RUSSKIY POGREBOK (RUSSIAN CELLAR)
Marriott Grand Hotel
26 Tverskaya Ul.
Metro: Pushkinskaya
Tel: 937-0808

Pelmeni, caviar, borsch and vodka make up the stereotype of Russian cuisine, especially for people that have never been in Russia before. The Russkiy Pogrebok, a fine Russian dining restaurant in the five star Marriott Grand Hotel is no exception. It boasts salmon and sturgeon caviar, Siberian borshch and a top quality vodka bar called Vodochny.

Unlike most restaurants, however, Pogrebok-s chef Yevgeny Moroz came up with the idea of providing guests, especially first timers to Russia, with a way to sample many Russian dishes at once. Calling it appropriately the Gourmet-s Menu, guests can taste three Russian delicacies for the price of one.

This is a good thing. Not only is it affordable, but it-s a great place to bring out-of-towners without having to order half the menu. Moroz admitted that the restaurant adapts Russian delicacies to Western tastes. Foreigners are just not turned on by some of the Russian favorites such as kholodets (assorted cold cuts T beef roulette, stuffed ham and beef tongue in aspic). And they prefer cranberry mors ($4) to Petrovsky kvas T a fermented non-alcoholic drink with honey and horseradish ($3). My companion and I savored two mugs of Petrovsky, admiring the huge ceramic old-fashioned Peter the Great style mugs.

What the restaurant does, however, is unite western and Russian tastes, and turn it into a sort of East-West thing. We found this combination with most of the food, such as the salad Raznossol ($8), a salad that combines Ltraditional- marinated Russian cabbage with Lexotic- marinated green apples and grapes. Shrimps A la Tsar with carrot sauce, $16, is also recommended. We were pleasantly surprised by its unusually refined taste.

Russian motifs can also be found in the Sturgeon and Salmon in white wine aspic with horseradish sauce ($11), Zakuska Russkaya turkey, ham and beef tongue in aspic ($9), blinis "Krasnye" ($9) and pirozhki with mushrooms, salmon and cabbage ($10).

Soups at Pogrebok are represented by Siberian Borsch ($9), Solyanka A la Admiral ($9), and Chicken Noodles A la Babushka ($8) T all served with pastries.

For the main course I ordered No 4 in the Gourmet-s Menu, comprising Chicken Kiev, fried potatoes, Pelmeni Chef-s Style and Beef Stroganoff with mushrooms T all for $25. For those well-acquainted with Russia and probably bored by pelmeni & Co it may be better to choose Suckling Milk Pig with horseradish sauce and boiled buckwheat ($30). Not a cheap choice, but worth the price. Cooks often prepare suckling milk pig too dry, but this was not the case with Pogrebok. You will probably have your best moments of gourmet-s pleasure as you bite through the crispy crust into the delicious and juicy meat.

My companion ordered Fillet of Chicken Tarhun with plums, marinated cherries and rice ($18) - a nice dish, yet unremarkable. With slight variations it can be commonly found in a European cuisine restaurant.

Pogrebok desserts are light and refreshing, which is quite uncommon for a Russian restaurant. You are almost guaranteed not to feel guilty if you order Plum Miracle - sun dried plums, marinated in cognac and stuffed with nuts and fruits ($5.50), or Raspberry Kissel (Jelly) with ice cream ($9).

The restaurant-s interior is a clear reminder of old Russian style, including the oval shaped entrances. We were treated to delightful live music, including the famous Podmoskovnye Vechera (Moscow Nights) song, of course, which was all played on traditional Russian balalaikas and a bayan. The musicians, as well as waiters, are dressed in Russian national costumes.