Czech Please

Hergetova Cihelna

2012-02-02T01:48:00.000+01:00

"Most modern calendars mar the sweet simplicity of our lives by reminding us that each day that passes is the anniversary of some perfectly uninteresting event." Oscar Wilde

As of this week, I've been writing about food and drink in Prague for 5 years. I've been eating and blogging pretty much non-stop since February 2, 2007.

It's fair to say my knowledge of the scene is encyclopedic. And encyclopedias need updating.

Because restaurants often change their menus, change their chefs, or even close down, many of of my old posts are no longer relevant. For example, I went to Hergetova Cihelna more than four years ago. I wrote that even though the views were fantastic, I thought it was overpriced and didn't like their burger very much.

A few weeks ago, a trusted source who knows his way around a kitchen told me it's now totally different. He even gave me a list of what what I should order.

I went the next day.

The compound housing the restaurant in Malá Strana features the humorous David Černý sculpture called "Piss."

It's fairly self-explanatory, but if you haven't seen the fountain, the men swivel at the hips, the... spouts move up and down. The water streams into a pool shaped like the Czech Republic. The compound also houses a Kafka museum.

It's hard to miss the steps down into the restaurant. The entrance is well-marked.

The reception is there and they take your coats in colder parts of the year.

The fairly large restaurant was almost empty on the first Saturday I was there with my Italian friend. The room is broken up by many square columns that hold up the vaulted ceiling.

Tables were relatively close together but smartly set. They have comfortable chairs. The bar area was also rather tight with the seating.

Our friendly server showed us to our table. The music was a New Age-light techno hybrid that was not to my taste but on low volume. The Gipsy King-type music that came later was more to my liking.

I had booked ahead, and we had a table by a window. The weather was inhospitable, but we had a clear view of the Charles Bridge.

In warmer months, the terrace is much better spot to take in the scenery around the river.

The waiter brought warm pizza bread rolls, served crunchy and warm, in a bowl with olive oil and garlic. Nice.

We began with .15 liter glasses of wine. My friend had the Italian Cantina Tramin Pinot Grigio (145 CZK). I had the French Domaine Camaisette Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence rosé (135 CZK).

Both were very light and crisp. My friend thought the white was nothing special, but I thought they were both smooth and refreshing. We had two more rosés later.

For a starter, my source highly recommended I try the improbable-sounding foie gras pizza (445 CZK).

Gourmet goose liver on a pedestrian Italian crust? It struck me as a potentially unfortunate combination. But he spoke about it with such love, I had to try.

The small circle of dough was only a bit bigger than my hand. It was lightly coated with a pear chutney. Slices of foie gras were baked on top of that. Then it was drizzled with aged balsamico and sprinkled with a few mache leaves.

The crisp crust had a buttery top with only a little sweetness from the pear. For our tastes, it was an unusual but wonderful platform for the silky, warm foie gras. The balsamico gave it the perfect tart note.

Sometimes the ridiculous turns out to be sublime. We thought it was amazing.

Given the uniqueness, we also had to try the sashimi pizza (395 CZK).

The same crust was covered with fresh, raw tuna. The wasabi cream was very mild and had almost no sharpness to it. There were a lot of chopped scallions -- too much I'd say. We liked it, but it didn't match our love for the other pizza. Cool tuna is not as well-suited to sitting on hot bread.

My friend decided to have a starter as a main course and got the Basque-style grilled octopus Pil Pil (365 CZK). The single tentacle was fresh and super tender.

The tomatoes had good flavor, but I didn't taste much of the advertised chili. What I did taste was the garlic, which overwhelmed the dish. While I didn't mind paying a big price for the pizzas, I thought the cost of this was too high for the insubstantial portion.

Next up, my source recommended I try Hergetova Cihelna's burger. I had one there years ago and didn't like it, but the man told me it was totally different.

Now, if you know me, you know I take my burgers seriously. I'm quite conservative. I like them American-style, with straight ground beef and some salt with standard toppings.

Against all my instincts, I ordered the Burger Royale (395 CZK). Served on a brioche-like custom-made bun, the ground beef is wrapped around foie gras and topped with sun-dried tomato, sweet onion compote, and rucola.

The beef was the highest quality and had the most delectible smoky char around the outside. The patty was cooked medium rare. I thought I wouldn't like the goose in the middle, but the creamy center was quite enjoyable. Even so, I wouldn't mind if the burger was available in a cheaper non-foie gras variation.

The bun tasted great and held together like a champ, aided by being sliced in two. Even the unusual toppings worked for me. The excellent fries, with a little skin on them, were crisp and well-cooked. The two onion rings were a little greasy, but OK. The truffle mayo on the side took took some getting used to.

My friend, who often expresses distaste for both burgers and my obsession with them, also thought it was great. Neither of us could believe she actually liked a burger. This burger represents so much of what I've fought against throughout my adult life. And yet, I will say it is one of the finest I've had, price be damned.

We also sampled a dessert, the baked pineapple with spiced caramel (195 CZK) from their Asian lunch menu.

It came with a creamy, dreamy coconut sorbet and a dollop of what tasted like vanilla cream from a crème brûlée.

The bill for this meal came to 2520 CZK before tip. That's serious money, but I enjoyed the meal so much, I thought I wouldn't mind doing it again.

So we did it again a week later.

This time, most of the restaurant was booked for a corporate party, so we almost didn't get a table as walk-ins. We sat at the bar and shared another foie gras pizza.

Then my friend ordered something we saw go to another table on the first visit: tempura fried tuna (585 CZK).

She made sure to ask that it be cooked rare. The middle slices were close to rare, but the end pieces were medium.

It was served with a well-executed, light green wasabi-potato purée. Underneath was a gari-veal jus that was close in flavor to a sweet teriyaki sauce. On top, there were enoki mushrooms.

My friend liked it, but our pleasure was undercut by the overcooked bits. We wanted to see more red.

I ordered the grilled lemon sole (595 CZK).

I've eaten filet of sole many times, but I'd never had the whole fish, including skin and bones.

This one was topped with beurre noisette with chopped capers, nuts, chives, and shallots. The whole top filet, including the skin, was wonderfully delicious. The delicate, flaky flesh was perfectly fresh, moist, and a real pleasure. There was just a hint of lemon.

After lifting out the bones, I discovered that the bottom filet didn't fare as well as the top. It was bathing in the butter and became butter-logged. Still, I'd rank the top half as best sole I've ever had.

I'm a big fan of sweet potatoes and often mash my own at home. This iteration didn't thrill me. It was far too lemony, to the point of sourness. Despite the issues, I'd get the sole again.

My friend finished with a cappuccino (65 CZK) and I had a cafe latte (65 CZK).

Both were good, though my friend remarked that the sugar dispenser seemed out of place in a restaurant of this class and price level.

This meal cost 2350 CZK before tip. Service was almost always friendly and efficient, except at the very end when the large corporate part got started and the waiters got pulled away for a while.

I know there are people out there who will be aghast at the thought of foie gras on a pizza or in a burger. I used to be one of those people. But these marriages of haute and humble just worked for me. I can't deny it.

I won't wait another four years to return. I'll probably be back during the warmer months on the calendar.

Sitting on their terrace with the burger and a glass of wine will certainly add some much-needed sweetness to the simplicity of my life.

It's hard to put a price on that.

Hergetova Cihelná
Cihelná 2b
Prague - Malá Strana
Tel.: +420 296 826 103

Pho Vietnam Tuan & Lan

2012-01-19T00:43:00.000+01:00

"That man is the richest whose pleasures are the cheapest." Henry David Thoreau

I've been going to a lot of expensive restaurants. It takes a few splurges to get me through the Prague winter and other dark things going on lately.

Don't get me wrong. I eat plenty of cheap stuff, too. I'm the guy who reviewed the sausages on Wenceslas Square and lived to tell the tale. I'm the guy who writes about the burgers.

I love an inexpensive and tasty meal as much or more than anyone. So the lines out the door at the little Vietnamese spot, Tuan & Lan Pho Vietnam, did not escape my notice.

OK, there weren't any on this day, but it's pretty common. In summer, they also have extra tables outside.

The couple Tran Anh Tuan a Giap Thi Lan opened the eatery near the Jiřího z Poděbrad metro stop in the summer of 2011.

A write up in a Czech newspaper said they ran restaurants in Vietnam and only came to the Czech Republic in 2008.

They don't have full restaurant permits, so it's basically a take out place with a few tables where you can stand and eat.

It's cramped and not comfortable, but plenty of people do it each and every day.

Don't know what to order? The menu is on the walls with pictures and descriptions in Czech and English.

They even do sushi, but I didn't try any of that.

What I did try first was the Bún Bò Nam Bộ (85 CZK). This was one of my favorites.

The first time I had it, the beef was tender, but the second time, it was chewier. It's topped with fried onion bits and chopped peanuts. The meat sits on plain rice noodles.

On the side is mint, coriander, lettuce and pickled cabbage and carrot. I got less mint and coriander the second time.It was served with a thin, spicy, garlicky chili sauce.

You can also grab free lemon or lime from the counter. I suggest you do.

The noodles are pretty bland by themselves, but a shot of chili sauce and maybe some lemon cures that. The key for me was to mix everything together, especially the pickled stuff.

With each fork, there was so much going on -- sweet, salty, sour, meaty, crunchy. The portion was large so I ate half for lunch and half for dinner.

Then I tried the fresh (unfried) spring rolls. The best for me was the shrimp, pork, and egg (30 CZK).

The pork had amazing flavors. I asked the woman behind the counter what spices the used, but she would only smile and say "special Vietnamese spice."

There's coriander/cilantro in there and the rice noodles. I liked them all better with a dip in the chili sauce.

I got the beef spring roll (30 CZK).

That was fine, and it included meat, noodles, mint and lettuce, but it was not as interesting as the first roll. There was not as much going on inside.

The fried pork spring roll was good (15 CZK). It's big -- almost a meal by itself.

The very fresh meat was ground up, mixed with veggies and held in a delicate wrapping.

They are best when served piping hot and crunchy, straight out of the fryer. Unfortunately, they make them in big batches. After they cool down a bit, they start to get chewy.

On another visit, I got the Phở bò sốt vang (85 CZK). The beef was in bigger chunks than the first dish, and it was slow-cooked to softness, with a tomato-based sauce.

It was served over plain rice noodles with ground nuts on top, and fresh onion, lettuce, mint and coriander on the side. It was OK, but in my opinion, not nearly as nice as the Bún Bò Nam Bộ.

I got an order of nem lui to take with me (35 CZK).

In simple terms, it's fried pork/beef burgers on a stick. There was a hint of seasoning, but I thought them relatively boring. Nem lui are often made with hoisin sauce and fish sauce and threaded onto lemongrass stalks, but I didn't taste much going on. They were very greasy and really didn't travel well. When they are not hot, they are not good.

Finally, I had the classic Vietnamese soup, pho bo (79 CZK).

The beef was certainly tender, and there were lots of noodles and greens in there. But I was disappointed by the blandness of this particular batch. I told friends I thought it really needed more lime and coriander. They told me they didn't have such problems, so your experience may vary.

While I would knock Pho Vietnam Tuan & Lan for a lack of consistency, I would also applaud them for value and quality when they get it right. I would spend around 150 CZK and walk out with enough food for two meals.

I found more pleasures there than in many more expensive restaurants, so I'll be back. As I discovered, the more I ate, the richer I got.

Pho Vietnam Tuan & Lan
Slavíkova 1
Prague 2- Vinohrady
Tel. (+420) 774 167 786

James Dean

2012-01-05T01:07:00.000+01:00

"I was just thinking of James Dean and Marilyn Monroe and how young they were when they died. I would like to be a pop icon who survives. I would like to be a living icon." John Travolta

In New York, I had a friend named Mike. He was a larger-than-life character with wildly improbable stories to tell.

Some of them were even true. One weekend, he spontaneously decided we should fire up his Honda Gold Wing and tour the diners of New England. So we did.

A required early stop on our way to Vermont was the Miss Worcester Diner in Massachusetts. This claustrophobic classic was built in 1948 by the Worcester Lunch Car Company and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.

In other words, diner Mecca.

I love diner style and, more often than not, their generous portions of well-prepared American classics. So when I saw the diner-themed James Dean restaurant opened up earlier this month near Old Town Square, I was eager to try it out.

The central, high-traffic location has had lots of tenants over the years, most recently the Russian-oriented Fragola Project restaurant and club.

Like James Dean himself, the restaurant is eye-catching. The booths and big cushy chairs are wrapped in bright red and white vinyl.

The walls are decorated with air-brushed images and mosaics of both James Dean and Marilyn Monroe. They're a couple, it seems. Marilyn gets equal wall space if not equal billing.

In other words, diner Disneyland.

