"the trough"
14 June, 2001
By Erik Flesch
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For Central Asian fare Disney-style, head to the city’s newest Uzbek restaurant, Khodzha Nasreddin v Khive, centrally located on the corner of Ulitsa Pokrovka and Pokrovsky Bulvar, with nightly belly dancing and plenty of color. |
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Khodzha Nasreddin v Khive , named after the literary folk hero memorialized in Bukhara, is an Uzbek restaurant on speed, as if its cartoon caricature of Nasreddin himself has climbed down from his proverbial donkey to drive you to Khiva personally in a convertible hotrod filled with half-naked belly dancers.
Similar to an exhibit at Walt Disney World's Epcot Center, the restaurant offers rich visual elements that elicit impressions of familiar aspects of "eastern" culture — such as scores of beautiful handmade wool carpets, woodwork carved with traditional Moslem designs, geometric-patterned perforated screen walls, and murals painted in the blue hues of Uzbek ceramic tiles — enhanced by such modern effects as plasma screens, artificial stone and canned smoke.
The Russian-only menu (a translation is currently in the works) boasts some potentially unfamiliar ingredients, so bring your dictionary — or else you won't realize until later that the konina you ate so much of is horse meat, and what you'd thought would be mountain goat would taste like liver and actually turn out to be antelope (sedlo gornogo saigaka, $17).
The homemade drinks are among the highlights of the menu, including the complimentary shot of slivyanka (otherwise $2), or plum vodka, served at the start of the meal. The Turkic sour milk beverage ayran , which Nasreddin serves with diced fruit ($3), and two types of mixed-berry cocktails — cherry and raspberry ($3.25) — were delicious as well.
For appetizers, the salami-like slices of sun cured konina ($7) were tasty, if a bit gamy. The Uygur Salad of julienne cucumber, cheese, cabbage, Tashkent grapes in smetana and mayonnaise sauce ($7), and the house salad with grated Dorbleu cheese ($7) were good. Narin po-Ankhorsky, a spicy noodle soup with thin strips of konina ($10), was flavorful as well.
Main dishes included a page of manty, including an assortment of the big dumplings stuffed with lamb, chicken, lamb and potato and golden squash ($18), which was very nice. Most delicious, though, was the svadebny, or wedding, plov — three varieties that involve the traditional rice, oil, carrots and lamb, as well as raisins, chickpeas and cumin.
Besides a lesson in the Turkish-influenced cuisine and Islamic aesthetic of Uzbekistan, Khodzha Nasreddin is as much a spectacle of modern Russian marketing. If you like 499 ruble business lunches or go in for a flashy show, Khodzha Nasreddin is your man.
10 Ulitsa Pokrovka. Metro Kitai-Gorod. Tel. 917-0444. Noon to midnight. Credit cards: V, MC, AE.
back to topThursday, Apr. 26, 2001
By Erik Flesch|
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Manna's interior is commercially palatial with marble floors, a soaring ceiling and wood-paneling. |
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I've never been to heaven and I've never been to Korea, but considering that pricey Japanese restaurants are a dime a dozen in Moscow, I can say the Korean restaurant Manna is like bread of life in a desert wilderness.
Though happy to offer advice on choosing from its unique Korean dishes to novices like me, the restaurant also offers more familiar Chinese, Japanese and European dishes such as sweet and sour pork, sushi and grilled sturgeon.
Its cross-cultural character is ever-present. Built next to an auto parts store, Manna's interior is commercially palatial with marble floors, a soaring ceiling, wood-paneling, built-in landscape screens, red betassled lanterns and attractive table-settings with neutral-toned textiles. Incongruously, upon our arrival (and every day from 8 p.m. to midnight, with some exceptions, so call first), an amplified synthesizer and a Korean singer were covering Russian hits at an ear-piercing 80 decibels at the far end of the restaurant in front of a small, empty dance floor. Luckily, the performance ended within minutes and appropriately tranquil recordings of Korean ballads revived our appetites and played for the rest of the night.
