Chernomorka in Bratislava. (source: Sme - Marko Erd)
I’m standing by a pool full of live oysters. I’m wearing black rubber gloves and Ivan Burakov is handing me a mollusc and a knife. “Watch out, it’s really sharp,” says Burakov, who makes a living by shucking oysters.
I dig the knife with full force into the crack in the shell, but it doesn’t relent. I worry that if I push too hard, the oyster will fly out of my hand and take a few fingers with it. Burakov appears to understand my helpless look and takes the oyster from my hand. He opens it with a single, practised move.
Only later do I learn that almost no one is able to open an oyster at their first attempt.
“Now you have 20 minutes to eat it. Then it dies,” Burakov says, handing me the slimy treat. I sprinkle it with lemon juice and pop it into my mouth.
My original intention was to let it slide down my throat, but the oyster was large, so I had to chew it a bit. This marine aphrodisiac is full of health-promoting substances, but only people with strong nerves can enjoy it raw. Fortunately, I’m inside the restaurant Chernomorka, which serves a wide range of the fruits of the ocean.
Fish legend
Chernomorka is a Ukrainian restaurant chain that has become a legend in Ukraine. Behind the simple slogan “We only serve fish”, there are dozens of types of fish and seafood prepared in a variety of ways.
Today there are about 50 of these restaurants across Ukraine, Moldova and Poland. They are based on the same concept, but some have a different story behind them.
The “mother” of all Chernomorkas is Olha Kopylova, who invested in the very first restaurant. The menu was mainly focused on fish from the Black Sea (the restaurant derives its name from the Slavic name for the Black Sea, or Čierne more in Slovak).
“It was a risk, because there was no similar concept in Ukraine at that time. Whoever wanted fresh fish had to go to Odessa or Crimea,” the chain owner tells me.
