Elza Fancy Food or Cafe “At Your Mother-in-Law"

Okay, so it's not Queens. It's Brooklyn. But it's Brighton Beach, my favorite neighborhood in New York! Trust me, it's gonna be worth it:

There is a sizable Korean population in Uzbekistan who are known as Koryo Saram. They ended up there after Stalin's mass deportation of ethnic Koreans from Russia to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan in 1937. This unlikely pair of cuisines has since fused and created a delicious silver lining to one of history's greatest atrocities.

(ridic)

You can start your meal with a variety of appetizers. We had a cold eggplant and red pepper salad that was ridiculously delicious. Also sampled were a bean sprout salad and a minced lamb samsa, a pastry filled with minced lamb and onions.

(sprout it up)

(the minced lamb samsa)

For dinner we had a variety of things from tasty Borscht to Beef Plov (think pilaf).
The stuffed cabbage was excellent.

(that's quite a sheen on your borscht!)

(serious dumplings. serious dill.)

The Manti (dumplings) were gigantic, and filled with the minced lamb and onions filling, savory and uniquely spiced! Definitely not your average Pierogi or Pelmeni.
Sour cream was plentiful.

(I'm a little teapot of delicious black tea)

For dessert they brought us a complimentary treat that was sort of like a rice krispy treat made out of little tubular fried cookies. This was a totally new thing for me, and it was AMAZING. I ate it all. 

(right before I ate it ALL. and then some.)

The place is simple, quaint and pretty small. You can see right into the tiny kitchen where "mother-in-law" is making the magic happen!
As is the norm in Brighton Beach, the prices are extremely reasonable for how awesome the food and the experience is! Elza Fancy Food is definitely worth the trip to Brighton Beach- this is one part of NYC that you don't want to miss.

(me trying to snap a pic discretely)

After you're done with your amazing and no doubt gigantic meal, head down Brighton Beach Ave to M&I International Foods to check out some crazy Russian meats, cakes and pickled things. If you have any more room, try a poppyseed pastry from the prepared foods section. You will not be disappointed. 

(so. many. sausages.)

(classiest caviar I've ever seen)

Elza Fancy Food

a.k.a.  
Cafe “At Your Mother-in-Law” 

3071 Brighton 4th Street 
(btwn Oceanview & Brighton Beach Ave) 

(718) 942-4088