From Russia with Love: The Backstory of The Russian House’s Vladamir and Varda

Vladamir and Varda

Varda played college basketball at prestigious basketball power Georgetown University. She was drafted off the Russian national team and played center for four years at Georgetown. Then it was back to Russia for a pro career (women’s pro basketball is huge over there). It was while travelling by train to the Ukraine that she met the Moscow born and trained chef Vladamir. The attraction was instantaneous and soon the 30-year-old hoops star married the 45-year-old well-known chef.

They made their way to New York city with the thought of opening a restaurant in the Chrysler building. The concept was Russian comfort food. (There’s really not much fast food in Russia: when the first McDonald’s opened there, people dressed up in suits and formal wear, and endured as long as a three-hour wait. But that soon faded away, and relatively few other fast food chains followed.) And then a friend of Varda’s who lived in Austin asked the couple down for a visit. They came down on a whim, loved the River City, and soon decided that Austin, not New York, would be the site of their new restaurant.

They knew they couldn’t rely on a large Russian community in Austin as they could have in New York. But they wanted to bring classic Russian cuisine to Americans. So they ignored the advice of friends who urged them to open north, where the majority of Austin’s Russian residents live.

Instead, they opened on 5th and Trinity next to Rival’s Steakhouse.

After the usual interminable delays that our city routinely inflicts on new restaurants, they finally opened late last Fall.

Vladamir is a rather dour appearing chap but he understands English fairly well, and he has a good sense of humor. Varda is 6’4″ and towers over her husband. But like him, she is quick to laugh, and has the ability to cope with the amazing amount of troublesome issues that can confront a new restaurant. The servers are mostly Russian girls who are in the US attending college. They view the Russian House as their family, and Vlkadamir and Varda encourage that. “He’s always feeding our staff,” said Varda about Vladamir. “But no junk or preservatives. They eat a lot but don’t gain weight.” Must be nice!

And at this point, the restaurant with its 12-hour days is pretty much home for the couple as well. As you walk in, there is a bar to the left with as many vodkas as you could care to choose from. There’s lots of music as well and a large dance floor. “Russians like to drink eat, dance and pretty much make a long evening out of dinner,” said Varda. “Americans, not so much, so we just have to let them experiment.”

Vladamir and Varda have an abundance of passion for their business. “Without passion, a chef has nothing,” said Vladamir with Varda translating. And they emphasize the freshness of their food. “Russians don’t eat a lot of junk. That’s why you don’t see too many fat ones,” said Varda.

It’ll be interesting to see how the Russian House evolves as their Austin customers begin to get a handle on Russian cuisine. But whatever happens, look for this neat couple to be in the thick of the fray.