There seems to be no shortage of excellent Georgian food in New York City. This is, perhaps, unsurprising, given both that the NYC Metro Area is the center of the Georgian-American population and that Georgian food is extremely easy to love.
The “Chama” in Chama Mama evidently means to eat, which we did. We started with the ajapsandali, a mixed vegetable stew similar to ratatouille. This one had a strong flavor of tomato paste, which was nice.
This was a wonderful fresh bread with adjika, a chili paste characteristic of the disputed region of Abkhazia. This adjika was rather salty and not terribly spicy, but very tasty slathered on the warm bread.
Khinkali are central to a good Georgian meal and these were the best I’ve ever had. Khinkali are Georgia’s equivalent of Shanghainese xiao long bao soup dumplings. They are similar in shape and soupiness, but khinkali have a thick knob at the top with which to hold the dumpling upside down, biting out a hole to drink out the soup. Most khinkali I’ve encountered in the US have been beef (or cheese, which is a different beast entirely), but these were made of lamb, which I believe to be a far superior meat. These were also topped generously with black pepper, which is how they’re traditionally served in Georgia.
The other indispensable food at any Georgian meal is khachapuri, cheese bread. There are many kinds from different regions of Georgia, but for visual uniqueness and drama it’s hard to beat the adjaruli kind, shaped into a boat (a reference to the seafaring culture of the Adjara region they come from, which is on the Black Sea). You mix in the butter and egg yolk before devouring.
And finally, kharcho, a saffron (or sometimes marigold) flavored, walnut-thickened chicken stew. This was very fragrant and was served with lovely grilled white grits.
Chama Mama
149 W 14th St
New York, NY 10011
373 Amsterdam Ave
New York, NY 10024