The Art Of Chinkali

Dining goes upside down

It’s not often you see a sign in a language other than Polish or English on the streets of Warsaw, so I like that Chinkali has a dual language shingle hanging out to let Georgian brethren know they are there to offer them the comforts of home. While I’m not Georgian, there’s something I love about the place: the warmth of the food, culture and hospitality. And while there’s been a surge of Georgian venues in town, what I like about this place is that it feels a little more modern than your typical ethnic outpost. As a place to stop in and meet friends it works just right – there’s a sense of pleasure about the place.
Nuts and raisins are laid out while you wait, and when our meat chinkali arrived our waiter made sure we knew how to eat them (grab the nipple-shaped top, turn them upside down, take a bite from the side and then suck out the meaty broth). From previous trips to Tbilisi I knew that these were the real deal right away (others, such as mushroom and cheese chinkali were coined for outsiders). One thing that can be said about Chinkali is that the food has that homemade quality, so while it is authentic and tasty, the consistency can vary from time to time. I’m suspecting the kitchen rotates cooks and that each has their own method, but either way, the results are always delicious. And a final tip: don’t miss the red bean chachapuri washed down with a mouthwash-colored tarragon lemonade. (KD)

Chinkali
ul. Zgoda 3, facebook.com/bistrochinkali