Troika: Plush life photo: Joseph Yarmush

I'd never been to Troika. This Russian restaurant with French leanings has been open for 45 years. Montreal boasts few such venerable places (Le Paris at 51 years is another), and they do eventually close, as did Les Halles last year, in its 30s. I was determined to not let another golden era restaurant slip through my temporal grasp.

Stepping down into the subterranean Troika is to enter a demi-monde of plush red velvet benches, brocade chairs and white tablecloths - balms for the winter-weary soul. A wall of cut glass mirror distorted the space to an otherworldly dimension, while samovars and oil paintings of Russian scenes placed us in a land far away.

Mmm, caviar. Life's too short to not try the good stuff once. Troika offers your basic salmon eggs at the bottom of the price range (technically not caviar, which must come from sturgeon) through to farmed French, osetra, then beluga. The ban on Russian caviar was recently lifted, so in a celebratory mood (and decidedly off-budget) we plumped for the osetra caviar, deemed by our waitress as not too fishy, not too salty. Though some erroneously pair champagne with caviar, vodka is more apt. A smooth shot of private import fit the bill.

The rarity came on blini (small thickish pancakes) dotted with sour cream. We picked them up with our hands (metal shouldn't touch caviar, which is why it's sometimes served with mother-of-pearl spoons) and admired the tiny grey and inky eggs. They looked slightly like eyeballs, or papaya seeds. The taste, especially when nibbled off the blini without doughy or dairy distraction, was gently saline, lightly fishy, ephemeral with no aftertaste, nor textural pop. The caviar left oily golden traces behind on the soft pancake. I can see how those with means would willingly eat loads of the stuff in an effort to chase the sturgeon. We also ate blini with smoked salmon, for a weightier oceanic note.

We turned our attention to my $45 table d'hôte, and his à la carte meal. The food is seriously rich. My arteries hardened like a KGB agent upon hearing the description of chicken Kiev - chicken stuffed with butter and garlic, breaded, then deep-fried. For those lamenting the butter-laden French cooking of yore, look no further. (I wished we'd gone here after seeing the Catherine the Great show at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts last year! To have immersed oneself in the art of the Francophile Russian aristocracy before dining on the likes of Russian herring with potato salad followed by duck with apricot, salmon and caviar pasta, or beef stroganoff or rack of lamb would have been perfect.)

I started with a crimson borscht, the colour of bright tarty lipsticks that nearly matched the velvet décor. The soup was a beautiful balance of vinegary and savoury, served as is tradition with a small herbed round bun. My Vladimir's starter was of dense pelmeni dumplings in a delicate but deeply flavourful duck consommé.

Then his thick medallions of boar arrived, bathed in an apple-based sauce, partnered with deep-fried mashed potato balls. I could smell the butter in the saffron sauce of my lobster and shiitake mushroom ravioli before the plate hit the table. The sauce slightly overwhelmed the translucent pasta, though I did enjoy it.

The table d'hôte finishes with coffee or tea and a sweet note. I chose the dessert crêpe over the flourless chocolate cake, its rich cheesy filling studded with raisins. It nearly killed me. No wonder Russia's a drinking culture - you need all that hooch just to burn through the fat. But we should all sometimes succumb to rich decadence.

Troika
2171 Crescent, 514-849-9333
Live music Thursday to Saturday evenings
Dinner for two, without tax, tip or drinks: $90 to, oh, roughly $900 if you go nuts on their caviar tasting menu

 
 

		Write your comment on this article!

