Restaurant 유라시아 (Eurasia): Russian Food in Edae

Typically, when M. and I want to eat Russian food here in Seoul, "Edae" is not really a place that springs to mind (we usually go to Caravan in Dongdaemun). Therefore, I was a bit surprised when my friend T. called me up last Saturday and suggested we join him and some friends for Russian food...in Edae. I wondered where it was, exactly, and how the food compared to what we were used to getting in Dongdaemun.

Turns out that the place, Restaurant Eurasia, is right across the street from Sinchon Station and the Megabox, on the 4th floor of the 뉴포트빌딩 ("Newport Building").

The food itself was pretty inexpensive: Each dish we ordered cost between 6,000-8,000 won, and the portions were pretty generous. I ordered the golubsy, and M. ordered these meat patties whose name I have embarrassingly forgotten. For appetizers/things to share with the table, we got an order of vinagrette (beet salad) and lamb pelmeni (dumplings) in broth. One of T's friends ordered a layered herring salad that came out with a pretty latticework of pink mayonnaise:

 Vinagrette

 Herring salad

 Lamb pelmeni

 Golubtsy (cabbage rolls)

 Meat patties with mashed potatoes and dipping sauce

While the cabbage rolls were comforting and just the ticket for my hangover (thanks to Bar Da and its Manhattans the previous night), the flavor wasn't too distinctive. The potatoes that came with M's meal were either instant or overseasoned with broth (the texture made me think it was the former), and the patties themselves were kind of fatty. The lamb pelmeni was probably my favorite: well-stuffed and not overly seasoned, and the wrappers weren't overcooked. I also enjoyed the roasted pepper dipping sauce that came with the lamb shashlik (kabob/고치) and the meat patties, and the vinagrette with its chunks of dill pickle.

However, though the portions, prices, and proximity might cause me to return, the atmosphere, with its decently loud dance music, huge booths and glaring white furniture lit by eerie blue lights, was a bit jarring and not exactly conducive to dinnertime conversation. Our server forgot to bring out one entree and we had to ask for it again. Also, I was not a fan of the slippery square white plates with upturned edges, which looked nice enough and I'm sure work great for sushi or other finger foods, but are less suited for eating food with a knife and fork (my utensils kept slipping off the edge and clattering onto my lap; maybe I should just chalk that up to my general clumsiness though...).

After dinner we wandered through Edae browsing the various stalls and finally decided to go for waffles (2,000 won each). T. and I got green tea ones filled with cream and jam, and M. ordered a frozen yoghurt-stuffed one.  Yum.

Restaurant Eurasia:
Line 2, Ewha station exit 2
"뉴포트빌딩" 4F
(02) 393-7011

Waffles: "와플공장" in Edae...not sure how to get there, exactly...