Munchies: Alexei Zimin

All the stories you hear about Russians and drinking are true; anyone who says otherwise is a liar. And most of the stories you hear about chefs and drinking are true, too. With that in mind, Moscow's Alexei Zimin was everything we hoped a Russian chef would be. We had a free night in Moscow after shooting an episode of Far Out in Siberia, so we got in touch with Alexei and he said to come by his restaurant, Ragout. There are actually two Ragouts: the smaller, original location, and the second one, near Prospekt Mira, next to one of the stadiums from the Moscow Olympics. That's where this Munchies episode begins.
To call the new Ragout a mere restaurant would be an understatement; it's a fine dining room, a casual cafe, a cooking school, a bookstore, and more. Alexei studied at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and worked under chefs like Michel Gerard and Raymond Blanc before opening Ragout with fellow cook Ilya Shalev. They filter French technique through their Russian sensibilities and take influences from their travels for everything they do-which, in Alexei's case, also includes being the editor of Eda, a great Russian food magazine, organizer of the Moscow Festival of Food, cookbook author, and television show host. It's hard to imagine how he does it, if the hangovers he gave us were any indication. Here's what we can remember: after Ragout we went to Bar Bontempi and met the owner, Mitya Borisov, a semi-legendary figure with eyes the color of Merlot. Then it was off to 32.05, a cafe/bar in the middle of a park where Alexei showed us his amazing singing voice, and then to Noor Bar, a cocktail bar as good as any in New York. At that point things become hazy, but we can recall one of Alexei's friends knocking out our field producer with one punch, and the night ending over bottles of vodka at Jean-Jacques, a great late-night bar, neither of which are on camera, unfortunately. Be careful when you go drinking in Moscow.
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[@dtm4sure69]

They never made it back to ragout for munchies lol

[@fbmfan]

There are lot of jokes and funny things they are talking about, but all of them got lost in translation of these bad subtitles.

[@onemon22]

Thanks for posting, and making it readable.

[@oldjohnsarchive]

BEST EPISODE YET

[@viiksters]

Hahaha! awesome episode!

[@stuart.w]

Really enjoyed this. Its nice to have these little culture insights. Kept me smiling all through.

[@aminman15]

"...some good bread, good cheese, good onions" lol sums this episode up.

[@SaxualTigre]

didn't need the subtitles druzya, but really good episode haha they're just having a roaring time

[@Gordon_Kicks]

Добрый вечер) Great show, love Munchies a lot)

[@SponzifyMee]

Awesome to see how they got gradually more pissed as they went on with their night

[@slimjimwittywoo]

This is great

[@Nightbird.]

What a beautiful bunch of men! I would be proud to call them my friends. =)

[@HurtigRunter]

Большое спасибо!

[@radicalaccounting]

Interesting to see him light up a cigarette in a restaurant. Don't see that in the US.

[@NHL07DS]

This is the first time that I have watched Munchies and the food looks unappetizing.

[@semily12]

That first dish with the side of lettuce looks like Fancy Feast.

[@ChooChewChu]

"If I want to get drunk, I get drunk." Amen to that!

[@megrimlockmesmart.1200]

VODKA+VODKA+VODKA+FOOD= PURE AWESOMENESS XD

[@straycatmemoir]

Ура!

[@JPizzle7409]

They should have filmed it with a dash cam.

[@NHL07DS]

Quite a grim looking episode.

[@fuuror]

I'm always up for watching drunk russians.

[@AwLeeh]

This food actually looks really good.

[@chanellemulan8004]

I remember watching an episode of Worlds Dumbest and one of the comedians said, "why are Russians always getting fucked up?' LMAO

[@henrysymes]

What's the name of the song he's singing at the start?

[@metalmadnz]

Whats the song playing at 6.20?

[@HurtigRunter]

I like the background music ... Which and whose are the songs?

[@zhan199]

Супер, нада будет посетить.

