Kapitan (Formerly Known As Borscht And Dumplings.RU)

Kapitan (Formerly Known As Borscht And Dumplings.RU)
32 Maxwell Road
#01-05 Maxwell Chambers

https://kapitanbar.com/

Belly And Banger

Homely Russian, Ukrainian, Slavic Dishes

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 7
Ambience & Setting: 8
Food & Beverage: 6
Service: 7
Value for Money: 8
Spent about SGD $24 per person.

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Established by couple-owners Vadim Zoubovski and Alena Zubovskaya in 2020 as Dumplings.RU, they re-branded to Borscht, and then to Kapitan in April 2023 in order to protect the brand from the ongoing Russian Ukraine war. Kapitan specialises in Russian, Ukrainian, and Slavic home-style dishes, an uncommon offering in Singapore.

Ambience at Kapitan is cramped and casual. The lowly lit place calls to mind the deck of a sailing ship, with sturdy wooden furnishings packed into a small dining space, decorated with nautical and maritime mementos of the family's past career in shipping. The atmosphere is buzzing, and conversation carries.

Service at Kapitan is helmed by the family. While it takes time to catch their attention, requests are promptly fulfilled, and tables are cleaned relatively decently once diners leave. Guests are warmly greeted, and ordering is easy through the online platform which has helpful pictures and descriptions of dishes.

Food at Kapitan is generally made to order, focused on Russian, Ukrainian, and Slavic cuisine. Dishes are home-style comfort food, uncommon in Singapore but plentiful in Eastern Europe. Ingredients are replicated though, resulting in a same-ness across the majority of dishes. Portions are medium to large, and are best shared. Prices are affordable, budget about SGD $24 per person.

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Kapitan Signage

Kapitan Exterior

Kapitan Interior

Seating

A refreshing glass of Water (SGD $Complimentary) with neutral flavour, served to accompany drinks or a meal. Good!

Water (SGD $Complimentary)

The Kvass (SGD $10) is a traditional Slavic fermented drink, made from rye bread, water, and white sugar, resulting in a slightly tangy herbal sweet flavour with a fizzy thin texture. Often described as a refreshing and nutritious drink, kvass is rich in probiotics. Good!

Kvass (SGD $10)

Kvass

Kvass

The Beer Zhiguli Barnoe (SGD $10) is a non-alcoholic beverage styled like a European pale lager, brewed by the Moskovskaya Pivovarennaya Kompaniya (Moscow Brewing Company) in Mytishchi, Mytishchinsky district, Moscow oblast, Russia. It has a bright golden colour, with aromas and tastes of sourdough bread, corn, spring water, and cereal. The body is lively, fresh, and balanced, with grainy bready bitter earthy sweet flavour. Has a dense persistent snow-white froth cap, with a slight astringent aftertaste.

Beer Zhiguli Barnoe (SGD $10)

Beer Zhiguli Barnoe

The Nalivka Flight (SGD $50) is a tasting flight featuring nalivka, a traditional Russian alcoholic beverage of vodka infused with fruit and left to ferment or age. The Nalivka Pineapple has a fruity sweet tropical flavour, the Nalivka Green Apple has a fruity sweet sour flavour, the Nalivka Cranberry has a fruity sour sweet flavour, the Nalivka Red Chili Pepper has a vegetal bitter herbal spice flavour, the Nalivka Blackcurrant tastes like cough syrup, the Nalivka Cherry has a fruity sweet tangy flavour, and the Nalivka White Grape has a fruity sweet refreshing flavour. Good!

Nalivka Flight (SGD $50)

Nalivka Pineapple

Nalivka Green Apple

Nalivka Cranberry

Nalivka Red Chili Pepper

Nalivka Blackcurrant

Nalivka Cherry

Nalivka White Grape

The Potato Pierogi (SGD $12) is a beloved Polish dumpling dish, made by wrapping a soft unleavened dough (made from all-purpose flour, salt, water, chicken eggs, sour cream, and butter) around a filling of mashed potatoes, butter, salt, and yellow onions. The dumplings are then boiled, resulting in a tender chewy soft texture with grainy starchy salty buttery sweet flavour. Topped with bouncy sautéed mushrooms (button or cremini) with vegetal earthy savoury salty flavour. Served with thick sour cream on the side, which lends a milky sour flavour. Worth ordering!

Potato Pierogi (SGD $12)

Potato Pierogi

Potato Pierogi

The Mushroom Cheese Blini (SGD $14) is a Russian dish which features a soft blini pancake base (made from all-purpose flour, cow's milk, chicken eggs, and butter) stacked with bouncy sautéed mushrooms (button or cremini), crisp spring onions, and gooey melted mozzarella cheese. This carries grainy vegetal earthy savoury salty sweet cheesy flavour. Served with thick sour cream on the side, which lends a milky sour flavour. Good!

