Chanterelle and Watermelon Festival at "Domik v Sadu".

This summer, "Domik v Sadu" restaurants at VDNKh and in Neskuchny Garden have launched a festival dedicated to the season's two most popular ingredients — chanterelles and watermelon. The menu is built around these ingredients: they appear both in standalone dishes and in unexpected combinations.

One of the main highlights is chanterelle season. It opens with cold starters — for instance, zucchini carpaccio with sautéed chanterelles, stracciatella, and parmesan. It suits a light lunch or dinner and, in presentation, resembles a salad, just without extra greens. Sautéed mushrooms are added to keep the dish filling without being heavy. The second cold starter: hummus with sautéed chanterelles, garnished with a drop of green oil and served with pita. At VDNKh, the bread is grilled; in Neskuchny, it's baked before serving — each restaurant has its own approach to the details.

The Italian direction is upheld by a pizza with chanterelles and mozzarella. It has no tomato base — an egg yolk is placed at the center, and a bit of chive and herb aioli is added at the end. The mushrooms on this pizza aren't stewed, just lightly sautéed, to preserve their texture and aroma.

In the hot dishes section, chanterelles pair with potato and meat. One favorite: young potato baked in a wood-fired oven, with chanterelles, caramelized onion, and truffle mousse. In Neskuchny, this dish is served as a duo with beef tartare — the cold minced meat and hot side create an interesting temperature contrast. There you can also try another newcomer: chicken schnitzel with zucchini and chanterelles under a creamy spinach sauce.

Guests are also offered the option of assembling a dish to their own taste: chanterelles can be ordered separately or added to any dish from the main menu — for instance, to shashlik, beef pasta, or truffle calamarata. This gives room for experimenting and lets the seasonal ingredient be worked into favorite items.

The second part of the festival is dedicated to watermelon. On the menu, it appears both as a starter and in drinks. "Domik v Sadu" serves watermelon with feta, dried olives, and flower honey — the contrast of flavors gives the dish a piquant edge. The cocktail list has gained a Watermelon Cooler 2.0 — a version of the summer drink on gin with cranberry. It's meant as an aperitif and served chilled. The non-alcoholic side of the menu is rounded out with fresh watermelon juice with lime juice and mint, made right before serving.

The summer menu is available at both restaurants, but some items can only be tried in Neskuchny — the tartare with a potato-and-chanterelle side and the chicken schnitzel. The rest of the dishes, both watermelon and mushroom, can be found at both VDNKh and Neskuchny, letting you put together any summer combo to your taste.