Nikolai Khyvalynsky: "Breakthrough of the Year among Chefs"

At the awards ceremony for the "Plates" of "Sobaka" magazine, the names of three St. Petersburg chefs were announced, whose names may not yet have been widely known to the public but need to be learned right now.

We wholeheartedly agree with the editorial choice!
Nikolai Khyvalynsky, brand chef of "Grand Hotel Moika 22" and, accordingly, of the Bellevue restaurant, the Tea Lounge, and the Von Witte bar.
Magnificent gastronomic education and outlook, taste and courage, elegant clarity of style, impeccable execution, and a great deal of hard work.

A grand hotel's kitchen is a huge, complex mechanism; managing it is a separate art that requires the highest professionalism from the brand chef. It is much more than just a bright culinary talent – although Nikolai Khyvalynsky has that in abundance.

Sakhalin scallop with Margelan radish and apple sorbet (harvested from the garden beds and trees of the Strelna kitchen garden at the Peterhof Museum-Reserve!) and his own plantations of mint, rosemary, and strawberries on the Bellevue terraces – Chef Khyvalynsky ensures the "five-star" level through meticulous attention to detail: not just a cabbage steak, but a grill of red kalibos cabbage with smoked oxtail and a zilga grape gel.

We are thrilled! And glad that the award experts were able to recognize him and appreciate him properly.