2026.01 Ivan the Kozak (2001 - )

Disclaimer: Never a 'foodie', not my intention to give anyone motivation towards food.

Now that I'm available, I visit more local eateries to record them.  Being a last minute mourner isn't helping much.  This one stayed in my 'to go' list for 10+ years, back when it was near the Central-Midlevels Escalators where I discovered it.  It appears to be the remaining Eastern European (Russian/Ukrainian) restaurant on the Island/Kowloon side (excluding Queen's Cafe, if you consider one).

I had a sudden urge to visit Central and this restaurant.  Turns out it has moved slightly up from Cochrane Street for some years already.  Now in Wyndham Street, your option is to walk up from Central Exit D2 for 7-10 minutes, or take Citybus No.12/13 near Exit D2 for two quick stops.  Seeing a #12 departing slowly in a very congested Central near lunchtime, I decided to walk up D'Aguilar St.  It was indeed walkable, also a mini cultural city walk.

While it occupies the whole 1/F, the menu is available on the G/F Parekh House.

Stepping out the lift, a wall of post-it welcomed you.  As it was a weekday afternoon, set lunch ranging $150-200 per head after 10% is a good way to get into a restaurant when that gets you a soup, main course, and a dessert.  The soup and salad arrived quick, and the baked rice 10-15 minutes later, the dessert followed after you finish the main course by default.

Ukrainian Borscht (L).  If like me you are a local fast food veteran, borscht is translated to a slightly spicy, watery, tomato-ey soup with vegetables and beef.  Here it isn't (of course).  It's a beetrooty (not tomato-ey) dark red vegetable stock, with a drop of cream cheese and a lump of pork - its texture is comparable to those in your homemade pork and carrot soup, quite chewy but not too chewy that you'd just give up.  One lump is enough though.

Stolichny salad (R).  A mix of mayo, chicken meat, chicken soft bone, potato, cucumber and herbs, it's chicken and potato salad with herbs. This is an extra order at a smaller portion.  The cucumber and herbs (basil?) made this a herbal one, differentiating itself from normal HK 'salads'.  

Baked fillet rice with assorted vegetables.  This is why I write this piece.  It came wrapped in foil, with a hole in the middle where a garnish and two pieces of lemon showed.   Unwrapping the foil, you see a piece of fillet on white rice, that's it.  Where's the sauce? I mean, where is the sauce that you usually expect in fast food restaurants like black pepper, corn, curry etc?  None here. 

I scooped a spoon of white rice next to the fish - indeed not flavorful, but not bland either.  The light, dill-seasoned fish and sautéed peppers and tomatoes gave the mild white rice just enough subtle flavor. A squeeze of lemon tied everything together perfectly for a light, well-balanced bite.  Food doesn't need to be so flavourful if the ingredients are fresh and nice.  In the 60s, my mum claimed the rice tasted so good alone that she could eat the whole bowl, sadly it never happens now.

Less is more.  But why is healthy food more expensive than junk in this city (and in many others)?  Why do kids eat more junk food?  Not only because of the tasty additives, but also cheap.  Sadly the only way you can get cheap and healthy meals here is DIY.

The dessert was pistachio pudding, but the three-course were good enough.  I love a meal that leaves you feeling content without being overly stuffed.