After struggling through the menu's Russian-only transliterations of Korean names and deducing the words for bean paste, sesame and various types of seafood by the photos we were able to develop some educated opinions, but relied heavily on the recommendations of our waiter. For its part, the menu tried to be helpful, offering helpful phrases like "your hunger will completely disappear" or "warm sake or room-temperature beer harmoniously add flavor to this dish." On all counts, the advice was good.
Rounding out the drink selection of wines, sake (520 rubles for 200 grams) and Japanese beer (150 ruble Sapporo) is plum wine by the bottle (1,050 rubles) and cocktails such as the gin and Malibu rum "Manna" (150 rubles) topped with a blue cherry, paper umbrella and blue naked-lady stirrer. Rather than hot tea, we were served a cool, delicious barley tea that I drank all through dinner.
We settled on a variety of both mild and extremely hot dishes but by no means exhausted all the best possibilities — so do experiment. The soups (meals in themselves), both the symegue (180 rubles, or $6.25) of rice noodles in beef broth with mussels, cucumbers, carrots, sweet red pepper, egg and seaweed, as well as the down and dirty spicy yukkedague (260 rubles) of beef broth, red chili, egg, bean sprouts and leeks, with a side of rice were good starters. Complimentary with the soups were six salads including kimchi, the famous salty pickle of Chinese cabbage, hot red pepper, garlic, ginger and sesame oil.
Then we moved on to the tasty khemulden pancake stuffed with little squids, shrimp and vegetables (220 rubles), served with a sweet soy and sesame sauce. The sunde blood and rice sausage was also definitely worth a try, accompanied by a great sauce of soy, vinegar, sesame oil, ginger and garlic. Good too was the khonkhan khui giant mussels topped with egg and chopped sweet vegetables (150 rubles). Next time, though, I'd try one of the Korean barbecues of marbled beef (400 to 500 rubles) done dramatically at the table with fantastic marinades, or the meat-filled Korean dumplings. One of the more exotic things on the menu — tempting, though not recommended by our waiter — was yukkhye, raw ground beef on a bed of salted pears topped with an egg yolk.
Manna's novel desserts included "Eastern Delights, 1001 Nights," a thick, chewy roulette of minced dried apricots, and chocolate ice cream served in a hollowed mandarin orange cup.
Located directly opposite the Kolomenskoye Museum Reserve, what is most striking about Manna is its informed waitstaff that has a rare unpretentious willingness to cater to its guests. That spirit proved integral to the experience of discovering the Korean philosophy of dining.
Manna. 48 Prospekt Andropova. Metro Kolomenskoye. Tel. 112-7247. Noon to midnight. Credit cards: V, MC.
Thursday, May. 24, 2001
By Erik Flesch|
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The York restaurant and tavern offers just the thing for local fans of British-style food and drink. |
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In the hilly and architecturally diverse Trubnaya neighborhood, the York restaurant and tavern is a cozy surprise that deserves notice by hungry folks who crave the savory tastes of good British-style food and drink.
York is divided into two levels, with a classy tavern down below that is a great place to catch an afternoon lunch of fish and chips and a sporting match on two 72-centimeter televisions. Besides a selection of casual entrees, the pub serves a selection of 13 beers on tap (80-170 rubles for 500 milliliters), including Red Fox Ale, Murphy's, Carlsberg and Strong Bow Cider at tall tables or a wood and brass bar. For beer snacks, you can order a giant bowl of pitted black olives (130 rubles).
The more formal dining room upstairs offers York's complete menu and a quieter atmosphere, with a small fireplace at the far end of the room. Both levels are dominated by navy-blue curtains and leafy-swirled cloth wall coverings and have wonderful glass-topped tables filled with compartments of colorful dried beans and grains, placemats depicting fox-hunting scenes and a view of the narrow picturesque street outside.
Besides beer, the drink to accompany your meal is Scotch whiskey — there are 42 varieties to choose from, including Glenlivet, Glenfiddich and Oban (110-1,200 rubles for 50 milliliters). If you don't have a favorite, choose one at random; the sweet and malty 16-year-old Lagavalen (300 rubles) was the best of the two I tried.
