28. Lunch at the Canteen
The canteen (a.k.a., cafeteria) at my office features an institutional, largely Soviet-era style menu. Multiple courses, with the food relatively unspiced but with plenty of herbs. It's available as a "complex meal" with a pre-determined choice from each course at a bargain price, or all items offered a la carte. I typically prefer the latter option.
Several salads are always available - usually mixed vegetables and often with some kind of fish, but generally without lettuce or other greens. Two soups are always offered, as is a "garnish" (side dish) of potatoes, plain boiled pasta, or kasha (a grain, almost always buckwheat in this case). Plain broccoli, cauliflower, or peas are often served, as well. The main course is always meat, usually with multiple choices - several kinds of fish, chicken, pork, turkey, beef, or meatballs. Sometimes the meat is topped with cheese or fruit, but usually it's plain and without a sauce. Mors or kompot, two kinds of Russian fruit juice beverages, are available. There are also a few varieties of bread and some small pastries, although American-style desserts are generally in shorter supply. There are five condiments in the canteen, regardless of the menu that day: salt, pepper, oil, mayonnaise, and sour cream. Mayonnaise and sour cream look very similar, so I hope they never mix up the labels!
Although Russian cuisine can be relatively friendly to a vegetarian diet, that's not really the case with these kinds of selections. The menu is adequate but not always exciting - it took about a month for the novelty to wear off. I'm used to more vegetables, sauces, and spices, so sometimes the blandness can be boring. On the other hand, at least there are three or four choices for each course. And more importantly, I'm glad that there is a canteen at all - the site existed for three years without one, and in fact, it opened just a month prior to my arrival. Even though I bring my lunch to work every day when I'm in the United States, it's not a great solution during my assignment here in St. Petersburg. I have no interest in buying an assortment of Tupperware, waking up early to prepare my lunch, or schlepping it across town for 75 minutes on the Metro every morning. Plus, employees can get a standard-sized lunch at no cost if we order a complex meal or stay below the threshold of 250 rubles (~$4.40) with the a la carte options.
Several salads are always available - usually mixed vegetables and often with some kind of fish, but generally without lettuce or other greens. Two soups are always offered, as is a "garnish" (side dish) of potatoes, plain boiled pasta, or kasha (a grain, almost always buckwheat in this case). Plain broccoli, cauliflower, or peas are often served, as well. The main course is always meat, usually with multiple choices - several kinds of fish, chicken, pork, turkey, beef, or meatballs. Sometimes the meat is topped with cheese or fruit, but usually it's plain and without a sauce. Mors or kompot, two kinds of Russian fruit juice beverages, are available. There are also a few varieties of bread and some small pastries, although American-style desserts are generally in shorter supply. There are five condiments in the canteen, regardless of the menu that day: salt, pepper, oil, mayonnaise, and sour cream. Mayonnaise and sour cream look very similar, so I hope they never mix up the labels!
Although Russian cuisine can be relatively friendly to a vegetarian diet, that's not really the case with these kinds of selections. The menu is adequate but not always exciting - it took about a month for the novelty to wear off. I'm used to more vegetables, sauces, and spices, so sometimes the blandness can be boring. On the other hand, at least there are three or four choices for each course. And more importantly, I'm glad that there is a canteen at all - the site existed for three years without one, and in fact, it opened just a month prior to my arrival. Even though I bring my lunch to work every day when I'm in the United States, it's not a great solution during my assignment here in St. Petersburg. I have no interest in buying an assortment of Tupperware, waking up early to prepare my lunch, or schlepping it across town for 75 minutes on the Metro every morning. Plus, employees can get a standard-sized lunch at no cost if we order a complex meal or stay below the threshold of 250 rubles (~$4.40) with the a la carte options.
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