Kiev: The Weirdest Ukranian Opera Restaurant in Beijing

Editor's Note: Asia Obscura's Andy Deemer has been kind enough to let us rummage through his archives for some of his best posts from his Beijing days. We're sharing them here to give you some inspiration to get out and explore our city.

Missing those classic Yevhen Hrebinka hits?  Desperate for a Chicken Kiev and a bottle of Stoli?  But sick of those stern Soviet babushkas slapping down watery bowls of borscht?

I hear you, brother.

The closest I’d gotten to good Ukranian in Asia was in a subterranean Beijing nightclub. The bouncer outside was a scowling mohawked dwarf in a tuxedo. Inside, there were more hookers than customers.  Sounds good so far, I know, but onstage the aerobics left little to my appetite.

So instead, we decided to try Kiev Restaurant.

And wow.

Massively crowded with massively drunk Chinese families feasting on meat and potatoes.  Chinese waitresses decked out in traditional Ukranian garb.  And the opera singers?  Oh, yes, there were opera singers.  A dozen of them, parading through the restaurant with accordions, military garb, and so many medals.  And you know what?  The Chicken Kiev wasn’t too bad!

Read the rest of this post at AsiaObscura.

Photos: travel.cnn.com