Noroc - Carmichael

Absolutely fantastic! I love it here. The food is amazing. You definitely need to give it a try. I can't wait to go back—I’ve already been twice and will definitely return. It’s that good!

This restaurant is still around, but it has a new name: Noroc. It's basically the same (fantastic) experience. For more details, check out my previous review. I’ll be adding new reviews on their new page.

We started with the caviar appetizer, which was simple but a unique experience. The caviar paired wonderfully with the crepe and boiled egg. For the main course, we ordered the pork stew, and the flavor was excellent. It was served with some wonderfully crispy, soft naan bread that complemented the dish perfectly. I can't remember the name of my dish, but I have a picture of it! It was really good as well! I also tried a kompot drink, which I was unfamiliar with, but after a quick Google search, I decided to give it a shot. I’m glad I did because it was refreshing and not overly sweet, especially compared to canned pineapple. Overall, I really enjoyed both dishes!

Their renovation looks really beautiful! Although they kept the creepy Russian statues near the booth tables, it feels as if they executed making their restaurant look modern while still keeping the Russian heritage in the dining hall. Their new menu has photos of all of their dishes which I enjoyed. But there is no drink list which is a bit sad. Our server that was working there only a few days memorized the entire vodka list when asked though which was very cool to me. Our table came with a huge pitcher of water, ice, and sliced up lemons which was refreshing. We ordered double Vodka shots $20 each) for the table, I think it was the Jewel of Russia line it was very full bodied and had some slight peppery notes and were surprisingly very sweet. I had a simple Green tea to drink; which had a single tea bag that came with honey, and sugar packets. We ordered a few appetizers to share; I thought that the Blini with Spinach $12.95) was a little heavy and bland. Chicken Pelmeni $16.95) tasted very heavy, almost as if it was microwaved frozen, and not fresh. The Golubtsi 8 for $37) saved the other two; the cabbage roll stuffed with a variety of minced meats and veggies were so delectable, I ate most of them. I ordered the Zhulien Hot Appetizer $16), which was Sautéed chicken and mushrooms baked in creamy cheese sauce that I poured straight on top of my Escalope Porkchop $25), since I felt as though the Porkchop was a little dry. All entrees come with a side vinaigrette cucumber salad that I did not touch), and also three polenta balls which were great. You can't go wrong with their Beef Stroganoff $22.95), but I didn't feel like it was presented nor tasted very authentic to me. I mean, where's the smetana sour cream)? I would come here again, most definitely.

Drove all the way here from Davis in search of some tasty beef stroganoff but was very disappointed. Stroganoff was extremely bland and meat was flavorless. Stewed lamb was very small and contained mostly potatoes. The only saving grace was the pork shnitzel which was actually very crispy and flavorful. The interior has very fun decorations but screaming kids ruined the ambiance during our visit. Would not recommend this if you are searching for beef stroganoff.