[@tawiee]

Mitya's so cute :)

[@OkInsanity]

I love the Russian look on drinking :D

[@stonedandrockinout]

yeah, trees are delicious. i like the really, really old ones.

[@sipsdad6573]

I like how the video is 10 min long and you commented 4 minutes ago yet the video was posted 9 minutes ago

[@infight2499]

Me neither but what I'm thinking is different haha

[@GenghisShawn]

That one dude didn't once not have a cigarette in between his fingers... haha

[@MrCatbuttgum]

A russian, who studied in one culinary school of london, preparing French dishes in Russia... and I'm just here eating ham sandwiches.

[@IdontWipe007]

Damn, they didn't even try to cook at the end. These guys said we're drunk and fuck it.

[@T90MS]

He was so drunk he forgot his name, LOL

[@error408881]

acualy it is quite good!

[@ceounicom]

""I'm not good are sarcasm I guess"" Acknowledging a problem exists is a first step toward rehabilitation.

[@RonJohnCo]

Go back to doing these in the US. I spend the entire time reading the subtitles instead of watching the content.

[@marshalkin]

in Moscow and a lot of tourists here, атв they feel safe

[@YogaNeko3000]

This was an episode of Drinkies

[@augusteoldham4393]

why is everyone saying the food looks bad? it looks fine! And the people weren't bad at all they just got very drunk, he is probably a very good chef

[@Micaheichelberg]

They are being modest of course. What they are really saying is "this is all the consumers want to see. We will not waste your time with true Russia. You will be too simple to appreciate our glory." It's a lot like that North Korean VICE episode, the first one, not the Rodman one.

[@orbust]

While they look like they are having a good time, the surrounding seem very depressing.

[@Terraceview]

Good shit finally from VICE.

[@danieyst]

I just don't understand why they wouldnt have any vegan munchies episodes when brooklyn is one of the best places for vegan food.

[@FlownChill]

They met a guy who was already wasted before cameras arrived. Aint no time for camera shyness.

[@ceounicom]

They make Vegan Pâté. Grind 1 Vegan with salt & herbs, chill and cure in fridge for 3 days. Serve with sauce of pureed chinchilla, & buttered rum.

[@djmkrr]

no munchies in the munchies...I'm hungry

[@Orelion]

That's also because the translator left whole phrases out for some reasons.

[@usd4435]

2:10 It was like an eyedropper full of soup and 1 piece of lettuce

[@MrAvolov]

thats how we roll, man. i live in london, and when i let my russian side out lokals tend to freak out.

[@NGBdubstep]

If anyone is considering working in the restaurant industry this should be your warning

[@bleendy]

Before I went to Russia I always thought the Irish could drink but no one comes anywhere close to Russians - it was an education .

[@MrK4m1]

your name explains everything...

[@gd627]

theres a law being passed that will come into effect in 2014 that smoking in bars, restaurants and clubs will be banned in Russia

[@vladkleshnev2727]

I feel like whoever translated 'The Hermitage' to "Ermitazh" needs a reality check.

[@TheStupidBaboon]

that didn't even make me hungry

[@GenghisKhanBruseySkyz]

One man's rotten cantaloupe bread crumb sock is another man's bacon wrapped triple cheeseburger.

[@jeebersjumpincryst]

weeellll.... as long as theyre deloused I s'pose.... thanks for the recipe tho ;)

[@alexanderp1337]

The only problem is that you will be knocked out already or have alcohol poisoning while they will just start getting tipsy....

[@MIddleJaman]

Alexei is the Russian version of EpicMealTime :P

[@Luke.hello.]

hahahaha, I was sure it was action bronson in the thumbnail

[@danieyst]

They feature almost no vegan food. All I want is them to at least feature some!

[@easymoney202]

That guy is going to light his hood on fire with his cigarette..

[@iSim0641]

wow thats one huge tartare

[@decayedltieracy]

SMOKING AT THE TABLE?!?!?!?!?!

