Please don’t flambée my backside, the food’s quite good

I am thankful for a lot of things, really. Like having enough money to give myself a treat after a reasonably crappy day at work. And what treat did I have enough money to give myself, you may well ask?

Well, I went and had dinner at that venerable Russo-Hainanese institution that serves the best borsch bar none: Shashlik Restaurant. If you’ve been there, you’d know the food’s real good, and you’d immediately forgive the late 70s lighting, the late 70s furnishing, the late 70s crockery and the late 70s waiters.

I’ve heard before about how rude and brusque the waiters at Shashlik were, and I’d like to clarify one thing: the waiters aren’t rude, they’re just Hainanese. They’ll stand around the bar and talk loudly in Russian because they think they’re the best Russian restaurant in town, and they’d be right.

And one of the fabulous things about the brusque borsch serving waiters is that even when there’s a bunch of them talking loudly in Russian at the bar, there’s still a couple of them brusquely pushing borsch, shashlik, and all manner of flambé on squeaky trolleys around the restaurant.

If you were to go there, on the 6th floor of the Far East Shopping Centre (not Far East Plaza, which is the cool and funky place with the funky clothes and the funky people selling funky clothes to funky people), I’d recommend you have the borsch to start with, then the shashlik beef/lamb, and then the flambéed banana/cherry/alaska for dessert, topped off with the best Hainanese Russian kopitiam coffee this side of Ya Kun’s.

I really think this is the best Russian restaurant in town, and I’m not saying this because I’m afraid the Hainanese waiters might flambée my backside if I said otherwise. Dinner was good enough for me to want to dine there again soon, which is significant in itself because before tonight, the last time I dined there must’ve been twenty years ago.

Shashlik
Got dress code one leh

Shashlik
Quite dark, until the flaming trolley comes by

Shashlik Restaurant
Then they take the stuff off the flaming trolley onto your table: Banana Flambé

Shashlik Restaurant
The coffee’s nosso good if you’re expecting espresso

Shashlik
Must be nice to the waiters, else they flambée your backside
Surf stop: Majulah Singapura’s Journal

iTunes Party Shuffle is playing a copy of Smoke from the album “Whatever And Ever Amen” by Ben Folds Five

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49 responses to “Please don’t flambée my backside, the food’s quite good”

  1. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    I love Shashlik and their Borsch is to die for!!! Good to see that they are still around.

    jcheng
    (singaporean quitter in LA)

  2. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    I love Shashlik and their Borsch is to die for!!! Good to see that they are still around.

    jcheng
    (singaporean quitter in LA)

  3. Junyi Avatar

    Shashlik’s awesome, i drool just thinking of the steak on a skewer and the baked alaska. apparantly the older hainanese waiters and waiteresses there all have a stake in the restaurant cos’ somewhere in the 80s the original owner wanted to wind up the business and the staff just piled their savings together and took over the establishment. which is probably why they seem to take so much pride in their service. if you’re able to speak hainanese to them, they’ll be extra friendly.

  4. Junyi Avatar

    Shashlik’s awesome, i drool just thinking of the steak on a skewer and the baked alaska. apparantly the older hainanese waiters and waiteresses there all have a stake in the restaurant cos’ somewhere in the 80s the original owner wanted to wind up the business and the staff just piled their savings together and took over the establishment. which is probably why they seem to take so much pride in their service. if you’re able to speak hainanese to them, they’ll be extra friendly.

  5. Tym Avatar

    I’m glad Shashlik’s still doing well. It’s been at least five years since I ate there. I’m eternally petrified that the late 70s waiters will one day, well, you know lah, become just late waiters/owners — and then what will become of this fine institution?

  6. Tym Avatar

    I’m glad Shashlik’s still doing well. It’s been at least five years since I ate there. I’m eternally petrified that the late 70s waiters will one day, well, you know lah, become just late waiters/owners — and then what will become of this fine institution?

  7. Terz Avatar

    Which reminds me, we should go there again. Funnily enough, the last time I was there was 5 years ago too.

  8. Terz Avatar

    Which reminds me, we should go there again. Funnily enough, the last time I was there was 5 years ago too.

  9. geroithe Avatar

    hmmm what’s the price range?? for i’m but a poor student… =(

  10. geroithe Avatar

    hmmm what’s the price range?? for i’m but a poor student… =(

  11. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    The food at Shashlik has evolved over the years to suit local taste buds. There’s a little known but really authentic Russian place along Arab Street right opposite Golden Landmark Hotel run by real Russians. And it’s a helluva lot chaper. 🙂

  12. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    The food at Shashlik has evolved over the years to suit local taste buds. There’s a little known but really authentic Russian place along Arab Street right opposite Golden Landmark Hotel run by real Russians. And it’s a helluva lot chaper. 🙂

  13. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    Damn, I mean chEaper.

  14. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    Damn, I mean chEaper.

  15. Jonathan Avatar

    I agree that Shashlik is the best!

    I managed to arrange for a dept outing there once… but my colleagues were shocked by their service..

    well.. to me.. i just care about how good the food tasted!

  16. Jonathan Avatar

    I agree that Shashlik is the best!

    I managed to arrange for a dept outing there once… but my colleagues were shocked by their service..

    well.. to me.. i just care about how good the food tasted!