But it's not just for kids.

A cocktail bar serves drinks ranging from a Cosmopolitan (120 CZK) to a James Dean (170 CZK), which is Russian Standard vodka, Bols Peach Liqueur, lime juice, banana juice, blueberry purée, and fresh orange juice. I'd rather have a Gimlet (105 CZK).

A motorcycle hangs from the ceiling.

There's a jukebox near the front door.

I didn't see it working, but the sound system plays 1950s classics like "Teen Angel," "Chantilly Lace" and, unfortunately, Alvin and the Chipmunks. I actually thought that most of the time, the music wasn't loud enough. It was often drowned out by the din of customers' voices.

On almost every visit, the place was full. That includes weekday and weekend nights. The seats at the bar were always taken, often by good-looking women. James Dean takes reservations, and many booths were booked ahead. It seemed like the place to be for the moment and they were turning people away.

Not only was it crowded, it was smoky. Smoking was allowed in most of the restaurant. There was a small non-smoking section, but it was not separated from the smoking section. It was not pleasant for this non-smoker.

On my first visit, I scored a small booth and ordered the bacon cheddar burger (195 CZK) along with a chocolate shake (80 CZK). The waitress looked at me like I was crazy.

"Those don't go together," she said, making a funny face.

"It's a pretty common combination in America," I replied.

"Oh, I see," she smiled, seeming like she had learned something. "OK!"

This burger could have been great.

The toasted bun was crispy and light, but sturdy. The bacon was perfectly cooked, smoky and really the best I've had on a burger in Prague. The real cheddar was nicely melted and top quality. The thin-cut red onion and tomato were fine. The red and green lettuce was not classic and not to my liking, but that was not the main problem for me.

By my standards, the meat was all wrong. The menu says "200 grams ground beef burger." This is not right. There was pork in there. There's a school of thought that says beef/pork mixes are OK. I say it's not OK. I'm a 100% ground beef person. Just add salt.

Whether it was the pork or a lower quality of beef, the texture of the patty was too dense and rubbery. It didn't necessarily taste bad, just wrong.

The James Dean bacon cheddar burger came with fries, but I was told later by a friend that fries would no longer be included. Either way, they were very greasy and not very many.

The chocolate shake was one of the worst I've had in Prague.

It was thin and milky, with not enough ice cream. The beverage was super-sweet, but there was almost no chocolate flavor at all.

Despite the caloric H-bomb I'd just consumed, I had room for one more thing: the blueberry waffle (95 CZK).

This is available for breakfast and doubles as a dessert.

The waffle, made with a relatively sweet batter, was hot, crisp and enjoyable. The blueberries from a jar and the whipped cream from a can were not so enjoyable.

The visit set me back 370 CZK.

James Dean does breakfast, which any self-respecting diner would do. It is served from 9 a.m. until noon. I got there right after opening and within an hour, the place was filling up.

I started with fresh-squeezed orange juice.

It was lightly sweet and tasted fine, but I prefer juice chilled. This was room temperature. On the menu, the price was listed as 33 CZK for .1 liter. They don't tell you that the juice is served in a .2 liter glass and you will be charged 66 CZK.

In other words, diners beware.

I had three scrambled eggs (85 CZK), bacon (35 CZK), and hash brown (20 CZK).

The eggs were cooked on the loose side and needed a shot of salt. I prefer them more firm, but that's just my personal taste. The disappointing hash brown was crispy but small and razor thin. The bacon was the highlight -- as lovely as it was on the burger.

I also got an order of sausage (35 CZK), which came out later.

They were meaty, mixed with herbs and spices, but they didn't taste particularly American or even British.

The breakfast came with free bread and a bottomless cup of American coffee.

This is certainly an eye-opener for Prague. I hate to look a gift mug in the mouth, but it was rather bitter and it came with a tiny pitcher of milk. I needed more.

This morning meal, which I did not find very substantial, cost me 241 CZK. It's a better deal to order the slightly smaller American breakfast for 160 CZK.

I went back for more evening fare. I sat at the bar and had a beer, a .4 liter glass of Krušovice (55 CZK).

Not a good brand and not a good price.

I had the 400 gram portion of pork ribs baked in black beer and chili sauce (185 CZK).

These were pretty good. There was very little fat. The meat was tender and pulled easily off the bones. There was some dryness around the edges. The sauce was good. It was homemade and not from a bottle.

I got a side order of coleslaw (40 CZK). I often think American-style slaw is too sweet. This version wasn't. Instead, I found it oddly salty.

I also had their onion rings (35 CZK).

The thick loops of onion had a tempura-like batter. They were super-greasy, under-fried, and bland.

Their chicken wings were offered either baked or fried. I asked for a fried order of eight (155 CZK).

They came with a light coating of barbecue sauce. Hot wing sauce was not offered. The meat was fresh, tasty and tender. But they didn't taste like classic fried wings to me. There was no crispness. They were almost too soft. Strangely, when I asked for some extra barbecue sauce, I was given a plastic squeeze bottle of run-of-the-mill bottled sauce.

The wings came with the requisite raw carrots, celery, and an extra thick, very blue cheesy dip.

Looking for something to love, I went again and tried their club sandwich (195 CZK). This was closer to what I was hoping for.

It's turkey, ham, bacon, lettuce, tomato, cheddar, Swiss cheese, and mayo on white toast. I question the need for two cheeses, but it was a big meal with fries and it was my favorite item on the menu..

I also had a glass of the homemade mint iced tea (55 CZK).

I only tasted a little mint and little else. It was disappointing for the price.

Finally, I had a chocolate cake for dessert.

The slice was dense and fudgy, with a caramel-like filling between the layers. I don't know who made it, but I liked it.

One way to burn off all the calories is to hit the dance club downstairs. I thought they might go with a 1950s theme, but they went a different way completely.

The club, which plays a lot of later rock classics, is an almost exact faux grunge copy of Harley's Bar, which is just a few steps down the road.

There were a few differences. James Dean has $1 bills papering the wall and a scantily clad cage dancer.

It was too early to tell if the place will also have Harley's licentious bartenders and free-wheeling, drunken dancing on the tables ethos.

Overall, James Dean doesn't win any awards in my book. I've heard there is at least one American involved, but it seems to me that a decision was made to cater to Czech or non-American tastes.

Who am I to argue? The early heavy traffic indicates the style and perhaps the substance were pulling people in.

Maybe the short, electric blue and pink 1950s style dresses worn by the waitresses also help. I just hope the service improves after the many hiccups I experienced in their first weeks.

I went for five solo visits, but I'm not in a big hurry to go back. If I crave American-style burgers, ribs, and shakes, I'd rather go to the Hard Rock Cafe or even TGI Friday's. If I want a real American breakfast, I'll go to Bohemia Bagel in Holešovice. Like them or not, they all do a better job with the food.

Naming a restaurant after a Hollywood icon and plastering it with his photos immediately communicates what the place wants to be. I just think, given the quality of the food, it would more fitting if they called it John Travolta.

James Dean
V Kolkovně 1
Prague 1 - Old Town
Tel. (+420) 606 979 797

Maurer's Grand Restaurant Guide 2012

2011-12-15T01:00:00.072+01:00

"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." Theodore Roosevelt

I rarely attend "industry" events. I've turned down a number of invitations and the chance to eat free food over the years.

Every once in a while, I make an exception and slip inside to see what goes on. A couple of weeks ago was one of those times.

I went to Prague Castle for Pavel Maurer's Grand Restaurant Guide party. Just arriving was pretty spectacular.It was a beautiful walk through the castle gardens to get to the event.

Maurer's guide, in book form and online, is something like Zagat's for the Czech Republic. The event honored voters' choices for the top 10 eateries in the country. Their chefs were there, cooking for the invited guests.

It was a unique opportunity to sample the food of many of Prague's best and brightest cooks, all in one place. I went as an invited guest's "plus one."

The party took place in the Míčovna or Ball Game Hall, which looked gorgeous all lit up at night.While the outside is richly decorated, the inside is plainer and less distinctive.More impressive were the tables with the 10 winning restaurants showing off their cooking skills.

That would have to wait. First came a ceremony to announce the winners. That's Pavel Maurer on the right with the glasses.He's also the founder and organizer of the annual Prague Food Festival. Back in 2007, Radio Prague called Maurer "arguably the Czech Republic’s best known and most influential gourmet." Since then, foodie culture has really taken off in this country, but I still wouldn't argue.

When the award-giving ended, the eating began. It was nothing less than heartbreaking to me that I would not have the stomach space or the time, because of lines, to sample even half of the offerings.

I'll now list the restaurants and the food I sampled from each restaurant in the order they were ranked by Grand Restaurant Guide voters.

10. Sansho
For the sake of efficiency, I planned to skip this table because I had already had the two dishes. I've been to Sansho five times, liked it a lot, and have the photos of everything I've tried.

The soft-shell crab sliders were a favorite.These are playfully called "sliders," basically mini-burgers, because they are served on a bao. It's a round Chinese-style bun. This one is served with a dash of wasabi. It's lighter than you might imagine and a clever concept for the delicately crispy crab.

The other dish was Sansho's mackerel ceviche taco.This had good and fresh flavors going on, including a lot of the cilantro that chef and owner Paul Day favors. But it's less appealing for me, mainly because I find mackerel too dense and oily.

9. Chateau Mcely, Piano Nobile
This restaurant served a terrine of game with a cherry chutney. It was dense and yes, gamey in a good way.I like sweet and salty combinations so the cherries worked for me. They also served chunks of venison that tasted to me and my friend like a fairly simple goulash. We weren't so impressed with that.

What I ate during my visit to the restaurant several months ago was much better. The lamb and foie gras dishes were particularly good. Still, the tab of close to 4000 CZK with no alcohol involved was hard to swallow.

I write from a personal perspective, and it is worth making my particular value system clear. Although I'm a well-known burger fanatic and appreciate greasy street food, I'm also someone who spends 1500 CZK for a meal on a fairly regular basis. If I spend over 2000 CZK, it's usually for a place I already know is good or comes with credible recommendations. When the bill is over 3000 CZK, I start to get skeptical about value for money.

8. Francouzská restaurace Art Nouveau, Obecní dům
A cook here excitedly told me about this next dish. It was a goose neck stuffed with goose, duck, pork, and foie gras served on French lentils.I'll be honest and say I was taken aback by the description. I'll also be honest and say the combination and texture of these meats wrapped in goose skin did not work for me.

Much better was the veal "gravlax" with celery root remoulade. My friend raved about that. Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of it.

7. Le Terroir
We only got to one dish here, but it was a good one. They served a small plastic cup filled with veal tongue, fresh-water crayfish, and pumpkin.The salty chunks of meat, with the delicate shell fish and the sweet squash was quite a unique and enjoyable combination. It's fair to say the chef was more focused than my camera.

This restaurant received Michelin's Bib Gourmand for its "good value European cooking" and I suppose dishes like this. I was sorry I missed out on their beef ribs with chanterelle sauce.

6. Koishi Fish & Sushi
This was the one Brno restaurant that made it to the top tier. Here we tried their surprising interpretation of salmon and tuna nigiri.Instead of putting the fish on rice, here they put it on buffalo mozzarella with vinegar for dipping. You have to suspend expectations when you take the first bite, but we both gave it thumbs up.

We also had the salmon tartare with spring onion and cucumber with miso-mustard sauce and quail egg. This was fine, but made a more ordinary impression.

Due to our passion for fresh seafood, we tried a third offering: the oyster with vinaigrette, foie gras, and beet.The reaction here was mixed. My friend loved it and thought the combination was excellent. I didn't.

5. V Zátiší

While I'm not thrilled about paying this restaurant's prices, I think they often cook well. I was especially impressed with their dishes at the Prague Food Festival.

On this night, we liked their game pâté with homemade brioche and cranberry jelly.I thought it was more flavorful and moist than the game terrine from Chateau Mcely.

We didn't get a taste of the perch with beet, potato kasha, and Riesling sauce.

4. La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise
This is a restaurant that I've talked about going to for a long time. I've had a number of friends tell me it was an amazing experience. They also told me they spent more than 8000 CZK for two with the wine pairings that they considered a must. It's just me, but I'm not sure I can enjoy any meal at that price.

First, I had a parsley and pine dumpling topped with a mushroom purée.This restaurant is famous for its fun presentations and distillation of flavors. The ethereal and delicate green dumpling looked like a sponge. It was a nice little bite.

Also entertaining was the carrot wafer with sorrel, corn, and something I'd never heard of before (if I got the translation right): sea-buckthorn berry. It was intriguing, different, and I liked it.I might feel a little differently if I paid a princely sum for the single mouthful.

I also had the beef tartare, cutely sandwiched between thin, delicate wafers. This was much less creative and tasted relatively simple.If you want a better picture that someone else took of this at the restaurant, you can find it here.

