SHASHLIK

I have been to this restaurant twice (a couple of years back & recently revisited them last year with my unimates). This time round, I brought BBC since we were in the vicinity! This restaurant is indeed a hidden gem in....the heart of Orchard Road! It is located at Far East Shopping Centre (kindly note that this is the one beside Hilton Hotel) & not Far East Plaza. By now, you must be wondering whether I am kidding you. Fret not! Indeed, it is located on the 6th floor of that old building which doesn't seem to fit in with the high end shopping malls down Orchard Road Even BBC was unaware of its presence until I suggested having dinner there yesterday! What a pleasant surprise for him! (",)

Upon entering the restaurant, you will be greeted by warm lighting & friendly service staff. The furnitures, table cloth, the fake flower in the vase on each table, the yellowish lighting, lamps & pictures on the wall all contributed to the super nostalgic feel of this place. BBC was quite amazed that this kind of place still exists in Singapore (seemed to have transported us back to the 70s/80s). It reminded him of his childhood days where his parents will bring him to the cafe at Metropole Hotel! (haha, what a lucky kid he was!)

Something interesting to share about this place is that by far this is one place which engaged mature service staff & I mean this literally! Like the uncle (who looks to be in his 60s) & still serving us hot cross buns the minute we were seated. If my memory doesn't fail me, this was the same uncle who served me some couple years back too! Another thing that never fails to amaze me when I am here is how they use a metal trolley to serve/ clear the dishes! =)

The nostalgic feel of the place

Dun undermine this hot cross bun! LOL. It was still piping hot when served! BBC liked his with butter while I prefer to eat it in its original form. Both tasted good & comforting.

Hot cross bun

BBC ordered the steak a la Russe ($26) (recommended by the friendly auntie) & it was indeed a good choice. The steak was medium done (with mushroom sauce) & came with mixed vegetables &  French fries. Even though the steak was done in a medium fashion, it still retained the juiciness of the beef & gave it a chewy texture. Somehow or rather, BBC & I found the mixed vegetables to be really old school but we like :) If you look closely at this peek, you will see a small dish beside the steak. That's actually something like a coleslaw (with sliced cabbage, onion & capsicum) which was complimentary.

Steak a la Russe

I ordered the Chicken chop ($18) which can be done either fried or grilled & I chose the latter. The chicken was well marinated & tender. A simple dish but it always touches my heart how much effort goes into this.

Chicken Chop

It was a good dinner & I am glad that BBC likes the place! Would recommend this place if you are in Orchard & craving for a good western/ russian meal (Not to mention, a short escapade to the bustling city life).

Just out of curiosity, I went to check out the meaning of "Shashlik". It originated from Russian Shashlyk which is of Turkey origin. The Russian Shashlyk is a dish consisting of marinated cubes of lamb or beef grilled or roasted on a spit, often with slices of eggplant, onion, and tomato (similar to a kebab). How interesting! FYI, the restaurant does serve this & I have tried it the previous time & liked it too! =)

Shashlik is located at 545 Orchard Road #06-19 Far East Shopping Centre