Properly provisioned, you are ready for an excellent bowl of creamy Welsh leek soup (110 rubles). Stick with the hearty specialties and skip the pitiful Caesar salad (350 rubles) and the 350 ruble peel-and-eat beer-boiled shrimp (tasty, but the size we bait a hook with in Florida), unless you like the novelty of washing your hands in a finger bowl.
York is a good restaurant in a great location and is already popular among young professionals. Considering its courteous waitstaff (willing to play jazz recordings upon request), great new and familiar drinks and flavorful hearty dishes, York should become a staple in Moscow's restaurant repertoire.
20/2 Trubnaya Ulitsa. Metro Tsvetnoi Bulvar. Tel. 208-2229. Noon to midnight. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE
Thursday, May. 31, 2001
By Erik Flesch|
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Moscow's own little treasure island — the Sea Dog Tavern, where caviar, shrimp, salmon, sturgeon and much more are served up to the delight of sailors, mermaids and regular folk. |
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Like a dock-side yacht club, the Sea Dog Tavern is a colorful, tastefully executed nautical-theme seafood restaurant where sea-starved Muscovites can eat like captains and drink like sailors.
Rigged with red ropes tying swaths of blood-red material to brass spars and tackle, the main dining room creates comfortable private quarters between sail-like partitions. Cloth napkins and table coverings, white ceramic plates shaped like seashells and unique brass indirect light fixtures shaped like steering wheels are functional enough that the high-seas fantasy doesn't detract from the experience of eating.
There is also a sizeable casual tavern area
with a huge wall map of the world and a 30-ruble pool table. The bar
menu features 80- to 90-ruble entrees and a full drink menu — all of
which can also be ordered in the main restaurant. Champagnes and wines
from 600 to 7,200 rubles are served, including four Georgian varieties,
several vodkas and cognacs, and Warsteiner (155 rubles for .5 liters),
Budweiser (110) and Nevskoye (80) beer on tap.
For appetizers, zernistaya (highest quality) black caviar was delicious at 525 rubles, but the "captain's appetizer" of three bliny with red and black caviar, a big slice of smoked salmon and a shot of Kristall Black Label vodka (275 rubles) hit the nail on the head. The tiger shrimp with garlic sauce (500 rubles) were flavorful, but be prepared to peel your way past their long antennae.
The pasta course includes such attractive options as fettucini with mushrooms and crab (300 rubles) and spaghetti pescattori, with "gifts of the sea" (300 rubles), but we went strait for the fish entrees. The beautifully prepared grilled Norwegian salmon steak with red bell pepper sauce (350 rubles) was thoroughly enjoyable. The "boatswein sturgeon" (350 rubles), recommended by our waiter, was also a treat: a nice filet, stuffed with mussels, smothered with mushroom sauce, then broiled with cheese and topped with mayonnaise. It was delicious, though I suggest requesting that the chef hold the mayo.
The Sea Dog Tavern is a great restaurant that is surprisingly easy to miss despite its entrance — marked by a carved wooden mariner perched atop the bow of a huge ship. Choose the indigenous specialties, embrace the colorful idiosyncrasies and you'll have a wonderful evening.
Morskoi Volk Taverna. 14/19 Novoslobodskaya Ulitsa, Bldg. 7. Metro Novoslobodskaya. Tel. 978-2364. Noon to midnight. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
Thursday, May. 17, 2001
By Erik Flesch|
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Delight in Crazy Milk's expertly prepared meat-heavy fare — from BBQ to burgers to beef chips. |
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Eclectic, hip and tastefully over the top, the Crazy Milk bar and restaurant offers fantastic original drinks and great international fusion cuisine in a visually stimulating environment.
Trendy, "too cool for my day job" hostesses dressed as milkmaids were ready to walk us down a corridor glowing with the black-lit faux fur of Holstein cows to the chalet-style VIP room or the neo-gothic bar and disco. We opted, however, for the quieter alternative — an intimate dining room lined with Uzbek ceramics under a giant linen hemispherical lamp.
