Client feedback

Have you eaten or overeaten or otherwise overindulged at Pasha's? I invite you to share your opinion using my board. From there I'll try to copy them here. Feedback in e-mail form will also find its rest on this page. Stories from my Russian speaking clients tend to be on the Russian board here..

Paul Voytinsky (aka Uncle Pasha) is a friendly and hospitable Russian gentleman who speaks English fluently. He also happens to be a great chef. A couple of days, he invited me and my girlfriend over to try his vegan* dishes. He started us off with a filling green salad full of tofu**, tomatoes, cucumbers, sprouts among many others things. It was delicious and spicy***. The nice thing is that Paul was explaining to us the ingredients and his flexible cooking procedures--for he is against fixed recipes****. After a shot of rice vodka*****, we proceeded to the main course which included a bamboo soup with fried chickpea flour [patties]. Highly recommended for every vegetarian gourmet out there in Moscow, but especially for vegans. Even though Paul doesn't like the label "healthy," I have found his food to be very healthy. He told me that it's high in calories. So I told him at least they're good calories. Yes, Uncle Pasha uses a lot of interesting oils and herbs that render his dishes idiosyncratic. I wish Paul success with his future project of opening a veggie cafe in Moscow.
I have read that Paul is a jack of all trades, so he's not only an excellent chef... he's many other things. He's best known for his humor I suppose.
 
May 14th, 2010
Robert Beshara

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*I object to having my cooking labeled as vegetarian or vegan. It **happens** to be vegan but that's not the aim and thus not a definition.
** There was fairly little to-fu there. One small brick. 10 roubles worth. If I was to make it a menu item I'd probably call it bulgur and sprout salad. These are the two ingredients that defined the salad. To-fu is too easy and too crude of a solution to making a filling meal.
*** I usually add fresh hot pepper but not spices to salads. My sense is that spices are not to be used in fresh salads.
**** Not "against" but working with recipes requires planning. It is easier to handle food in the ad hoc manner.
***** Thank you for not revealing to the public the number of shots with which I've been keeping myself in the spirit.

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 


 


 


May 14 2010