There are always people who love the nostalgic atmosphere of an old and run down restaurant that brings back fond memories of the time when their parents brought them out for a nice dinner. This is despite the poor grade of meat served and lousy service that comes along with it today. Food tastes so much better in memory than on tongue.

It is a lot like driving a vintage car in a world of super cars; read: rubbish.

This place really did live up to expectations... I have been wanting to try this place since my sister and bro-in-law told me about it a few months back, but never got the chance to... Till last saturday!

Its location is one of the dodgiest and weirdest place I have seen, with the old-school and "blast-from-the-past" type of decor.. It was indeed a refreshing change from the usual places I frequent! It was so cute when we saw that most of the waiting staff are past 40s and 1 of the uncle waiters looked almost 70 and ambered over slowly to ask us if we had reservations...

Anyway, back to the food...
1)Mushroom soup - VERY ordinary.
2) Escargots - pretty yummy though friend liked them without shells (do they serve them without shells anywhere in Singapore? apparently, they do... though my friend can't remember where!) One grouse I had was they were hard to remove from the shells, though friend had absolutely no problem and she even took them out for me!
3) Borsche soup - VERY yummy... TONNES better than the mushroom soup friend had! (heehee) The sour cream made it taste great and alongside the warmed bun/ SCS butter (so "old-school" once again) = HEAVEN!
4) Shaslik (we had pork and beef) - prefered the beef one much more cause it was tender and just nice (i believed i asked for medium). The pork was a little tough and chewy...
5) Baked Alaska - surprise. The couple at the table next to us offered to share with us their baked alaska cause the boy didn't have a sweet tooth! It was good although I can't put my finger on which portion/ aspect I loved about it. I can imagine it being too sweet for my liking if I had more than the alloted 1/4 of it though...

Overall, the dining experience was fun, though it ain't cheap. Will definitely return, but not sure if I would go back in the next quarter...

went there twice.

first visit -
had the beef shaslik. aroma is good, and beef is quite flavoured. however, the quantity is quite little for that price - think it's 25bucks.

borsch soup - definitely yummy with the sour creme.
best dish in my opinion.

dessert - had the cherry ice cream with liquor, forgot the name of the dish. apart from the spectacular flames and stuff, i would think this dessert is jus so-so in terms of flavour. but the cherries with the liquor was well cooked, not too much liquor. and blended well with the ice cream!

2nd visit -
had the carpet bag steak. enough for 2. the meat was stuffed with oysters and mushroom. quite a surprise when cutting up the meat. but the aroma of the oysters didnt seem to mix well with the beef.
this dish would do better with some sauce on the mashed potatoes (one of the sides). other sides included coleslaw, brocolli, cauliflower and some peas.


Service was rather hostile. but the whole environment had an old-school feeling to it. rather nostalgic.

would go back if i have a craving for Borsch soup! Oh did i mention that the buns that come with the soup, is really soft and fluffy too?

i first visited this place late last year and have come back for more more times than i can remember.

their legendary service (or lack of) and attitude is what that has kept me away all the years. but... maybe i'm a simple dope, but this has been a surprise. i'm not to need pampering when i eat, so i dont care for service with a smile, how that smile would make my meal any better, i dont know; a laugh with spittle.... i understand, but a smile??

they give me what i want; serve fast enough; efficiently; clears my plate before too long; comes to me when i catch their attention (usually without problem); restaurant is well staffed i got "good" service even in a full house evening. i dont complain; and when they fill my iced water glass without being asked, i call it excellent service. the chef even grnated me a baked alaska once when the waitress told me it was sold out (at 200pm...). maybe its my handsome good looks, but with the chef neither looking gay nor still interested in tedious pursuits for lusts, i believe its their attitude.

THE FOOD:
just order the borsch and spend days daydreaming about it. not cheap but heck, value for money, i have to force myself to say. like the master in the mastercard adverts, brilliant food is priceless.

i ordered the beef straganoff on my first visit while my female tiger in tow ordered the beef shashlik. i could have asked for a divorce right away as i fell in love again, though i know the beef straganoff could hardly satisfy me for more than 10 mins... eat it in the same mouthful with a russian salad and i begin pondering the divorce with more zest.

the shashlik is ok, but the wife enjoys it but i doubt divorce was on her mind whilst eating so it probably isnt as good as the straganoff. i have tried one or 2 other items since, though decent to good/vgood, they cant compete with the straganoff. the prawn shashlik has proven to be better than it sounds too and their steaks better than many places.

i've not ordered anything other than the baked alaska. and i try not to order it too often to keep the female tiger, and myself, in our still grea...erm...decent body shapes.

AMBIENCE: old school la. nothing to shout about but cool enough if you're nostalgic.

VALUE: their food is not cheap. not great value for money i have to admit. thats my complaint about this place. but their borsch, and in my personal opinion the beef straganoff, is world best, still i can hardly pass them for their value fro money.

i dont rate service by the smiles, which i believe would be better served in airplanes, hotels and brothels (seriously, no insults meant to the nice people in the service industry). but by how fast they respond, how attentive they are, and how little they spit into your soup. so i give them the thumbs up. compared to those waiters/waitresses that pretend not to see you as you wave at them. i used to wait, so i know good waiters will always see a waving hand within their vision. give this a try!

Its the usual place i would go if i am craving for russian cuisine.. not the only one in SG but definitely the best! there is another one in Serangoon Gardens but its nowhere comparable to Shaslik!

the super soft bread (foc but if u ask for more servings, the uncle waiters or waitress will stare at u, Escargo, borsche soup, Shaslik beef n baked alaska.. Must definitely try! the beef looked dull but u will only know the power after u try..

ambience n service is really average but just bochap n go for the food..

my fren tink its over rated n over priced but i tink he duno how to appreciate.. cos he wans quantity n not quality..