Thick cowhide-bound menus proceeded to spark a healthy indecisiveness with their 13 pages — not including the wine list — of beers, liquors and naughty virgin and alcoholic concoctions. The super-yummy Crazy Milk cocktail, which contains cognac, Amarulla wild fruit liqueur, coffee liqueur and cream (200 rubles), and its hot variety (180 rubles) that adds coffee and chocolate, gives you a sense of the selection.
The remainder of the menu presented a concise selection of modern house specialties that pitted culinary classics against updated colloquial favorites. We started with the Crazy Milk Salad, a Caesar that substituted a heap of chopped bacon for the classic anchovy paste and coddled egg (174 rubles), and the Alps Hunter Salad, which involved thick slices of fresh goat cheese, tomatoes and crispy toasts spread with farmhouse pate (261 rubles).
Then, going strait for the hot appetizers, we ordered beer-battered onion rings (sure, they were a little greasy) with chipotle pepper jam (102 rubles), and marinated salmon rosettes on a fabulous bed of hot cream sauce, diced leeks, bacon, garlic, chopped croutons and red caviar (290 rubles). Next came the milky Crazy Milk Soup with onions, mushrooms and sliced beef (116 rubles), and Hungarian paprika soup (130 rubles).
As for the main courses, pork ribs with house BBQ chutney, thin french fries and stewed cabbage (348 rubles) were a hit across the table. The ribeye steak — "just walk it through the kitchen" rare — with roasted garlic and mushrooms (406 rubles) was also delicious; but next time I would ask for the steak sauce on the side.
54 Ulitsa Bolshaya Polyanka, Bldg. 1. Metro Polyanka. Tel. 230-7333. Noon to 6 a.m. Credit cards: V,MC, DC.
Thursday, Jun. 21, 2001. Page VIII
By Erik Flesch|
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Gay Paris is just about brought to life at the unlikely locale of Moscow’s Leningradsky Prospekt — complete with Eiffel Tower, flaming truffles and plenty of fondue — at French restaurant Parisienne. |
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Parisienne is marked with a scale model of the Eiffel Tower, and is secluded from traffic under several broad shade trees with an inviting covered wooden deck for outdoor dining. Small from the outside, the restaurant's sizeable interior features two dining rooms: one with sunken dining alcoves and country gothic decor, and a second, more formal dining room with oil paintings hung from cobalt blue walls.
The wine list was extensive, with selections representing each major French region. Prices ranged from $10 Sovietskoye Champanskoye to a 1966 Pomerol AOC Chateau Petrus Grand Vin for $1,750, with several in the $30 to $50 range, but the majority over $80. A liter of the house wine ($20) is a sensible, and flavorful, option.
For starters, the salade Daniel of warm chicken with a lightly creamy Lyon sauce over a green salad with mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers and crushed walnuts ($7), and salade vert et magret de canard fume — which involved many beautifully thin slices of rosy smoked duck surrounding a bed of red leaf lettuce with a walnut vinaigrette ($11) — were both extremely fresh and delicious.
We made a fantastic appetizer of Swiss fondue, rolling chunks of baguette, potato and slices of smoked ham in melted Gruyðre, Appenzeller and Vacherin Fribourgeois cheeses ($16). The escargots de bourgogne — snails baked in shells with garlic butter ($9 for six) — were also just right, and warm bread for dipping ($1) was available upon request. My creamy bowl of creme de cepes au cognac with pureed champignons finished with cognac was quite tasty as well.
We opted for a main course of fois gras de canard avec sauce framboise — fried duck liver on a raspberry sauce with sweet spices ($29) — which was nice, and tournados flambe perigourdine — fried beef tenderloin garnished with fois gras and a slice of black truffle lit afire with a flood of cognac ($19.50). I thoroughly enjoyed the dish; and the alcoholic flavor made it distinctly masculine.
Considering the three pages of desserts to choose from, the Parisienne — a sampler of five concoctions — is a safe choice. The highlights were the custardy poppyseeds of the tarte au pavot and the refreshing citrus glaze and light cheesecake filling of the tarte au fromage blanc et oranges.
