Lithuania is probably not the country that comes to mind when you think about fine dining, and I have to admit that it wasn't for me either. So, I decided to check out Nineteen18 (*) in Vilnius. The restaurant received its first star in 2024 under head chef Andrius Kubilius. It's currently one of four one-star places in the whole country.
I went for the standard 10-course tasting menu at the chef's table. The start of the meal was all finger food. The first course was a mix of vegetables, all prepared differently, with a hummus dip in the center – I would say that this was maybe not the most exciting start. The plate was followed by an oxtail arancini and a fried (kind of pierogi-shaped) pastry called ceburekas. The fried dough was filled with chicken and the plate on which it was sitting revealed a chicken consommé in the bowl underneath.
The fourth course was challah bread with flavored butter (caramel and honey if I remember correctly). This was definitely a standout and was apparently inspired by a homecooked meal from the chef's childhood. The fifth course was a bit more traditional: fish with a beurre blanc and morrels.
Back to more traditional Lithuanian cuisine for the second half of the menu. Tthe fifth course were siuskes. Another unknown dish to me, but these dumplings covered with a pumkin sauce were relatively similar to gnocchi. They were followed by duck in a mushroom sauce, a palate cleanser consisting of a berry mousse and the star of the show, the venison. The meat was surrounded by a beetroot cream and covered with a heavily reduced beef stock (apparently going from 60 liters to just 2). No huge surprises here, but the dish was absolutely packed with umami flavor.
The pre-dessert was a slightly spicy combination of rye bread – a Lithuanian staple – chocolate and a raspberry mousse. Lastly, the evening ended with a madeleine with tonka ice cream and caramel, which had a bit of a miso-like flavor.
All in all, I was very satisfied with my experience. The chef clearly doesn't mind alternating Lithuanian dishes with a more wordly, classic cuisine. The standouts for me were definitely the challah bread and the venison. The whole menu (excluding the wine pairing) was slightly over €100.
Also, beware of the – very generous – complimentary shots that the chef offers; it was not regular vodka as I first thought but Lithuanian moonshine hitting around 50% ABV! I would recommend this restaurant if you're looking for a more relaxed evening and are interested in trying some lesser known dishes as well.
by NGDragon
Dining and Cooking