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Xiao Long Bao’s larger cousin, the Khinkali originated from the mountainous regions of Georgia and are dumplings traditionally filled with a meat broth made from lamb, beef and/or pork mince.
The skin of the dumpling is about three times as thick as a xiao long bao’s, and at first we were wondering why the pleated top was tough and undercooked, but later learnt it is not to be eaten but discarded and used as a counter for the number of dumplings consumed.
We got all four types on the menu – traditional, meat with herbs, cheese and lamb. I found the meat dumplings to be sparingly seasoned and for that reason, much preferred the richer flavour of the cheesy dumpling, whose filling had a texture and taste somewhat similar to mozzarella.
Taste: 3/5
I had no inkling of what Georgian cuisine was before visitting Chinkalnia, but I left pleasantly surprised and am definitely keen to explore further. In general, the food is simple and homely, but that’s not a bad thing when you have freshly baked beauties such as this Khachapuri – a fresh out of the oven and fluffy boat-shaped bread baked with a gooey cheese and butter filling topped with egg. Mix the contents within thoroughly then peel off handfuls of bread for dipping into the rich sauce. #carblife
Taste: 3.5/5
