Taste of Ukraine in Central

Cabbage rolls filled with rice and minced meat

About a month ago a colleague told me that Ivan the Kozak was shut down on Cochrane Street. Apparently it had been around for many years so it was a surprise to hear it had been closed down, but then again it was probably a victim of jacked up rents.

Our braised ox tongue with pastry on top!

However, about a week ago when my relatives wanted to have a birthday dinner there, I was surprised to find Ivan the Kozak had re-opened on Wyndham Street and I was keen to try out the food.

I didn't visit the place before so it's hard for me to compare, but the restaurant has a cozy atmosphere, with needlepoint cushions, wooden tables and chairs, cabinets filled with glasses and crockery, and an idyllic panoramic picture to transport diners to the Eastern European country.

For starters we had two salads, one with beetroot, herring, potato and carrot topped with salmon roe that was refreshing and light, followed by the Russian salad, finely diced vegetables mixed in mayonnaise.

Next came "darlings" or cabbage rolls filled with rice and minced meat with tomato sauce and sour cream on top. We really enjoyed this dish that was quite filling, though more tomato sauce would have made it better. We're wondering if we can replicate this at home...

Here's another hearty bowl with beef, carrots and potatoes

Another was a small bowl that was covered with pastry that was baked. When the cover was removed, inside was braised ox tongue with melted cheese. This dish was a highlight, as the ox tongue was flavourful, cooked in a clear broth, and the layer of cheese wasn't too heavy. We ate the pastry on its own, though one could have ripped a piece off and put a piece of ox tongue on top before eating it.

We also have a slightly bigger bowl with the pastry on top again, and inside revealed a hearty combination of chunks of braised beef with carrots and potatoes. We also ordered lamb shank that came in a black stone bowl that was bubbling madly when it arrived at the table.

Steam bubbling from the lamb shank dish obscured my camera!

In it was a leg of lamb with most of the meat on the bone, though it came off easily, cooked in a soupy concoction that included big chunks of potatoes and carrots. Eventually the soup evaporated into a delicious sauce.

One more must-have is the dumplings, and the ones we ordered had potatoes and mushrooms in them, accompanied with some sour cream. This also had nice flavours, though the dumplings weren't stuffed to the gills as one would do for Chinese ones.

While we arrived at 7pm, the restaurant was pretty quiet until about an hour later when people streamed in, either with reservations or walked in. It's pretty impressive the restaurant did quite well tonight, considering its new location.

Dumplings with potatoes and mushrooms, and sour cream

Service is nice if you can get their attention.

I hope to try the borscht next time and perhaps the pancakes too!

Ivan the Kozak

1/F, Parehk House

63 Wyndham Street

Central
2851 1193

Vancouverite Finally Free

Kevin Garratt hugging his wife Julia in Vancouver

We were relieved this morning to read the news that Vancouverite Kevin Garratt was released after spending two years in a Chinese jail on suspicion of spying.

The move comes soon after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Beijing earlier this month and raised the Garratt case with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and a week before Prime Minister Li Keqiang comes to Canada next week.

Earlier this week Garratt was formally sentenced and then released on bail. According to his family, he was deported from China yesterday and was back in Canada.

Garratt in front of the coffee shop at Dandong

In August 2014, Garratt and his wife Julia were detained in Dandong, a city near the Chinese border with North Korea where the couple had a cafe called Peter's Coffee Shop which they operated as part of a Christian aid mission.

Chinese officials later said they were being held on "suspicion of stealing and spying to obtain state secrets".

"Kevin Garratt and his wife... are suspected of collecting and stealing intelligence materials related to Chinese military targets and important Chinese national defence scientific research programs, and engaging in activities that endanger China's national security," the Foreign Ministry said in a short statement at the time.

Their son Simeon said in Vancouver at the time that the charges "sound ridiculous". "Military secrets? It sounds like something out of a movie or something. Those are the accusations, but I have no idea where they are coming from or how it even came about."

Justin Trudeau shakes hands with Xi Jinping earlier this month

There were also concerns that China's relationship with then Prime Minister Stephen Harper wasn't good, which made Garratt's situation harder to bring up and resolve.

Soon Julia Garratt was released on bail and allowed to leave China, but in January Chinese authorities announced Garratt would be tried on the charges. And now he's finally free.

He had originally said that God had told them to go to Dandong to spread Christianity into North Korea.