3. Radisson Blu, La Rotonde
In the past, this restaurant's seafood-starring Sunday brunch has been an expensive favorite of mine. At this party, I tried their lobster bisque.It was sweet, creamy, lobstery, and I really enjoyed it. My friend was a little less excited about it.

The deer saddle with chestnut-truffle purée and rosehip sauce was something special.While I liked the rare meat, the lightly sweet purée with a hint of the expensive mushroom was just amazing.

2. Radisson Blu, Alcron
I ate in this restaurant many years ago and enjoyed it. It's tiny and felt like eating in rather exclusive club. I'm sure it has changed a lot since then, but their event offering showed they still have top talent.

We loved their expertly seared scallop with cuttlefish ragu, fregola, which is something like a large couscous, and saffron foam.Sorry the picture is not very good. I didn't drink any alcohol, but perhaps I was suffering from serious food intoxication at this point.

1. Terasa U Zlaté Studně
You'd expect this restaurant to wow people with one of the best dishes. And in my view, it lived up to that expectation. Their small block of duck liver dusted with Valhrona chocolate sat smartly next to Poire Williams-flavored jelly and a homemade brioche.The rich and creative plate inspired a big smile from me.

Because of long lines, I didn't get to try their veal cooked sous vide with homemade pasta and these amazing looking morels.They ran out before I got there at the end of the night.

I end pondering the question: Did the voters get it right? Certainly, many of the Czech Republic's biggest talents are in the top 10. The list seems to line up more with my views with each passing year. But there are still anomalies.

For example, on the voters' list, Sansho is ranked 10th, but SaSaZu, another Asian fusion spot that is one of my favorites, is 36th. However, on Maurer's list decided by 45 restaurant experts, Sansho is 5th and SaSaZu is 6th. That's closer to my thinking, but I'd rank SaSaZu even higher.

On the Czech Please Facebook page, some questioned whether the vote was free and fair or whether some restaurants stuffed the ballot box. I wondered about that myself. Pavel Maurer himself replied on the thread:

"1. Restaurants do not have to pay to be included. 2. Independent voters are all people who wants to participate and register on web. Not only Czechs. 3. Every year our security system excludes approximately 25% false votes."

Even if I don't agree with all the voter rankings, I do enjoy debating them. And I certainly appreciate that more and more people in this country are not only paying attention to good food and restaurants, they're also paying for it.

Restaurateurs who are aiming to be the best don't always win prizes. But they are doing worthy work because to me, a fine meal is one of life's great prizes.

I just wish I had room for one dessert at the end.

Brewsta's Burgers 2011

2011-12-01T01:27:00.002+01:00

"Sacred cows make the tastiest hamburger." Abbie Hoffman

It's that time of year again. Holiday decorations are everywhere. Shopping madness is underway. And I've got my list of hamburgers I've eaten in the past year.

Last year's list was huge and had too many sub-par burgers. The compilations from 2008 and 2009 are distant memories.

I must repeat my standard disclaimer: This is not a list of the "best" burgers. It is a purely subjective survey of the ones I either liked or disliked the most, based on my personal taste.

For example, I prefer flame-grilled beef seasoned only with salt, perhaps pepper, and classic, American-style construction and toppings. I tend to look down on excessively creative reinterpretations of time-honored standards.

I now present the 16 hamburgers I have consumed from my least favorite to the most enjoyable.

16. Greenz RestaurantSince they didn't have a straight up bacon cheeseburger, I had the "Ultimate Burger." The patty was like meatloaf, which is not acceptable in my book. It came topped with bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomato, barbecue sauce, ketchup, mayo and Burger King-like onion rings. It was an overloaded bomb to eat, priced at 179 CZK with fries. The "classic" with only lettuce, tomato, ketchup and mayo is 129 CZK. I do love the irony of "Prague's first salad restaurant" specializing in steaks and burgers.

15. Bohe(my)a Lounge and Grill BarThe best I can say here is that this burger was large, it had good grilled onions, and it was not too expensive. The patty was decidedly un-American. The ground beef was mixed with onions, herbs, and spices. It had what looked like parsley in there. The bun had tons of mayo. There was too much curly red lettuce. For what it was, the taste wasn't bad, but the burger was a total mess to eat. The steak fries were nice and crispy. The price was 148 CZK. On a sour note, the ketchup bottle said "Heinz." However, the watery red sauce that poured so freely out of it said "cheap Czech stuff." Thankfully the tapas there are much better than the burger. The restaurant is an outdoor rooftop, so the burger is only available in warm weather months on non-rainy days.

14. La RepublicaI was seduced from afar by this burger. But goods looks alone are not enough for a long-lasting relationship. Not for me, at least. The patty, topped with egg, was a rubbery meatloaf, mixed with all sorts of non-standard items. Not good. When it comes to classic burgers, less is more. Don't reinvent the burger wheel. This restaurant was open for a short period during the summer when I tried this. It reopened after a redo last week. I can only hope they have reconsidered their attempt at this too clever by half recipe. And that they shouldn't be so stingy with the ketchup. The only good things were the fresh, quality bun and that it was 155 CZK.

13. Mlsnej KocourThe dense, overcooked patty was no fun. It had a smoky flavor, but I think it was due to mixing with smoked meat rather than from the grill. There was lettuce, tomato, pickle, no ketchup, and too much mayo. Bad Czech ketchup was brought later, on request. It came with fries and the price was decent at 165 CZK.

12. Yes BurgerI like to champion the little guy (or burger joint) when I can. I just can't do it here. I've heard happier tales from others, but my one experience was lackluster. The patty was thin, dry, and overcooked. The bacon was undercooked. The cheese was melted into oblivion. The beef sat on a small bun with tomato, pickle, red onion, and too much lettuce. The patty warmed the toppings, or should I say "bottomings", to an unpleasant state. This burger was the best bargain of them all at 65 CZK plus fries for 20 CZK. But cheaper is not always better. I am in no hurry to go back.

11. KobeSeveral people have raved about and recommended this burger to me over the years. I finally broke down and went for broke at this high-end steak and sushi joint. Their offering fell far short of expectations, according to my standards. On the positive side, it had an enjoyable smoky, grilled flavor and good grilled red onions. However, the puck-like beef patty had several negative issues for me. The meat's grind was too fine and the fat content too low. This made for an overly dense, chewy patty. A very lean burger is not a good burger. The bun was inundated, top and bottom, with an herbed mayo that overwhelmed the meat and cause it to slip and slide. The bacon was so thick it could be served separately as smoked pork belly. That's not a crime, but it's not the classic style I look for, either. The final insult here was the price. The burger by itself cost 320 CZK. A stingy serving of fries was an extra 50 CZK. And to add injury to insult, a small dish of ketchup was 20 CZK. That's a grand total of 390 CZK for the combo. Not worth it.

10. Burger King Every year, I include a sample from Burger King as a "control" of sorts. To my mind, this is not necessarily a low bar. I actually like BK in moderation and this limited edition, flame-broiled XXL Bacon Double Cheeseburger was a pleasure. Sure, the American cheese was a too processed, but the bacon was better than usual. It was a smoky, heavy beast that mainlined straight to my heart (and that's not all good). Yes, I would rather have this burger than all of the above.

9. Kofein RestaurantThis is one of the few burgers I like that falls outside the classic construction category. It was served on a grilled ciabatta. I've made them myself on this crunchy Italian bread and I like it. Overall, it has a homey taste and feel. The burger includes grilled onions, soft bacon, cheese, shredded lettuce, and a tomato-mayo mixture. There may be something extra mixed in the beef as it was a little more rubbery than it should be. But it had a lovely charred crust and it was quite juicy. The first time I tried it, it was overcooked. But the second time it was cooked medium on request. Either way, it had good flavor. The burger comes with great, homemade steak fries for just 125 CZK.

8. LokalBurgerThese burgermeisters don't have an actual address. You have to check their website to see where they'll turn up next. I caught them at Bukowski's cocktail bar and I'm glad I did. The well-put-together burger consisted of top-quality ground beef, a lovely homemade bun, lettuce, pickles, too much tomato, and special sauce. It reminded me vaguely of the In-N-Out Burger I had recently in California. It's the closest you'll find in Prague, anyway. This 95 CZK burger went down very nicely with my tasty Bukowski's beverage.

7. Bohemia Bagel in Holešovice The Bohemia Burger with bacon and cheese was once at the top of my list. I still think it is pretty good, but the mighty burger has fallen in my esteem. The big, thick 200 gram patty was made with good ground beef and had good flavor from the grill. There was a generous amount of smoky, properly cooked bacon. A bottle of Heinz is provided and they offered decent, but not crisp enough homemade fries, salad, or a combination of both. As for the negatives, the burger is served with all toppings already on it, including way too much lettuce. I don't like that. The bun was their sesame seed roll that held up well, but was much too chewy. Overall, it is the best value, with all of the above for 165 CZK.

6. Krystal Mozaika BistroThe meat was the star here. It was high-quality ground beef, cooked medium, very juicy, with no excessive seasoning beside salt. The bun was homemade and top notch. The bacon was cooked to a fine chewy crunch. The burger came fully assembled. It has pickles, which I like. But there was way, way too much mayo mixed with whole grain mustard that caused the bun to lose structural integrity. The thing fell apart in my hand before the last bite. Next time, I'd take the advice of a reader and ask for the mayo on the side. The 150 gram burger was 169 CZK, but the fries were an extra 39 CZK.

5. Fraktal I hadn't had the Fraktal Burger in a couple of years. It was just as I remembered it, which is to say pretty good. There were, however, a few flaws. Though cooked over a fire, there isn't much grill flavor in the salty 150 gram patty. I asked for medium, but it was cooked all the way through. The cheese was bland. Some bacon was perfectly cooked, but some was fried to an improper hardness. They get extra points for putting the lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle on the side, along with a bottle of Heinz ketchup. Despite the issues, there was some burger synergy, it all worked well together, and I liked it. It comes with fine fries for 185 CZK.

4. Potrefena Husa on VinohradskaThis burger was compact and well-built. It was not the largest one out there, but it's enough to get the job done. They use good ground beef, but often overcook it past medium. It was too lean and was not juicy enough. The bacon was smoky, but soft and more English style. They give you thick mayo on the site, but a tiny dish of ketchup costs extra. Do I use it on the burger or the fries? Do I order a second dish? These are questions I'd rather not contemplate. I like that they put the toppings on the side so you can build the burger as you want. I enjoy this burger and have it a few times a year. This is partly because I live near the restaurant. Unfortunately, it was also one of the most expensive at 250 CZK.

3. Resto Cafe Patio (AKA Le Patio)This restaurant on Narodni has a well-built, fine-looking burger. But the beauty is not just bun deep. The patty was thick and juicy and cooked to medium as requested. The bacon was just right and the cheese was above average. On the downside (for me at least), is the very fact that the burger comes pre-constructed with lettuce, tomato, vinegary red onions, ketchup and mayo. I personally prefer more control over the type and quantity of condiments and toppings. It comes with a cute wicker basket of good fries, but only small dishes of ketchup and mayo -- no Heinz bottle. Even so, it was a very tasty meal and friends who also ordered it also liked it very much.

2. Hard Rock Cafe This burger was my favorite last year. And it was still great this year. Yes, this is an international chain, but they hit the right American notes, with a giant, flame grilled 280 gram (10 ounce) patty. The brioche bun was actually too small for it. Toppings were lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and an onion ring. The price was also seriously hefty, weighing in at 320 CZK.

1. Restaurace Jama This burger was truly excellent. Let me count the ways. The large thick patty was a perfect medium -- a hand-formed taste of home cooking. The fat content of the loosely packed, coarsely ground meat was just right, probably around 20 percent, giving just the right amount of juiciness. The generous portion of bacon was cooked in crispy American style, only slightly overdone. There was real cheddar and it was the best cheese I found. That is as it should be. The cheddar was an extra 39 CZK on top of the 175 CZK bacon burger. It also came with crunchy, skin-on potatoes along with a rack of condiments, including Heinz ketchup. As an overall package, including price, it just worked for me, hitting most, if not all of the right notes.

So that's my list. I'm sure there are some great burgers out there that I've missed. Feel free to let me know in the comments.

Yakumo

2011-11-17T01:32:00.065+01:00

"Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded." Yogi Berra

I got a Twitter tip from a reader I trust to check out Yakumo. I read good things about it on the Czech foodie guide, Scuk. Hospodářské noviny called it "breathtaking."

So I went and I liked it. But you shouldn't go. Not because I'm selfish, but because you are not wanted. I'll explain later.