[@danieyst]

I rarely eat salad! Sorry to disappoint you!

[@ImHUNGREH]

Because for a long time we didn't bother changing with the world

[@EscpdFrmPsykward]

It's official: Getting shit faced in Russia is on my bucket list.

[@Goaterd]

Why?

[@AIRNICK7L]

No one said it wasn't just russians are known for drinking and thats why it associates more with russians, that being said poles are wicked drinkers also.

[@KeulchenGerrit]

songs? all of them?!

[@daxureisidiot]

Jeff Bridges: this is just to please you, pindos

[@Harajukafist]

Please tell me why???

[@JGZulu]

That was pretty depressing...

[@CraigPark]

These guys are hilarious. I wonder how much they drank that day....

[@LadyPenelope]

Smoking while eating..appetizing, not gross at all. This seals the deal...never visiting Russia.

[@merkur28]

Have you ever heard that different cultures have different food?

[@TheKidsMoon1]

Action Bronson? Is that you?

[@Jordiw00t]

It has to do with their kind of bad (cultural) reputation in world. A lot of people say the russians don't have very good food, so I can understand he says these things to kind of convince people that russians can in fact cook very good.

[@avtii]

Translation is pretty bad, video is good :)

[@marklastovsky]

Аркадий Северный - За окном кудрявая белая акация "Думы окаянные"

[@WessCNY]

We used to be afraid of these people?

[@bminus911]

This is firstly about chefs, who are generally the type of person who like to drink. As a non Russian I realise that these guys are not a representative of all Russians. Secondly, it is about Russia, since it is shot in that locality. Anyway, they seem like nice guys. I have seen a lot worse over here in England. I think the main problem with this video is in the description, which re-enforces the stereotype that all Russians drink a lot.

[@MrPart2]

They get food from London and Manhattan? Looks like they get leftovers from those places.

[@gabek25]

it is true some of my parents friends drink it with breakfast (vodka)

[@matua4745]

знал, что если про наших снимать будут, то после первого заведения многие будут синие

[@whiteymcflightey]

Even though I don't smoke, I miss that. What is happening?

[@ceounicom]

Yet this is why it is such a rare delicacy. A Vegan Hunt can take days... using a recent copy of Mother Jones & a bottle of Kombucha for bait ....they must be caught alive, and should not struggle too much before decapitation (we play the film 'Koyaanisqatsi', which lulls them into a trance). Once dismembered, a thorough delousing is required. Pressure washer & brillo works wonders. The flavor comes from the complete absence of red-muscle tissue. Utterly defenseless & pathetic, yet tasty.

[@ruskeee]

that's because many words were cut out that don't translate into english. see, russian is a much more descriptive and creative language, so speaking it is an art, unlike modern english where people just slur together barely enough words to get a semi-coherent thought across with no attempt at verbal literature.

[@TheMasa6]

He is very similar to Bam's father

[@AnonyMous-zx9if]

So happy I was drinking booze for this. LOL. Russia: Go. :)

[@ceounicom]

""I dont think you understand what i mean by feeling."" I don't think you understand that most people don't give a shit if the Cow is composing sonnets in Cow Language or working on a modern masterpiece of Dung Distribution = As long as steaks taste fucking awesome, they will be eaten. You can take your anthropomorphic fantasy world and try and flog it to the population, but it sure as hell isn't anywhere as tasty as steak.

[@paulkolga]

The stereotype is true in general. But personlly I don't drink at all. Russian from Siberia

[@diederikklassen2166]

VODKA !

[@swft_]

He went to London, yet he only spoke in Russian.

[@FLICKOFF1000]

I guess its still the same like any other place there, except the food looks like grass and raw meat together and you simply go there to get drunk on fancy drinks instead of the vodka...whats the difference after that?

[@drumtravelfun]

"If i want to get drunk, i get drunk" fucking A.