From the very opening in 2012 to the present, COCOCOUTURE has been consistently committed to its main principle — working and cooking with products, which are harvested, caught and produced in Russia at certain times of the year.
COCOCOUTURE is part of Cococo Group Restaurants, owned by a successful entrepreneur Matilda Shnurova, a patron of the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art and the Aisedora ballet school.
After its two previous locations, COCOCOUTURE moved to New Holland Island, located in the Admiralteisky District of St. Petersburg. The restaurant occupied three halls in the brick building “House 12”, which once served as a storehouse of timber brought for the needs of the Admiralty shipyards.
From the very entrance to COCOCOUTURE, the solemn interior is breathtaking, unique for its illuminated vaults, mirrors, arched panoramic windows overlooking the Admiralty and Kryukov canals.
The golden range in the interior is in harmony with the shades of red — the designers have preserved the historic brickwork of the building.
Weightless “feathery lamps” in the center of the hall gracefully echo with the unusual lamps hanging above the tables, reminiscent of Russian “Matryoshka” dolls.
Attention is drawn to the monumental canvas of the St. Petersburg artist Igor Baranov, depicting the walking chicken — the totem animal of COCOCO — and the ornament running along the friezes, where the stages of the development of the Russian handwritten style are played out: from the ancient Russian folk art to the modernist style of Ivan Bilibin.
And the famous chest of drawers with tiles in chickens has moved from the previous place.
In the Photo: Head Chef Igor Grischechkin
The kitchen of COCOCOUTURE, as well as on other projects of Cococo Group Restaurants — Cococo Bistro and Bio my Bio — is headed by Igor Grischechkin, who has extensive restaurant experience in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Igor Grischechkin’s style cannot be confused with any other chef. Each of his dishes is a story with deep cultural overtones. He is one of those rare chefs who can not only feed his guests, but also give them new emotions and impressions.
“The love of food preparation originated from my childhood. It was interesting for me to mix products and see what happens. At the age of 12, I baked a cake myself, this was my very first achievement. I received my higher education in Smolensk, where I come from, majoring in “manager of social and cultural activities”, served in the army, changed several professions. Wherever I worked, every time I cooked I devoted myself completely and with great love to this process, — says Igor Grischechkin, — The desire to cook has grown into a profession. After completing cooking courses, I moved to Moscow, where I studied culinary art under the guidance of talented chefs. Then I moved to St. Petersburg while the passion for cooking grew more and more — I worked a lot, it was difficult, but it gave me a lot of temper. In four years I became a head chef”.
Taking seasonal farm products as a basis, Igor set himself a difficult but interesting task: to create original, tasty and memorable dishes from simple things. This is his main source of inspiration. The culinary traditions of the Russian people, family dishes, childhood tastes, undeservedly forgotten products and the latest technologies in Igor Grischechkin’s menu are being transformed into modern Russian cuisine that is relevant today.
With the onset of the summer season, Igor Grischechkin presented a new author’s set menu “Meadow” — 14 courses or a lighter version of 9 courses, which absorbed the best flavors and colors of summer: the aromas of meadows and fields, the juiciness of garden berries and vegetables, rare wild herbs and forest gifts. “Meadow” menu is seasonal and relevant until the arrival of the golden autumn.
The atmosphere of the restaurant also lives in harmony with the summer menu: the interior is decorated with compositions of wildflowers and handmade light linen tablecloths created by embroiderers of Krestetskaya Stitch.
In the Photo: Cedar Gimlet from non-alcoholic pairing
As an accompanying set of drinks, in addition to the common alcoholic pairing, a non-alcoholic one has been also specially designed.
Starters are presented in four courses:
Garden bed — fresh carrots, asparagus, zucchini flowers and green peas served on ice in a crystal vase. The vegetables are served with halva-flavored sunflower seed sauce and delicate hazelnut sour cream with herbs and wild plants, which emphasize the purity of seasonal vegetables.
Green peas, burrata and black truffle;
Salted cucumber sorbet — a miniature “macaroon” sorbet made from lightly salted cucumber with dill and mint;
For the amuse-bouche set, the restaurant sommelier offers Pertois-Lebrun L’extravertie Blanc de Blancs 2014 Extra Bruit, Champagne France. For those who chooses non-alcoholic pairing — Currant kombucha is served.