The bar and restaurant opened in August in the Hotel Belvedere.It's located at street level on Milady Horákové between the Kamenická and Strossmayerovo náměstí tram stops.Over the doorway, is a noren, a traditional fabric curtain.The dining area's design is sparse and simple and feels quite Japanese.The restaurant is quite small with only five or six tables, a long bar, and two semi-private rooms on the back with rice paper walls.The majority of the customers were Japanese. Everyone should be aware that smoking is allowed throughout the restaurant and it did get irritating at times.

Yakumo is an izakaya, which is a bar that serves food. The menu lists 14 kinds of sake from 90 to 4700 CZK. There is also Pilsner Urquell Kozel Dark at 50 CZK for a half-liter and Gambrinus for 40 CZK.

The restaurant serves yakitori, which are various types of grilled chicken including offal. But they also have pork and beef skewers. The chef cooks them on a grill behind the bar.The meat on sticks can be served with just salt or tare, which is a sweet teriyaki sauce made according to each chef's recipe.

Neither I nor my friend was drinking, so we both had .2 liter glasses of mineral water (20 CZK each). We received a gift of diced chicken, tofu, and cucumber marinated in a soy-flavored sauce.We got straight into ordering the grilled meats. They go for 60 CZK for two skewers. We had all of them with the tare sauce.

First up were the tori momo or chicken thighs.Juicier than breast meat, these hot, succulent morsels with sweet glaze and a slight char were a pleasure.

Then came the gekkikara tsukune, which is a spicy mince of pork, chicken and beef on a stick.It had plenty of kick and is not for the weak of tongue, but it'snot deadly hot, either.

Third, we had the mochi-bacon. These are sticky rice cakes wrapped in bacon and grilled.The lean pork remained soft and ham-like. This was interesting, but not as decadent as I imagined. I probably wouldn't get that again.

For the last round, we had the buta bara, or pork belly.I was expecting something fatty, but it was very meaty, though not too tender. I liked it, but I'd probably rate the chicken as the best we had.

There are also grilled chicken livers, hearts, and stomachs, but I wasn't in the mood for offal. Next time, I'd try the gyu hire or beef tenderloin skewer.

We were eager to try the grilled meats first, but then realized we wanted to sample sushi and appetizers.

From the nigiri menu, we ordered tuna (200 CZK), yellow tail (180 CZK), and salmon (140 CZK).The fish was fresh and buttery tender. There was only the slightest hint of wasabi between the fish and the loosely packed rice.

The rice was rather bland side, with almost no flavor of rice vinegar or wasabi. It was decent nigiri, but I didn't feel it was so special that I wanted to pay that much.

Each order is two pieces. For perspective, The Sushi Bar charges 298 CZK for two tuna nigiri, Miyabi's cost 180 CZK, and Sushi Tam Da's would be 76 CZK (according to their websites).

We tried the ika no yubiki or little squid (150 CZK). It was a small portion in a small bowl. But this was probably our favorite dish.The very fresh and tender tentacles and rings of flesh bathed in a vinegary soy with a clump of finely grated ginger that mixed in. Small, yes, but in this case, I thought it worth the big price.

We wanted a seaweed salad, but they didn't have the usual wakame. Instead, they offered a type I hadn't seen before called mozuku su, which is farmed in Okinawa (150 CZK).The small, teacup-sized bowl was filled with delicate, slimy brown tendrils of seaweed with vinegar and ginger. It was a unique flavor and texture that I enjoyed. I was glad I tried it. But I probably wouldn't pay that much again for so little.

My friend was in the mood for some maki. Their selection of rolls is limited and conservative by American standards. We had the tekka maki (220 CZK).They were a little larger than many places, but the tuna in the middle was small. It was very basic and not cheap.

During the course of the meal, we received a gift of tea.Finally, I wanted to try another hot dish. I briefly considered the full order of the gyu hire or beef tenderloin. Instead I got the ebi chili (220 CZK) and rice (40 CZK). This was a kind of basically sweet and sour shrimp.The small, delicate, snappy shrimp come in a thick, jelly-like sauce. It is not as sweet as it looks and was balanced with tart and savory flavors. It wasn't bad, but I'd try something else next time.

But what about you? Why shouldn't you go?

When Hospodářské noviny sent a photographer for their story on Yakumo, no photos were allowed. "We have enough people," they were told.

When I was there, the chef told me a "business man" complained about me taking pictures (thus the extra blurring of those shots). He asked me to stop. I told him I just wanted to take more pictures of the food for my friends on the Internet.

The chef said they didn't need more business and the menu is only in Czech and Japanese, so it wasn't good for English speakers like me. I told him in Czech I knew many people who understand Czech, and he finally relented.

What I liked most about Yakumo was the yakitori. I'd have that and some beers. I tried an assortment of other stuff on the menu to get an overview. That "other stuff" boosts the bill quite quickly. The final tab was 1640 CZK.

And things do move fast there. We were in an out in just over one hour.

Still, even if I am not wanted or needed, I'd go back again. I just hope it's not too crowded.

Yakumo
Milady Horákové 19
Prague 7
Tel. (+420) 233 931 698

V Zátiší

2011-11-03T01:18:00.072+01:00

"The future, according to some scientists, will be exactly like the past, only far more expensive." John Sladek

I first sat down in a Prague restaurant in 1995. I've been in countless eateries here since then.

I've seen them come, and I've seen them go. One that's been around since well before I arrived and is still going strong is V Zátiší.

Opened in 1991, the website claims it was one of the first private restaurants in the city. Over the years, I've enjoyed V Zátiší's food at The Prague Food Festival, but for some inexplicable reason, I'd never been under their roof. Until last week.

The restaurant occupies a prominent corner off Betlémské náměstí in Old Town.I was taken to the dining room on the left of the entrance and offered a table.Although attractive, only three tables were occupied, and I found the room too quiet. I asked for a different table and was take to the other dining room, which had more light and energy. Tables began to fill with customers.This was more to my liking, though there was a big party in a separate room that occasionally exploded loudly with laughter.

The waiter brought a selection of breads that included naan.It was warm, but dry. On the side, I poured olive oil with a touch of balsamic.I tried it with the naan for a little impromptu Asian-Italian fusion. There were no other dips or spreads.

My friend and I received an amuse bouche from the kitchen: small spoons holding a dollop of fresh mozzarella and marinated, grilled vegetables.It was a nice bite, but nothing too memorable.

Since this dinner marked an important milestone, we decided to pull out the stops and get the three course menu with wine pairings.

There are a number of Indian dishes on the menu. My friend started with the mustard tandoori tiger prawns with mint-coriander chutney.The prawns were rubbed with savory Indian spices but gained only a little flavor from the oven.

But they did spend too much time in there. They grew tough. The prawns were medium to large in size, but it felt ungenerous to only get two. It would hardly break the bank to serve three.

The salad in the middle was small. The mint-coriander sauce was assertive, with a tart tinge, and very enjoyable.

The wine for this dish was a German Riesling, which complemented it well.

I had the sautéed tranche of French foie gras with pear confit and brioche.I again will incur the wrath of the anti-foie gras set, but c'est la vie. The goose liver was excellent: warm, delicate, smooth and creamy. I mopped up all the sauce underneath.

The pear added a simple sweet note and not much more. The brioche disappointed me. I've had some good ones in this town, especially the one served at Cafe Bar Bresto. The brioche at V Zátiší was dried out and reminded me of a crumbling American hot dog roll. I'm not trying to be mean. I'm just being honest about what popped into my head after I popped it into my mouth.

The paired wine was a syrupy, sweet French Sauternes. This is considered a classic companion for foie gras. And yet, I found it too heavy and cloying for a first course. I'll swim against the tide of popular and professional opinion on this one.

For the main course, I had the veal fillet with red wine and creamy veal sauces.The small slices of super tender tenderloin had great flavor by themselves. They didn't need sauce, but I'd recommend not passing these up. They were fantastic.

The sweetish red wine sauce was decadently delicious. It glazed my palate with the flavors of beef drippings and wine and and reminded me of the best demiglaces I've had. The saltier veal sauce came in second place, but was still very good. The flavor reminded me vaguely of beefy caramel. In a good way.

The veal was accompanied by a small amount of tasty grilled vegetables and a lovely ratatouille-like tomato and eggplant mix. I also liked the creamy, freshly prepared potatoes with whole grain mustard.

My friend had fillet of sea bass, with a citrus-rosemary sauce and crémant velouté.The fish was fresh, with a crispy exterior. The surface was on the dry side, but it was moist and flaky underneath.

It sat on lightly crunchy wilted bok choy. Rather dull ratte potatoes had their own little bowl. The buttery sauce next to the fish tasted of cauliflower and went well with it.

With my veal, I was given a 2008 Saint Clair Pinot Noir from New Zealand. I found it simple and dry. It was decent and drinkable, but nothing exciting.Much better was my friend's dry Chablis. That glass brought a small smile.

To end the meal, I ordered the dessert sampler. It consisted of a crème brûlée, a chocolate mousse, and lemon sorbet.The cream in the petite bowl was creamy goodness, but perhaps too much heat was applied to the top. The caramelized sugar was unusually thick.

The intense chocolate was thicker than most mousses I've had, but I loved it. The not-too-sweet sorbet was more ordinary and could have used more citrus zing as a palate cleanser.

My friend had the tandoor-baked pineapple with pistachio ice cream.We imagined something more exotic than it was. It was basically baked fresh pineapple with a hint of flavor from the oven.

Although unnaturally green, the ice cream was nutty and nice. Intensely green marzipan-flavored syrup was drizzled on the plate. We mostly avoided that.

The dessert wine for both of us was the 2009 Sonberk Pálava.Less sweet than the Sauternes and with a light, sour note, the southern Moravian wine had a delicate balance and flavor that we both thought a fitting friend for the final course.

Though the restaurant was relatively busy for a Monday, service was generally good.

V Zátiší's menu is designed in such a way that you can pick two courses for 890 CZK, three courses for 1050 CZK, and each extra course is 150 CZK. There are no prices for individual dishes. The wine pairing for two courses is 490 CZK and for three courses, it is 590 CZK.

This pricing system assumes that all dishes having equal cost and value. Frankly, I find it restrictive and annoying.

The big question is: How much did this dinner for two cost? The three courses for two people with the wine pairings, plus a bottle of mineral water, came to 3375 CZK before tip.

I haven't spent that much on a dinner in a long, long time (not counting the recent dinner a friend bought me at Chateau Mcely).

I generally liked the food, but it wasn't flawless. The relatively small portions, as with the veal and prawns, is somewhat masked by the creative arrangements on the big designer plates. The cooking was good, but not that precious.

It was fun to have a variety wines through the meal, but I was not overly impressed with them, either.

I think a restaurant like Chagall's Club, one of last year's favorites, is a better deal. There, you could have a top-notch three-course dinner with a moderately priced bottle of wine for around 2500 CZK. They also have an eight-course degustation menu for 1100 CZK per person.

Perhaps V Zátiší was a better value in the past. At present, with these prices, I don't see this famous old restaurant in my future.

V Zátiší
Liliová 1
Prague 1 - Old Town
Tel. (+420) 222 221 155

Krystal Mozaika Bistro

2011-10-20T01:52:00.036+02:00

"I'm a real defensive person, because if you were sensitive in my neighborhood, you were something to eat." Richard Pryor

There was a time when Karlin was a total blank to me. For the first years I lived in Prague, I never set foot in that neighborhood.

In the last few years, I've been stopping by occasionally at the Expats.cz office in Karlin. In the beginning, the dining options in the area seemed pretty dire. Ristorante Porto was one I thought was decent.

More recently, I heard about the opening of Krystal Mozaika Bistro, and I heard good things. This restaurant is connected to the Vinohrady restaurant, Mozaika, which I used to like but haven't been to in a few years. So I when I was in Karlin, I dropped by for my first solo visit.

It's right next to the cute and quirky Polévkárna on Sokolovská.This was back when outdoor dining was still a regular option.

Inside, the looks are smart and modern.There's a chalk board in the front with a variety of changing specials.The back room keeps up the same design theme.It has a long window to the kitchen and you can watch the chefs at work. I always enjoy that.

I sat in front and started off with a beer. I had a half-liter of the Bernard 10 degree (27 CZK).It was a little flat, so I didn't enjoy it much.

Then I had the 150 gram Krystal beef burger (169 CZK).There is also a 300 gram version (289 CZK). The one I had was plenty big. It's hard to imagine consuming the bigger beast.

The burger is made with homemade onion bread, bacon, onion, pickle, lettuce and home-made mayonnaise with mustard seed. It was excellent.The patty was made with high-quality, juicy beef. It was cooked to medium. I liked the bread. The bacon was plentiful and American-style crispy.

I found the burger superior to the one I had at Mozaika years ago. My main quibbles are that there was too much mayo, and it was hard eat and to hold the big burger together. By the last bites, it was a total mess.

