We came to visit an interesting place - the cafe-club “Chinese pilot Zhao Da”. Read about who he is, where the Leningrad group first performed, and also about where to taste those huge, delicious Breton pancakes in our editorial material.
Arriving to visit, we met the general director of the club Sergei Galyas and chef Natalia Ignatkina , who gave us a detailed tour of the establishment.
Sergey, tell me how this place was born? Why is it called "Chinese Pilot Zhao Da"?
S.G.: It's a long story. The place appeared 19 years ago - we had a birthday in August. It is without a doubt iconic. 19 years ago, our founders - Vladimir Zhao, Irina and Alexey Paperny (from the cult group Paperny TAM - editor's note) met and decided to open a music club. And why such a name is clear from the surname of our founder, who had high-ranking military leaders associated with China in his family. It is noteworthy that the name is Chinese, but the cuisine is European. But if you need Chinese cuisine, you can go to the Chinatown cafe, which also belongs to us and is located exactly above us. We are, first of all, a night music club where you can eat delicious food and listen to quality music.
The average life of a restaurant is two years. How do you manage to exist successfully for so long?
S.G.: First of all, our club has a soul. We are also sensitive to the market - our menu is constantly changing, innovations are introduced into the interior, but at the same time we maintain the main idea, for which our guests love us. And guests are our main wealth. Those who jumped at our discos 19 years ago today come to us for children's parties with their children.
Which famous people have performed for you over the past 19 years?
S.G.: Dibrov gave his only concert in Moscow here, Kusturica, Manu Chao came here, Zemfira, Psoy Korolenko, Pelageya, the Leningrad group began their careers here. Zhao Da was the launching pad for so many celestials of the current stage.
Deep fried cheese salad Now let's talk about food - how do you form the main backbone of the menu?
N.I.: Based on demand - for example, we have had Japanese meat on our menu for 19 years. We tried several times to remove it, but the guests do not allow us to do this. It's the same story with salad with deep-fried cheese. All generations have their own taste preferences. It's no secret that now everyone is crazy about burgers, and accordingly, we have burgers. We also have our signature feature - huge Breton pancakes, they are now in our top, because... they are large, filling and very tasty.
Signature burger “Zhao da” Question for the chef: if you came here as a guest, what three dishes would you order?
N.I.: I would take arugula with shrimp, Breton pancake with shawarma and salad with deep-fried cheese. We also have very tasty meat in a frying pan. We also have food finger snacks that are very convenient to eat at the bar.
Breton pancake with salmon and basil sauce Who washes the dishes at the chef's house?
N.I.: My husband washes the dishes, but my daughter does most of the cooking - I need to rest sometime (laughs).
Just wondered who this pilot is? After a short search on the internet, I found 17 facts about this pilot and a club of the same name. This is a good club, you can check it out when you have the money of course;)
These ones 17 episodes from the life of Zhao Da:
1. In the early morning of October 10, 1915, cranes flew over the village of Laian Qixia. On this day, a boy was born into the family of shoemaker Jao Se. They named him Zhao Da.
2. Zhao Da dreamed of heaven since childhood. At the age of 14, he designed and built a flying machine from bamboo. Jumping from the wind tower, Zhao Da flew 50 meters on his flywing.
3. Seeing his son’s passion, his father sent him to flight school.
4. During the war, Zhao Da flew a Curtiss-P 40 fighter as part of the 32nd Brigade of the US Air Force.
5. After the war, Zhao Da bought his weathered Curtiss for a symbolic sum, repaired it, painted a winged cat on the fuselage and set off on a trip around the world.
6. Zhao Da spent 90% of his life in the sky. He flew around our earth more than a hundred times in different directions.
7. Zhao Da participated in a scientific expedition to the North Pole.
8. One day, the leader of the African tribe Ushe asked Zhao Da to lift him higher into the sky to ask the sky for rain. Zhao Da fulfilled his request, and they flew under the moon for a long time. The next day it started to rain.
9. Sometimes Zhao Da earned money by transporting various goods to inaccessible mountainous areas.
10. Crossing state borders, Zhao Da always remained unnoticed, because... flew below the radar coverage area.
11. One day Zhao Da landed in a French village. A girl came up to him and said: “Please take me for a ride.” Zhao Da smiled and they flew off. The girl's name was Sophie. Sophie and Zhao Da fell in love. But just as a mermaid cannot live without the sea, Zhao Da could not live without the sky. And he flew away. But Sophie stayed.
12. A few years later, Zhao Da landed in the same village again. Sophie ran out to meet him, followed by a little boy. Sophie hugged Zhao Da and said, “This is your son. His name is Bernard.” Zhao Da kissed his son. For a whole month, Sophie, Zhao Da and Bernard lived together. But still, Zhao Da flew away. Sophie did not hold back Zhao Da, she loved and understood him.
13. And there was also such a person as J. Lee Cooker. A lot was written about him in the newspapers. He spent 90% of his life on the water. One day Zhao Da was flying over the ocean and saw a small raft. It was J. Lee Cooker. But they never met.
14. In 1995, Zhao Da landed in the village of Kuznechikha, Kalinin region, where he still lives. On long quiet evenings, he remembers his life and his soul becomes warm.
15. Recently Zhao Da sent a telegram to France, and a month later Bernard, his son, came to visit him.
16. Bernard grew up and became rich. He became the owner of 10 bars and 7 restaurants.
17. After meeting with his father, Bernard decided to open a cafe in Moscow and call it “Chinese pilot Zhao Da.”