While the musical selections may be the one weak link in conjuring up the feel of gay Paris, for an indulgent change of pace and a shocking reminder that your senses and individual happiness actually mean something, Parisienne can be a tremendously rewarding experience.
31 Leningradsky Prospekt. Metro Dynamo. Tel. 213-1784. 1 p.m. to 2 a.m. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
Thursday, Jun. 7, 2001
By Erik Flesch|
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Enjoy a Russian feast of everything from honey liquor to cedar vodka, from roast, stuffed piglet to wild boar in cranberry sauce at Godunov. |
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The Godunov restaurant is a living historical bastion of post-medieval Russian gourmet — located in part of the Zaikonospassky Monastery (built in 1600, during the reign of Boris Godunov) on present-day Teatralnaya Ploshchad. Its leather menu weaves together the vegetables, berries, grains, fish and wild game of the pagan forest with a dose of the exotic flavors and mysterious spirit of Byzantium and Central Asia.
Of course, the location has been reborn as
the neon-lit "Restaurant Row" just off Red Square, and ensures plenty
of the familiar suits, sweaters and cell phones of tourists and New Russians
alike. But, as always, the proper standard of value should be the flavor
of the experience; and, in this regard, Godunov proves solid and authentic.
The small-scale, hand-painted arches of the ceilings and doorways
carry the sound of live folk music between four unique dining rooms as
a band of five singing women accompanied by a hardcore male accordionist
play honestly, in spite of their polyester period costumes.
Indigenous drinks include homemade infused vodkas like blackberry and cedar ($5 for 50 ml), medovukha (or honey liquor, $4 for 50 ml) and Georgian wines.
The Boyar Salad of diced sturgeon and crayfish topped with black caviar (210 rubles) and the vegetable salad (150 rubles), both on a bed of fresh mescaline, were good and generous. The borshch with garlic rolls (120 rubles) was about the best we'd had. But the perfectly sensuous hot appetizer of fried quails with white almond sauce (360 rubles) was reason alone to get out of the house.
As for main courses, the wild boar with cranberry and pepper sauce (630 rubles) was great — if you like boar — and the beef stroganoff, served with deep-fried cheese and vegetable bliny, (450 rubles) rivaled the Pushkin's. On another visit, I'd try the rabbit braised with cream, potatoes, cabbage and fried chestnuts (490 rubles). For $80, you can try the house specialties of sturgeon stuffed with crayfish, horseradish and pomegranate sauce, or the roast piglet stuffed with buckwheat covered with honey-mustard sauce. Meat- or pleasure-sensitive? Godunov offers a selection of vegetarian "Lenten Fare."
Whether for an occasion to entertain out-of-towners or one's last dinner in Moscow, Godunov provides a true taste of the architecture, music and cuisine of historical Russia, as well as the culture of modern Moscow in one all-encompassing sitting. Bite for bite, Godunov promises an evening packed with Russian flavor.
5/1 Teatralnaya Ploshchad. Metro Teatralnaya. Tel. 298-5609, 298-5496, 298-4481. Noon to midnight. Credit cards: all.
Thursday, Apr. 12, 2001
By Erik FleschDa Cicco Trattoria is a light, tastefully developed family-style Italian tavern located south of the ring road whose two dining areas offer either a casual pizza parlor feel or a more intimate ambience.
Printed in Italian, English and Russian, the restaurant's menu is divided simply into seven courses. However, unless you intend to eat yourself into a stupor, attempt to skip a few and settle down with a nice antipasto and either a pasta dish or a pizza, adding a bowl of minestrone (130 rubles, or $4.50) and an order of grilled apples and scamorza cheese (150 rubles) if you are a glutton for flavor.
Among the dozens of Italian wines offered, about 20 are in the 500 to 800 ruble-range, including chiantis, cabernets and a very nice pinot nero.
