I recently met a new friend, Emily. We are both adventurous eaters, so when I came across a Russian restaurant, Russian Banya, and didn’t think I had ever eaten at Russian restaurant before, I asked her if she wanted to try it out. She didn’t consider herself an expert on Russian food either, but we made plans and with my husband coming along for the adventure, we made our way to the restaurant!
We sampled many tasty treats. First off, we had a Russian soda. It was herbal and had a taste of pine to it. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but everyone enjoyed it and the taste was definitely unique and surprisingly good.
Emily got the dumplings. Which were so tasty! The broth was very mild, but the dumplings were flavorful and smooth.
Dan ordered the stuffed cabbage. Which was hearty, but could have used a little more salt. I ordered the plov, as it was the only thing on the menu I even kind of recognized. It’s a chicken and rice dish that once I made years ago.
The other item we ordered was an appetizer called Julienne. This mushroom and chicken dish was so delicious we started eating before we got photos. Which, because it’s covered in white mozzarella cheese and due to the dairy content, kind of white and shapeless under the cheese, isn’t that photogenic to begin with.
We loved the Julienne so much I wondered how difficult it would be for me to make it in my kitchen… It seemed like a relatively simple dish. And you know I love trying things out. So I Googled, found this recipe for Creamy Russian Mushroom Julienne.
I added some chicken to the recipe as our appetizer dish in the restaurant had chicken. Also, my household does enjoy their protein. It turned out beautifully. So hearty, filling, creamy, and just plain delicious.
Definitely more of a winter recipe, but even in Texas in the summer, it was pretty amazing. I will definitely make it again. I might explore a bit with ingredients, as well. Maybe try a different protein, or do different veggies with the mushrooms. All in all, a delicious adventure.