The fries are extra (39 CZK).They were hot and crisp, very McDonald's-like. They were fine for that style, but nothing special.

For dessert, I had the crème brûlée (59 CZK).It was well-executed, with a hot, freshly-torched caramelized sugar top and a cool, sweet, eggy cream underneath. The dish was shallow and the portion not large, but still I thought it nice for the price.

The bill for this meal was 294 CZK.

For my next visit, I was tempted by the flank steak. I'd seen a picture of it on my Foodspotting iPhone app.

Instead, I ordered a daily special, the veal entrecote (255 CZK).The meat was very good quality and it sat on a savory, peppery demiglace.

My big regret, which I realized as I cut into it, was that I didn't say how I wanted it cooked. It was delivered cooked all the way through, which made the veal tougher than it should have been.

The buttery mashed potatoes were mixed with sun-dried tomatoes. It was an excellent side for this dish.

For dessert, I had their carrot cake (55 CZK).The modest slice was not as fancy as one you'll see at a place like Bakeshop Praha. It was moist and chock full of walnuts -- almost too many. The creamy icing was delicious. It was simple, but I'd get it again.

This time around, I paid 343 CZK.

For my last visit, I sat in the back with a friend.My friend had vegetable soup (65 CZK). I'm not a big fan of this type of soup, but I thought it was very tasty.The broth had a lot of flavor. The carrots, broccoli, and celery were cooked aldente, not too hard, not too soft. There were small, soft pieces of beef and potato in there, too, so it was not for vegetarians.

Then, my friend had the goat cheese salad (165 CZK). This was the least successful of all the dishes I tried.There was a nice mix of greens, but cheese came in cool, rubbery cubes. The waitress said the dressing was something special, but we found it was a rather weak raspberry vinaigrette. There were some crunchy croutons, but that was about it. It didn't feel like a good value.

I went for the Beef Bourguignon (199 CZK). This I liked.The beef had been slow-cooked and was relatively tender. But it still required slicing with a knife and there was some gristle.

The cooked veggies with it were great. The carrot, pearl onion, and mushroom, mixed with some pork, maintained their crunch.

The sauce was both sweet and source with the clear flavor of wine. But aside from that, there was not much complexity to it. While I enjoyed this dish and would get it again, it was not as good as the very tender and flavorful version at Brasserie La Gare.

This dinner for two, which included a big bottle of mineral water, a glass of wine, dessert, and coffee came to 619 CZK. Service was good the first two visits, but occasionally absent too long on the last visit.

In the big picture, I enjoyed both the atmosphere and the food at this restaurant. I'll return, for sure.

Karlin is turning into a nice neighborhood with more and more good places for sensitive people like me. And right now, Krystal Mozaika Bistro is at the top of my list of places to get something to eat in the area.

Restaurant Krystal Mozaika Bistro
Sokolovská 99/101
Prague 8 - Karlín
Tel. (+420) 222 318 152

Chateau Mcely - Piano Nobile Restaurant

2011-10-06T01:02:00.042+02:00

"Wealth is not his that has it, but his that enjoys it." Benjamin Franklin

I needed a change of scenery. A friend felt the same and offered to take me to lunch at Chateau Mcely.

I'd heard some good things about this hotel and spa opened in 2006 by Inéz Cusumano and her husband James, a former energy company executive. The menu of the Piano Nobile Restaurant looked pricey but tempting.

Since someone else was paying, why not? We hopped in the car and made the hour drive out to the small town of Mcely.

Coming through the electric gates, you catch your first glimpse of the stately, reconstructed manor at the end of a well-kept lawn.Passing through the front door and under the custom-designed iron work, you begin to feel the attention to detail that has gone into restoring this building.We were led into small dining room, which was empty following a wedding party.The heavily draped room had what appeared to be original parquet flooring, but just about everything else looked new.Almost too new.

Our waitress brought a bread basket. It was very ordinary stuff, with cold butter.I'm too often surprised that high-end restaurants invest so much in their cooking and the first impression they make is with boring bread and a hard spread.

For a starter, I had the hot foie gras served with Rémy Martin granité, homemade marmalade, toasted butter bread and veal jus (490 CZK).Each small bite of the rich, delicate goose liver melted in my mouth with buttery flavor. It was perfect.

The granité was a cool and interesting palate cleanser. The sweet veal jus provided a nice base and it was nice to mop it up with the brioche-like bread. I thought the acidic "marmalade" also provided a nice acidic contrast to the smooth foie gras. The menu said it was made with fruit, but the consistency and flavor tasted more like red cabbage to me. Either way, I liked it.

My friend had the "homemade ravioli stuffed with tiger prawns." (490 CZK).The menu needs a small correction. Ravioli is plural. This was one medium-sized raviolo.

It contained chunks of a shrimp and sat on top of a sweet and sour sauce made with fresh garden basil. We both found the dish too small and simple.

Enya songs played over the sound system.I saw that the spa area of the hotel has a nice-looking massage room, which is where I most often hear this relaxation-inducing music. It's not my favorite outside that context.

For my main course, I had the lamb chops baked with herbs (690 CZK). It was served with a dandelion-potato purée with mascarpone and thyme.The small but thick chops were tender and delicious. The honey-sweet and tart sauce had the complementary flavor of rosemary.

The lamb was barely warm, while the potatoes where piping hot. Even though the chops were served medium-rare as requested, there should have been more heat in the meat.

My friend had the fillet of pollock made according to Grandmother Cusumano's recipe (590 CZK).It came with roasted potatoes, capers, homemade dried tomatoes. There was a light white wine sauce. The fish was fresh and light, the vegetables well-executed, and the sauce sauce fine.

I liked it more than my friend did, but overall, the dish didn't greatly impress either of us.

For dessert, I had the chocolate fondant with raspberry and cream, and a glazed chocolate wafer (390 CZK).The chocolate was super intense and I enjoyed it very much.

My friend had the plateau of French cheeses with homemade marmalade (390 CZK). I can tell you that we greatly enjoyed these cheeses and especially the marmalade made with plums, onion, and wine.

I can't tell you too much more. When I asked our friendly waitress to describe the cheeses, I was rather amused by the response:

"That one is cow, that one is goat. The one over there is cow," she pointed out.

"Could you be more specific?"

"I'm sorry, I don't know," she replied with an embarrassed smile.

"Could you find out?"

She returned a few minutes later with the flags that had been on the cheeses in the kitchen and haltingly read the names and pointed out which was which. I gave up learning more about these. The service started out OK, but faded by the end of the meal.

We had a cappuccino and a cafe latte (85 CZK/each).We didn't drink alcohol so we also had two .33 liter bottles of water (50 CZK/each).

The three course lunch menu is 990 CZK per person. But many of the better dishes have 100 CZK supplements. We had 500 CZK in supplemental charges. That comes to 2750 CZK before tip. If we'd been drinking wine or cocktails, the final tab would be closer to 4000 CZK.

After lunch, we took a stroll around the manicured grounds. The house stands on a hill above the surrounding farm land.There is a very nice patio for outdoor dining in good weather.It would certainly be a nice place for a posh party.

A walk around the property only takes about 15 minutes. The most interesting part was the pool with lily pads growing in it.As we walked, we talked. Was Chateau Mcely worth the trip? The food was quite nice, with the foie gras the stand out dish, but we didn't feel it justified the big bill at the end.

We felt like pretenders on a playground of the super rich. We had initially thought about staying over for a night, but with weekend room prices in "Castle Season" starting at 246 euros, not to mention the cost of spa treatments, it was beyond what I'm comfortable spending.

I usually avoid thinking in terms of other currencies, but I succumbed to the temptation in this case out of curiosity. For example, the shrimp raviolo starter worked out to more than $25 or 20 euros.

If the prices don't sound high to you, and you need a quiet place to decompress, I'd say go for it. I did read a lot of happy comments in their guest book.

As for me, I'm far from poor, but I'm just not that wealthy.

Chateau Mcely
Mcely 61
289 36 Mcely
Tel. (+420) 325 600 000

El Asador

2011-09-23T01:51:00.045+02:00

"When I go out to a restaurant, I definitely order dishes that I know take either a long time to make or are difficult to source. Unless it's a really special steak, there's no reason for me to go out and eat that." Mario Batali

How far would you travel for a really special steak? I faced this question when I heard that a new South American steak house had opened in Prague.

But it is barely in Prague. El Asador is in a small village on the eastern outskirts, near Průhonice. Still, my quixotic quest for quality beef has few limits. I am always searching for cuts to add to my Prague steak list.

Getting there meant a drive of about 30 minutes from the center, unless you want to take the C line metro to Opatov and then bus 326 or 327 to the stop at Hrnčíře.

I drove, but even my GPS system sent me down two dead ends into the surrounding farmland before I found the restaurant.

In this tiny village, a shiny new building houses this steak house.There's a big patio around the back that must be fine for dining al fresco, weather permitting.On this rainy night, it did not permit. It could be fun to sit out there for their Sunday barbecue brunch. They have a special grill menu and buffet that day for 580 CZK per person.

My first glimpse of the interior impressed me. It might not be to everyone's taste, but thought it made a strong statement that this is a high-end place that takes its steaks seriously.It is furnished with heavy wooden and tiled tables, custom wrought iron work, and dark-stained hard wood flooring. At the back end is specially designed wood-fired grill with a chef cooking the meats in full view.It's all a little over the top, but not too far. I think it is certainly more appealing than the Disney-like setting at La Casa Argentina.

A climb up the staircase takes you to the bar area that occupies the entire upper level. The long bar itself stretches almost the length of the room.The wood-beamed ceiling stretches out above an inlaid wood floor and comfy-looking overstuffed chairs.I daresay it is even nicer than the restaurant downstairs.

This made it all the more heartbreaking that I had to drive my car to get to the restaurant. In solidarity, my friend joined me in ordering virgin mojitos (100 CZK).We also had a big bottle of Mattoni mineral water (90 CZK).

On this Saturday night, there was live music. A guitar player and singer, along with a percussionist, covered a variety of Latin classics.They performed them well, which added to the pleasant atmosphere.

We each ordered starters. My friend had the selection of seafood tapas (245 CZK). This sounded good on paper, but the reality brought some real regrets.The calamari was fresh, not frozen, and it was pretty good with lemon squeezed on it. That's the good news. Maybe it's an American thing, but I thought it could use a dipping sauce.

The menu said the tiger prawns were cooked "tempura" style. The medium-sized shrimp were fine, but this was not any tempura I am familiar with. The thick, cake-like batter made the prawns taste like they were encased in a dinner roll.

There was a bowl of fairly ordinary olives.

Finally, there was the gratinated scallop. While I expected some cheese, I didn't think there would be an orange sea of what looked like molten cheddar. It completely smothered the delicate scallop. Luckily, the cheese was easy to scrape away to reveal a perfectly seared mollusk that was much more enjoyable on its own.

I had the ceviche de pescado (170 CZK).The sea bream or dorade was marinated in lots of lime juice and mixed with cilantro and chilies. Then it was buried under a pile of chopped red onion. The chunks of clean-tasting fish were nice enough, but we thought the onion overwhelmed it. I scraped most of them to the side.

The waitress came by to clear the plates and asked how everything was. I mentioned that I thought there were too many onions in the ceviche. She said she was sorry, and shortly afterward, the manager came by.

"I've heard you had a problem with the onions in the ceviche," he said.

"It's really not a big deal. It was just too much for me."

"I can assure you, our chef is from South America and this is an authentic recipe," he informed me. "But if you like, we can prepare it with less onion."

I told him that would not be necessary, but I didn't necessarily accept the indirect word of his expert. Later, I consulted my own source, a man very familiar with this recipe, which is actually Peruvian, and who also tried this dish at this restaurant. He told me that while the manager was technically correct, the authentic version uses much milder and sweeter red onions, making them less dominating.

So we were both right. Except that the strong, sharp onions were, indeed, too strong and not right for the dish.

But enough of this pedantry over the preliminaries. It gets a lot better from here on out.

I had to have a grilled steak. I got the 250 gram Aberdeen Angus rib eye from Argentina (300 CZK).I will state now and for the record that this was the best steak I have had in this country. Each bite of the tender, charred, smoky meat was pure pleasure. You have to like your rib eyes on the fatty side, and I do. It was better than many steaks I've had in the USA. I was amazed.

On the side, I ordered the Isleña sauce, a quite spicy, creamy, chili pepper mix (38 CZK).It was hardly necessary. It would be a shame to let much interfere with the fantastic flavor of the beef.

The chef also does excellent grilled vegetables (55 CZK).The zucchini, tomato, aubergine, and peppers picked up flavor from the grill as well as the particular perfume of fresh thyme.

