The BIRCH restaurant with a concept of gastronomic bistro, located on Kirochnaya Street in Saint Petersburg, surprisingly disguises delightful gourmet experience behind the modest elegance of the interior.
BIRCH is owned by four chefs with a credible track record: brothers Hezret-Arslan and Murad Berdiev, Tatiana Kryakunova and Alexander Sanzhimitupov.
BIRCH translated from English means “birch tree”, which has acted as a kind of symbol uniting the international team of creators.
Designers from the fashionable architectural bureau DA Architects have created an interior in which they skillfully reflected this idea, using a lot of natural wood in the decoration — tables with a high seating specific to a gastro bistro, a spectacular device of drawers for cutlery, and wooden rods separating the main hall from the entrance area, a waiters station, and a large wine cabinet.
The interior is elegant, yet very minimalistic. And besides wood, it contains two more distinctive textures — concrete, covering the walls and ceiling, and metal, from which the underframes and lamps are made.
The chief of the four is Hezret-Arslan Berdiev, who, opening the restaurant, already possessed an extensive professional background. Four years at the Percorso restaurant under the guidance of the honored Italian Andrea Accordi, a victory in St. Pellegrino Young Chef competition in 2016 in Russia, the CIS and the Baltic countries, a start menu for “Made in China”.
Love for Asian cuisine with Latin American and European tunes has become a fulcrum in the BIRCH menu concept. The restaurant has 2 small halls and a chef’s table, where signature sets (large of 10 courses and small of 7) as well as à la carte dishes are served.
The wine list is compiled from classic positions representing large and small European and Russian wineyards. For both sets, the restaurant sommelier has specially developed a wine pairing, subtly and skillfully emphasizing the character of each serving.
Tasting of the set menu starts with a welcome compliment from the Chef — Sphere of rose water, birch sap and lime zest served with a shot of “sparkly” peach wine.
Next comes Amuse bouche represented by three one-bite snacks — Beef tartare with black truffle and dried yolk; Liquid vegetable salad on a cucumber; Smoked mussels with saffron sauce.
Wine pairing begins accordingly with Leon Launois Cuvée Réservée Brut Champagne N.V. France.
Main part of the set begins with two contrasting courses — Sakhalin scallop Ceviche with kumquat and
Marbled beef tataki with pickled beets, truffle pesto and ponzu sauce.
In the Photo: Marbled beef tataki with pickled beets, truffle pesto and ponzu sauce
For the second sommelier recommends dry red wine La Cattura Poggio Al Casone, 2018, Toscana Italy.
The next serving fascinates with its showy serving — rising on a cactus Kebab with marinated & fried in a barbecue oyster mushrooms, featuring a distinctive meaty flavor, and clouds of liquid azote poured in front of the quest to cool Gazpacho, served in a special flask.
In the Photo: Seafood, Seaweed, Shiitake Consomme and Smoked Eel Burger
This not less impressive course is served with The white wine Asia Cuvée Mayer am Pfarrplatz, 2020 from Austria.
In the Photo: Ravioli with grated pecorino cheese sauce with truffle and pumpkin.
Here, instead of wine pair, sommelier recommends the world-recognized gastronomic Eric Bordelet Sidre Brut from Loire Valley France.
Next moment — Broccoli and Seabass fillet in champagne sauce with mashed potatoes has such a delicate texture that Chef recommends eating it with a spoon.
For this dish, the sommelier is considering white wine Pàssaros Alvarinho Loureiro Escolha, Vinho Verde, Portugal, 2020.
Before the main dish Lemon sorbet slices are served to refresh the receptors.
In most of the dishes, Arslan uses the culinary experience of two or three countries at once. One of these dishes is the famous Lamb Pie. The very shape of the pie is classic French, like the spinach layer between the dough and the meat, while the filling flavor comes from Turkmenistan, where the Chef himself is from. A refreshing salad with sweet tomatoes and Asian dressing is served with the pie.
The taste of this dish is perfectly emphasized by a glass of red wine Édition Limitée Costières-de-Nimes, France, 2020.
The dessert part of a menu includes three moments:
Turkmen Lemon in three textures — the base is a delicate cream, followed by slices and an airy refreshing espoume on top.
To appreciate the multifaceted taste of this dessert, you need to grab all the structures vertically with a spoon.
Next comes traditional in Japan, dessert Motchi served with aromatic sake based on the original Japanese plum — Hana Kohaku Plum Sake, Hakushika.
Finalizing the dinner, guests are treated with ball-shaped Chocolates a placer of hazelnuts.
For chocolate balls dessert wine from Portugal is chosen as an accompaniment — Bacalhôa Moscatel De Setúbal 2017.
In February 2021, during the WHERETOEAT RUSSIA national restaurant award ceremony, restaurant in St. Petersburg topped the all-Russian rating for the first time in history — an antique silver bowl was presented to the BIRCH team. They also won first place in the Media Choice nomination.
Earlier in 2018 and 2019, the restaurant was already ranked first in the WHERETOEAT award St. Petersburg. And in 2020 BIRCH became the best regional restaurant according to GQ.
BIRCH Set menu: Large set 3900 rub / wine accompaniment 3500 rub; Small set 2900 rub / wine accompaniment 2500 rub
BIRCH Restaurant
Address: 3, Kirochnaya street, Saint-Petersburg
Opening hours:
Monday-Sunday 15.00 – 23.30
Contacts: restaurantbirch@gmail.com; +79119203165
Instagram: @birch_saintp
Editor-in-chief: Patricia Kolari
Text Writer: Marina Timoshevskaya
Technical Director: Evgeny Fedorov
Photos: EATWEEK GUIDE
