If you’re at all tuned into cheese media, you’ve likely encountered mesmerizing images of khachapuri, a traditional Georgian bread bowl baked with a luscious filling of cheese. (Georgian, to be clear, as in the Republic of Georgia, not the southern US state—no offense to pimento cheese.)
Dotted with cubes of butter and an egg yolk and mixed tableside to create molten cheese ribbons, khachapuri “puts on its own show,” says Tamara Chubinidze, owner of Manhattan’s Georgian restaurant @chamamamanyc. “It’s very Instagrammable.”
She believes khachapuri is what brings people in the door for the first time, but once they’re in, they’re hooked by the vibrant and diverse flavors: everything from pickled flower buds known as jonjoli to sturdy and garlicky soup dumplings called khinkali. Georgian cuisine isn’t a one-trick pony, and Chubinidze was determined to demonstrate its breadth with a sleek and contemporary setting that defied preconceptions about dining in a Caucasus-inspired restaurant.
“Come for the khachapuri, stay for everything else," says Chubinidze.
Link in bio to learn more about Chama Mama and Georgian culture.
✍️: @pamelavachon_words
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Chama Mama
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