My friend had the octopus cooked in Sauvignon Blanc (299 CZK). We found this highly enjoyable.The strong flavor of the wine came through the sauce sweetened with honey and seasoned with thyme. The sliced tentacles were fresh and tender. The gratinated mashed potatoes on the side had been placed under some kind of heat, which dried out its outer layer, but otherwise tasted fine.

We had gone from the sad to the sublime. We decided to try our luck with dessert. My friend ordered the Nube de los Andes (95 CZK).It was described as a "chilled mousse with forest berries and egg yolk cream." I'd describe it as an ethereal meringue sitting on top of uncaramelized crème brûlée with blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries.

We would both characterize it as an unusually delicious and different dessert. The spun sugar on top actually made it more like a crème brûlée but with some great added twists. Yum.

Predictably, I had the Chocolate Volcano, otherwise know as chocolate fondant (135 CZK).This takes time because it has to be baked to order. But it was worth waiting for. It was a particularly good version with an intense hit of cocoa.However, the vanilla ice cream tasted cheap and was not a worthy partner. A scoop of Häagen-Dazs would have done a far better job.

The bill for this three-course meal was 1667 CZK. I'm sure it would have gone past 2000 CZK had we been drinking alcohol. Despite the misfires with the appetizers, the main courses, desserts, and atmosphere were great. We had no real problems with the service

Someone spent super serious money building one of the Czech Republic's best South American steakhouses in a wealthy but sparsely populated suburb of Prague. Whether that was a wise move, I cannot say. But I seriously wish there was an El Asador in the center of of the city. I wish I didn't have to drive and forsake alcohol to partake.

But it is a special steak that is worth a special trip, so I will certainly drive out there again to go and eat it.

El Asador
Osvětová
149 00 Prague 4 - Hrnčíře
Tel. (+420) 246 067 600

Czech Restaurants

2011-09-14T16:39:00.020+02:00

"The difference between involvement and commitment is like ham and eggs. The chicken is involved. The pig is committed." Martina Navratilova

I’m on the record as not being the biggest fan of Czech cuisine. That doesn’t mean I dislike it. I enjoy a good svíčková na smetaně, vepřová krkovice or řízek s bramborovým salátem now and then. It’s just that I’ve lived here for a long time and have eaten plenty of the heavy stuff. So I don’t regularly seek it out.

When Expats.cz asked me to put together a list of Czech restaurants, I told them I’d just pass along what I tell my friends when they ask my opinions on the subject. And I always have plenty of opinions.

Here, then, is my list. It is not a “best” list or a “Top 10” list in any particular order. In fact, it’s just a survey of what I know after having lived here a long time. And it barely scratches the surface. If you know a place worth recommending, especially something beyond the usual suspects, feel free to share.

Lokál
This is one of the most popular Czech restaurants in Prague. They do great řízek s bramborovým salátem (schnitzel and potato salad) and many other simple, classic, well-executed dishes with very reasonable prices for the center of the city. The Pilsner Urquell from tanks is great. I’ve often found the service to be friendly and efficient. But it’s a very long, often noisy and chaotic place and reservations are usually required in the evening. It’s not for everyone; I recommended it to an acquaintance who brought a group of guests there and he hated it.

Čestr
Like Lokál, this place is run by the successful and well-managed Ambiente Group. The restaurant is all about the meat, with a particular focus on beef. Then even have whole sides of cows in a windowed fridge. There are a wide variety of steaks, cooked a wide variety of ways, all from Czech beef. It’s not as good as South American cuts, but still pretty good. They also have tank Pilsner.

Kolkovna, Celnice, Olympia, Demínka, Kulaťák, Bredovský dvůr
These are all Pilsner Urquell Original Restaurant franchises. Yes, menus can vary slightly among these restaurants, but they pretty much look the same with brass fittings and brown furniture. I never found them to be exceptional, but I’ve also had some decent meals.

Café Mistral
This is perhaps the least typical of Czech restaurants, but it is one of my favorite spots for a good, relatively inexpensive meal in the center. Yes, the do some more international dishes like pumpkin and ginger soup. But they also do beef tartare, grilled duck breast, and schnitzels. They also have svíčková na smetaně, but I don’t recommend it here. I found it too sweet.

Budvarka
I didn’t really like the food here. But I would recommend it for one reason: I think their Budvar kroužkovaný ležák or yeast beer is delicious. I love its clean, crispy flavor and its lovely, delicate carbonation.

La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise
Probably the most expensive Czech restaurant on the planet. And yet everyone who’s eaten there says it is worth it and many feel it deserves a Michelin star. In my dreams, a wealthy cougar will wine and dine me there.

U Medvídků
I know a few people swear by this place for good, classic Czech food, decent prices for the center, and usually, but not always good service. They pull in a lot of tourists so it can get hectic. You can drink Czech Budweiser there (no relation to the American version), but the real highlight is the production from their microbrewery. I like the Old Gott Barique. Watch out for the X Beer 33 – it is 12.6% alcohol.

Plzeňská restaurace v Obecním domě
You don’t hear much about this restaurant, but I asked around and found a few people who have eaten there and they liked the food. The prices are definitely on the high side for basic Czech fare like goulash, pork medallions, and duck. But the main reason I put it on my list is I think it is one of the more unique-looking and historic Czech restaurants in the city. That’s because it is in the basement of Obecní dům or Municipal House and the style is in keeping with the Art Nouveau grandeur of the rest of the building.

Café Louvre
Speaking of history, this restaurant has it up to the rafters. It was a favorite hang for Franz Kafka, Albert Einstein, and Karel Čapek. The dining rooms have also been nicely restored to capture the atmosphere of the early 20th century. The food can be basic to quite good, the prices are quite low, they do breakfast, lunch and dinner, you can shoot pool, spot Czech celebrities, journalists, and politicians, and the hot chocolate and desserts are amazing. This is one of my favorites.

Perpetuum - Prague Duck Restaurant
Czechs are usually great with duck, and my favorite place to find this fowl is at Perpetuum. These birds have style and their menu features a good number of creative cooking variations. There’s duck ragout, duck-stuffed crepes, duck stuffed with apple, drake with foie gras, soufflé, and blueberry foam. I feel like Bubba in “Forrest Gump” but with duck. I could go on and on. I haven’t tried all these preparations, but the last time I went, everyone loved it.

Café Savoy
This great-looking and popular restaurant does a number of international dishes, but they also have my favorite versions of some Czech cuisine. First, I love their ham and cheese omelet made with beautiful chunks of real, top-quality Prague Ham. Second, I think the make the best řízek or schnitzel in town, either with veal or pork. I also like the little silver-domed dish with homemade cranberry compote. And if you eat there, don’t forget to look up and check out the beautiful ceiling.

Café Imperial
This restaurant is run by one of the country’s most famous TV chefs, Zdeněk Pohlreich. While I loved his other restaurant, Divins Wine Bar, I was never greatly impressed by the Czech menu at Imperial. I’ve heard others say nice things, so maybe I had bad luck during my visits. But I do think it is one of the most stylish and interesting dining rooms in the city. The tall walls and high ceilings are completely covered with Art Nouveau ceramic tiles and mosaics dating back to the Imperial Hotel's construction in 1914. Pretty spectacular.

U Vejvodů
U Vejvodů is usually packed, with crowds of tourists mixing in with locals. The Pilsner Urquell can be great and the beer price is decent for the center. It's a big, interesting-looking place. They cook the classic Czech menu, not always well. But check out many online reviews and read story after story about rude service, charges for the dry pretzels left on tables if you are uninformed and bite one, and waiters not returning returning change or tacking 15 to 20 percent service charges on bills. My overall impression from my last chaotic and smoky visit was of eating barely adequate Czech food in a big, busy, bus station.

VINOdiVINO

2011-08-26T01:00:00.037+02:00

"Wine is wont to show the mind of man." Theognis

I've developed an interest in all things Italian. And Prague certainly has plenty of Italian restaurants. I'd guess it is the second most popular cuisine after Czech.

So I took my Italian friend to the relatively new Italian restaurant and wine shop, VINOdiVINO, to see how it measures up.It's right in the heart of the tourist zone, not far from Old Town Square. From the front, the spires of the Týn Church are visible over the rooftops.

The interior is smart and modern, with tan walls and blond woods and mixed with flashes of red.The displays of wines from all regions of Italy are built into the walls and provide an appropriate and inviting backdrop.

The place is well-lit, which works well when you think of it as a shop. Of course, it is also a restaurant with a relatively short and not inexpensive menu. As a place for a nice dinner, it did feel too bright.

We decided to go downstairs, which is part of the shop, but has more of a restaurant feel to it.My friend saw a number of good wines like some Greco di Tufo and the Falanghina from Feudi di San Gregorio. The prices of those particular wines could be quite high -- 800 CZK to 2000 CZK. These wines can cost a lot less in Italy. They also had cheaper wines in the shop.

We picked out a table near the kitchen. It has windows and I enjoy watching cooks working. We were the only ones in the restaurant, though two diners came in later

The friendly waiter brought some decent sliced Italian-style bread.It was OK, but after we went through that, a later basket was fresher. We also got some basic black and green pitted olives.

We both ordered wine. I had the red, a .25 liter carafe of Sedara's Donnafugata (195 CZK). My friend had the white, a carafe of Frescobaldi Pomino Bianco (235 CZK).I can recommend both. My friend even ordered a second carafe. We also had a .75 liter bottle of Mattoni mineral water.

For starters, we decided to have the "Fantasie di Mare" antipasti for two (590 CZK). The anchovies in the first round were basic but nice -- lemony, with good olive oil and excellent cherry tomatoes.Next came an octopus salad. It was very fresh, very tender, and very enjoyable.We had a small bowl of mussels and clams with parsley and a wine-infused sauce. Crusts of olive oil-drizzled bread sat on top.The clams were fine and the super-fresh, plump mussels were the best I've had in a long time.

The last fantasy round feature two big shrimp, expertly grilled with their heads on. They were wrapped in pancetta and sat on a syrupy sweet sauce, which I think was a balsamic reduction.It was really good when I could get the shrimp, sauce, and pancetta in one bite, with a nice balance of salty and sweet. But the pancetta was quite small and the sauce dominated too much without it.

For a main course, my friend had tagliolini al tartufo (290 CZK).It was a simple but satisfying dish, properly cooked with a buttery coating and shaved truffle.

I had the beef tenderloin with Barolo sauce (420 CZK). It was cooked to order, medium rare and the meat had good flavor.The cut was firm and not very tender and on the chewy side, so there was a little disappointment. The wine lent the sauce an assertive tartness. I very much liked the potatoes seasoned with rosemary.

For dessert, my friend had the lemon sorbetto (90 CZK). It was very sweet, creamy, and lemony, but not as cold as it should have been.My friend said it was not as good as others in town. On the positive side, as I write this, I see on the bill that I wasn't charged for it. The meal ended with a decent espresso (39 CZK).

The total cost for the big dinner was 2069 CZK before tip, with 665 CZK of that spent on wine. We enjoyed our meal.

The few main courses they offer are 300-400 CZK and the pastas, some with expensive ingredients, are around 200-300 CZK. That's big money for many people, but I'd say it's worth it.

It is a shame that the website does not have the menu or give a listing of the multitude of fine wines for sale. This is a missed opportunity. I might consider buying wine there if I could review their offerings in advance.

I think the restaurant is attractive, but the bright lights and the emptiness we experienced detract from the atmosphere. But those issues are easily fixed.

All they needed is a dimmer and a few more people to try the fine wines and speak their minds.

VINOdiVINO
Štupartská 18
Prague 1 - Old Town
Tel. (+420) 222 311 791

Kofein Restaurant

2011-08-12T01:04:00.068+02:00

"Consider the public. Never fear it nor despise it. Coax it, charm it, interest it, stimulate it, shock it now and then if you must, make it laugh, make it cry, but above all never, never, never bore the living hell out of it." Noel Coward

I crave the new. I hunger for the different. I have a taste for change.

That is why the concept of tapas is great for me. Lots of little plates keep me entertained. I recently had a magnificent culinary tapas tour in Barcelona and posted many photos on my Facebook page.

When a friend told me a new "tapas" place opened in Vinohrady, I was eager to check it out. Kofein Restaurant is in a small space below street level near Jiřího z Poděbrad metro station.As soon as I opened the door and looked down, I liked what I saw. Jamón Ibérico sat on the bar and behind that was a cooking station with two chefs.The open kitchen reminded me vaguely of my terrific meal at Tapas 24 in Barcelona.

But Kofein is actually more stylish than that top quality but no-frills place, with carved-back chairs, brick walls, and blue ceilings.It's a small restaurant with just a few places in the front. There are only about six tables in the back. The whole restaurant is non-smoking.While there are a number of Spanish-style tapas dishes on the menu like marinated olives and cheese, the menu does have a broader culinary scope. That's not to say that the dishes are complex or ambitious. Some are fairly simple.

