BEL: Gurman (Гурман)

Made myself warm with hot butter rum~

Gurman is a restaurant-cum-café serving local and international dishes, as well as a variety of drinks. There are two branches: one near Nemiga metro station and the other not far from the National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre. My BFF and I dropped by the latter for lunch.

Melon was glad that she was finally sheltered from the cold weather outside.

Bread

I didn't try the bread with sesame as I was afraid I'd be too full. The rye bread went well with the flavoured butter.

Rassolnik (Big Portion) BYR 4.90 (~S$3.30)

Taste: 8/10

For appetiser, we decided to share a bowl of savoury soup flavoured with the juice of pickled cucumbers. Traditional rassolnik calls for pork or beef kidneys, but Gurman serves it with tender pork ribs. I saw barley grains, potatoes and carrots swimming in the soup that was topped with a dollop of sour cream.

Beef Stroganoff BYR 7.80 (~S$5.25)

Taste: 7.5/10

I told myself not to leave Belarus without having the classic beef dish. Alas, it wasn't the best. The tenderloin pieces could be juicier, while the mashed potatoes were velvety enough. The brown sauce mixed with sour cream was tasty, but just a tad too runny for my liking.

Pilaf with Mutton (Standard Portion) BYR 10.50 (~S$7.05)

Taste: 8.5/10

The rice cooked in a seasoned broth with carrots and onions stole the stage for the afternoon. It was better than expected with each grain being firm enough and not clumpy at all. The mutton chunks might not look appetising, but they were actually tender and flavourful without any smell. Pika's advice: Big eater should go for the big portion, which is 100 g more than the standard portion, priced at BYR 13.90 (~S$9.35).

Poppy Blueberry Cake BYR 4.90 (~S$3.30)

Taste: 8/10

Something that can't be found here in Singapore, the blueberry cake studded with poppy seeds contributed to a happy ending. The visually appealing slice of cake was moist without being overly sweet. Although the poppy seeds didn't contribute much to the taste of the cake, they gave some nice crunch to it.

Hot Butter Rum BYR 6.50 (~S$4.35)

Taste: 8/10

I actually ordered a mug of hot butter rum with a slice of lemon before anything else. The concoction of white rum, apple juice, star anise, cinnamon cloves and butter was effective in beating the cold. The amount of butter used was just nice to give the drink a smooth finish.

Melon's Rating

Taste: 8/10

Ambience: 7/10

Service: 6/10

Overall: 7/10

Service was pretty efficient, but without any smiles. It didn't really bother me though. Anyway, for something Asian, I recall seeing a Thai dish and an Indian dish on the menu. I can't remember exactly what're they though.

Gurman

(Гурман)

7 Kamunistyčnaja Street

Minsk

Belarus

(Daily: 8.00am - 11.00pm)

*Prices quoted are nett prices.

Have a nice meal,

Cliff(y)