A place to flea to

  • 2008-07-09
  • By Adam Mullett

LIQUID BREAD: But there is still food on offer for non-drinkers.

 VILNIUS - There is a restaurant in Vilnius called Blusyne, which sounds harmless until you find out what it means. The literal English translation for this word is flea, but don't worry 's you won't find any in your food. The restaurant is named after the owner's dog. You can see an artist's impression of the groovy hound on the window and door of the restaurant when you enter.

Blusyne is a hybrid of what you would generally expect from a bar and a restaurant. It is certainly not of Lithuanian style. The furniture is in the vein of something you might see in Belgium, with a dark wooden atmosphere that marks your mood. On the walls, however, are protrusions that remind me of a den that Spock and his crew might visit on "Star Trek" 's yellow growths that seem to pop out of the walls to light the room. The hallway-style layout of the restaurant gives the impression of intimacy and privacy, as you can't see the staff working or hear other people talking.

The only downer is the small tables, which can become cluttered with objects. In that way, Blusyne leans toward being a bar. Of course, this isn't all bad, as they have a nice range of beers and wines that are designed to compliment the meals on offer.

The menu is a fusion of European and Thai dishes that all come from recipes handpicked by the owner himself while he is in Thailand. Chef Andzej Gastevic proudly explained that only 20 percent of the spices they use in the kitchen can be found in Lithuania. All others are brought from other countries. If patrons are lucky, they might get to see the maestro himself walking into the garden with a bowl and scissors to clip fresh herbs.

Gastevic explained that the 'Blusyne' chicken dish is the menu's flagship item despite being the cheapest meal available. An in-house adjika spice mix is made that makes the bright red chicken dish unique 's and very spicy, by Lithuanian standards. Adjika is a hot yet subtly flavored paste from Georgia and other places in the Caucasus mountains. Other key ingredients are red peppers, garlic, herbs and spices such as coriander, dill and blue fenugreek, which can only be found in mountainous regions. It will be just what the ex-pat doctor ordered, however - a taste of the East that isn't easy to find in this part of the world. Mix all that with a bowl of basmati rice and everything suddenly seems right in the world.

Prices of the meals vary significantly, running from 15 lita (4 euro) snacks to 50 lita meals. The Whole Sea Bass is recommended by the chef and would be complimented by the Belgian beers on offer, which cost around 13 litas each.

Blusyne is the sort of place that you could go to for a romantic second or third date 'sproviding that they're paying or you're the director of a bank. Basically, it's a really nice place to fill your belly in a nice location. The restaurant is just off Didzoji Street, centrally located, so you can scoot off to the next location with ease.
Their menu can be found online at their Web site, and there is also mention of a happy hour between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m., where you buy one drink and get the second for a cent. Now you have a purpose for all those useless coins in your piggy bank.

Blusyne Bar-Restaurant
Saviciaus St. 5
+370 5212 2012
www.blusyne.lt