At Moscow’s fashionable, year-old GQ Bar, Executive Chef Konstantin Ivlev strives to obtain the finest ingredients possible. Then he experiments with various combinations to extract new and exciting flavors, whether in sophisticated dishes that reflect classical French cuisine (as in the recipe below) or “Russian Trend” dishes – like sterlet in birch juice or herring pod-shuboy with crab – his creations are Russian cuisine with a twist.
GQ Bar is essentially three restaurants in one: a classic bar, a Mediterranean room, and an Asian room. You can order Mediterranean, Asian, or Russian Trend dishes in any of them. And of course there is a bar with an extensive list of wines from all over the world. GQ Bar is restauranteur Arkady Novikov’s second partnership with Condé Nast publishing house, and its décor – blown-up GQ magazine covers on the walls – reflects the style of its namesake. Muscovites will tell you that GQ Bar is the place to see and be seen – though certainly not with a week-old manicure or in last season’s dress.
First Person
Konstantin Ivlev
My path to GQ Bar was a crooked one. I grew up in Moscow, a regular Soviet boy with failing grades. The most common option for boys like me was to enroll in a technical institute after eighth grade. In my neighborhood there were three: one for auto mechanics, one for medical technicians, and one for cooks. I was never very much into cars, and I don’t like to get soot under my fingernails. Medicine isn’t for me, either—I’ve always been afraid even to take pills. On the other hand, I’ve always liked to eat, and my dad told me, Kostya, if you become a cook you’ll always have something to do, since people have to eat no matter what kind of government there is.
I finished at the top of my class and then served in the army. When I returned to Moscow, things started to pick up, and in 1992 I began working for the Swiss-Russian company Sadko-Arkada. It blew my mind. I discovered a whole world beyond borshch, solyanka, sturgeon, and other Soviet staples. I worked really hard. Even though I partied every night, I always showed up for work on time in the morning. The chefs who trained me were true professionals, and they instilled in me an understanding of the profession. I loved it. At the age of 23 I got a job as chef at Reporter, one of the best restaurants in Moscow at the time.
These days, to come up with a new dish I try many new ingredients and think about how I can combine them. I work closely with my purveyors and ask them to get me new and interesting products. Sometimes I dream up new dishes at night. Once I was eating ramen and came up with a soup of frog legs. Another time I was eating a chocolate bar and thought of an egg-stuffed quail.
I trained with Patrick Pages at Nostalgie restaurant and, like most people, became infatuated with French cuisine. I don’t think it’s possible to become a chef in Europe if you don’t know the classics. In literature, everyone reads Tolstoy and Dostoevsky; in cooking, everyone has to understand classic French cuisine and develop their own style from that.
At GQ Bar, the idea was to develop a contemporary Russian cuisine. Sixty percent of our guests are foreigners who want to try something new. For example, we serve “herring under a fur coat” (selyodka pod shuboy) with a complement of crabmeat, and offer venison with squash. My cooking is based on Russian ingredients combined with modern technology and a contemporary presentation.
Nevertheless, what I personally love most is my mother’s traditional cooking. She has a couple of secret family recipes and makes the best shchi and borshch.
One of the most unusual dishes I make is sterlet marinated in birch juice. But I don’t have a particular favorite on the menu. That’s like asking a parent which is their favorite child. ω
Baked Chicken Breast
With Garlic, Potatoes, and Truffles
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Salt, pepper to taste
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 cloves garlic, minced
1⁄2 pound new potatoes
1⁄4 cup olive oil
4 tablespoons minced scallion
¾ pound chicken bones
½ cup chopped onion
4 ounces (1⁄2 cup) heavy cream
Shavings of black truffle
White truffle oil
Most home cooks don’t have access to chicken bones or fresh truffles. But if you make a few substitutions, this dish is quite easy to prepare. Instead of simmering stock from the chicken bones, simply substitute one cup of canned or homemade chicken broth. In place of the shaved truffles drizzle the potatoes with a little truffle-scented olive oil, which is readily available at specialty stores. Just remember that a little goes a long way.
Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and place them in an ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with the fresh thyme leaves and minced garlic, then bake in a preheated 350° F oven for 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and boil them gently until soft, then drain and smash them slightly. Stir in the minced scallion, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm.
In a skillet, cook the chicken bones with the chopped onion in a bit of olive oil until lightly browned. Then add cold water to cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain the broth from the bones into a clean saucepan. Add the heavy cream and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until thickened, then stir in some shaved truffle. With an immersion blender blend the mixture until very smooth.
To serve, place the mashed potatoes in the middle of a platter. Place the chicken breasts on the bed of potatoes, drizzle with a little white truffle oil, and shave a little more truffle over all. Serve the sauce separately, on the side. Serves two.
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