First day of trying to get back into shape, my friend dated me to the Ice Bar which she heard the dinning was good. Very well, I guess my dieting plan was destined to fail at the beginning. I had not dine in Balalaika before, I usually go drinking in the Icebar, plus I had never tried Russian food before, so I was quite excited about it.
We had no idea what is good in Russian cuisine, so we kept flipping the pages until I saw a set dinner offered by Bank of China. It was a seemingly big dinner set for one with 3 appetisers, 1 soup and 1 main course, only at a price of $225.(Original price was $450) It was quite a bargin as a single main course costs around $180 already! We ordered a Blinis atop of the set dinner so I could stick with my diet plan.(Not really.)
Appetizers
Pelmeni is a national Russian Cuisine, a dumpling with thin wrapping and a relatively higher portion of meat fillings. Yet I was disappointed as the Kolbasa tasted no difference from Guangdong Wonton, especially the filling. Moreover, the wrapper was rather thick and hard.
The Mushroom Stew In Sour Cream was not particular special, but the sour cream tasted a bit different from what I used to have. It had a combination of taste which I couldn't really tell what that was, definitely sour but also contained a bit sweetness. The texture was thick and smooth.
The Chili Kolbasa in Puff Pastry was scrumptious! The Kolbasa smelled nice, tasted like Germany sausage and was very juicy. The puff pastry was very flakey and light.
The Angus Beef Ribs came raw on rack when it arrived. The chief shouted something and everyone in the restaurants started applausing, I guess it was their way in expressing their appreciation to their God. After that, the chief poured oil onto the Beef Ribs and started Shashliking the Ribs. It was truly an excitment to watch the Turkic way of grilling. The Angus Beef Ribs were deliciousm, very tendor and soft. They served the ribs with gravy but I personally like to enjoy my ribs with salt. The dish was accompanided by some broccoli and red carrots. The red carrots were intolerately salty while the broccoli was just avergae, nothing really special about it.
Overall, my experience in Balalaika was enjoyable. The restaurant atmosphere was nice and the food was delicious. However, the restaurant was rather noisy. It was full of chatting and laughters, so it was quite difficult to talk.Depends on your way in viewing things, it could be fun if you are coming in a big group, but not too fun, if you came with your partner and wanted to have some intimate time.
We had no idea what is good in Russian cuisine, so we kept flipping the pages until I saw a set dinner offered by Bank of China. It was a seemingly big dinner set for one with 3 appetisers, 1 soup and 1 main course, only at a price of $225.(Original price was $450) It was quite a bargin as a single main course costs around $180 already! We ordered a Blinis atop of the set dinner so I could stick with my diet plan.(Not really.)
AppetizersPelmeni is a national Russian Cuisine, a dumpling with thin wrapping and a relatively higher portion of meat fillings. Yet I was disappointed as the Kolbasa tasted no difference from Guangdong Wonton, especially the filling. Moreover, the wrapper was rather thick and hard.
The Mushroom Stew In Sour Cream was not particular special, but the sour cream tasted a bit different from what I used to have. It had a combination of taste which I couldn't really tell what that was, definitely sour but also contained a bit sweetness. The texture was thick and smooth.
The Chili Kolbasa in Puff Pastry was scrumptious! The Kolbasa smelled nice, tasted like Germany sausage and was very juicy. The puff pastry was very flakey and light.
Seafood Ukha with Scallop Carpaccio
Seafood Ukha is a clear Russian soup, made with broth. However it wasn't that 'seafood' as there was only a mussel, a prawn and a scallop carpaccio. The carpaccio here means thinly sliced scallop but not beef. The scallop was really a carpaccio as it was so thinly sliced (about 0.49cm thick), while the mussel and the prawn were rather huge and thick. There were also some chopped up roots vegetables in the broth. The broth had a strong seafood taste but at the same time was a bit too salty.
Blinis - Pancakes with Duck Meat and Cream Spinach $50
The blinis came as appetizer, it (the size) was so exquisite that it was like fine dinning at a french restaurant. The pancake tasted wheat-like and the texture was rather dry. The duck meat was also dry, so it is best to have it with the cream spinach at the side of the dish to give some moisture mouthfeel. The whole dish did not give too much flavour, so the taste of the duck was made stand out.
Angus Beef Ribs Shashlik with Black Pepper Sauce
The Angus Beef Ribs came raw on rack when it arrived. The chief shouted something and everyone in the restaurants started applausing, I guess it was their way in expressing their appreciation to their God. After that, the chief poured oil onto the Beef Ribs and started Shashliking the Ribs. It was truly an excitment to watch the Turkic way of grilling. The Angus Beef Ribs were deliciousm, very tendor and soft. They served the ribs with gravy but I personally like to enjoy my ribs with salt. The dish was accompanided by some broccoli and red carrots. The red carrots were intolerately salty while the broccoli was just avergae, nothing really special about it.
Overall, my experience in Balalaika was enjoyable. The restaurant atmosphere was nice and the food was delicious. However, the restaurant was rather noisy. It was full of chatting and laughters, so it was quite difficult to talk.Depends on your way in viewing things, it could be fun if you are coming in a big group, but not too fun, if you came with your partner and wanted to have some intimate time.
Balalaika
Penthouse, LKF Tower, 33 Wydnham Street, Lan Kwai Fong, Central
☏ 3579 2929
12:00-02:00(Mon-Thurs); 12:00-03:00(Fri-Sat);12:00-01:00(Sun)
Date of Dinning: 4 August 2010
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