A Resto Fit for Bond...James Bond     First of all, I was unaware that we had a "Russian restaurant with French leanings" that has been open for 45 years in our fair city. Besides that this week's food article comes across as a culinary guide on how to eat caviar (which I heard tastes like eating your own "loogey"/phlegm) such as not letting metal touch it (I guess silverware gives it a metallic taste), choosing caviar that doesn't taste too fishy or too salty, not having champagne with caviar (what? James Bond has been combining these two items regularly for years but he's been wrong about indulging in these two foodies at the same time? well, you can knock me over with a feather!) but drinking vodka with these fish eggs. Of course, I was never able to bring myself to eating the stuff (the cost and taste description caused me to avoid caviar) and I don't think I'll ever try it, especially when caviar is described as "they looked slightly like eyeballs..." (reminds me of that scene in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom"...ummm eyeball soup delicious....YUK!!!). The only menu items that have any appeal for me are the chicken Kiev, the beef stroganoff, and the dessert crepe. At any rate, for all you caviar afficionados and members of the upper class (yeah HOUR's got a lot of rich folks for readers) this place is for you. As for the rest of us blue collar types, there's no way we'll be in a place like this...unless you've got the winning lotto numbers.
Basil James	{56 votes}	April 5th, 2007
Rich...     This place is really way too rich for me - exorbitantly priced fine caviar, 50$ table d'hote and then there's the richness of the fat and butter-laden food. While I won't dispute that they offer up a sumptuous feast that is doubtless the pinnacle of Russian haute-cuisine in Montreal - their continued longevity is testament to this fact - it's just beyond both my financial and physical scope.
David St Pierre	{4 votes}	April 12th, 2007
Comfort Food     Wow, sounds like few restos can match either the longevity, opulence, or sheer decadence of Troika. But culinary indulgences of this magnitude don't come cheap - there's definitely a price to be paid (45$ table d'hote) for the privilege and that's to say nothing of the beating your body, or rather your arteries, will take. If you're looking for indulgent, authentic, cholesterol-laden comfort food, you'd be hard-pressed to find better or more buttery Russian fare anywhere!
Mark St Pierre	{3 votes}	April 12th, 2007
Mhmm Food.     Man, just reading this article makes my mouth water. That does sound like a restaurant that deserves a visit at least once, until I read the bottom. Dinner for two can go from $90 (which is A LOT of money to a teenager) to roughly $900 (that right there is more than two weeks' paycheck). The food sounds absolutely amazing, but I think I'll stay with my McDonald's meals. Thanks, but no thanks.
Anny Truong	{7 votes}	April 10th, 2007
~Feast or famine~     If you've got to go for a no holds barred eating experience a Russian restaurant is definitely the place to go. Be forewarned though, it doesn't come cheap and it certainly ain't light. Some of the platters will give your family physician heart palpitations but hey, you only live once. By the way, that's about how often you will need to try caviar before you decide if it's for you. Some people love it, some people hate it...very few can afford it. Russian cuisine is just balls out great and that fact alone makes me want to try out Troika...even if it is on the far too noisy and jacked up Crescent street strip of eateries and bars.
Pedro Eggers	{6 votes}	April 8th, 2007
Russian Decadence at it's Best     troika represents Russian decadence and flamboyance at it's best... although I've never been, i've heard much about it... Montreal's well kept Russian secret of over 45 years... this sounds like the perfect place for a great treat.. indulge yourself in a dramatic setting of red and gold velvet, get serenaded to by Russian folk music, sample a variety of caviar and rare imported vodkas and feast in sheer decadence... sounds like stepping into the world of old empire Prussian nobility... excellent!
Genia Chepurniy	{14 votes}	April 7th, 2007
It's all Dobra     I love Russian food - been to many eateries in the city so far but I still dream of Troika.....I dream of their Romanov Strawberries ice cream. I never tried their Siberian tear - if it's still on the menu- I dream of that too. I see from the picture they changed their decor to a sober modern one instead of that cavern of red velvet, samovars. Why, oh, why? I hope those men in polyester cossack outfits are still there serving the hunter's lemon vodka. And the gypsy violin players? Just don't order steamy hot borscht and vodka on a humid Montreal night in the summertime. The night I went, there were a sleazy lout with lots of young pretty women, a romantic couple with red roses and some serious Japanese and American businessmen with rolexes. Yes, it is Franco-Russian as the Russian court spoke French and hired French chefs snubbing their peasant grub. I think Beef Stronganoff is an example of the hybrid cuisines. I recall a decade ago, they had a reasonable New Year's eve menu with wild boar, caviar and blinis and champagne for 88 dollars. Compare that to today's New Year's eve bashes - no champagne, no caviar. When growing up, I remember there was a place called Dr. Zhivago with closed off seating- oh ,how romantic, I thought.This was where I want to be proposed. That closed. Matroiska on Laurier as well. So I've tried Kalinka (St-mark's?) which was empty and Russian tv hooked up and the place looked less polished. Their cabbage roll forgettable but their cake was good. I've tried Ermitage on Queen Mary, owned by a vivacious Ukrainian woman of Russian ethnicity - disco ball and free mementos to birthday celebrants. I never went to Cote des neiges' Cavernes but I hear their pirojkis -russian oven -baked their perogies were good and whole meal inexpensive. I think I am due for another visit to Troika....It's hard to miss, it's on crescent but underground basement.
