Originally i have booked a reservation at a Japanese Teppanyaki, but they somehow didn't have any record of it!? Even though i called them for a second time to re-confirm my booking that afternoon!
They couldn't give me a table and offered me and my friends to squish onto the end of a small Sushi Bar.
My friends knowing my kind of temper said, "Hey! Let's not let this Ruin our dinner, let me take you to somewhere."
They knew i loved trying different restaurants and after finding out i have never been for Russian food they took me here. "Balalaika" Russian Restaurant.
Balalaika is a famous Hong Kong institution and probably the only place in the city where you can get authentic Russian food and Vodkas. It is well known for its "Siberian Vodka room" AKA, Ice Freezer Bar, where dozens of high-quality vodkas are kept in -20°!
Inevitably an exotic meal may cost you an arm and a leg, though I have to say that perhaps Balalaika Russian Restaurant is one of the few exceptions.
I let my friend do most of the ordering from the Menu since i was a complete newbie.
This was the Assorted meat platter with pickled vegetables.
We also ordered the Caviar. I'm not a big fan or expert in Caviar so i can't really tell you what i thought of it. But judging from my friends, it must have been some good Caviar. Oh and the Caviar which came with Pancakes and Toppings! Now that was fun!
For my main dish i ordered a nice Salmon.
I know, every single Cuisine i go to i would still find myself eating fish. haha!!
Now, i can tell you, this was a good Salmon. haha
My friends ordered a Lamb shoulder with vegetables & coriander which was i think one of the more popular choices. Which i didn't get a chance to take a picture of because i was too busy eating my fish, but i remember the portion being HUGE!
FInally, the part you have all been waiting for...The Main Attraction!
A visit to Balalaika would be incomplete without visiting the -20° Ice Bar!!!!
Before entering the chilled room you get to choose a huge fur coat, a fur cap and a pair of furry ear muffs. I decided to go hardcore not to wear any of those! LMAO.
Just me, my shorts and my Vodka. haha
After taking this photo with a smile, i was dying to get out.
Overall i think it was a great experience for me.
I have never drank so much Vodka before for dinner! The Vodka menu had so many different choices that i just had to try them all. Well, i tried to haha.
I think i had around 12 glasses of Vodka that dinner.
Don’t expect to have much privacy here it simply wasn’t that kind of place.
The Ice Bar is definitely a must-visit.
By the way, when the bill came, most of it was the Vodka. So if you don't drink then this place wouldn't be too pricey. LOL.
Balalaika
2/F, 10 Knutsford Terrace,
Tsim Sha Tsui. Hong Kong.
Tel: (+852) 2312 6222
That's very nice, very nice indeed, I've eaten there before and we thoroughly enjoyed what we had as well, and just like you I too had some Salmon (which is my favorite fish type) and it was superb, caviar I'm not mad about but I do eat it on some crackers as part of the meal, I think of it as being a little side dish along with other such tid-bits, and it can be very nice with the right things to go with it, like for example I like to have Caviar with a small side salad of Avocado & Pineapple, hearts of Palm and Artichoke hearts, & stuff like that, just al cut up into tiny little bits & pieces and some very mild Greek Fetta cheese or Italian Mozzarella cheese, served with the caviar, but on it's own it's bugger, it really needs other things with it to make it good to eat, all the other menu items are pretty good, no complaints there, and clearly you did enjoy basically all that you did get to eat!
ReplyDeleteNot sure about the minus -20 room Vodka thingy though, that's not my scene I'm afraid, I would rather have had a nice Intensely sweet Liqueur, or some Advocaat would have been so perfect in my opinion, I L♥ve a tall glass of Snowball made with a good quality Advocaat, it is a very good *Fun* drink, basically at any time of the year, so maybe the next time you go out you will try to find a place that can provide you with the real thing, a Snow Ball drink made with real Advocaat (preferably right in front of you, *No Ice in it* or Vanilla Ice cream like some people put, just a good, well made Snowball, you'll absolutely L♥ve it...☺/
Hope you find one sometime soon...☺/
Glad you had a good meal out!
Ciao ciao...☺/ Angeli Santi
Well, that's pretty shitty of them. How can anyone be that dishonest, disrespectful, that's not the way you attract customers.. I'd never eat there. And I'll be honest, reading "My friends knowing my kind of temper" scared me a bit. Now I'm curious to know uhh, what is your temper like? Hahahaha. Juss kidhing!.. taykit ez Lukian.. *stteps bak slowley, hanns upp*
ReplyDeleteYea, that salmon better be good, must of been expensive, the caviar aswell. I'm not a fan of caviar either. I'll just jest politely, certain kinds are edible. The good kinds. :D
I drink, just not much alcohol. =]
RE: Robert Powell
ReplyDeleteI tend to lecture people and question their bad service.
I guess temper isn't really the correct word. hmm....damn, i can't think of the correct word at the moment, no sleep for me tonight! lol its gonna bug me. urgh!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe correct word id 'LEO' You're a bloody Leo, that's what it is, an aggressive personality trait that makes people who are Leo more argumentative, more pushy, more challenging, more confronting than most other people, the only other types who are to watch out for as much as any Leo are the Geminis (like me) because Geminis can be and often are some real bad mofu's when it comes to being pissed-off by bad service and/or people giving them a problem!
ReplyDeleteBut yeah, that's the word for it, you're a 'LEO'
and when Leo's have been wronged, it's just like it is with any Gemini, meaning, the other person or persons had better start running (or say their prayers)...☺/ (Nobody pisses me off & gets away with it, not for long they don't) and I figure it's the same way for you too! (Actually, I was a Tiger in a previous life, so I still feel the kind of rage that a powerful Tiger can summon up, if/when sufficiently aggravated by things or people, but my Chinese horoscope is of the Wild Boar (the one with Saber Tusks) just about the only animal that Lions & Tigers will run from, as they know just how vicious the Boars are when they get pissed off!
Russian vodka ouuu...russian have a proper way of drinking vodka did they show u it?? =)
ReplyDeleteRE: Lukian
ReplyDeleteYeah, sometimes you have to speak up about those things because it's really unacceptable. But why lose time on them; Negative, the T-1000's highest probability for success, now will be, to copy Sarah Conner and to wait for you to make contact with her; Russian Ice Bar here we come! 'Come with me if you want to live. :D
omg! looks yummy... check out my blog if u want to http://unbreakable-thread.blogspot.com fyi, im turning 15 this year ^^
ReplyDeleteA shot of vodka should be below ice cold to reduce the effects of drunkenness and hang-overs, but driving after drinking is still inadvisable. Do they also have vodka martini, shaken not stirred, on the menu? =)
ReplyDeleteHamish Liddell
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ReplyDelete