Zelyenni Borsch in the Coffee Shop

Its my last day in Kiev. My checkout time from the hotel is 12:00 and my flight isn't until 10:20 at night. Don't like getting in that late, but that's the only flight. Since I'm up at 5:00 am, I check to see if there might be time to hop on a train. It only costs about $20. Turns out the train travels at night, so I missed that. Now I have some time to kill. Before I check out of the hotel, I walk around the neighborhood a bit to see if there's any internet cafes. I can hang out in the hotel lobby, where I have already purchased a wi-fi card, but 8 hours is still a long time to hang out in a hotel lobby. I casually stroll through a local shopping mall, where I find a really neat beer mug, made from hardwood with a stainless steel inlay and  pewter emblems of a cossack and coat-of arms on the outside. I can't resist; just hope it survives all of the suitcases later on.

After checking out of the hotel, I finish up a couple of posts, and then, with bags in tow, head to a patio restaurant about a block away to get lunch. I see they have Ukrainskii borsch, and order some. It is very tasty, but red! Not the green (zelyenni) I've been looking for. It does have a similar flavor to the green, so I'm somewhat ok with this. But where is the green borsch? I had looked for it the day before, and settled for some solyanka - a potato, meat flavored hearty soup - also very tasty. I highly recommend it as well. But I'm still looking for my Zelyenni. I head back to the hotel for another hour and poke around on the internet, then decide to head to a local coffee house, named Chaikoff, for a cup of that delicious European coffee. I'm going there because they showed a sign indicating free wi-fi. That's where I am now. Its one of those trendy places where folks hang out talking and drinking coffee. Checking their menu, they serve a full lunch, not just coffee. (As an aside, I haven't seen a Starbucks in either St. Petersburg or Kiev - quite different than Moscow, which had an abundance). They identify two kinds of borsch - Zelyenni Ukrainskii and 'cold borsch'. I always hated cold soup. Come on, soup is supposed to be hot. Period! I don't care if its says borsch, it MUST be hot. I order the Zelyenni, prepared to send it back for microwaving if it comes out cold. The waiter smiles and accommodates. Jackpot! Its hot! Here's what it looks like: First of all, its green. Sour cream (Smetana) is served on the side. Vegetables are finely chopped. Potatoes are cubed - about 1/4". Boiled eggs, also in pieces, sliced or quartered (sliced is probably preferred). Served with a dark brown rye bread. Not wonder bread, this is thick, rich, fresh. Tasty, very tasty. In a coffee shop.

If you want to make it, see the links to Ukrainian recipes on my other blog site There and Back

Now off to the airport.......