Restaurant SELFIE

The SELFIE restaurant was opened in June on the 1^st floor of the “Novinsky” Trade and Business Centre. The restaurant has changed the gastronomic atmosphere of the city. Boris Zar’kov, the restaurant-keeper (The White Rabbit Family) together with Vladimir Mukhin (the brand-chief of the White Rabbit Family, the winner of international rating TOP-100 according to the Restaurant Magazine and The Diners Club 50 World’s Best Restaurants Academy) and Anatoly Kazakov (the best cook-beginner of Russia in 2011, the participant of the international contest S.Pellegrino Cooking Cup 2012) founded the restaurant where the menu considers world trends but based on Russian ingredients. In the SELFIE the kitchen is opened to the public and food preparation is turned into a show, each dish can be regarded as an art-object. Reasonable prices make SELFIE an everyday pleasure.

Concept. The main idea of the SELFIE is a skilful combination of the open kitchen, modern equipment, fashionable menu, that offers a plenty of new ideas and fine combinations of taste, sel ected music (special track-lists, the best DJs) and intelligent light atmosphere. Boris Zar’kov rethought the traditional model of open-space kitchen. He started the restaurant in which the cooking process has become a breathtaking show. An open kitchen area without glass walls and windows is a workplace for a dozen cooks dressed in aprons and stylish hats. The kitchen (designed by Andrea Viacava, Italy) is separated fr om the hall with a gastronomic bar (there is no analogues of it in Moscow) – the Chef’s Table. That’s the place wh ere Vladimir Mukhin and Anatoly Kazakov hold their master-classes. They also prepare seasonal dishes not included into the menu for the guests, sitting in front of them. Guests can communicate both with the chefs or anyone from the team. So, the cooks get the feedback immediately.

Menu. The accent in the menu is made to the Russian food. Anatoly and Vladimir have chosen the best farms from 15 regions. For example, halibut is ordered from Murmansk, veal meat – in Bryansk, porcini – in Tomsk, rare kinds of sorrel and basil were found in Odintsovo, wood sorrel and raisins – in the vicinities of Moscow, asparagus – in Tver’, fresh nettle for cream soup – in Abhazia. The menu of the SELFIE is based on seasonal products and is updated 4 times a year. Besides, there are ingredients brought from afar like cactuses from South America, artichoke and mini-squids from Spain or French cheese. The cooks not only reveal the taste of the main ingredients but demonstrate effective tricks using modern culinary techniques. Thus, grilled octopus salad, baked bell pepper and crushed potatoes are dressed with delicate smoked pear oil. Light-salted trout with spring sorrel and cucumber tartar conquers the guests with unexpected combination of familiar products and renovated taste of trout (it is pickled in cowberry, vodka and horse radish for 6 hours). Lithuanian-style kolduny and porcini is a paraphrase of the old-time dumplings receipt: kolduny are stuffed with mushrooms, given the shape of a candy as if packed in a wrap and served with Parmesan cream. Nettle cream soup is accompanied by goat cheese and is served with cucumber jelly and dried Iberian ham chips. Baked black cod is served with pumpkin gnocchi warmed in Parmesan milk. Rack of lamb firstly is prepared in low-temperature regime and then is grilled and served with quinoa, raisins, port wine sauce and baked garlic. Panna cotta is one of the treasures of the dessert list. It is prepared of mountain sorrel, sour cream ice-cream and tonic jelly. All that allows to regard at the habitual products from a new point of view.

Interior. Interior concept of the SELFIE belongs to the famous Moscow architect Valeriy Lizunov. He created light and cozy space following the principles of modern European minimalism. Open kitchen is seen from different angles. The guests may choose a table closer to the kitchen to watch cooks’ work. The visitors may prefer seats in the hall and the kitchen turns to be the background. Or it is possible to find tables in the zone separated from the kitchen by the wall. One may enjoy the panoramic view of the both sides of the Sadovoe Koltso from the windows of the restaurant.