Critic's Review
Russia house quietly opened in the space previously occupied by Andrews. Andrews was a bit of a dud, partly because of the neighborhood and partly because there was nothing very interesting about it.
This place looks just like Andrew's on the inside; the red booths fit the new Russian theme; in fact, except for the red canopies out front, the place is pretty much the same as it was before.
They have the flat screen TVs but they're not used as TVs; they have what looks like a screensaver running on them. House music by Slowsupreme plays. They try to sell me on a Fresh Berry Kompote drink, but I'm avoiding sugar today. I get an iced tea.
I didn't know that they had a lunch menu; I'd already decided on the Chicken Tabaka; but at lunch they have a $5 Ukrainian Borscht. I haven't had Borscht since my Grandmother brought it to our house when I was a kid; she died when I was young, so it's been a long time. Unexpectedly, my server brought out some bread. This is a real restaurant, apparently.
The rolls were superb; slightly warm and soft with a slightly crisp crust; they gave plenty of butter. The pumpernickel roll was good also, but I liked the white ones better. The soup came out in about 10 minutes.
This was not like the borscht I remembered, as much as I could remember. My grandmother's was purple, and I think she pureed it. Borscht comes in many forms, and this was very chunky, with beets, tomatoes and beef. I think I prefer the stuff pureed; I liked the broth and the beef bits were tender and flavorful. But as a whole I can't say that I'm a big borscht fan. It's certainly a good portion for the $5 lunch price.
Another 15 minutes for the main dish. Things don't happen too fast here. But when they put it in front of me, the wait was worth it.
Chicken Tabaka is made with a cornish hen, which is a young female chicken which hasn't grown to full maturity. I haven't had a cornish hen in a long time, and this is a great way to prepare it. The hen is marinated in garlic and spices, butterflied and then pan fried crispy like fried chicken. Cornish hens are much more tender than chicken, which can be fairly dry. I didn't use the sauce that came with it; I wasn't sure what it was and neither did the hostess, who I assume was an owner. It didn't need any sauce. It was great the way it was.
Russia House is probably your only chance in Boca to taste Russian food in a full service restaurant; if in fact you want to taste Russian food. I've dated a few Russian girls and they're always very passionate about their food; but I don't know many non-Russians who like it. Many Americans don't care for Borscht and calves liver, or even caviar. While the people here are clearly trying to deliver a quality dining experience, we'll have to see how it flies in palate challenged Boca Raton, where Pastrami sandwiches are more likely choices for dinner than a Kabob.