The golden days of tapioca balls in your drink may well have been over like a century ago. But here, it is just beginning. And it could also be the end of it just as it begins.
I remember around 3 years back there was just one place selling boba. It was Fransuski Bulavar, the mall. It never really packed a crowd even after being the only one in the state. I never gravitated to it since I felt like I was over my boba phase.
It has begun again. The boba thing. Apparently Rabbit Coffee has brought boba in town again and it seems to be picking up. Just for the sake of nostalgia, and honestly I had forgotten what tapioca balls tasted like with flavored tea, I decided I was going to grab one after shopping.
They only had boba with cold cacao so that is what I got. I feel its safe to say the trend wont pick up here, ever. It was excellent to get a cold drink on a hot summer day, but I am totally not feeling this one.
On the other hand, lots of businesses are bringing in delicacies that weren't around. Amanti's Funduk for example. I remember having these in the UAE. They probably sell these in Kiev or something but its the first time I found them here in Kharkov.
My all-time favorites are the hazelnut Funduks. These are like premium nut M&M's. A few businesses are selling exclusively Turkish made products and that is where I found this. It tastes exactly like bliss. Chocolaty and with a nice chunk of hazelnut buried in it.
Dinner at Yaposhka is what I call repeatability of excellence. There isn't a single time that I have entered a Yaposhka and returned not satisfied. Their sushi is still one of my top-5 in the city. Even after expanding exponentially they have served delicious and fresh sushi that doesn't seem to disappoint.
They now have a QR code system for the menu and ordering. The plating has changed a little, but everything tastes excellent. I went with the "Rendevouz" set which has a smoked salmon, a Philadelphia cheese, roasted salmon and a veg roll all in groups of 6.
Obviously I couldn't finish the set in the restaurant so I ordered the rest as takeaway. They had sealed pouches of soy sauce and wasabi, which was really cool. Back in the day they used to simply pour it in a plastic container.
I think it is really important that a restaurant matches your expectations, especially if they have built one from a previous visit. Yaposhka seems to be delivering through repetability. Not to mention their sushi is always so delicious.
