By Ali Nassor
At last, someone has captured the essence of that most enigmatic and unfathomable entity --; the Russian Soul --; and it turns out to be a very tasty soul at that.
For centuries, mystics, philosophers and kings have searched for the secret of the Russian soul but the recently-opened restaurant Vienna has found the solution.
They have done so by casting aside traditional methods of inquiry. With the clarity that comes only from an observer';s standpoint, and guided by their knowledge of cuisine the Vienna restaurant has divined that the Russian soul consists of 40 grams of vodka, a traditional Russian bliny, a piece of fish and fish liver-oil.
You can order the ";soul"; at $8, an equivalent of 32,800 roubles excluding 10% of service charge.
For those with a less metaphysical cast of mind, there are other, more down-to-earth experiences to be had at Vienna.
The restaurant boasts a combination of European and Russian cooking, plus a warm atmosphere and a modest but tastefully decorated interior.
It is as suitable for a business dinner as it is for an amusing evening out.
When the staff felt that pop music might be becoming a little exhausting, even overbearing, one of them played a piano to soothe our nerves.
Once you have settled yourself, the extremely amiable, but overwhelmingly masculine staff will offer you the following possibilities.
The cold hors d';oeurves included soft caviar malosal for $8, and Liberkes salad; a mixture of liberkes, cheese, vegetables, onions, olives, with vinagrette sauce at $4.
The main courses included Austrian style noodle soup for $5, a mixture of Russian bliny with fish liver oil ($8.50) and Schwaben omelette served with pork and sausages, ($4).
Philadelphia steak fillet on crouton, mushroom and onions was a full-plate';s worth of tender, delicately spiced steak for $8.
The Stroganoff was very enjoyable, without too many frills. It was also of very generous proportions ($8).
For dessert, the restaurant offered us a choice between fruit in jelly, with Bailey';s liquer cream and Caiser dessert --; bliny with apples and cinnamon. Both dishes were priced at $4.
My companion chose the fruit in jelly and said it was one of the most delightful desserts she';d tried in a long time.
I ate the bliny and found them to be sweet,tasty and filling.
The restaurant has a wide range of spirits, with prices that very much fall in the average range.
While 40 milligrams of Smirnoff vodka and of Malibu cost $3 each, 40 milligrams of Chivas Regal whisky is $5 and Hennesy X O Cognac $15.
Martini Bianco, $2 per 40 milligrams and Campari Bitters $2.50 for 40 ml.
The cheapest drink available is the Pol Masson Rhein wine which costs $2 per 80 ml.
For patrons with a little something to celebrate and a wallet that needs to go on an extended diet, the Veuve Cliquot da Grange Champagne could be just the ticket at $25 a bottle.
Situated as it is, sandwiched between famous restaraunts and close to the city';s busiest avenue, Nevsky Prospect and just a few meters from the Astoria, the Vienna is obviously aiming at the classier, wealthier end of the market.
It seems they have had little success so far. When we left the restaurant at 9 pm on a Saturday night it was completely empty.
Although we were quite happy to be on the receiving end of all of the staff';s attention, I';m sure the owners would not have been quite so happy.
Perhaps their target market is less interested in solving the philosophical puzzle of the Russian soul than the owners had anticipated?