3.117 Kartofel s Gribami

3.117

1 (Tue) May 2012

Kartofel s Gribami

2.5

at Troika

-Itaewon, Hannam, Seoul, Republic of Korea-

with CC, HSK, JHJ, KJO, LSW

Troika is a Russian restaurant.

Located in a side alley, adjacent to Hamilton Hotel.

Our first choice of restaurant had been packed, requiring a 40-minute wait to get in. I’ve never had the patience to stand in line for food, at least not under normal circumstances. With so many places to choose from, and so few meals remaining in my life, why waste the time? Meandering around the back alleys of Itaewon in search of an alternative, we came upon Troika.

The creepy mannequin at the top of the stairs was strangely inviting.

It was the first Russian restaurant that any of us had ever encountered. I pushed for it primarily because I wanted to try something new, cuisine from a country not yet represented on the blog.

Overall, we enjoyed the experience. Most dishes ranging between 10,000-15,000 won, the relatively affordable prices allowed us the relative luxury of being able to sample a variety of items without worrying about the cost; all told, including vodka and beer, the bill came out to 96,000 won. The beer was Baltika 9 (Krepkoe) (unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo), a Russian lager, 8% alcohol, like malt liquor but deeper in flavor, which helped put us in the proper frame of mind. The food was simplistic, literally and figuratively “meat & potatoes,” safe and accessible but not particularly creative or enlightening. The best dish of the evening was a heap of stir-fried mushrooms and potatoes. Good times.