As for the antipasti, a stack of prosciutto di Parma over melon (300 rubles) or the buffet of sliced tomatoes and mozzarella, baked mussels, grilled eggplant and other treats (350 rubles) were hits.
The primi piatti were the most pleasant surprises, our first course of ravioli con ricotta e spinaci "fontaneto" — ricotta and spinach-filled pasta slathered with parmesan cream sauce — and penne melanzane con mozzarella, with its rich tomato and eggplant sauce, exceeding our expectations.
I steered wrong on the second course, spurning the waitress's recommendations of the stinco di maiale al forno, oven-braised leg of pork (390 rubles), and going for the beef. At 400 rubles, the eggplant and mushroom-stuffed portafoglio di manzo con melanzane e funghi was a bust.
Had I been smart, I would have realized that Da Cicco's four pages of gourmet thin-and-crispy-crusted pizzas are the specialty of the house. Luckily, while I sawed away at my meat, eyeballing the mozzarella, gorgonzola, emmenthal and grana quattro formaggi pizza (260 rubles) across the table, I was slipped a pity slice.
Homemade desserts of tiramisu and creme caramel wrapped things up with tasty cappuccinos.
Though the quality of service in general didn't correspond with the comfort food or atmosphere we enjoyed, for a late lunch or early weekend dinner Da Cicco was essentially a positive experience, that, from a look around the restaurant, seemed equally popular among families, businesspeople and couples.
Da Cicco Trattoria. 13/12 Profsoyuznaya Ulitsa. Metro Profsoyuznaya. Tel. 125-1196. Noon to midnight. Credit cards: all.
Friday, Oct. 27, 2000.
By Erik Flesch|
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Somewhere between a Bavarian bier garten and a French auberge de haute cuisine falls Moscow’s only Belgian beer restaurant, Monks and Nuns . Here "long and bitter," "full body" and "fruity flavors" refer to the complexities of Belgium’s indigenous art: beer making, developed over centuries at the tiny country’s Catholic monasteries.
Monks is the place for beer-drinking gourmets looking to stick it to The Man to enjoy Belgian beers unregulated by government. Unlike in other countries, Belgian brewers have been free to create the world’s widest selection of different beer styles — several of which can be found on Monk’s menu, as well as traditional marinades, stews, sauces and soups prepared with Belgian beer.
To compliment your "liquid bread," start with salmon carpaccio seasoned with honey and Duvel beer (189 rubles, or $6.75) and baked eggplant stuffed with minced pork marinated in Leffe Blonde beer (139 rubles). The soup with mussels, cream and precious saffron (179 rubles) and the pan-fried mussels in Leffe beer sauce and Dor blue cheese (249 rubles) are truly divine. You’ll want to follow up with a traditional Flemish Carbonnade of beef braised in Chimay beer (245 rubles) or North Sea cod fried in a batter of egg and Hoegarten beer (259 rubles), but don’t forget the chips — thick, flat, deep-fried potatoes.
Choosing your beer is easy: Opt for what you’ve never had. I recommend the Chimay Blue — a dark brew still produced on the site of one of Belgium’s six Trappist monasteries. Or, if you prefer a "golden ambrosia," Duvel is the miracle specimen.
Finally, don’t let Monks’ artificial candelabras, over-preserved wood furniture, plastic license plate asserting that "Beer Drinkers Make Better Lovers" and confused musical selections that alternate New Age religious chants with Russian pop-40 radio deter you from your beer-drinking mission. Your waitress will be dressed like an 18th-century nun. And, although the restaurant offers a business lunch (200 rubles), don’t ask for a copy of the menu. The management will tell you "it’s a commercial secret."
Monks and Nuns (Pivnaya Kelya Monks i Nuns) is located at 3 Pereulok Sivtsev Vrazhek. Metro Kropotkinskaya. Tel. 203-68-41. Noon to 11 p.m. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
Friday, Oct. 6, 2000.
By Erik Flesch|
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Eggs Benedict, crab cakes, hot rare roast beef sliced before your eyes, Belgian waffles, all the bacon you can eat and a relaxing Epicurean atmosphere.
