I fancy a take out from the local Russian deli. I never do.
Delivery? Don’t mind if I do!
We could agree to disagree I suppose. Though, compromise has never been my strong point sadly. When Zima offered us dinner for two, delivered straight to our living room, I couldn’t say no. Why not change my preconceptions and make manfriend happy? I accepted the invitation with glee. Manfriend was thrilled. A three course dinner complete with a blackberry vodka infusion and free caviar – what’s not to like?
What we ate.
We started with the famous olivier salad, commonly referred to as a Russian salad. Created in the 1860s by a Lucien Olivier the original sauce is still a guarded secret. The original salad recipe contained, grouse, crayfish, potatoes, cucumber, lettuce, aspic, capers, olives and mayonnaise. In short; everything but the kitchen sink. In post revolutionary Russia the ingredients were changed to those which were more easily purchased. The salad now comprised of chicken or sausage, hard boiled eggs, cucumber, pickles and green peas in a mayonnaise dressing. Zima’s modern Olivier continued chicken, potato and egg in a mayo dressing with salmon roe. This was accompanied by Pirozhki with meat and a plate of beautiful pickled vegetables.
Pirozhki are a fluffy baked bun filled with ground meat They’re super tasty and go down a treat with a pickle and a shot of blackberry infused vodka. The mains were equally hearty. Pelmeni Sirbirskiye which are beef and chicken dumplings served in a clear broth with sour cream. This was accompanied by Beef Stroganoff with buckwheat. Man friend loved this and ate the rest for lunch the next day. I enjoyed the quality of the food and experiencing different tastes. Each dish is technically brilliant in its composition and whilst I will never like Olivier salad or pickled tomato, I did really enjoy the stroganoff and the pirozhki.
The honey cake was absolutely divine and the infused vodka blew my socks off in the best way possible. I would definitely return to the main restaurant and try different types of cuisine. Which will keep both man friend and Rishi happy.
Zima is currently extending the Eat out to help out scheme till September 30th when you eat in house. There is also a free 10g tin of royal Siberian caviar for the first 1000 delivery orders over £30.
Zima Deliveries/Takeaways – 12pm -10pm, 45 Frith Street, London, W1D 4SD 0207 4949 111
