Khinkali, the thick-skinned Georgian cousins of xiao long bao, usually are sealed with prominent topknots.
The knot provides a fingerhold and, since it's not eaten, a means of tracking khenkali consumption. As you can see in the first photo below, these ($9 per half-dozen) had only rudimentary topknots; mildly scalded and very messy fingers were the result. Thanks to a khenkali diaspora, the dumplings can now be found in other ex-Soviet eateries. Cafe Kiev, for one, prepares a more delicate version with a functional topknot and thinner skin; unfortunately I don't have a photo.
Also shown: Caucasian salad ($8.50) topped with shreds of basturma; mchadi ($3.95), or cornbread; brinza and suluguni cheese ($14.95) meant to pair with it; baklajani s orekhami ($7.95), eggplant rolls with crushed walnuts; khachapuri ($8), an oozy version of the cheesebread; kupati ($13.95), stubby looped sausages (a blend of beef and pork, I think) sided with fries; chakapuli ($9.95), a lamb stew heavy with tarragon; ostri ($11.95), beef stew in a tomato-based sauce; chicken with garlic sauce ($14.95) called bazhe on the menu, shkmeruli on the check. Lamb seemed to be the favorite of the table, but I applied any and all handy sops to the garlic sauce with the chicken.
Mtshkheta Cafe
2568 86th St. (Stillwell Ave.-Bay 41st St.), Bath Beach, Brooklyn
718-676-1868