Margherita di Savoia	{13 votes}	April 6th, 2007
The Best.     Troika has had a very good reputation in certain circles( except possibly Lesley Chesterman of the Gazette who is seemingly poopooing more than necessary these days )for a very long time. I Would wholeheartedly recommend trying it at least once in your life. I would say that it is quite possible to feast for two for well below one hundred dollars. Provided that you exclude the oh-so-sinful ( and very acquired ) taste of their amazing caviar. The Table D'Hote is one of the best steals in town. And the restaurant ( whose vodka selection is peerless!!!!) is a delightful treat. And an impressive one for a date! And by the way their borscht is, hands down, the best in freaking town.
Reuven De Souza	{7 votes}	April 6th, 2007
From Russia With Love     A great Feast depiction Maeve, I started salivating more then once, while reading this one. I haven't been there yet and probably never will be, too expensive, if you know what I mean. I come from Ukraine, all foods you mentioned above are pretty well known to me, but they'll never be something banal or ordinary - my familly often prepares traditional treats "borsh" "olivier salad" etc, during festivities. And by the way, mushroom ravioli isn't trivial to Russian kitchen at all, they've probably borrowed it from the Italians, I suggest that you try for "Pelmeni", "Chebureki" and "Vareniki", those are unseparate from Russia, I used to know. Happy Meal!
Dimitri Spektor	{11 votes}	April 6th, 2007
Defining Troika     When one defines Troika we normally refer to a Russian carriage pulled by three horses. By the sound of this article and the decadence of it all I am pretty sure any person dining at the restaurant will be carried away by the three horses! Troika sounds lika a formal culinary experience that should not be missed. Forget about the calories for one evening but that should the rationale every time we dine at any fine establishment. Thanks Maeve for tempting us with such a fine review. Although the Bits and Bites reviews are fun nothing beats these elaborate articles.
Ronny Pangia	{8 votes}	April 5th, 2007
Never had Russian     Never had Russian but its on my list to do. The menu sounds good but not the price but once in a while I like to splurge. I heard that its Russian tradition to drink out of a wooden shoe/boot if its ur birthday.......gotta try it.
Sandra Araujo	{3 votes}	April 5th, 2007
Yum!     Everything sounds good! I remember reading about this resto a while back and meaning to go, but never getting around to it. Coming from a hungarian background, which can have similar tastes at times, I definately want to give this place a try. I don't know how much caviar I can afford though...
Jennifer Carriere	{1 vote}	April 5th, 2007
Ochen Harosha     It looks like this three wheeled wagon (definition of troika) served up some tasty yet pricey dishes. If you are looking for a less expensive rusky dining experience I recommend La Caverne on Cote Des Neiges north of Queen Mary. Be sure to bring ear plugs if you go on friday night as there is a live band and very large speakers.
Alison Naimar	{1 vote}	April 5th, 2007
Lucky us!     I never really gave Russian food any thought but wow your description made me drool. Thanks for the heads up there's only so much you can think to ask, and other stuff you wouldn't ask about still somehow find a way to make a difference between yes i'll go or no thanks i won't... Restaurants like this should definitely motivate competition! We'd have even more to choose from! Yumm! Lucky us!
Noora Abbas	{3 votes}	April 5th, 2007
Russian Resto Charm     What a colourful description of the art of eating caviar, you did well Maeve! Only thing is that the price of it all, so the hundred bucks will have to fall out of my pocket later on. No metal touching the famed eggs, never knew that and I'll be inquisitive when it comes to asking restaurant owners if it's the real mackoy or a saline fake! Think I'll pass on the chicken Kiev, butter and meat don't mix well with me but won't pass on the Russian herring or saffron laden Lobster and salad or the raisin filled cheese crepe at the end.
Martin Dansky	{3 votes}	April 5th, 2007
Trioka     For me it sounds like a great restaurant to go to for two reasons. First, is when you want to impress someone and have the extra cash to burn, while enjoying great food. And second, is when things like cholesterol and healthy eating are not in your mind.
Daudi Saidi	{1 vote}	April 5th, 2007
Worth a Try!     I've never eaten Russian before..but i mean why not. its worth a try. However the whole thought of drinking out of a shoe for my birthday..well no thanks i rather not, well maybe after a few drinks. Troika here i come..
Angela Nobrega		April 9th, 2007

Write your comment! please follow these guidelines

Information requested in blue will remain confidential   [privacy policy] Please indicate your real first and last names.

First name :

Last name :

Your email :

Confirm your email :

Title of your comment (max. 150 characters)   Your comment (max. 2000 characters)  characters remaining       LIMIT PER PERSON : one comment per article per member. Thank you. Your comment will be read by our approval team and, if it is approved, will be posted on the website within 24 hours. It could also be published, along with your name, in the printed version of Hour magazine and on any of our partner websites. In order to present the highest quality of comments, Hour reserves the right to refuse certain submissions. Any plagiarism will entail the entire removal of the member’s profile. Hour is not responsible for the opinions expressed by the members.