Mushroom Cheese Blini (SGD $14)

Mushroom Cheese Blini

Mushroom Cheese Blini

The Belly And Banger (SGD $14) is a Ukrainian appetizer which features chunks of sliced pork belly and pork sausages, coated in a spiced all-purpose flour batter, and deep-fried till crisp and crunchy in texture. Carries robust smoky meaty salty savoury spice flavour, notes of paprika and garlic. Good!

Belly And Banger (SGD $14)

Belly And Banger

The Olivier Salad (SGD $14) is a classic Russian salad, named after its creator Chef Lucien Olivier. This staple dish consists of diced boiled potatoes, carrots, peas, dill pickles, white onions, hard-boiled chicken eggs, and pork ham, all bound together with mayonnaise. Has a creamy tender soft chunky texture, with pleasant milky eggy sweet sour savoury vegetal flavour. Highly recommended!

Olivier Salad (SGD $14)

Olivier Salad

Olivier Salad

Loved the Shuba Salad (SGD $14), a classic Russian New Year's salad whose name translates to 'Fur Coat Salad' due to its layered appearance. This dish consists of diced boiled potatoes, carrots, red beetroot, hard-boiled chicken eggs, cured salted herring fish, spring onions, and sour cream. Has a creamy tender soft chunky flaky texture, with lovely milky eggy sour vegetal earthy sweet fishy salty flavour, delicious. I love that they plated it in a heart-shape, polished off every bite. Highly recommended!

Shuba Salad (SGD $14)

Shuba Salad

Shuba Salad

The Borscht (SGD $14) is a traditional Russian and Ukrainian soup, an everyday staple that's also regarded as a cultural symbol. It's made with water, salt, red beetroot, tomatoes, cabbage, carrots, white onions, potatoes, bay leaves, and beef bone stock, served warm and garnished with a dollop of sour cream and dill. The soup has a thin texture, with the vegetables lending a crunch, carrying vegetal herbal sweet sour savoury earthy flavour. Highly recommended!

Borscht (SGD $14)

Borscht

Borscht

The Okroshka (SGD $12) is a traditional Russian and Ukrainian summer soup, intentionally served chilled, meant to aid in cooling off on warm days. Definitely appropriate for the hot Singapore weather! It's made with water, salt, cucumber, spring onions, red radish, potatoes, pork ham, chicken eggs, lemon juice or white vinegar, and sour cream. The soup has a thin texture, with the vegetables lending a crunch, the meat being tender, carrying vegetal sour zesty sweet meaty savoury salty flavour. Highly recommended!

Okroshka (SGD $12)

Okroshka

Okroshka

The 24-Hours Beef Stroganoff (SGD $27) is a Russian dish which features sliced beef, mushrooms (button or cremini), and yellow onions, stewed for 24-hours till everything turns tender bouncy moist, carrying bold meaty savoury salty vegetal sweet earthy flavour. The stew is stacked over a base of chunky tender mashed potatoes churned with salt and butter, resulting in a starchy salty savoury sweet buttery flavour. Accompanied by crunchy juicy dill pickles which burst with vegetal sour herbal flavour, helping to refresh the palate. Highly recommended!

24-Hours Beef Stroganoff (SGD $27)

24-Hours Beef Stroganoff

24-Hours Beef Stroganoff

The Draniki With Smoked Salmon (SGD $25) is a delightful twist on a Belarusian classic, featuring a base of draniki (made from grated potatoes, salt, butter, and all-purpose flour) pan-fried till crisp and golden with starchy salty savoury flavour. Topped with rosettes of tender smoked salmon fish with smoky fishy salty savoury flavour, a medley of crisp juicy crunchy vegetables (red onions, lettuce, daikon radish, spring onions, cherry tomatoes, tomatoes) with vegetal sour sweet earthy flavour, garnished with a juicy lemon wedge for added fruity sour zesty tangy flavour. Served with a dollop of sour cream which lends a milky sour flavour. Good!

Draniki With Smoked Salmon (SGD $25)

Draniki With Smoked Salmon

Draniki With Smoked Salmon

The Medovik (SGD $15), also known as Russian Honey Cake, is a beloved dessert. Famed for its thin dense soft layers of honey infused sponge cake (made with all-purpose flour, baking soda, chicken eggs, granulated sugar, butter, and honey), spread with creamy frosting (made with whipped cream, sour cream, and powdered sugar), this lovely cake carries floral candied sweet flavour, almost melting away in the mouth. Said to be originally created in the Russian Imperial kitchen for Empress Elizabeth Alexeievna. Highly recommended!