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As Melbourne’s first and only Ukrainian restaurant, Otakoi rises to the occasion – using food as a vehicle to share the country’s rich culture, history and warmth. It helps that the food is excellent. The convivial atmosphere and BYO policy lend themselves to big, boisterous group dinners. The more people you bring, the more of the menu you’ll get to try – and you’ll want to try it all.
The vibe
Tucked down the Windsor end of Chapel Street, Otakoi is easy to miss from the outside, but the inside bursts with colour and character. The ornate interior pays homage to traditional Ukrainian design, with shelves, walls and ceilings adorned with art and handicrafts. Ukrainian hospitality is equally on display. Guests are greeted with a piece of brown bread and salt – a traditional symbol of welcome – before being led to tables set with heavy ceramic serveware by staff in vyshyvanka (traditional embroidered shirts). They’re eager to chat through the menu and make sure glasses never run dry.
The food
The menu is rooted in hearty Ukrainian comfort food. The varenyky (dumplings) are a must, filled with potato, beans and mushrooms or salmon and cream cheese wrapped in striking black dough and topped with flying fish roe. The latter is an unlikely combination that works incredibly well. The crisp, salty deruny (potato pancakes) with creamy mushroom sauce are far more satisfying than any bowl of chips. As for the best snack on the table, it’s a toss-up between those and the benderyky – triangular crepes stuffed with braised cabbage or chicken and mushrooms (we went with the latter).
Lighter options are rare in Ukrainian cuisine, but you can break up the richness with a pickle platter or the shubah (‘herring under a fur coat’) – a layered, rainbow-hued terrine of shredded beetroot, carrot, potato and herring. It follows the Midwestern American definition of salad (read: heavy on the mayo), but it’s a showstopper all the same – the kind of dish that made everyone at the table pause for a moment.
Whatever you order, save room for dessert. The medivnyk, a honey sponge layer cake, is delicate and fragrant, while the syrnyky (cottage cheese pancakes with cream and jam), a recommendation from our server, end things on a comforting note.
The drinks
Otakoi offers BYO for $8 a head, but the in-house drinks list is worth exploring. You’ll find Ukrainian liqueurs, traditional soft drinks like kvass (a tangy, fermented rye beverage) and the ‘flat red’, a pomegranate-spiked coffee first created in Kyiv.
Time Out tip:
Otakoi is best enjoyed with a crowd so you can sample as much of the menu as possible. Online bookings max out at eight, but call ahead and they’ll happily accommodate larger groups.
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