Good Russian Food

I have visited the Soviet Union five times, so I was dismayed when I read “Carry Your Own Food for Good Eating in Moscow” (March 5) by Dianne Rhinehart. In all the hotels in which I have stayed--Moscow, Leningrad, Kiev, Lvov, Kishniev, Yalta--the food always has been excellent, the servings plentiful and the service efficient.

Also, each hotel has a service bureau that will arrange lunches or dinners at various restaurants where visitors can sample different ethnic cuisines, for example, those of the Ukraine, Armenia, Uzbekistan and other parts of Soviet Central Asia. And when you visit a restaurant frequented mostly by locals, be prepared to be invited to dance by them. They may not speak English and you may not speak Russian--but the communal language in the country is music! More and more Americans are discovering the delights of traveling around the Soviet Union.

My recommendation to first-time visitors: Take along an open mind and a friendly attitude. And a big appetite! I guarantee you will have a wonderful time and will bring home many fond memories. As for the food: You might gain a few pounds. You certainly will not go hungry!

ROBERT GRENIER

Huntington Beach