"First, let me preface by saying that I grew up in Ukraine and know what Russian cuisine should be like. This place delivered to my expectations. The food is better than most Russian restaurants I have been to in West Hollywood. \n\nI came here with a friend on a Saturday night and found the place empty as others have mentioned. However, we were quickly attended to and service was excellent. \n\nBetween the two uf us, we had: \nkvas (fermented bread drink) - Homemade, legit, 5 stars\nmors (fruit/berry non-alc coctail) - Very refreshing, not too sweet, 5 stars\nolivier (potato+chicken salad extraordinaire) - Done the right way with chicken, 5 stars \npelmeni (beef dumplings) - Solid specimen, 4 stars\nborcht (beat based soup) - Excellent specimen, 5 stars\nchicken tabaka (Cornish game hen) - Great seasoning, 4.5 stars \nSlice of napoleon cake to go - Ate the next day, 4 stars\nThe bill was $59 pre-tip. This is pretty good for a Russian restaurant. \n\nThe food was all homemade, so were the drinks and napoleon. Overall this is a solid Russian place with, yes, a tacky decor and not enough patrons (which is unfortunate). I suggest sharing a few appetizers and main dish (family style) to make the most of a \"true\" russian culinary experience.\n\nIf you have never tried Russian cuisine, I highly recommend that you do. But, understand that it is not supposed to have tons of spices, it is more ingredient based. It may be percieved as bland if comparing it to Indian, Asian, etc...The food is hearty and homemade."^^ . . "2012-03-12T00:00:00"^^ . . . "1"^^ . "1"^^ . "2"^^ . "4"^^ .