Ukrainian eatery to bring chicken Kyiv, green borscht and dumplings of every variety to Broadway

When Kyiv Social opens in Sydney next month, it’ll have a strong claim to the title of the Australian restaurant with the most accredited team.

“There are lawyers, a doctor and a former economist from the central bank in Ukraine,” founder Shaun Christie-David says of the posse of personnel who’ll work in or consult for the Broadway restaurant.

The seeds for Kyiv Social were planted when the restaurateur was approached with the idea of creating a business for Ukrainians displaced by the war.

“A lot of them are really struggling here,” says Christie-David. Language barriers and non-transferable qualifications have left many Ukrainians frustrated and searching for ways to deploy their skills.

And if there was ever a time Sydneysiders might be open to trying Ukrainian food, it’s now. “It’ll run as a restaurant, but we’ll offer weekly free lunches for newly arrived Ukrainians, and we’re working right now on partnerships in Ukraine to supply meals there.”

But it isn’t just doctors and lawyers looking to get involved – experienced restaurant managers and chefs are among the 4500 Ukrainians Settlement Services International estimates have touched down in Australia since the war began.

Nadia Mohylna is one of them. She fled with her seven-year-old son from Horishni Plavni, a city of 50,000 in central Ukraine, landing in Australia with a two-year temporary humanitarian visa and a CV rich in hospitality management, which she’ll put to use as Kyiv Social’s new restaurant consultant.

“It’ll be very special to share our traditions and food with Australian people,” Mohylna says. Diners can expect a green borscht soup made with sorrel, and dumplings – lots of them, filled with everything from mushrooms to cherries.

“Having people like Nadia involved helps with the other aim of Kyiv Social, [which is] training people,” Christie-David says. The Sydney restaurateur has plenty of experience in the area as founder of Plate it Forward, which supports refugees and asylum seekers at Colombo Social in Enmore and Kabul Social in Wynyard, and others in need at Coyoacan Social in Eveleigh.

“Kyiv Social will be a Plate it Forward restaurant, but in consultation with the Ukrainian community. We’ve also been working with the Ukrainian ambassador on it,” he adds.

The restaurant will open in the former home of The Two Wolves at Broadway, next to The Lansdowne Hotel. “We’re in the middle of a huge renovation, we’ll hopefully open the doors in the first half of September.”

Will Ukraine’s most famous dish feature on the opening menu? “It’ll 100 per cent have chicken Kyiv,” Christie-David says.