Lest the kitsch factor seem worrisome, please know that the owner is also responsible for the decidedly unkitschy Republic (the huge restaurant and lounge on La Cienega).

Mikayel Israyelyan's roots are Russian-Armenian; this opulent space is meant as an homage to the real deal, not as a kitschy way to use a people's heritage as a tongue-in-cheek theme. (Cough Geisha House cough.) The large dining hall, arranged around a stage often featuring live performances, layers patterns of gold and red swirling under a showstopping chandelier pieced together by hand. It's a lot for the eyes to take in; the only two touches of modernity are to be found in the flat-screens behind the back bar. Actually, that's not true: Though the menu offers classic Russian entrees like quail Kiev, much of what's to be ingested has been modernized. Vodka gets its own menu, but the cocktails are more West Hollywood than East Ukraine; a Cold War martini has Red Bull, cranberry juice and a fizzing bit of dry ice in the bottom. To start, we recommend the potato blinis with smoked salmon, creme fraiche and caviar; the smoked fish platter might seem redundant but actually worked well as a second choice. (Fried capers!) Entrees include roast duck, baked guinea hen, stuffed cabbage and black cod, as well as a "from the charcoal grill" selection of steaks. The highlight for us, though, was the variation on a baked Alaska for dessert. The whole thing is an ambitious undertaking; like Republic, this room has a disquieting echo when empty. But with Israyelyan's record, could that be an issue, really? We're guessing nyet. —Lonny Pugh