Vareniki on the Hudson: 'Ukrainian Hut' opens in New York

Ukrainian cuisine in the Big Apple is now in trend. New Yorkers are trying to support the business of Ukrainians, as well as learn more about their culture and, of course, food. New acquaintances of Artem Baibuz opened a real hut in a traditional mall. About how the expansion of dumplings spread even to the other side of the Hudson, says “Voice of America".

Today we are in Jersey City. It's very close to get here - just one subway stop from Down Town Manhattan (across the Hudson). The chef and founder of the Ukrainian Hut Daniel Flipchuk worked for 8 years in different cities of America. In his spare time, he sold caviar to restaurants.

“I came here to sell caviar, and this island in the store was empty. I asked why it was empty. They used to serve paninis and sandwiches here. And I said, they say, let's take it for Ukrainian cuisine. And so it happened: I planned to just sell caviar, but opened the Ukrainian Hut, ”admits Flipchuk.

All packages in the “Ukrainian Hut” have a QR code, which makes it easy to go to the Instagram cafe. There you can learn interesting facts about Ukrainian dishes and culture.

“We have four employees: Sonya, Maria, Natasha and Anya. All of them arrived from Ukraine recently, this summer. Our goal was to give jobs to those who had just arrived from Ukraine in this situation. They didn't speak English. They knew how to cook, but not professionally. Therefore, we trained them, helped them learn English, shared new recipes,” the chef said.

Maria Borisenko, an employee of the “Ukrainian Hut”, shared her impressions: “I am very grateful to this institution, because this is the first place I came to when I arrived in America. This is my first job here. And it is very important to me that she is connected with Ukraine.”

The guys collected their homemade recipes and adapted them for large volumes. In the beginning, there were difficulties with the storage of borscht. They were helped by the former chef of Veselka, a Ukrainian restaurant in the East Village.

“There are incredibly many family recipes that are prepared only by mom and grandmother. And it's very cool when your family has such recipes that you can share so that others can get to know the taste of the same dishes that you tried as a child, ”Maria emphasized.

“The most popular positions with us are borscht and pies. Recently, we have introduced different types of pancakes with fillings to the menu. They are also very popular. Every day regular customers come and take pancakes from us,” says employee Sofia Domianchuk.

“I didn’t see poppy seed dumplings in New York. These were prepared by my great-grandmother for all holidays. So I decided to add them to the menu. For me, they are very, very symbolic. Now we want to cook more special dishes on weekends so that people can try something new. This time there will be mushroom soup and eclair with pumpkin, it's the season,” the chef explained.

On the subject: How Russians and Ukrainians get along on New York's Brighton Beach while their home countries are at war

“Ukrainian Hut” is not just a small island in a shopping center. This is a sign of an even greater desire of Americans to get to know Ukraine and its culture. And for Ukrainians living nearby, this island serves as a piece of something native within walking distance.

“You come to the “Ukrainian Hut”, look at the atmosphere, inhale the aroma of dishes - and you immediately feel nostalgic. You are transported to the best moments of your life. Although this wrestler seems so banal, some warm emotions and feelings are associated with him. I think the Ukrainians who are here, when they come to us to taste the food, they are transported home to Ukraine. And immediately goosebumps and, of course, the pleasure of eating, ”Sofia said in the end.