The super-friendly owner, Jara, apologized that the menu was not available in English at the time -- they'd only been open a couple of weeks. I told him it wasn't a problem for me. He helpfully answered some questions.

A woman near me was uncomfortable sitting on the wood bench that runs along the wall. Jara improvised a bit and immediately brought a soft blanket over for her to sit on.

I started out with a beer. They have Pilsner Urquell, which I like, but I'm bored with. So I got their other beer on tap, Ježek 11 degree lager (28 CZK/half-liter).It was tasty and fresh.

They do charge for a basket of bread (20 CZK).It was an uninspiring basket of whole-wheat baguette slices, not unlike those found at any supermarket.

On this solo visit, I ordered five different dishes. Jara was a little concerned it might be too much for one person, but I assured him I could handle it.

First up, I had the Chorizo Ibérico with apple compote (65 CZK).This was very straightforward with cold chunks of mild red sausage in a bowl with stewed apple slices. I do love sweet and salty combinations and this was pleasant, though nothing to write home about.

I tried the mild homemade chicken liver pâté with caramelized onions (55 CZK).The chopped liver was very smooth and light, almost duck liver-like. In fact, I really didn't get the strong chicken flavor found in the more coarsely chopped version at Osteria da Clara.

The onions were very sweet. I thought they'd be better with a little tartness in the mix. It came with two small triangles of white toast.

Another cold dish was the seared beef salad with shaved Parmesan (65 CZK).The menu said it came with rucola, but it was really mostly red and green leaf lettuce. It also said the cut was tenderloin, but I found it on the chewy side. I squeezed the lime slices over it and despite these quibbles, I enjoyed it.

I sampled the baked goat cheese (55 CZK).The two small rounds were heated to the right consistency and topped with a walnut paste. Here the salty flavors and creamy textures mixed well with the honey dressing on the salad.

From the warm side of the tapas menu, I tasted the beef tenderloin pieces with spicy vegetables (75 CZK).In this dish, the flavorful beef was much more tender. It was covered with a sauce that had soft red and green peppers. I was disappointed that the sauce was not spicy (pikantní) at all.

After these plates, I still had room for dessert. I went for the coffee panna cotta (70 CZK).The dense cylinder was small, but it packed a serious coffee punch. Although a little rubbery in consistency, I loved the intensity.

Tiny spoonfuls could hold their own mixed with the excellent vanilla cream. Topping it all was delightful candied walnuts. I loved the dessert. It was definitely the most memorable dish of the dinner.

I was stuffed. The bill for this large meal of small plates was 461 CZK.

On the next visit, I took a friend. I had Ježek and we also ordered a glass of decent white wine (33 CZK/.1 liter) and a bottle of Mattoni mineral water (33 CZK).Later, I looked over their limited cocktail list and tried a Mojito (86 CZK).It was not well-mixed, more limey than minty, with a layer of sugar on the bottom. I stirred it up and it was better.

First, we tried the fennel salad (85 CZK).This consisted of red and green lettuce with a few rucola leaves. The fennel was marinated into a seriously sweet state. It was almost candy-like. I can't say it appealed to me.

We shared the baked eggplant (65 CZK), which was much like a typical eggplant Parmesan dish.The cheese, which hardened as it cooled, was baked over the top. Underneath were firm eggplant chunks mixed with tomato sauce and a bit of creamy cheese. It was elementary but enjoyable.

My friend tried the duck breast (255 CZK).It was ordered medium rare, so when it came out at least medium, we mentioned it to Jara. He was very apologetic and offered a glass of wine as compensation, which was accepted.

The duck itself was tender and flavorful. It came with a sweet wine reduction sauce that reminded me of Crema di Balsamico. There was creamy but thin purée of sweet potatoes. Although this was from the "Big Specialty" side of the menu, I thought it could have been more substantial for the price.

They have burgers on the menu (125 CZK). One is for vegetarians and made with a Portobello mushroom. The other is made with ground beef. That's what I had. This one is not a conventional, American-style version.One thing that makes it un-American is that it is not excessively large. That's not necessarily a bad thing, and it is reflected in the bargain price.

Another is that it served on a grilled ciabatta. I have made burgers at home on them, so I won't get pedantic about buns. Under the lid, there are grilled onions, soft bacon, cheese, shredded lettuce, and a tomato-mayo mixture.

But the foundation of a good burger is the meat. And I can say this was a particularly good patty of quality ground beef. It had a lovely charred crust and it was still juicy though over-cooked for my taste. On a second visit, they cooked it medium on request.

On the side were the best homemade steak fries I've had in Prague. Although they were greasy, they had a great crispy crunch that is hard to achieve when preparing and frying them yourself. An Irish friend actually thought they were too crispy.

Also on the plate was a dish of sweet red chili sauce with a dollop of mayo in the middle. It was an odd combo, but I didn't mind the change of pace.

I was really looking forward to trying the desserts again. This time, I had the chocolate cake (70 CZK).Sweet cream rested between and on top of two small rectangles of dense, intense chocolate sponge. Minced fresh mint leaves sat on the top corner. On the side was a sweet/sour smear of raspberry with seeds. I liked it all.

On another visit, I had the Crema Catalana (70 CZK). The not-very-deep dish was filled with orange-infused, slightly eggy cream.It was not as creamy as the crème brûlée I had at Krystal Mozaika Bistro. It did have a perfect layer of hard, caramelized sugar on top, along with whole slices of candied orange.

Overall, I liked this restaurant. With a few exceptions, I can't say the cooking really soared. Some was just competent and/or basic. Occasional service misfires were easily redeemed by the extremely friendly attitude and smiles.

I appreciated the warmth, style and the variety that is on offer at Kofein. You don't have to spend a fortune to eat some decent and different food. It would definitely be a place I'd meet a friend for a drink and a snack. Or a burger and dessert. Or two.

The restaurant deserves credit for bringing something new and different to the neighborhood and putting heart into it.

Kofein did not bore me. In fact, I found it quite stimulating. I think you might, too.

Kofein Restaurant
Nitranská 9
Prague 3 - Vinohrady
Tel. (+420) 273 132 145
Mob. (+420) 777 893 308

Bilkova 13

2011-07-29T01:46:00.034+02:00

"We love to expect, and when expectation is either disappointed or gratified, we want to be again expecting." Samuel Johnson

As much as I love getting tips and recommendations about restaurants, there is a downside.

If praise is too effusive, it raises expectations. Unmet expectations lead to disappointment.

I heard and read good things about Bilkova 13, but for some reason, I was still uninspired, and my expectations were still in check. Finally, a friend talked me into going down to Old Town, near the Intercontinental Hotel, to check it out.The name of the restaurant is also the address.

With few expectations as to what the place actually looked like, I was impressed. The restaurant is huge. There's a usually bustling bar area in front.There's a room with tables for people who want to sit down and drink.Once you pass through that part, there's a big, multi-level dining room in the back.There are glassed-in wine racks, faux-hardwood floors, exposed duct work, brick walls and steel beams.I thought the modern-industrial look worked fairly well. Some dining areas can be made private with the use of curtains on tracks in the ceiling.There's space for just a few outside tables.There's a play area for kids.And there's a play area for adults -- a special "Cognac Point" with fine liquors and a cigar room.A paid membership is required for that part.

We sat down and were greeted by a very friendly waiter. The music had to be some eclectic playlist on shuffle. It went from "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" by Pink Floyd (which I loved) to "I Need Somebody" by Bryan Adams (not so much).

We started with crystal flutes of Pizzolato extra dry prosecco (75 CZK each). We had a big bottle of Mattoni sparkling mineral water (95 CZK). The house wine I had, a Pinot Grigio from Veneto, was dry and light (.2 liter/90 CZK). The Alsatian Pinot Gris was sweeter and less to my taste (.2 liter/130 CZK).The bread basket had good slices of Italian bread with salt crystals.With that, the waiter gave us something we'd never seen before: olive oil with an island of tart, grated Parmesan in the middle.We both liked the combination a lot.

One starter was the tuna tartare (230 CZK).On the menu, it says in English that it is salmon tartare. In Czech, it correctly says it is tuna.

It is definitely one of the most creative and tasty iterations I've had. The decent-sized, squared-off portion was mixed with tomato, caper, olive, and lemon. I thought olives might overwhelm the flavor, but the mild black ones worked well.

The other starter was the tortellini with fresh black truffle, butter and Parmesan (210 CZK). Even before I took a bite, I inhaled the intoxicating aroma of truffle (though I wondered if any of that was truffle oil).The tortellini were very plump and well-stuffed with snowy-white ricotta.The rich, mushroomy sauce was delicious. It was a generous portion and I enjoyed it very much. The only issue I had was it was not very hot and too al dente for me. But my friend thought it was just right.

Note that the menu says they also have gluten-free pasta available for those with celiac issues.

For a main course, my friend had the sea bass (360 CZK). The kitchen removed the bones on request. The fish was moist and had a clean, fresh flavor.It came with buttered new potatoes, a small rucola salad, and a roasted tomato on the side.

I had the Brazilian filet steak with refried beans and grilled shiitake mushrooms (450 CZK).It was confusing because the menu said in English that it came with "green bean purée." In Czech, it just said "bean purée." I was strangely curious to find out what it was.

The large lump of brown frijoles refritos that came were a little dry and perhaps not the best complement. I ate about half of it. The four little mushrooms were oddly flavorless.

But the beef itself was great. I've had a few better tasting steaks in Prague, but I don't think I've ever had one that was more tender. It was a pleasure just to cut it. Eating it was quite enjoyable, too.

We wanted coffee and dessert. It took forever. Our once efficient waiter began fading as the meal went on. He was AWOL by the end.

Eventually, I got my homemade tiramisu, (135 CZK). It was a large portion.The mascarpone that made up most of it was very light. Overall, I thought it was lackluster. I wished for more coffee-soaked savoiardi and prefer thicker, creamier versions. My friend just had fresh pineapple (90 CZK).

The good caffee macchiato (45 CZK) and latte macchiato (65 CZK) came after the desserts.

The total bill for the meal was 2050 CZK. That seems like a lot, but I thought it was reasonable when you consider three courses for two people along with Prosecco, wines, and coffees. I thought the prices were quite fair.

I like the look of the place, and it feels like you are eating in a more expensive place than it is.

We appreciated the starters more than the main courses, but nothing was bad. The service was both good and terrible. My friend said our waiter was one of the better ones, so watch out.

I'm looking forward to going back and tasting some other dishes. I'm also telling my friends to try Bilkova 13.

Unless something unexpected happens, they probably won't be disappointed.

Bilkova 13
Bilkova 13
Prague 1 - Old Town
Tel. (+420) 224 829 254

Restaurace Peperoncino

2011-07-15T03:35:00.045+02:00

"Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work." Stephen King

The all-too-small window for outdoor dining in Prague opens too late and slams shut all too soon.

So I grab every chance I can get for eating al fresco. When my friends started buzzing about the food and the back garden at Peperoncino, I checked my weather app and reserved a table.

The Italian spot is in a residential area not far from Letenský zámeček beer garden, a favorite outdoor hang out of mine on warm evenings.We passed through the small dining room on the way to the garden.The brick arch and the black and white verses on wall are a nice touch. The poem is "Longing for the South" by Konstantin Miladinov.

On the downside, the white walls were bare and boring, the simple chairs were not to my taste, and the room was cacophonous and cramped when full. I never did eat inside there, though.

The unkempt back garden is huge, with tables sprinkled around the vast expanse. On sunny days, it's good to get a table in the shadow of a tree as there were no umbrellas.It is child friendly, with some toys including a net-enclosed trampoline in the back.I was given a table right next to it with four shrieking children bouncing inside. The waitress kindly helped me carry the table to the other side of the garden.

We started with some crisp, dry Pinot Grigio (55 CZK/.1 liter).

Then we had the bruschetta pomodoro (85 CZK). This was not the typical version you'd find at many other places around town.On the good bread were cherry tomato halves, rucola, shaved Parmesan, and olive oil. I was hoping for some basil. It was more like a simple little salad on toast.

I got what I usually get at Mediterranean-style places, the risotto frutti di mare (150 CZK). It was stocked with mussels, clams, and calamari.It wasn't bad and the price was a bargain. I did think it was on the bland side, especially compared with other versions around town.

Then we had the grilled calamari, shrimp, and octopus (190 CZK). This was good.The seafood was very fresh and had great smoky flavor from the grill. The calamari was even slightly charred. We ordered spinach with ricotta on the side (55 CZK). It was a nice complement.

For dessert on the first visit, I avoided my usual tendency toward chocolate. I ordered the cake with mascarpone and strawberries (66 CZK). It was pure heaven.The light, springy homemade cake was a great platform for the sweet strawberries and cream. I've been dreaming regularly about this dessert.

