Adjaruli
Homemade meruli sulguni cheese baked in yeast dough; served with poached organic egg
$18
Most people are unfamiliar with Georgian cuisine.
Or perhaps Georgia makes them think of peaches or the heat or the town of Macon, GA which was once visited by Oprah Winfrey as it was voted the fattest city in the USA.
But Georgia is a mysterious post-Soviet country nestled between Armenia, Russia and Turkey.
While I’ve never been, after tasting so many delicious dishes, I desperately want to go!
Because of it’s location, Georgian food is like a tasty mashup of Russian, Mediterranean and even a little Asian (the dumplings totally look like Chinese soup dumplings!)
Oda House has a casual, nondescript vibe featuring slightly higher prices than you might want to pay based on the décor.
But trust me, it’s worth it.
We started with two things that Georgian cuisine is “famous” for.
The cheese bread and the dumplings.
You may have seen those enormous eyeball shaped bread bowls before, filled with cheese, butter and eggs. (or you not have, sorry that you’re so sheltered).
Well, at Oda House, they’re expensive ($18) and NECESSARY! So rich and decadent and comforting. You won’t be able to pronounce the name of the type of cheese they use, but I promise it’s not weird.
The Trio of spreads was also overpriced ($17) and they don’t give you any bread to eat it with. In fact, they acted like we were a bit out of line for even asking if it came with bread. I would NOT recommend this (although we did enjoy eating it with bits of leftover cheese bread).
The dumplings are a no brainer, get them.
For $8, you get one cheese (pretty good) one mushroom (very good) and one mashed potato and dill (SO SO SO GOOD!).
We decided to share one entre, so we got the Tsitsila Rachulad (which I have now nicknamed the Phylicia Rashad) which is basically a Cornish game hen with a life altering blackberry, cilantro and garlic sauce.
The dish is presented to you looking like a bloody crime scene with all that crimson sauce and you will never be happier to dust for fingerprints (with your mouth) that sauce is so good.
Also, I’m going to think about a better “bloody crime scene” joke, not sure if that one really landed.
Stay tuned!
Oh! Our waitress let us try her odd but slightly addicting and shockingly green Georgian Tarragon soda (see pic below),
76 Ave B
New York, NY 10009 Alphabet City, East Village
(212) 353-3838
Khinkali with cheese/ mushrooms/ potatoes (vegan)
$8
Pkhali Trio (gluten free, vegan)
Eggplant, spinach, leek with ground walnuts, fresh herbs & Georgian spices;garnished with pomegranate seeds
$17
Tsitsila Rachulad (gluten free)
Organic grass-fed Cornish hen oven roasted, served with blackberry, cilantro & garlic sauce and Georgian bread
$24
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