Tbilisi's World of Khinkali

If you aren’t yet sick of khinkali – the super-ubiquitous Caucasian boiled dumpling – Khinklis Samqaro (“Khinkali World”) should be next on your list of places to eat some.

How many varieties of khinkali are there in Tbilisi? I’ve counted 11 so far – 10 of which are available at Khinklis Samqaro.* Of the 10 khinkali varieties on the menu, about half are various combinations of meat and spices named for different Georgian regions or towns. Of these, the best is indisputably the khinkali sapirmo, the dumpling de la maison (50 tetri per), whose juicy meat filling is mixed with onions, spices and chopped tarragon. The tbilisuri, another city-style dumpling with chopped herbs mixed with the meat (40 tetri each) is also quite good.

Vegetarians won’t have to sit on the sidelines at this sakhinkle. The restaurant offers four varieties of meatless dumpling. There is a creamy khinkali khachoti with fresh milk curds (40 tetri each) that is intermittently available (sometimes the kitchen runs out of khacho). On a good night, these have a fluffy filling somewhat like a cottage cheese-cream cheese hybrid. (Some friends reportedly had some khachoti on an off night, when the filling was a bit sour). Also good are the qvelit with cheese (50 tetri each), which come with sour cream. Fasting friends may also enjoy a platter of turbaned khinkali sokoti (with mushroom filling—40 tetri each) or kartopilit (potato filling—30 tetri each) served with a side of margarine.

All of the dumplings are freshly made, and well-formed (some to the point of appearing almost sculptural – the khinkali qvelit in particular are dramatically molded, and cluster on the plate like exotic seashells).

For those seeking refuge from khinkali (there is such a thing as too many), Khinklis Samqaro has a wide-ranging menu that extends far beyond dumpling territory.

If you’re a meat-eater, don’t miss the khbos chashushuli (stewed veal – GEL 4.50), which comes, still bubbling, in a hot ceramic dish. Subtly flavored in a lovely thick tomato-based sauce, the meat is tender and melts in your mouth. You’ll want to eat basins of it. The badrijani nigvsit (aubergine with walnuts – GEL 3) is also superb. These are lightly fried, then rolled into bite-sized wraps with a spread of herbed garlic and walnut paste. Other items worth a try are the gebjalia (GEL 2), pillows of soft sulguni cheese in a sumptuous spiced mint, cheese and cream sauce. The aromatic and addictive sokos ketze sulgunit (sulguni cheese-stuffed mushrooms caps broiled on a hot plate) is served piping hot, sizzling in its own juices. The mushrooms, at GEL 10, are at the high end of the menu – most of the other plates are less than GEL 5 each. (The jigari – an offal plate – is reportedly excellent, but I haven’t had the, ummm, guts to try it yet.)

Khinklis Samqaro is on Dadianis street off of Tavisuplebis Moedani. The restaurant, which you descend to from street-level, is usually not very busy on weeknights, but fills up on weekends. The dining environment is casual. There’s beer on tap, good wine available, and the usual bottled beverages for sale.

Menu in Georgian. No English spoken; be prepared to make your way in Georgian or Russian.

* The remaining sulguni variant is at Chilikas Bichis Dukani.

Khinklis Samqaro
Dadianis 12 (Off of Tavisuplebis Moedani). Tel: 893 27 44 12
Published in Georgia Today 2 Mar 2007.