OK, time to review this place under their NEW name (Noroc)! This is the same place (same ownership, same chef, same location) as what was formerly the Firebird Russian Restaurant. The restaurant's homepage https://www.norocrestaurant.com/ will give you the history and also the reason for the 're-branding'. The cuisine definitely covers a wide swath of Eastern European cultures. And, it's outstanding! This is a place where I want to try everything on the menu, at least once, but know there are favorites that I have to work hard to keep ordering every time. I wish this were a place just "down the street" that I could go to by myself anytime I wanted to, because, let's face it, it's not that easy to find someone to go to an Eastern European restaurant at the drop of a hat - not like asking someone "wanna get a burger?" or "let's get some ice cream". My wife, college daughter, and I (at my insistence) went last night. We had been back in 2011-12 back when our 2 daughters still tagged along to wherever we wanted to eat out - to mixed reviews (from them). My wife and I loved it then...and loved it again! Our choices were a bit like - off the dartboard, but most were clear thumbs up: Appetizers: Borscht (Beet Soup) - amazing! Made of thick stock, very brothy, and I asked for mine *with* meat, but the beets were the star. At the restaurant, they offer a cup ($4.95) - which is how I like my soup because my Mom made soup as a prelude for every meal, but she expected me to finish my main course, too! This makes it hard for me to try their 2 other soups next time! Ukranian Pork Salo - I always want to get the weirdest thing on the menu - and this one was my choice this time. It's literally pork fat - and well, the slices of pork looked a bit like the fat on uncooked bacon. Cured, but not cooked. The taste was great, but it was a bit hard to get past the thought of eating just uncooked fat. The garnish of purple horseradish and very strongly pickled gherkins helped a bit, but I had to work to not leave anything behind. I checked this box, but won't need to come back for this one! Needless to say, I didn't get any help from my family in finishing this. Main Courses: Chicken Kiev - for my college kid. This was excellent. Not the "chicken kiev" that you might think of (with ground meat infused with ham and some 'white sauce'), but more like a robust chicken cutlet (or closer yet, Japanese chicken katsu). There was a remoulade sauce drizzled on the batter that made the taste just right. Oh, this is the place where I have to mention that everything comes up from the kitchen *HOT*, and clearly, just off the stove (or out of the oven or wherever). That made this Chicken Kiev even better! Lamb Stew - This was my wife's choice. She loved it - and was saying this was the first lamb stew that's better than the Irish make it (she's half Irish). I had a taste - I agree. Like the Borscht, the stock was real - "lamb-y" (without being overly gamey), but with a great taste of mushrooms as well. All with so many tender pieces of lamb, along with potatoes. It really ate more like a huge pot pie, but it was definitely delicious! Polenta & Fried Pork - was my choice. The roasted port chunks were full of flavor, moist, and tender. They were fried, but didn't have any of the chewiness or stringiness of fried pork (like in many Mexican Carnitas dishes). The polenta, unlike the Italian version, was not mushy or overrun with cheese. This polenta was more like "rice made of corn meal", and really complemented the tasty pork morsels. A generous portion of feta cheese and sour cream was also provided, though I didn't need all of it. That leaves about 15 other entrees I want to try, not to mention all of the other starters offered (stuffed cabbage rolls, vareniki dumplings, potato pancakes - like latkes, kippered herring salad, etc.) Dessert: I'm not a dessert person - at least not immediately following a meal. But my family insisted on trying one. So we had the Napoleon....and glad we did. The puff pastry layered with custard and raspberry jam was the right texture (flaky and crunchy but not crispy) and sweetness. Custard was perfectly smooth and buttery, and it was served 'cool' - not refrigerator cold, but much cooler than room temperature. And one order was just right for the 3 of us to each have as much as we wanted. Service/Ambiance: Service was outstanding. It was 100% one lady who took care of us from beginning to end. This probably isn't a place that gets "crowds" - unless there's an event or big group. Last night, there was a private birthday party on the sectioned-off end of the main "dining hall". Interestingly, they were celebrating in what appeared to be Hebrew. So we had some entertainment as well. There were 3-4 other tables of regular diners, and service never lapsed! Go for a great experience and food!!! read more

Lunched with a friend on Tuesday, for both our first visit. A polite waitress greeted and sat us. She provided plenty of time to peruse the large menu, guiding us when we needed answers. Our meals were extraordinary! As it was lunch, we begrudgingly turned down desserts. The atmosphere here is an add on to the excellent food. It reflects the heritage of the owners, and is a most welcome change from the utilitarian vibe of most restaurants. read more

Prices ain't it for the portions way overpriced for some mediocre sausages with a mini salad slapped on the side. Disappointed

The service here was AMAZING. the hosts greeted you as you walked in and were so gracious. They brought us complimentary beverages and a small soup that was DELICIOUS. Every dish we tried was DELICIOUS. the waiters were so attentive. i HIGHLY recommend going here. the ambiance is beautiful and they have live music. great experience. read more

This is not a Russian restaurant. Noroc means luck in Romanian. They serve traditional Romanian and Moldovan food.

First time for us. We had the borscht soup and the smoked meat soup. They were both DELICIOUS! I had the stuffed cabbage and my husband had a pork and polenta dish. I loved the stuffed cabbage. Hubby stole one and he enjoyed it as well. The pork was very good. We didn't think it was as exciting as the other dishes. The pork entree was served with salad that was super light and fresh. Bottom line... we will be back. read more

Delicious, comforting food and a cozy atmosphere! We had the chicken soup and dumplings, highly recommend!

