Restaurant car dining on the Trans Siberian

I did mention in previous posts that our daily meals on the Trans Siberian were mostly made up of bread, biscuits, instant noodles and the occasional luncheon meat and sardines.

You may be wondering why we did not dine at the restaurant car that often, since there was quite an extensive selection of food on the Irkutsk – Moscow train. Salmon, omul, vodka, you name it, you’ve got it.

My main gripe was the price. It costs about SGD25/ USD20 per for a full, hearty meal each time, and was not a luxury an unemployed traveller could afford.

We had a meal there once, under the eye of a stern looking restaurant manager who expected us to order way more that RUB630/ SGD25 worth of food by showing us a disapproving glance. My take is to ignore her and order as little you want.

To be honest, I didn’t feel very satisfied after the meal. I might be biased as I was feeling a little sickly then. The fried potatoes were too oily, the Russian dumplings (Pelmini) too starchy, although the soup, Solyanka was tasty enough.

The Russians we met on the train did not dine at the restaurant car. Most of the time, they brought their own food, comprising meatballs mixed with mashed potatoes, chicken wings and even grapes. It’s like a picnic, and its pretty sumptuous by Phebe standards.

Here’s what we ate at the restaurant car. I remember thinking that while the place was nice, how much I longed to be in a stationary restaurant.

I am sorry, but I cannot provide recommendations on what to try at the restaurant car. We thought Solyanka was a main course and it turned out to be an appetiser. It’s probably my only recommendation. Do share, if you have more.

What is your experience dining in restaurant cars? Is the food better than what you can find in stationary restaurants in the city? Please feel free to share your comments in the box below.