  17. littlecartnoodles Avatar

    Good service from the Uncles and Aunties at Shashlik too, if you speak Mandarin to them.

    I have also been to that Russian restaurant near Golden Landmark Hotel – can’t recall the name. Very authentic – real Russian waiter and boss ! But authentic = acquired taste.

  18. littlecartnoodles Avatar

    Good service from the Uncles and Aunties at Shashlik too, if you speak Mandarin to them.

    I have also been to that Russian restaurant near Golden Landmark Hotel – can’t recall the name. Very authentic – real Russian waiter and boss ! But authentic = acquired taste.

  19. Ah 9 Avatar

    They have been around for a while…hehe. Flaming alaska?

  20. Ah 9 Avatar

    They have been around for a while…hehe. Flaming alaska?

  21. yAnn Avatar

    Shashlik is good stuff!
    The steaks are yummy and the staff there are so brusque, they make me laugh. But yeah, a smile will materialise when you respond to them in Hainanese.
    I always feel as if I am in a totally different world when I go there.

  22. yAnn Avatar

    Shashlik is good stuff!
    The steaks are yummy and the staff there are so brusque, they make me laugh. But yeah, a smile will materialise when you respond to them in Hainanese.
    I always feel as if I am in a totally different world when I go there.

  23. Sandra Ng Avatar

    was there a couple of weeks back. the garlic steak was good. and so was dessert 🙂

  24. Sandra Ng Avatar

    was there a couple of weeks back. the garlic steak was good. and so was dessert 🙂

  25. Postmaster-General Avatar

    I used to eat there alot… Although now that I’m in DC i can compare with real russian food. The Former KGB, now CSB(?), people eat at the Hawk and Dove. Which is an american pub for all intents and purposes.

  26. Postmaster-General Avatar

    I used to eat there alot… Although now that I’m in DC i can compare with real russian food. The Former KGB, now CSB(?), people eat at the Hawk and Dove. Which is an american pub for all intents and purposes.

  27. Kristian Avatar
    Kristian

    I go there on Wed arvo for their Oxtail set lunch. Shiok and only less than $15 per pax. Need to call and reserve because it’s always full.

  28. Kristian Avatar
    Kristian

    I go there on Wed arvo for their Oxtail set lunch. Shiok and only less than $15 per pax. Need to call and reserve because it’s always full.

  29. jeslyn Avatar
    jeslyn

    yea, their food was superb! i am going there again soon. 😀

  30. jeslyn Avatar
    jeslyn

    yea, their food was superb! i am going there again soon. 😀

  31. sesame seed Avatar

    Hey, my hub is a great fan of Shashlik and have always raved about their food. I went with him once, and although I’m not a fan of western food, I must say that theirs is quite yummy. Love their garlic escargot!

  32. sesame seed Avatar

    Hey, my hub is a great fan of Shashlik and have always raved about their food. I went with him once, and although I’m not a fan of western food, I must say that theirs is quite yummy. Love their garlic escargot!

  33. Lexus Avatar

    drooling…..

  34. Lexus Avatar

    drooling…..

  35. The Cuckoo Cake Avatar

    issn’t borsch BEETROOT SOUP!!!

    eek.

    Or am i misinformed.

  36. The Cuckoo Cake Avatar

    issn’t borsch BEETROOT SOUP!!!

    eek.

    Or am i misinformed.

  37. kachuaz Avatar

    try their baked alaska the next time round.

  38. kachuaz Avatar

    try their baked alaska the next time round.

  39. kachuaz Avatar

    borsch is sort of chunky beef with veggie soup..

    wat beetroot…

  40. kachuaz Avatar

    borsch is sort of chunky beef with veggie soup..

    wat beetroot…

  41. The Cuckoo Cake Avatar

    whoops. not beetroot. beet.

  42. The Cuckoo Cake Avatar

    whoops. not beetroot. beet.

  43. Chuang Shyue Chou Avatar

    When I was growing up, ‘Troika’ was my favourite restaurant, my parents would take me and my sisters there on our birthdays. That was simply the best Russo-Hainanese restaurant in town till the place closed down. Do you remember the decor of ‘Troika’ in the DBS Bank building? Then, the staff went and formed ‘Shashlik’. I have fond memories of both places though I don’t quite like it as much today.

  44. Chuang Shyue Chou Avatar

    When I was growing up, ‘Troika’ was my favourite restaurant, my parents would take me and my sisters there on our birthdays. That was simply the best Russo-Hainanese restaurant in town till the place closed down. Do you remember the decor of ‘Troika’ in the DBS Bank building? Then, the staff went and formed ‘Shashlik’. I have fond memories of both places though I don’t quite like it as much today.

  45. […] I had never spoken to any of these relatives, much less known what they looked like, though I’ve been told that all Hainanese men look alike, and that every waiter at Shashlik looked like Dad, and Mum had previously told me that all Hainanese women looked like my grandmother. At 80. […]

  46. […] and travel more, or else I’ll persist in believing that the Hainanese invented pork chops and Russian food, owned the Raffles Hotel and built the Forbidden […]

  47. […] spocko wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptand travel more, or else I’ll persist in believing that the Hainanese invented pork chops and Russian food, owned the Raffles Hotel and built the Forbidden […] […]

  48. […] Russo-Hainanese Institution at Far East Shopping Centre, Orchard Road. Click here for […]

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