Bread serving — “Chamomile” bun is an organic continuation of the floral theme of the set. Tearing off the “petals”, the guest wonders which of the three butters to smear — with the taste of barbecue, ripe tomatoes or green with parsley and dill.
The next group of starters opens with “Neokroshka” with oyster — the sophisticated version of the famous Russian summer dish. The freshness and coolness of the flavor is not achieved by kvass (as traditionally), but by a fresh oyster. Radishes, lightly salted cucumbers and herbs complement the sour cream and horseradish sorbet. And the herbs bloomed with a lush bouquet of chamomiles, cornflowers, mouse peas, buttercups and bells merging together on the pattern of the serving plate.
Igor was inspired to create the next course Botvinia with ground elder and wild salmon by a swamp — the most mysterious place of Russian fairy tales.
Gazpacho from grated tops is prepared on white kvass with wild salmon, which acts as a “bump in the swamp”, young peas, mustard seeds and “water lily” of nasturtium leaves. Served in a plate with a pattern of marsh plants that completes this “landscape”.
“The dishes for this set have been carefully designed. For each course, the plate is conceived to be a continuation of what lies on it, creating a single ensemble. There are also a lot of dishes made especially for us at the famous Leningrad Porcelain Factory”, — Igor continues.
Mussels with potato cream — smoked mussels under sprats and airy potato mousse are served in an elegant porcelain cup in the shape of a chicken egg with a saucer on which sits a golden chicken that appears when the cup is raised.
For these three appetizers, the sommelier selected dry white wine Uwe Schiefer Gruner Veltliner Purbach 2016, Burgenland, Austria.
Non-alcoholic option — Nettle tonic.
Each new Igor’s dish is a whole plot played out on a plate — combining traditional ingredients and modern
technology, playing with associations and memories, he continues
create a new look for Russian haute cuisine.
Cabbage roll with crab and nettles — juicy crab in spinach leaves and garnished with red caviar.
Sake Ginjo Namachozo Hakushika from Japan works especially well with this course.
Or non-alcoholic — Sparkling rhubarb.
Main courses are presented in two parts:
Pike perch, asparagus and parsley cream
accompanied by dry white wine
Clair Obscur Alias Bourgogne Aligote 2018, Bourgogne, France.
The alcohol-free Oxygen cocktail is refreshing and goes well with a fish dish.
In the Photo: Quail with nut porridge and onion sauce
Glass of red wine Siciliano Etna Torrettanera 2018, Sicily, Italy or Cedar Gimlet for non-alcoholic.
The most intriguing part of the set is the desserts.
The first one — Primroses and dried flowers — envelops the fragrance of the fields: jelly from dried flowers collected during the flowering period — chamomile, lime blossom, sagan daila — complemented by elderberry gel, apple mousse and almond milk meringue.
The next Black currant dessert has the most eye-catching presentation — a porcelain hand holds a cone with black currant ice cream, which gradually reveals all the flavors of this wonderful plant — from leaves & seeds to the very pulp — a whole bush in one cone.
In the next dessert — Sorrel tart — Igor replayed the classic lemon cake in his own way: he replaced the fresh sourness of lemon with fresh sorrel, and the shortbread dough with bird cherry flour crumble, an alternative to thick cream — rich ice cream with sorrel. And two types of meringue — soft and crispy.
For sweet courses, the sommelier considered the dessert wine from Spain Jose Pariente Sauvignon Blanc Apasionado 2019, Castilla Y Leon. As well as Russian vermouth for a non-alcoholic menu.
At the end of the set, a compliment from the chef — Petit fours served on a gilded bookcase, where the main character of COCOCOUTURE, a chicken sitting over her nest, solemnly flaunts.
“To be worthy and tasty, you need to seriously focus on your project, promote it, improve it, but at the same time preserve your uniqueness and atmosphere”, — Igor says in conclusion.
Cost of the menu: 6500 rub
Set is served from 15.00 on weekdays and from 13.00 on weekends.
COCOCOUTURE
Contacts: +7 965 020 20 60
Address: St. Petersburg, embankment of the Admiralteisky canal, 2
Instagram: @cococouture_st.petersburg
Editor-in-chief: Patricia Kolari
Text Writer: Marina Timoshevskaya
Technical Director: Evgeny Fedorov
Photos: EATWEEK GUIDE
