Those who consider Bellevue's eastern fringes Siberia might not be surprised to find an old-fashioned Russian deli tucked into a ground-floor corner of a modern commercial complex, but I sure was. And my pal, who traces her ancestry back to Russia and Ukraine, looked as dazzled as Dorothy in Munchkinland.

We cruised the deli case, mouths open in silent awe, mimicking the whole smoked fish, gleaming like polished pewter and copper, which gaped back at us.

We saw sable, lox and tiny silver sprats, fresh salads, sausages, fat pickles, sour tomatoes, imported sweet butter and cheeses, blintzes, honey cake and fruit-filled pastries.

On the counter, baskets overflow with rye bread and little hard candies.

Chocolate bars, bags of millet and sacks of buckwheat groats crowd the tall steel shelves. Enormous jars of pickled watermelon, peppers and tomatoes line up along the floor. Waves of Russian-speaking customers ebb and flow, looking for Russian newspapers, CDs or movies. Most of all, they want to assuage an old hunger, a taste of home.

Amid all this abundance, it's easy to overlook the little menu board on the wall offering soup, salads, stuffed cabbage rolls, fresh blintzes and handmade pelmeny and vareniki (dumplings). We spy a couple of tables wedged into a corner by a freezer case stocked with dumplings ($8 for a bag of 50), a private little dining space hidden behind the kasha and overlooking a brick patio where seating expands in appropriate weather.

May we sit and eat, we ask? Of course, says Vladivostok-born Sergey Dunayev, who bought this 8-year-old deli three years ago. He runs it with the help of a fellow Russian, Tanya, who immediately appears with place mats and sets the secluded table with knives and forks, paper napkins and glass mugs for the sodas we've selected from the cold case. We devour a rich lunch of bread, salad, dumplings and sour cream, as if we were peasants heading back to the fields and not pampered members of the bourgeoisie bound for Bellevue Square.

Check please

Salad sampler: This Russian quartet included eggplant two ways: Armenian-style, marinated in lots of fresh parsley, garlic and vinegar, which was our favorite; and a sweeter mingling of eggplant and red pepper that resembles Italian caponata. A stunning ensemble cast stars in the Russian potato salad: joining the spuds are egg, pickle, bologna, apple, cooked carrots, peas and fresh dill; everything but the peas are cut into a tiny dice and bound with mayonnaise creating an absolutely addictive mouthful that mingles salty, sour and sweet, plus textures from soft to crunchy. Last but not least, puréed mushroom and onion thickened with mayonnaise makes an earthy spread for the light, dense rye bread.

Pelmeny and Vareniki: Pelmeny look like funny little fisherman hats, but these delicate handmade dumplings almost melt in your mouth, revealing a savory pork and beef filling. Vareniki, also hand-formed, are sturdier, crescent-shaped pockets of dough filled with mashed potato and farmer's cheese spiked with paprika, giving the mixture a hint of spiciness. Both are served piping hot and stark naked, ready to be dressed with a spoonful of tangy, freshly made, whipped sour cream, a sauce so simple and sublime we shamelessly asked for more.

2 Russian sodas: From an array of fruit flavors we chose black currant and pear, both of them sweet, slightly fizzy, refreshing accompaniments to a hearty repast.

Itemized bill, meal for two

Salad sampler: $4.59

Pelmeny: $3.99

Vareniki: $3.99

2 sodas: $3.38

Tax: $1.40

Total: $17.35

Providence Cicero: providencecicero@aol.com.