A waiter in national costume offers bread for dipping into salt, a traditional Ukrainian welcome for honoured guests. Wheat stems are woven into light shades and around a mirror. Colourful ceramics are mounted on a wall and baskets of produce are fixed above a fireplace in a bountiful diorama. Melbourne’s only Ukrainian restaurant, Otakoi, is truly transporting.

The borshch has made people cry because it’s just like Babusya’s: ruby red from foil-roasted beetroot, hearty with slow-braised beef. Beetroot also stars in the shuba – a pretty, layered salad of cured herring, potato and pickled onions – while chicken Kyiv is a golden stunner, made to a recipe the owners saw on MasterChef Ukraine and chock-full with garlic, dill and parsley butter.

Service is unfailingly warm, but not without the occasional bump. Still, Otakoi is one of the most soul-enriching openings of the year.

Must-order dish: Chicken Kyiv.

Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.