The menu often begins with a section called «фи́рменные блю́да» specialty dishes (or "specials of the day"), and the notation «шеф-по́вар рекоменду́ет сего́дня» "the chef recommends..."
The next section заку́ски hors d'œuvres is divided into холо́дные заку́ски cold hors d'œuvres and горя́чие заку́ски hot hors d'œuvres. Here are some заку́ски:
|
икра́ чёрная, зерни́стая |
black caviar |
|
икра́ п́аюсная |
pressed caviar |
|
икра́ кра́сная (кето́вая) |
red caviar |
|
лососи́на копчёная |
smoked salmon |
|
осетри́на |
sturgeon |
|
ветчина́ |
ham |
|
сыр |
cheese |
|
сала́т |
salad |
|
грибы́ |
mushrooms |
|
марино́ванные грибы́ |
marinated mushrooms |
|
масли́ны |
olives |
Salads are also popular as заку́ски:
| зелёний сала́т | green salad |
| сала́т из огурцо́в | cucumber salad |
| сала́т из лу́ка | spring onion salad |
| сала́т из помидо́ров | tomato salad |
| сала́т из реди́ски | radish salad |
A Russian сала́т is usually potato salad, unless indicated otherwise (as the above list shows).
The next section on the menu is супы́ soups. They will be designated on the menu as пе́рвое (literally "first soup"). Russians consider soup an important part of the midday meal. Some soups are served with sour cream, fresh chopped dill or spring onions. Пирожки́ meat pies or small bowl of ка́ша cooked buckwheat may accompany certain kind of soup.
Russian soups include:
Борщ made with beef stocks, beets, onions, cabbage, potatoes and carrots. It is often served with sour cream.
Щи made with cabbage but no beets. It is considered to be Russian while Борщ is Ukrainian. Different types of щи include:
| мясны́е щи | meat щи |
| вегетариа́нские щи | vegetarian щи |
| све́жие щи | fresh cabbage щи |
| ки́слые щи | щи made with pickled cabbage |
| су́точные щи | yesterday's щи (supposed to improve but standing overnight) |
Рассо́льник made with chicken giblets, veal kidneys, vegetables and pickles and served with sour cream.
Бульо́н clear broth. Often contains фрикаде́льки little meat balls; sometimes served с яйцо́м with chopped hard-boiled eggs or accompanied by пирожки́ с мя́сом meat pies.
Уха́ fish soup.
Соля́нка spicy soup made with fish, meat or sausage.
Окро́шка cold summer soup made with квас kvas, beets, fresh cucumbers and hard-boiled eggs and served with fresh dill, sour cream and spring onions.
Свеко́льник sweet and sour beet soup, served cold with sour cream.
Харчо́ thick spicy soup made with lamb; a traditional Georgian soup.
Второ́е (literally "second course") is the main course after заку́ски and суп in a full Russian meal. As in the West, the main course may be fish, poultry or meat.
РЫ́БА fish
осетри́на sturgeon форе́ль trout ка́мбала flounder щу́ка pike карп carp па́лтус
halibut
сом
catfish
треска́
cod
о́кунь
perch
Fish is prepared in a variety of ways:
парова́я
steamed
жа́реная
fried
под бе́лым со́усом
in a white sauce
с лимо́ном
with lemon
в бе́лом вине́
in a white wine sauce
по-по́льски
«à la polonaise»
по-ру́сски
«à la russe»
в те́сте
batter-fried
ПТИ́ЦА poultry:
ку́рица, цыплёнок
chicken
инде́йка, индю́шка
turkey
гусь
goose
у́тка
duck
ЦЫПЛЯ́ТА ТАБАКА́ pressed chicken with garlic; a dish from the Caucasus.
КОТЛЕ́ТЫ ПО-КИ́ЕВСКИ Chicken Kiev.
МЯ́СО meat:
говя́дина beef свини́на pork теля́тина veal бара́нина lamb
lamb
ШАШЛЫ́К shishkebab; usually lamb, sometimes beef
БИФШТЕ́КС beef steak
КОТЛЕ́ТЫ similar to hamburgers but without a bun
АНТРЕКО́Т steak
ЛАНГЕ́Т filet mignon
ШНИ́ЦЕЛЬ schnitzel
БЕФСТРО́ГАНОВ beef stroganoff
СВИНА́Я ОТБИВНА́Я pork chop
СОСИ́СКИ frankfurters
ПОДЖА́РКА roast meat in a casserole with potatoes
АЗУ spicy stew
Vegetarians take heart! The following dishes are often offered as main courses:
БЛИНЫ́́ Russian style pancakes (similar to crepes) which are eaten with caviar, herring, melted butter, sour cream and for dessert, preserves.
БЛИ́НЧИКИ crepes filled with ricotta cheese, meat or preserves.
ПИРОЖКИ́ pastry filled with meat, cabbage, hard-boiled eggs or rice.
СЫ́РНИКИ fried ricotta cheese patties
ОЛА́ДЬИ fritters
МАКАРО́НЫ macaroni (and spaghetti as well)
ЛАПША́ flat egg-noodles
ОМЛЕ́Т omelet
Я́ИЧНИЦА scrambled or fried eggs
ТВОРО́Г similar to ricotta cheese, served with sour cream or sugar
СМЕТА́НА sour cream
ПИРО́ЖНОЕ pastry, tart
ТОРТ layer cake
МОРО́ЖЕНОЕ ice cream
СЛИ́ВОЧНОЕ vanilla
ШОКОЛА́ДНОЕ chocolate
БЛИ́НЧИКИ crepes
С ВАРЕ́НЬЕМ with jam
СВЕ́ЖИЕ ФРУ́КТЫ fresh fruit
КОМПО́Т stewed fruit
КОНФЕ́ТЫ candy
ЧАЙ tea
ЧАЙ С СА́ХАРОМ tea with sugar
ЧАЙ С ЛИМО́НОМ tea with lemon
КО́ФЕ coffee
ЧЁРНЫЙ КО́ФЕ black coffee
КО́ФЕ СО СЛИ́ВКАМИ coffee with cream
КИСЕ́ЛЬ thickened fruit juice (almost Jello)
МОРС, СОК fruit juice
ЛИМОНА́Д carbonated drink similar to V-Up
МИНЕРА́ЛЬНАЯ ВОДА́ mineral water
«НАРЗА́Н»«БОРЖО́МИ»«ЕССЕНТУКИ́»«БОРОДИНО́» (different brands of mineral water)
СУХО́Е dry
СЛА́ДКОЕ sweet
КРА́СНОЕ red
РО́ЗОВОЕ rose
БЕ́ЛОЕ white
ШИПУ́ЧЕЕ sparkling
ХОЛО́ДНОЕ chilled
КО́МНАТНОЙ ТЕМПЕРАТУ́РЫ room temperature
ШАМПА́НСКОЕ champagne
ПИ́ВО beer
КОНЬЯ́К cognac, brandy
ВО́ДКА vodka
«СТОЛИЧНАЯ» considered the best brand
«СМИРНОВСКАЯ» Smirnoff, produced in the West
And finally: nothing is complete without condiments!
СОЛЬ salt
ПЕ́РЕЦ pepper
У́КСУС vinegar
ГОРЧ́ИЦА mustard
СА́ХАР sugar
On the following pages you'll find a menu from a now-defunct Russian restaurant in Baltimore. It will give you some idea of what the better restaurants in Moscow and St. Petersburg are offering these days.
