Perestroika...Celebrating Jake's Birthday

We were finally able to celebrate Jake' birthday at Perestroika! It's our local, Russian restaurant down in Naha. (Of course that's what you think of when you think of Japan, right? Russian dining?) As soon as Jake saw their advertisement in Okinawa Living magazine, he set his sights on going for his birthday dinner.


The problem was, they only do the Russian dancing (the biggest draw for Jake) on certain nights, and they kept changing. When we called to make our reservation, the owner told us that she could only get the dancer certain nights because of another commitment she had. Then I started thinking about it. "She?" When I think Russian dancing, I think of the guy with the fur hat, kicking his legs out from his squatting body. Isn't that what you think of? I'm sure that's what Jake had in mind. Then I started to wonder if maybe this was some sort of belly dancing? I worried a little bit...but then decided it would be OK...I mean, it's cold in Russia, right? How scantily-clad could the women be? So, when she called us back with the next date, we made the reservation.



After getting lost in Naha (thanks to Okinawa Hai!'s directions), and several calls to the owner, we finally pulled over at the Coco convenience store and she walked around the corner to wave us through the rest of the way. (If you want to know how to get there, the directions that they post are good...up until after passing Kokusai St...then they get a little dicey. Let me know if you want to know the way we found it.)



She even decorated for Jake! She is such a nice lady. Jake got to pick two friends to come with him, but only Nate was able to make it. That's OK...Nate's enough fun for two friends!



I loved the decor...lots of fun little details. The music was great, too. So Russian.



And I'm guessing this pic is essential for a Russian business?



This is the owner (middle pic) and the dancer on the left.



We had fun practicing these Russian phrases on the menu.



We all ordered sets with several courses as opposed to A la carte. This is the potato salad that was our first course.



Patrick's diggin' it.



Troy, taking a call from Josh (home for Christmas from Stanford) to arrange a Round One trip. Not happening tonight, though....bummer. Notice the TV on the wall in the corner? It played Russian musical performances the whole time. Very cool.



Here's act one. This first dance was really three dances in one. She came out and explained them to us first. I loved her accent. This one was a pretty tame folk dance. She came over and took Troy by the hands and pulled him up to dance with her, then did the same with Jake. Yes, I have video...but since they will be the ones choosing my nursing home, I'll just save it for my own personal collection.



Then we had our next course, Borscht. I have never had it before, and I've been craving it ever since. It is that good.



This was served with something with a name similar to Pierogi. It was a little meat pie.



You could really tell the ingredients were fresh and the cook had slaved away over this. SO good!



Here is her second dance...a little livelier. Very cute.



Then our main courses were brought out. Most of us ordered this stew cooked with puff pastry on the top. She only makes ten a day, so when they run out, that's it.



Even though they look skeptical...



These were a BIG hit.



This is what the soup looks like. So many flavors. You can tell this is something that takes a long time to cook. No wonder there's a limit.



Patrick, probably trying to talk Coree out of her puff pastry because she's eating it so slowly.



This is the Beef Stroganoff. Cliff let me taste some and it was also very tasty. You could tell the beef was very good quality (not like the cheap stuff I use when I make it).



And Jake, being unique like he is, ordered something different from everyone else. A cheese-covered fish dish. He loved it.



And this was her final dance number. This one was red hot!



Here's another clip for your enjoyment.



Did you see the scarf she dropped?



Patrick wanted to keep it. But Jake took it back to her.

The dancing was a fabulous touch and the meal was incredible. We're really glad Jake chose this for his birthday and that we got to experience it together. Everyone was so nice and made this a special occasion for him. Cliff and I will definitely be back for a date night soon.



What an awesome birthday present from Nate!



He gave Jake a dollar for every year...in $2 bills. Jake had never seen one before.



Here we are outside, waiting for Cliff to back out so we don't tear Lopez's bumper off as we back out. The streets are tight and parking is at a premium.



We drove home by way of Kokusai Street. We left the sunroof open, and while we were waiting at the stoplights, we let the kids stand up and wave to people out the window. Crazy, American kids!



This is the intersection where the magic happened. See that screen up in the middle right of the picture above?



That screen? Yep...that's the one they appear on in the video. The kids were all excited to see it again, especially at night.

Another great birthday celebration...even if delayed by a month. I can't say enough good about Perestroika. It is a little on the pricey side, so if you're anything like us, it's a special occasion treat...but we'll be looking for an excuse to go back. I recommend it highly...but make sure you call ahead to ask when the dancing is that week...and wait for it. It's worth it!