NYC hidden dining gems: Brooklyn’s Ubani Georgian food celebrates Caucasus cuisine
Georgia — the country, not the U.S. state — is largely underrepresented in both the travel and food space. The food and wine scene of this Caucasus country is said to be top-notch, but since I’ve yet to take a flight to Tbilisi, I decided to get a taste of Georgia right here in Brooklyn at Ubani.
Ubani, which has a location on Bedford St. in the West Village as well, opened its Bay Ridge location in December 2022. The menu is simple, nothing veering too far from classic Georgian food staples. Some of the most prized dishes are the khachapuri, best known as a “cheeseboat,” and khinkali, or Georgian dumplings, which are enormous and generously stuffed with either tarragon lamb, cheese, or pork and beef.
I started with the Georgian salad with walnuts, which consists of chopped organic cucumbers, tomatoes and grapes, tossed in a finely ground, creamy walnut sauce. It resembled comfort food someone’s grandmother made, largely thanks to the warm imported Georgian spices.
Next up was the adjaruli khachapuri, the store’s best seller. Makes sense — how could you see a bread boat stuffed with feta and mozzarella cheese, butter and egg yolk, and not order it? The egg yolk is centered like a sun setting over the Black Sea, until a server comes over to mix everything up tableside. Eat it while it’s hot, not only for those ooey-gooey cheese pulls, but because, as it reaches room temperature, the bread goes from crusty to stiff.
The richness of the khachapuri contrasted with the fresh Georgian salad proved opposites attract. One nibble of cheesy, caloric bread followed by another of warmly spiced, crunchy cucumbers is a 9/10 recommendation, but that can be elevated to a 10/10 if you sip some orange Georgian wine in between bites. While Georgia isn’t known for “pairing” wine with food, it was the first country to produce orange wine, which is typically aged in clay pots. Georgian orange wine has a buttery but mouth-puckeringly sour taste. If you’re looking for an alcohol-free option, tarkhuna, a green Georgian tarragon soda, ought to do the trick.
Another popular menu item is the khinkali. The dough at Ubani is rolled by hand every day, with the kitchen typically pumping out more than 300 dumplings daily. The texture of the dough is dense and sturdy, most closely resembling the Tibetan momo, though still very distinct. Since Georgian cuisine is typically heavy on pork, I opted for the beef and pork blend. Out came six large, purselike dumplings. To eat like a true Georgian, grab one by the handle, flip it upside down, sprinkle with black pepper, and take a massive bite, slurping to not miss out on any of the hearty broth.
All ingredients at Ubani are fresh, and all veggies are organic. Speaking of veggies, there’s no shortage of vegetarian options, most notably the cauliflower with walnut sauce served as a main course.
When visiting Brooklyn’s Ubani, bring an appetite, because if your experience is anything like mine, they won’t let you leave until you’re completely stuffed.
Address: 8309 Third Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y. 11209 (a second West Village location can be found at 37A Bedford St., New York, N.Y. 10014)
Phone: (718)-333-5363
Prices: Appetizers, soups and salads $14 to $40; baked goods $9 to $20, mains $16 to $60, khinkali (6 pieces) $15 to $18
Takeout and delivery available; reservations recommended for weekends.
Kaitlyn Rosati is a New York City-based food and travel journalist. She is constantly on the hunt to find the city’s best hidden gems, allowing New Yorkers to travel far without ever leaving the boroughs. Have a suggestion for a great hidden dining gem in your neighborhood? Reach out to Kaitlyn with your recommendations at nomannomad.net@gmail.com.
