By squeakyrobot
Russia isn’t like China where every street corner has some rickety food stand with mind-bogglingly cheap prices for utterly delicious goodies and mystery meats. Well, the mystery meats remain. Russian food is much simpler, much less flavorful, and flat-out different in every way possible. To provide some contrast, its main ingredients are potatoes, sour cream, and dill. Vodka might as well be water; it also serves to distract you from the meat jello you’re eating. As an intense food-lover on a budget, I set out to prove that Petersburg isn’t gastronomically hopeless, that there have to be good, cheap eats as rewards for those who search relentlessly for them.
1) Shwarma on Sennaya Ploshad: shwarma can be found on any street, but the best and cheapest can be found in the cheapest and dirtiest shopping district, Sennaya Ploshad, the one that served as a grimy frame for the doomed Raskolnikov in Crime and Punishment. As you probably know, shwarma was introduced to Europe by Middle Eastern immigrants; now, each country and city has slowly evolved original recipes to suit local flavors and tastes. Russian shwarma, for example, is doused in a kefir-mayo sauce that is quite delicious. The meat is either lamb, goat, beef, chicken, or a mix, and these come with chopped veggies like onion, tomato, and cucumber. A portion should set you back no more than three dollars. But beware!!! For good shwarma, go to the established cafes and restaurants: street shwarma is notoriously made of dog.
2) Teremok, anywhere: Teremok is a fast-food chain that has mushroomed all over the city. It is essentially Russian McDonalds. The menu consists mostly of blini, soups, and pelmeni. And let me tell you, the pelmeni are unbelievably good with sour cream. They’re also cheap, about four dollars, so you can get your fill on the best of Russian cuisine without truly paying for it.
3) King Pong: if you love spice and flavor and you’re living in Russia, you will probably be craving some kind of Asian food sooner than later. I would know, it hit me the first week. As such, I went on the hunt for Asian immigrants who had fatedly opened restaurants for me to gorge myself at. But I found no hole-in-the-walls with truly authentic food. When prompted, no Russian had even heard of Vietnamese food. You’d think two historically communist countries would keep in touch once in a while! What all signs did point me to, however, was King Pong, a hip Asian-fusion restaurant that tries to do it all and it does it all well. The prices are even something to smile about: expect to pay ten dollars for dinner, even less for lunch.
4) Stolle: A classy café in the city center with not-so-classy prices. It’s a great casual place to do work in a nice atmosphere. Stolle serves almost exclusively savory and sweet pies and pirozhki, or different types of breads filled with meat, cabbage, apple, and more. The menu is the best of classic Russian and I can personally vouch for the meat variety. They cut you a hearty portion of a large log, all the while I pay less than six bucks for the slice and some black tea.
5) Zoom Café: Russians carefully take into account what is “in” and what is “out”. Zoom is “in”. It’s the fashionable place to be; it’s more of a playroom/lounge than a restaurant, even though their take on modern Russian food is pulled off expertly. You’re surrounded by art, bookshelves, pillows, and stuffed animals. You’re given blank pieces of paper as placemats and a cup of colored pencils. The fun comes with a price, though. It’s a touch more expensive than the aforementioned places, but expect to pay no more than twelve bucks for a meal. All in all, it’s more than worth the money and a great place for serious students to hang out and draw things.
I’ll never stop hunting for St. Petersburg eats, but I’m pleased with my progress so far!