Location: 2385 Lake Shore Boulevard West, Etobicoke
Website: https://www.instagram.com/barrelhousekorchma/

I’m not sure if I’ve ever been to a Ukrainian restaurant before visiting Barrel House Korchma; even when I was still updating 196 Plates, the blog where I attempted to eat at one restaurant from each country in the world (without leaving the GTA), I never got around to that country.

Well, if Barrel House Korchma is anything to go by, I guess Ukrainian food is pretty tasty (if not that dissimilar from the cuisine in any number of Eastern European countries).

I tried a couple of things.  First up was the fried stuffed buns: “Two fried buns stuffed with potatoes and dill.”

I can’t say I’ve ever had anything quite like this; though the menu calls this a bun, it’s not really bun-like at all, with a thin exterior that’s crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, and a fluffy mashed-potato interior that’s infused with dill.  It comes with a garlicky dill sauce on the side that complements it perfectly.  It’s a great dish.

Up next was the Chicken Kyiv: “Breaded chicken fillet with melted butter and herbs.”

This was a tasty version of a pretty well-known dish, with a delightfully crunchy exterior, and a buttery (but not overly greasy) interior that helps to compensate for the inherent dryness of the chicken breast.  It comes with a sweet, Thousand-Island-esque sauce that pairs nicely with the savoury chicken.

You can choose your side; the waitress recommended the roasted potato, which was a solid choice, with a lightly crispy exterior and a bit of a garlicky flavour that’s quite satisfying.