Lyon Food Tour | Malva | French-Ukrainian Fusion Cuisine
Touting "Ukrainian roots" and a "young chef" as its selling points, this restaurant has gained popularity on social media. In reality, Ukrainian dishes make up less than 25% of the menuâitâs more like a "French cuisine with Ukrainian touches" blend. Considering the taste and complexity of the dishes, the price is a bit on the high side.â The service and dining experience are definite highlights. Staff explain each dish in detail, and their attentivenessâfrom checking in at just the right frequency to warming plates, changing cutlery, and pacing the mealâfollows the standards of gastronomic dining.âđ The evening "MENU DĂCOUVERTE" (Discovery Menu) is âŹ45, including starter/soup + main course + dessert.â First up: two house-made breads with butter. Theyâre truly uniqueâboth rye and wheat varieties are soft, chewy, and springy, with no sourness, almost like Japanese milk toast. Slathered with salty or garlic butter, theyâre delicious đ.â Of the starters/soups, only the BORTSCH (beetroot soup) carries Ukrainian flair, served traditionally with a dollop of sour creamâmy friend loved it. I opted for the tartare de langue de boeuf (beef tongue tartare), which was excellent: slow-cooked tongue mixed with olives, pickles, shallots, and horseradish, lightly seasoned with garlic aioli, topped with crispy buckwheat flakes. The vegetarian Carpaccio de betteraves jaunes (yellow beet carpaccio) looked beautiful but was small in portion and mild in flavor; the honey-balsamic and goat cheese pairing was safe but unremarkable.âđ Among the mains, VARENIKI is a traditional dishâlike large dumplings, but filled with confit duck leg and served with a sweetish sauce, making it less Ukrainian. The salmon was plump; cooked well-done but still tender, paired with creative cauliflower preparations (roasted, pickled, purĂ©ed). Watch out for the raw, slightly bitter notes, though. The cassava chips were a pleasant surpriseâcrunchy like shrimp crackers. A side of brioche (slightly salty and buttery) was decent too.âđ€Ł Desserts, overall, were low in sweetness. The cheesecake, flavored with sea buckthorn and garnished with malva dried petals (matching the restaurantâs name), tasted unremarkable; it had a firm, jiggly texture from too much gelatin. There was also a gluten-free chocolate dessert shaped like a beetroot (so it didnât look appealing). đ The top crust and crumble had a strange sandy texture and little sweetness, making it underwhelming. The chocolate shell and cool chocolate mousse were fine, though the raspberry and beetroot jam filling was a surprisingly nice touch đ«.â #LyonFood #FusionCuisine #FrenchUkrainianFood #LyonDining #FoodExplorationâ