Rivals

Throughout history, there have been epic rivalries that define their eras.


Yankees vs. Red Sox


Democrats vs. Republicans


Paper vs. Plastic


Coke vs. Pepsi

But perhaps the greatest rivalry in all of St. Petersburg is to be found in the cutthroat world of fast-food blini. It is the rivalry between...

Teremok and Chainaya Lozhka!!!!!

Blini is a popular Russian dish. Blini are essentially the same as crepes and can be filled with various savory or sweet fillings including chicken, creme, ham, cheese, sausages, mushrooms, fish, and even caviar (for the savory ones) and berries, jams, chocolate, and sweet cream cheesy fillings (for sweet ones).

Blini has become a popular fast food in Russia in the past ten years or so and many different restaurants, street side kiosks, and food court stalls can be found across St. Petersburg serving different variations on this delicious food. However, two chains in particular have distinguished themselves in the unbiased opinion of this writer:

Teremok! (Теремок)



Chainaya Lozhka (Чайная Ложка)


(note: none of these pictures in this post are ones that we took. You can find them all posted on other sites)

One never has to go far in St. Petersburg without seeing these familiar logos. And both most certainly have their advantages. Depending on the type of experience and food you are craving will determine which place will manage to make you part with your hard-earned rubles. A word about both places is in order.

Teremok!


A Teremok store at a mall food court.

Teremok is a fast growing company with over 150 outlets between Moscow and St. Petersburg. The company was even featured in an article on Time Magazine's website in 2008.

In a land known for its somewhat surly customer service, Teremok is a breath of fresh air. The company stresses customer service and even makes its employees address you by archair Russian terms that translate to "master" and "mistress." How's that for service?

In comparison to Chainaya Lozhka, Teremok also offers the bigger blini. In addition to blini, Teremok also offers an array of Russian salads and soups and essential sides like buckwheat. Beer and a house brew of kvas are also available, along with tea, coffee, cappuccino, and soda.

Some personal highlights from the menu include:


The "E-Mail." I'm not sure what earned this delicious blini that name, but the irresistible combination of mushrooms and cream makes this a staple of my Teremok dining experience.


The "Alyosha Popovich." Like the "E-Mail," this blini sports an imaginative name, this time named after one of the heroes of Russian folklore (Teremok also offers another blini named after another folk hero, Ilya of Murom, but I haven't tried it yet). The Alyosha Popovich is filled with chicken and a delicious sweet cream sauce.


For desert, one need look no further than the "Lakomka." This delicious blini is filled with а sweet cream-cheese like substance that tastes a bit like cheese cake (It is made from a cheese called Quark in English) and also small apricot pieces.

Chainaya Lozhka ("teaspoon")


A typical Chainaya Lozhka storefront.


The interior of a typical Chainya Lozhka restaurant.

Well what on earth could Chainaya Lozhka offer in response to such an array of mouth-watering delicacies is the thought that is undoubtedly running through your mind. And it indeed is an understandble thought: Teremok blini are delicious. However, Chainaya Lozhka has a few tricks up its sleeve as well.

Atmosphere is one area where Chainaya Lozhka surpasses Teremok. All food is served on actually plates with real silverwear. None of the paper plates and plastic silverwear that Teremok offers: white china and silverwear is what you can count on at Chainaya Lozhka. The only downside to this is that the tables aren't large enough to accomodate the large array of plates that you will get if you order one of their...

Lunch Specials! Chainaya Lozhka can't rival Teremok in terms of the size of their blini, but they have found some nice ways to supplement their smaller (but still delicious) fare. For just 142 rubles (around $4.70) you can get a blini, a Russian salad, and a personal pot of tea.

Russians think of "salad" in the way that we use the word for dishes like "egg salad," "potato salad," or "tuna salad." This means one word: mayonnaise. Mayonnaise is a staple of the Russian diet. Diet friendly? No. Delicious? You better believe it. So the salads you can expect at Chainaya Lozhka are salads mixed with things like eggs, tomato, cheese, potatoes, beats, carrots, and mayonnaise.

The personal tea pot is a nice touch too. You can order a pot of tea at Teremok, but at Chainaya Lozhka you can refill your pot with more hot water yourself. At Teremok you have to ask them to do it at the counter, which can be a bit of a pain if its busy (and it often is). Plus, you still get a nice tea cup with a saucer.

Chainaya Lozhka also offers one blini in particular with potatoes in it that is delicious. The combination of potatoes and beef works together perfectly for this particular blini.


This is what your table will look like if you get a lunch special at Chainaya Lozhka!

Amanda and I both enjoy eating at these two places. While my personal sympathies lie with Teremok, I do appreciate a meal at Chainaya Lozhka. My one complaint is that they have a penchant for playing Russian folk music that sounds like its being sung by the Chipmunks non-stop.

A note from Amanda: I actually like Chinaya Lozhka better! I like the amount of sides you get and we have never had to stalk people for a table at a Chinaya Lozhka (we do have to every time we go to Teremok). And the free tea refills means you can stay and drink tea for however long you want. Teremok has no meal options and their sides are as much as their billini!

In general prices are more expensive in St. Petersburg, so a meal at either of these places will cost a bit more than it would at an American fast food restaurant, but for St. Petersburg, eating out at these places is an affordable change of pace for times when you just don't feel like cooking at home.

It just so happens that we grabbed lunch at Teremok with some friends after church today:-)

I just thought it might be interesting to share a bit about some of the delicious food that Russia has to offer!

-Matt