NYC Restaurant Week 2012: Elegant Russian Dining at Brasserie Pushkin

As a foodie, I have tried many different cuisines, ranging from French to Korean to Ethiopian. I have never had proper Russian food, but that was about to change when I made a reservation at Brasserie Pushkin. According to its website, Brasserie Pushkin offers "a contemporary interpretation of Russian haute cuisine as seen through the cosmopolitan lens of New York." Without a doubt, I was excited to try this place!

Upon entering the restaurant, which is located in Midtown West near Central Park, I was immediately impressed with its luxe decor. The walls were decorated with European frescos that reminded me of the Versailles. We were seated on a comfortable velvety chairs. The waitress even offered a mini-stool next to the seat for my purse because in Russia, putting your bags on the floor meant it would bring bad luck, such as losing your money. Attention to little details like this presaged a great beginning to my culinary experience at this upscale Russian restaurant with French influence in Midtown West.

Brasserie Pushkin was offering Summer Restaurant Week menu. For appetizer, I chose the "Vinegret" Salad. The presentation of beets, pickled cucumbers, potatoes, carrots, and cabbage packed together in a can-shape, with greens on top and quail eggs & salmon roes on the side was absolutely stunning. I was almost afraid to eat it!

The quail eggs & salmon roe combination was a miss for me. The roe had too strong fishy taste that it completely shielded other flavors. It was pretty though!

The dish made me wonder what the chef used to bind the vegetables together because I didn't taste any mayo. Perhaps starchy vinegar, if such thing even exists?

The greens on top of the root vegetables were really fresh as well. I don't think the vinaigrette was necessary since the root vegetables already had some seasonings.

It sort of broke my heart to devour the salad because I wanted to stare at its beautiful presentation forever! Not only did the salad look beautiful, it also tasted delicious.

The Pelmeni, traditional Russian dumplings with beef, pork, and lamb inside, resembled six golf-ball like pelmenis had sprinkles of parsley on top and served with some sort of sour cream sauce on the side. The dumplings were quite juicy and the exterior wasn't too doughy or thick.

For the entree, I chose Pike with Spinach. On my plate was a medium size piece of steamed/roasted pike over sundried tomato sauce and spinach.

The pike was cooked perfectly! I hate when my fish is overcooked that it tastes too crispy, but this pike had nice crispy outside with soft, tender inside. The dish also tasted really healthy.

Unfortunately, I did not like the sauce underneath. It probably had 10,000mg of sodium! Way too salty...The sauce was extremely overpowering. I almost think the chef accidentally poured a bucket of salt.

Petite Original "Pojarsky," or veal and chicken cutlet with housemade crouton crust, is the dish that my friend ordered. It was served with three round-cut pieces of potatoes and sauce on the side.

Pojarsky is the restaurant's signature dish. I am not a huge fan of fried food, so I didn't try. It's basically gourmet chicken nugget. Haha.

Finally for dessert, I had Medovik, Russian traditional dulce de leche and honey cake. Because it was my friend's birthday, the waiter brought a little candle too :)

There were gold leaflets on the plate as well. I now have gold in my stomach.

Medovik had multiple, crepe-like layers of honey cake and caramel cream. Unfortunately, the cake was too dense and sweet for my liking, especially since I much prefer lighter, soft cakes.

The waiter sort of went overboard with the birthday celebration because he also brought two cups of dry ice. I wasn't sure why, but I guess that's Russian tradition?

The trio of Macarons was probably one of the best macarons I have ever tasted! When I first got the plate, I was disappointed because they weren't the colorful macarons I was used to seeing, but boring beige, dark brown, and light brown colors.

But that first bite changed all and any of my qualms. The meringue outside was crispy and chewy, while the cream inside was full of flavors. I would recommend Brasserie Pushkin...perhaps not its entree, but definitely the appetizer salad and dessert selection!