The food is amazing! Great customer service. Wry fresh & authentic. Will come again! read more

Noroc Restaurant - Zeama - Desserts Near Me - Carmichael, California

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We were pleasantly surprised by the tasteful and fun decor at Noroc. It has a farmhouse room and comfortable booths. The place was busy yet relaxed. The service was friendly and helpful. This was our first time to have Moldovan food and we loved the potato dumplings, the wonderful Noroc salad and the to die for creamy cheesy chicken and mushroom dish. The meat blinis were not our favorite, but there were so many more delicious sounding items, that we definitely will return! read more

Great food! Loved taking an unexpected meal here... ambiance, service and food were all terrific. Didn't save room for desert but will be back! read more

This is NOT russian restaurant. The cook doesn't prepare most of the food; they buy canned food ready-made and heat it up. But it looks like now they can't even warm it up .The atmosphere and service was good. read more

Nice job catering. They even provided a few extra helpers. We didn't ask for it, but a nice gesture. Thank you and I hope your business prospers. read more

At first I thought this might not be my first pick...but was I wrong! Food is delicious. Yhere were 5 of us dining out for lunch. Our table enjoyed schnitzel and stuffed cabbage and stroganoff and a chicken sausage dish. Somehow the stroganoff got lost in the shuffle and came out very late but as a comp they gave us a cherry dessert plate that was to die for. Food was so good and I would gladly come back. They have a great table for about 24 people at one end of the space and a few smaller cozy spaces and then large round tables that meet about 10. Nice clean restaurant. read more

We had a party of 12 and service was very very nice. A VERY handsome guy sang some songs to us and the waitress was super helpful. We even got separate checks. Just my bill was $140. Not cheap. I wish there had been some gravy on the mash potatoes and some sauce on the chicken Kiev. Parking was not an issue. I would have given Noroc 5 stars if I had some gravy/sauce. read more

The food was good. My husband loved his schnitzel but would of liked some gravy with it. The staff was super.

Amazing food, nice vibe, small and cozy with beautiful decor showing a lot of the Eastern European traditions and life. Try and for something you have not experience before. Your taste buds will be trilled!!! read more

We have been to the previous reincarnation of Noroc many times before pandemic. Really glad to see it open as Noroc now. Food is very tasty as always. A few new dishes are added to the menu. Service was very personal. The waitress was working many tables by herself the night we went but she managed to give us the appropriate attention. read more

The staff are friendly and the restaurant has a cute, kitschy East European atmosphere. Unfortunately the food service was even ... the solyanka was good and the pork escalope was tasty, except it came with a cabbage/cucumber salad that was visually unappealing and not very good. Worst parts were the smoked fish starter and the martini I ordered that was all vermouth. This could be a fun place for happy hour with snacks but I would not come back for dinner. read more

Hidden Gem! Flavors amazing, cabbage rolls and borscht a must! Max, our server was wonderful - attentive, helpful with menu. This place is delightful! read more

The food was awesome and healthy. The portions were big and was priced very reasonably.

Stepping into this restaurant I knew it would be a unique experience; and it did not disappoint. Greeted with a warm welcome, they recognized we had a reservation without us having to mention a word. (Always cool) Service was exactly what we were looking for. Did not feel rushed at any moment as we slowly coursed out our meals. We had a multitude of dishes considering we haven't had the opportunity to try much Eastern European gastronomy. And let me tell you!!! The cabbage rolls were incredible, succulent, and are a perfect start to any meal. The solyanka and borscht were also very rich and such a tasty pre-cursor to our entree. However, the STAR of the show was the pork chop. Almost fork tender, and sitting on a bed of the most flavorful mushroom gravy we could not have asked for a better main course. Ending our night with a sour cherry blini just was the icing on the cake. From start to finish, could not have asked for a better time. Will be back. Thanks again for a great Friday night! read more

The best authentic Moldavian food on the planet ! Stayed in this area for three days and came here to eat three times :)

Last night, two friends of mine, and I went to this restaurant. The ambience was great the Decour was very comforting. The service was beyond outstanding. The waitress walked us through the menu and explained the Russian dishes to us. She wasn't hovering over our table, but she was always there when we needed something. My friends wife had borscht and rack of lamb. She said it was outstanding and I got a little piece of it, and it melted in my mouth. My friend had a chicken noodle soup and pork kebabs. The seasoning on the kebabs was different, but outstanding and the pork was cooked just right. As an appetizer I ordered Bilini meat and cheese. It was a crêpe with meat and cheese. Inside of it. Cooked to perfection. Not crunchy not soft, just right. And I ordered Zrazy with mushrooms. I don't know how to explain it, but it had a crunchy outside but inside it had a mix of meat and mushrooms. It was like nothing I have ever tasted before and it was outstanding as well. They served as water but it wasn't regular water. It was infused with mint and cucumber. The prices were reasonable for all of the dishes. There was so much on the menu that we want to try that we will definitely go back at least two more times if not make it a habit. It was a Saturday night and wasn't too busy. There was a party going on in the back room. It was a little loud but it did not affect our experience. I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone. read more

Noroc Restaurant - Rack of lamb - Desserts Near Me - Carmichael, California

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Y'all....You want to feel like you are back home at your mothers couch on a rainy day watching movies? OMG the dishes here are FANTASTIC and made with love. I can truly say I'm not a big meat eater but I will get any meat dish from this place. Can't go wrong with Borscht or the cabbage wrapped beef (menu won't load for name) but omg this dish was FANTABULOUS. I believe the owner/manager was the one who served me and you can see he treats his employees well!! Will be stopping by all winter long!!!! read more

Absolutely wonderful Eastern European cuisine! We had a large group of 23 people and everyone raved about the quality of each dish. We could not fault them on anything. read more