If these images define your notion of a good Sunday brunch, then the Radisson Slavjanskaya will surely disappoint you.
If, however, your idea of good taste is a jazzy rendition of "get your keeks on Route Seexty-seex" to accompany your early afternoon meal of beet salad, leg of lamb and stuffed trout, then you might be pleasantly surprised.
Buffet tables are arranged awkwardly around the band, between the hotel’s lounge and its Bank of Moscow counter. Beneath the domed skylight trimmed with flags of the world, a tray of international cheeses sweats in the direct sunlight. Nearby are a fruit plate, beef aspic, 10 Russian salad varieties (seven of which are mayonnaise-based), four kinds of juice (served in 100 gram glasses), and a number of sterno-warmed hot dishes. Smoked salmon and sturgeon are served on a triangular mirror implying "contemporary cuisine," though old standbys such as French toast and sausage are not to be found.
I recommend the bread table, which is overflowing with croissants, crusty baguettes, chocolate-filled pastries and good coffee. The dessert table was also inviting. Safe, hot options are the mushrooms julienne, the new potatoes and spaghetti bolognese. At the made-to-order table, cooks will slice lamb from the bone, prepare a "scrambled-in-the-pot" omelet (with limited filling choices) or stir fry some chicken or beef. Beware, however: The raw meat is not kept on ice.
At the Radisson Slavjanskaya, you can enjoy the jazz music and all the food and Sovietskoye Shampanskoye you can stomach. Plus, you’ll receive a 25 percent off coupon for two to the hotel’s American House of Cinema. But be prepared to pay a separate check for water ($4.50 each) and to fend off servers with poor timing, and the wandering magician and clown.
The Radisson Slavjanskaya Hotel is located at 2 Berezhkovskaya Naberezhnaya. Metro Kievskaya. Tel. 941-8020. Brunch ($33.60) is served from noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
Friday, Nov. 17, 2000
By Erik Flesch|
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In the Hotel Moskva at Okhotny Ryad, the Spanish restaurant and bar El Rincon Espanol is a cozy nook in which to revisit the romantic Spain of your fantasies. Just keep reality in perspective if the quest for your dreams turns up a few windmills.
El Rincon’s neo-gothic atmosphere of lanterns, dark stained glass and wood paneling overlooks Manezh Square. The restaurant’s friendly waiters are appropriately attentive. Although not always familiar with items on the menu, they will try to answer your questions if you are politely persistent.
For drinks, you can’t go wrong with their chopped fruit-filled sangria (112 rubles, or $4 per glass) — or the margaritas (140 rubles per glass), as long as quantity is your priority.
In Spain, a variety of shared tapas, or hors d’oevres, can be a meal in itself, and El Rincon — which just celebrated its tenth anniversary — offers a tapas sampler (200 rubles), an appetizer that includes tortilla espanola, or potato and onion omelet; manchego cheese; Galician chicken and red pepper pie; and more. But don’t stop there.
No matter how far from the ocean, no Spanish meal is complete without fried seafood, so, of several options on the menu, I chose the tender deep-fried calamari, or baby squids. To balance the salt and oil, I recommend gazpacho, a chilled soup of pureed fresh tomato and cucumber — but beware the garlic. If you like rice paella, the Paella de la Abuela (grandma’s recipe) with wild and white rice, chorizo, ham, serrano ham, bacon, mushrooms, chicken, corn and peas was delicious, but quite salty. Do be careful of the menu’s disclaimer "minimum 2 persons … priced for one." My 460 ruble paella actually cost 920 rubles. El Rincon’s menu also includes meat dishes, ranging from veal to mutton. The chicken fillet with garlic (250 rubles) was, except for the salt, pan-fried to crispy perfection.
El Rincon Espanol is certainly no El Dorado. But when the Gothic, Moorish and Latin sprits of Catalonia, Castile, and Basque call, satisfaction is no farther than the red line.
In the Moskva Hotel, located at 2 Okhotny Ryad. Metro Okhotny Ryad. Tel. 229-2893. Credit cards: V, MC, DC, AE.
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