Russian Restaurant Rogovski

Name: Russian Restaurant Rogovski
Neighborhood: Shibuya
Style: Russian (duh)
Website: http://www.rogovski.co.jp/

I can't believe I haven't blogged about this restaurant yet! My friend Sonoko's family are the operators of this Russian restaurant right in the middle of Shibuya as a result of which I've eaten there two or three times. Rogovski has been around for a good long time, so they have a stream of regular patrons but it's still fairly easy to get in.

Russian food always conjures up images for me of overwhelmingly heavy stews and borscht, so Rogovski was a pleasnt surprise by providing reasonably light Russian fare (it helps that Japanese portion sizes mean that you don't get too much of any one thing). I've never actually seen Borscht here but they have a lot of Russian standards, including Piroshki, Chicken Kiev, nd the highly recommended Pickled Herring (I know you might not immediately rush to order Pickled Herring, but seriously, it's good).

If you ordered a course meal (I never have because Sonoko's family is always consulting on the items for the evening) they range from 4000 to 7000 yen, which gives a good idea of the price range for the place. They have plenty of drinks to choose from including various Russian beers and of course Stoli, in addition to the standard Japanese beer on tap.

Because the Chogayas are really enthusiasts for Russian cooking, there's also a selection of Russian mixes and canned goods you can buy to take home. If I heard the story right, the original way that the family got involved in Russian cooking involved WWII and a POW camp. I often forget to think of this place when I'm in Shibuya, which is a shame because it's actually easy to find: it's on the 9th floor of the Tokyu Plaza, in the same building with the Kinokuniya (south exit from Shibuya-eki).