The Patriarch's Ponds area has just gotten one restaurant richer with AQ Chicken, which, as the name implies, is a place for chicken lovers. The restaurant was opened by Argentinian-born Andreas Quetglas, who is the concept-chef and co-owner. He has teamed up with his already familiar staff from his other restaurant, AQ Kitchen: chef Andrei Zhdanov and wine connoisseur Vlada Lesnichenko.
The restaurant has a warm and intimate atmosphere created by wooden tables, wooden floors, dimmed lights, exposed brick walls and baskets filled with hay and eggs dotted about the restaurant. You feel like you're in a cozy and chic barn.
Here the bird is honored in every possible way: Tandoori Chicken, pelmeni, Vietnamese soup with chicken meatballs or Chinese-style cockerels. Those are just a few of the dozens of chicken dishes on the menu, and each seems to get lavish attention. In this kitchen, no cuisine and chicken is left behind.
This isn't a place for vegetarians unless they stick to the desert menu.
The dishes on the menu are all very affordable, but they aren't cheap. One of the chef's creations and a must-try is the Chicken Tiradito (450 rubles, about $7): lightly smoked chicken that has the texture of tuna carpaccio, topped with avocado, crispy rice, mango sauce and finished with frozen orange, lemon and grapefruit pulp sprinkled on top.
AQ Chicken has an extensive wine list that includes bottles from virtually every continent. Here you can find everything to suit your meal, from dry Rieslings to oaky Chardonnays.
This isn't a place for vegetarians unless they stick to the desert menu. Here, too, chef Quetglas shares his creativity with his diners. You might top your meal with a golden egg of pineapple cream or chocolate truffle with figs and crispy nut mousse.
A final bit of advice: come hungry. The dishes are inviting and the portions are generous.
+7 (495) 699 5313
facebook.com/AQ-Chicken
11/13 Tryokhprudny Pereulok, Bldg. 2.
Metro Mayakovskaya