Feel the Burn: Authentic Caucasian Dishes at Liangma River's Georgia's Feast

In the wake of TBJ's Hot & Spicy Festival, our fiery restaurant coverage continues with Feel the Burn, in which we look back on what our vendors brought to the event to make you sweat. Head to these chili-rife eateries to relive the satisfying mouth-numbing experience.

Whenever we head to Georgia’s Feast, we always walk in with an empty stomach to ensure we have enough room to load up on the kitchen's exhaustive selection of Georgian delicacies. Georgia’s Feast, located in the embassy area by Liangma River, turned three years old earlier this year and has maintained a following thanks to its rustic family-style atmosphere and authentic Georgian grub (check out our first impressions here).

The menu spans classic Georgian fare such as grilled meats, soups, khachapuri (cheese-filled bread), khinkali (Georgian dumplings), fresh salads, as well as Georgian wines. Of the items that the Georgia’s Feast team brought to Hot and Spicy Festival last month, their khinkali proved a particular favorite, their xiaolongbao-esque appearance belying the way in which you eat them. That is to say, dusting them in black pepper, grabbing them by the top pleats, nibbling the side so as to drink the soup, and then consuming the meaty innards. Unlike the xiaolongbao, however, many people prefer not to eat the pleats as they're too gluttonous and filling.

Below we speak to manager Muhammet Annayev and chef Neli Tomaradze – whose goal it is to introduce authentic Georgian cuisine to Beijing – about some of their favorite spicy dishes.

What spicy dishes do you sell in your restaurant? Which one is the most popular and why?
Some of the most popular dishes are our kharcho, or Georgian soup (RMB 38), as well as the Georgian dinner (RMB 78), and grilled hot and spicy pork knee (RMB 48), among others. The grilled hot spicy pork knee is quite popular because it's similar to Chinese chuan’r. It contains pork tendon and is seasoned with pepper and chili powder, and the locals love it a lot.   

Which wine would you recommend to pair with spicy foods?
Tomaradze: Dry Georgian white wine.
Annayev: There’s a saying, that Georgians drink like it is our last meal: first in a glass, then a horn, then from a basin …

What’s the hottest thing you’ve ever eaten?
Tomaradze: Sichuan cuisine.

What’s your go-to spicy comfort food?
Chkmeruli (Georgian garlic chicken). You fry chicken with peppercorns, chili, cilantro, and garlic. Then a thick creamy milk sauce is drenched on top – it's very delicious and you'll want to use bread to mop the plate clean.

Describe eating spicy food in one word
Enjoyment.

Can you handle more heat? Be sure to check out the latest issue of our Hot & Spicy themed magazine as well as our ongoing chili related restaurant coverage.

More stories by this author here.

Photos: Tracy Wang