Over Christmas break, Dave and I decided to indulge our occasional cravings for ethnic food and head to the only Mexican restaurant in town. We were not disappointed by the quality of the food, and enjoyed every bite. The restaurant’s atmosphere took us back to any one of a number of Mexican restaurants in the U.S – the dining room was complete with cacti, sombreros and waitresses wearing brightly colored ponchos. The one disappointment of the evening was the price of the food – quite expensive, even by American standards. Here groceries at the market or grocery store average about 1/4th of what they cost in the states. There are a few exceptions, such as beef, which costs about the same as at home. But eating out is a different story. Eating at restaurants is reserved for the rich and for special occasions for everyone else, if they go at all. We’ve been told that up until a few years ago, restaurants could mostly be found only in hotels in larger cities. Now we see quite a few new restaurants here and there, but eating out is certainly not half as common here as it is at home. Probably because people simply don’t have the money to spend in restaurants.
More common among “regular people” are cafeteria-style eateries, with a wide array of ethnic Ukrainian food – several types of borsch, meats, kasha (grain porridge), salads, and pastries. We’ve found such places to be a great way to sample local cuisine, and they’re also easier on the wallet, one meal averaging around $1.50 or $2. Also very popular as well as quite tasty is what we refer to as “street food,” bought at kiosks along the street, at the market, or beside a large store or shopping complex. Some foreigners are wary of such food, and one should use common sense when looking for a street food snack. But it’s pretty easy to tell which kiosks produce hot, fresh food in clean conditions and which leave something to be desired. And when you find a good kiosk, the food is tasty. Hot dogs, smothered in hot mustard, mayo, shredded cabbage and carrots or pieroshki, deep fried dough pockets filled with meat, potatoes or mushrooms really hit the spot on a cold day spent walking around the city.
Cafes are another popular place to gather, and for the most part, have been unexplored by us. In the few times we’ve gone, we’ve found they offer an array of sweet pastries or sandwiches to go with coffee or tea.
And of course, there’s always McDonalds, the one familiar American chain restaurant that exists in Donetsk. There are four or so in the city, serving the same hamburgers and fries that taste just the same as they do at home. We walk past a McDonalds to get on the bus in the city, and it is always full of people. The people it attracts are, again, better dressed and probably higher class than those who eat at McDonalds in the States. At home it’s a cheap fast-food joint, here it’s a place to spend some time and enjoy the atmosphere, which is a bit fancier and more formal than American McDonalds’ decor. And the place is sparkling clean. I stop there some days to use the bathroom (as clean, free bathrooms are hard to find) and there has always been someone in the restroom, cleaning.
Thus, dining out in the way we’re used to has become as much a treat for us as it is for Ukrainians. Even though we seldom eat at restaurants, there’s no lack of tasty, interesting food to be found in other places.
Laura
