Nataliya Koshalko moved to Arizona from Ukraine with her loved ones in 2001.
“We all came above with each other,” she claimed, outlining how she spoke no English.
“I was searching for a occupation where by I’d be ready to use my techniques and at the same time to study English,” she recalled. “None of the organizations were Russian or Ukrainian-speaking at the time. When I opened my organization, I mentioned my doors would generally be open for individuals who really do not speak English however.”
Then she extra, “The accent will stay for good.”
She began as a economic advisor ahead of opening All Pierogi in 2010 at 1245 W. Baseline Street around Alma College Highway in Mesa. Koshalko labored both equally careers for five years. No household members do the job at the cafe.
“I appreciate to cook dinner,” Koshalko claimed. “I started cooking when I was 11 years previous. When I had attendees at residence, they ended up usually inquiring me, ‘Why really don’t you open up a cafe? You are so proficient at what you do.’ One particular day, I made a decision to do it. I opened it as a side business. A person working day, it grew to become the main enterprise,” including she had no history in the meals industry.
All of the recipes utilized at the cafe belong to Koshalko’s grandmother, who handed absent 25 many years back.
In the starting, Koshalko stated, “I employed a professional kitchen area for a couple of decades. I required to see if this strategy was great for Arizona or not. I’m the first a person to open up an reliable Ukrainian foods institution in Arizona.
“Two many years later on, I made a decision to open a smaller market place. We provide Jap European merchandise there. It’s meats and products from Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Germany, from numerous different nations.” All imported.
But shoppers complained about there only becoming a few tables. When area grew to become readily available up coming doorway, Koshalko expanded. The cafe now has two kitchens.
All the dishes on the menu are home made and handmade each working day which includes the pasta. “We really do not use any pre-manufactured foods,” Koshalko reported. “This is why our meals is so unique for the reason that individuals like the taste…People will say the foodstuff is mouth watering like their grandma designed or the foods is delightful like their mother or neighbor manufactured.”
Moreover pierogi the restaurant also serves pelmeni. “It’s like stuffed dumplings with meat,” reported Koshalko. “It appears to be like a ravioli but it is handmade. Not equipment-manufactured.
“We make potato pancakes, schnitzels. We have clean, selfmade sausage. We have soups on the menu – crimson borscht, environmentally friendly borscht, smoked sausage dill pickle soup. It seems unusual – pickles in a soup – but when persons test it, they feel it’s delectable.”
As significantly as what makes Ukrainian foodstuff distinctive from other styles of meals such as Center Jap or European, Koshalko said it is not about planning since pierogi is designed the same way.
It’s about some thing specific to a tradition.
For instance, red borscht. “Polish men and women make crimson borscht but it is apparent and just mainly bouillon. We insert vegetables, for case in point. Our pierogi is very very similar to Polish. Pelmeni is very similar to Russian. It is normally meats of tradition.”
The most well-liked pierogi at the restaurant is potato and cheddar but Koshalko explained this wide range is not built in Ukraine.
“In Ukraine, all the cheese things – we call it farmer’s cheese but it’s dry cottage cheese. A large amount of men and women do not know what farmer’s cheese is here but they test farmers cheese and chive and they like it.
“Right now, it is extremely common. When they test it when, they come to try out it once more and all over again.” She explained potato pierogis are common in Ukraine.
In addition to pierogi, she claimed potato pancakes are well-liked.
“When you try ours you’ll explain to right absent it is various,” said Koshalko. “We make them from scratch and the spices. It is not what you invest in pre-built, frozen.”
She claimed the base ingredients in Ukrainian foods are salt and pepper. Practically nothing spicy.
Even for the duration of the pandemic, customers could not get more than enough of their beloved dishes at All Pierogi. Koshalko is appreciative of the restaurant’s faithful clients who stored her likely with website orders.
Info: allpierogi, 480-262-3349 Closed Monday & Tuesday.