But after this two-year long wait and finally returning back to Canada, what's Garratt's next move?

Nevertheless, his release demonstrates Trudeau's ability to sway the Chinese, and scores the respect of Canadians for finally successfully dealing with this case which has been left idle for some time.

Experiencing a Car-Free Zone

How would you like part of Des Voeux Road Central to be a car-free zone?

We're looking forward to September 25, when part of Des Voeux Road Central will be blocked off from vehicular traffic. Perhaps it will get people nostalgic again when the Occupy protests blocked Admiralty for 79 days and spontaneously created a warm, selfless community.

This event though is not a protest, but part of the Clean Air Network's plan to showcase the vision of urban planners on how to convert the busy thoroughfare into a pedestrian-friendly public space without crippling traffic or causing major inconvenience to residents.

The organizers also hope it will persuade Hong Kong people into supporting their ultimate goal of permanently rezoning the main road into a car-free zone.

This is what Clean Air Network envisions for the district

On that Sunday from 10am to 4pm, Des Voeux Road will be blocked between Morrison Street and Man Wa Lane. The area will feature booths, stalls, and even a mini football pitch, and another area will be for artists to perform or exhibit their work.

Trams that go along the line will still be allowed to go through, but at slower speeds, and there will be some 400 volunteers acting as marshalls to ensure pedestrian safety.

Clean Air Network didn't have an easy time persuading the Transport Department into granting the group a temporary traffic arrangement permit. And then the group had to deal with the police and Fire Services Department, who were concerned about potential blockage of emergency vehicular access to the area.

The NGO also had to talk to other stakeholders, like the public transport companies, as about 20 bus routes would be affected.

Winnie Tse of the Clean Air Network hopes the plan won't just be for weekends, when traffic is 40 percent lower, but become a permanent one.

"We want to change people's mindset and we know this is not going to be easy," she said. "A lot of roadside vendors we talked to agreed pollution was serious in the area, but they held a general perception that this is part of life."

Professor Ng Mee-kam, director of Chinese University's Urban Studies Programme, is supportive of the plan.

"I believe people are smart enough to adapt -- remember the Occupy protests?" she asked.

"I'm for non-motorized transport and walking experience. Pedestrianizing the area will help people interact with each other on the streets, gaining inspiration and boosting our social capital," Ng said.

Sounds like a plan!

Getting Used to the Localist Snub

The annual October 1 flag-raising ceremony at Bauhinia Square in Wan Chai

They haven't technically been sworn in yet, but the six newly-elected localist lawmakers have already decided they are not going to attend the October 1 National Day reception that mark the founding of the People's Republic of China.

It's the ritual flag raising ceremony, speeches and singing of the national anthem at Bauhinia Square next to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai.

Cheung Chung-tai says he won't be attending the festivities

The Hong Kong government was testing the waters to see how its working relationship with these localists would be like, but with them snubbing the invite, it seems like the next few years are going to be a tough slog.

Civic Passion's Cheng Chung-tai, who is also a Polytechnic University lecturer, told the media he would skip the event.

"[October 1] is just the national day of China and has little to do with Hong Kong," he said.

The two members of Youngspiration, Sixtus "Baggio" Leung Chung-hang and Yau Wai-ching, who once advocated independence, said the reception celebrated "the national day of a neighbouring country".

A similar reaction came from two others voted into functional constituencies, social welfare and architectural sectors, saying it was "a waste of time with nothing to celebrate".

Sixtus Leung says Oct 1 is a national day for another country

Nathan Law Kwun-chung of Demosisto doesn't plan to attend as a guest but as a protester.

However the seven lawmakers from the Democratic Party have decided to accept the invite, following an internal meeting today.

"We will attend and adopt our own means to reflect the public's opinions to the SAR government and other attendees," said Lam Cheuk-ting, but did not elaborate.

Leung Kwok-hung or "Long Hair" of the League of Social Democrats has yet to receive his invitation, though last year was the first time he was not invited. But seeing as the localists have decided not to attend, perhaps Leung is considered more moderate these days?

It's all relative, isn't it.

Nevertheless, the stand the localists are taking is refreshing. What does October 1 mean to people in Hong Kong anyway? Not much, if anything. While they do face the possibility of Beijing's ire for not giving it face, the six are making a statement that this is Hong Kong, and no, we don't think we're a part of China.

The ball's now in Beijing's court...