The bill for this visit was a very reasonable 740 CZK.

On the next visit, we started with the grilled octopus alla Peperoncino (165 CZK).The tentacle came in a tomato sauce with green beans and potato. The octopus was very tender, but had a fishy flavor.

Of course, I had to try a pasta. I got something I've never had before: Spaghetti Caprino (99 CZK). It had tomato sauce, fresh basil and goat cheese.My Italian friend pronounced the pasta properly cooked. The cool cheese melted and mixed in with the sauce, making it nice and tart and creamy. I liked it, but my only gripe was that I wanted more than two basil leaves.

Then, I had the 200 gram filet steak with green pepper sauce (345 CZK). The meat was excellent. It was very tender and had just a little smoke flavor from the grill.However, the sauce was not good. It was thin, with the cream separating, and it was too salty. The grilled vegetables were fine (55 CZK). There were peppers, eggplant, and zucchini.

On another visit, I had the same steak but with the balsamic vinegar sauce.The steak was tender but had no grill flavor this time. The sour sauce was also too salty. I didn't like it. The caponata siciliana was mostly tomato sauce (60 CZK).

My friend got the veal with porcini mushrooms (245 CZK).Again, the meat was very good. But the sauce on top was way too salty.

For my final dessert, I could not resist the chocolate cake (66 CZK).It is homemade and simple, but good stuff. I liked it, but the confection could not displace my highest affection for the strawberry cake. I must have more of that.

In the end, I have very mixed feelings about Peperoncino. The prices for many offerings were great, though you have to consider that side dishes cost extra.

I'll be more than happy to return while the weather stays good and sit and the garden, drinking wine with grilled seafood and pasta.

I just think the kitchen needs a little more talent. Or a little less salt.

Restaurace Peperoncino
Letohradská 34
Prague 7 - Letna
Tel. (+420) 233 312 438

Bohe(my)a Lounge & Grill Bar

2011-07-01T01:26:00.044+02:00

On the roof, it's peaceful as can be
And there the world below can't bother me
Goffin/King

Right smack dab in the middle of town, there's a new chill out spot far from the madding crowds, eat tapas and grilled meats, and soak up some sun.

Sounds cool, no?

It's on top of building that houses Tesco and the My Narodni department store (cue sound of a stylus skipping across record).Wait, what? Tesco tapas?

I doubted Bohe(my)a Lounge & Grill Bar would be worth checking out when I first heard about it. Then I read the menu on Facebook and I was enticed. The breakfasts, sandwiches, salads, and tapas were not the same old, same old.

There's an elevator, but I took the series of escalators up to the top floor. Then I made my way through the kitchen equipment department.Outside, there's a giant wooden deck surrounded by glass. In the middle, there's a bar, and on a far side, there's a grill.For seating, there were comfortable wicker chairs and three sets of outdoor lounge couches. Those were very popular.I never got to kick back on those, they were always taken.

It is important to note that the restaurant is only open during warm weather months. It closes when it rains, and last orders are at 9 p.m.I started off with a beer. They only have Stella Artois and Staropramen, neither of which I like very much. For some strange reason, I received the Staro in a Stella glass.I was assured that this was, indeed, Staro. The beer was so flat that I walked it over to the bar and said I would not drink it.

I ordered a Staropramen Granat instead. This was not cold enough for my taste, but at least drinkable.The manager came over shortly after and told me that he was sorry about the problem and the beer would be on the house.

I then ordered the most interesting-sounding item on the menu: the watermelon and feta cheese salad (118 CZK). It was mostly watermelon, with just a few rucola leaves and some raisins at the bottom.The feta was creamy rather than the usual blocky, crumbly stuff. Perhaps it was my expectations, but I wish there were more greens and cheese and less melon.

Next, I tried the goat cheese, jamon, and fig jam sandwich (88 CZK). This I liked very much.The high-quality crunchy roll was toasted. The few slices of ham looked like they came from a package at Tesco, but tasted OK. There were some rucola leaves. The round of goat cheese was smooth underneath. Nice sandwich.

I decided to be ambitious and order something from the grill. The salmon was unavailable, so I went for the pork neck or krkovice (148 CZK).On the upside, it was thick and juicy and had some flavor from the grill. Some might like how lean it was, but it was tough and there was a lot of chewing. It's not so healthy, but I like my krkovice very fatty and tender.

It needed salt and pepper. I wouldn't have minded having a sauce on the side. Instead, it sat on a pile of rucola with plenty of balsamic vinegar. The leaves wilted a bit under the heat.

I've been pretty cavalier lately about taking pictures, thinking I fly below the radar. But it is starting to get noticed, especially if the manager is an international guy like Ozgur Maden, who is very familiar with Facebook and other media. At the end of the meal, I received a free lemonade.I asked the waitress why, and she just shrugged and walked away. Anyway, it was lightly sweet with a bitter finish.

I paid 354 CZK for all of the above.

I made my next visit during evening hours when the tapas menu is available. I started with sangria (98 CZK).It was lightly sweet and needed more tartness. This was remedied by squeezing some of the oranges in the glass. It also had apple slices.

I liked it a lot in the end -- very refreshing. On another visit, it was served in a different, larger-looking glass.

I liked the baba ghanoush (48 CZK). It was very fresh, almost chunky, with pine nuts, lemon, parsley, tahini, and olive oil.However, I didn't detect any smoky flavor. On another visit, it was smoother, not quite as good, with less fresh parsley. However, I did not order it.

"The chef would like you to try it," the waitress said as she delivered it. Unless anyone else has been getting free stuff sent to the table, I'd say that my cover was blown.

Then I had the kofte (78 CZK).The meatballs had good lamb flavor but were a bit overcooked. The minted yogurt on the side helped.

The zucchini pancakes were excellent (48 CZK).I don't know if I was just lucky, but they were clearly just cooked -- hot, light, and fluffy. It comes with garlicky yogurt on the side. They were small, but a great snack.

Finally, I had the gambas (88 CZK). The small prawns were cooked just right. But the best part was the sauce.It had a great tang to it and a light heat from red chilies. I was mopping it all up with my extra bread.

However, on another visit, the spice level from the chilies was much higher and it was too much for a tender-tongued friend.

The tab for this visit was 360 CZK.

Of course, I returned one more time to try the cheeseburger (148 CZK). It's quite large for the price, but is not really a classic American-style version.The ground beef was mixed with onion, herbs, and spices. It had what looked like parsley in there. The bun had lots of mayo. I liked the caramelized onion. There was too much red lettuce. The burger was a mess to eat, but tasty. The steak fries were nice and crispy.

I hate to end on a sour note, but I had a problem with the ketchup that was brought to my table.The bottle said "Heinz." However, the watery red sauce that poured so freely out of it said "cheap Czech stuff."

I know Heinz ketchup. Heinz ketchup is a friend of mine. This didn't taste like no Heinz ketchup. Even the label on the bottle was starting to fade from being handled too many times. This was a big sin and should cease immediately.

This new concept has been open more than a month. There were certainly problems with quality, consistency, and occasionally, the service at Bohe(my)a Lounge & Grill Bar.

Yet, there was enough that I liked, especially the location, that would bring me back. You are in the center of the city, and yet it is easy to forget that and go into outdoor lounge mode.

So, yeah, I'll probably climb way up to the top of the stairs again before the summer is over.

Bohe(my)a Lounge & Grill Bar
Národní 26
Prague 1

Zdenek's Oyster Bar

2011-06-17T01:44:00.057+02:00

"He was a bold man that first ate an oyster." Jonathan Swift

Personally, I think it was a very hungry man who ate that first one.

I didn't always love swallowing these strange-looking creatures. But over the years, I've acquired a growing appreciation for them.

However, it was the tempting tale of different delicacy that really got me interested in trying the new restaurant, Zdeněk's Oyster Bar. Two magic words stirred the heart of someone fortunate enough to have spent part of his youth in the state of Maine:

Lobster rolls.

The report of a sighting sucked me in and down the narrow street not far from Old Town Square.The outside tables occupy a small sliver of sidewalk a stone's throw from the stoners loitering outside Chapeau Rouge.But the evening was a little too cool for that.

Inside, you would hardly know that this was, not long ago, the Australian bar, Fat Boy's. It's been completely made over.

Now, if you squint a bit at the black and white tiled walls, you could imagine being in Paris or Brussels.Some might be put off by the disco ball on ceiling or the open door to the toilet, but for the most part it looks pretty good. The high chairs were not terribly comfortable. The music selection was jazzy and poppy, but played way too loud.

There's an actual oyster bar inside where you can pull up a stool and suck down bivalves and a variety of Champagnes.I considered sitting there, but a wave of heat from behind the bar sent me back to the few tables of the other dining areas.

We started off with bottled water -- Aquila and Mattoni. We also shared a half-liter carafe of house white wine.Our waitress delivered a selection of four breads. It was one of the nicest offerings I've seen.The best was the apricot-walnut. There was also pumpkin seed, dark bread, and a Tuscan-style white. For dipping, there was good olive oil with a few drops of sweet crema di balsamico.

Asked if we would also like olives, we responded positively and were positively pleased.In one compartment in the glass dish, six plump and juicy olives were lightly coated with a chili marmalade. In the other section, denser, meaty olives were mixed with rosemary covered with a honey mustard glaze. Delicious.

Appropriately, we first tried some oysters. Four types were on the menu -- all sourced from France: Marennes, Tsarskaya, Gillardeau, and Belon. I asked the waitress which were the freshest.

"All are equally fresh," she replied.

We had the Belon. We agreed they were terrific.The menu describes the meat as crisp, and that is a fair assessment. The oyster was pristine in its freshness, with the lightest, most delicate crunch as I bit into it.I closed my eyes and, as often happens when eating good oysters, was transported to the sea. They are served with three condiments: wasabi soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, and fresh horseradish.

There was fresh lemon, which is usually enough for me. But it wasn't bad with just a dot of the wasabi soy on it.

Next, we decided to share the Crustacea Platter. This is six large prawns, 12 smaller Atlantic shrimp, six langoustines, and a whole stone crab.It came with lemon wedges and what is described as "red island aioli."

The platter, filled with crushed ice, is huge and even with a stand, takes up a good part of the table. We also received finger bowls with lemon and a towelette.You will want to wash your hands well before you eat all this. We had to ask for extra plates for the discarded shells, which took up more space.

Taking the shells off all the shrimp wasn't so much fun, but there was a reward for all the work. Everything was as fresh as could be. The large prawns tasted perfect, with sweet meat and just the right amount of snap.

The langoustine tails were helpfully split by the kitchen, and the flesh was even sweeter than the shrimp. They did get a little waterlogged when they were in the ice for a while. The Atlantic shrimp had the saltier flavor you'd expect from the ocean.

The stone crab claws, pre-cracked by the kitchen, were small, but good.The main shell also was pre-opened, but I didn't see much inside I wanted to eat.

Although we received many different utensils, I was not up for the daunting task of cracking smaller and sharp limb sections for tiny amounts of meat.I really liked the "red island" aioli, which may be a corruption of mayo-based "Rhode Island" sauce. This one was rich, lightly yolky, and lightly sweet.

I was a bit baffled about getting the whole crab. I've been to Joe's Stone Crab in Miami, and there, they serve only the claws. The reason is that stone crabs regenerate their claws, so only one is removed and they are thrown back to the sea. This is discussed in a great episode of one of my favorite shows, "Man v. Food." The "claw only" rule is backed up on other websites.

Finally, I dug into the Maine attraction: the lobster roll. There was a huge, whole claw on top.Underneath, I'd guess there was the chopped meat of half a large tail. It was a generous portion, perfectly cooked, sweet and tender. I'd say it was better than the many of the mayo-slathered versions I've had in the USA.

The lightly buttered roll was not the hot dog-style bun you get so often in the USA. It was quality bread, toasted and crunchy. On the side, there was a cup of an excellent Andalusian gazpacho.

There were also vinegary potato chips from a bag and sweet pickles. I tasted one or two of each and left the rest. In fact, I was so full at this point, I didn't eat most of the roll, and just dipped the lobster in the "red island" sauce.

Astute readers may notice that I usually put prices next to each item in an article, but have not done so here. I thought I'd leave it for the end to allow a little more unalloyed vicarious pleasure.I had a feeling when we were asked if we wanted olives that there would be a charge for it. They were 125 CZK.

There was also a charge for bread -- 65 CZK per person. No wonder it was so good.

The wine was 300 CZK for the half-liter, which seemed like a good price for a place like this. A small bottle of Aquila water was 50 CZK and a small bottle of Mattoni was 40 CZK.

The three Belon oysters cost 285 CZK. For the same number of Gillardeau, it was 255 CZK. For Tstarskaya it was 225 CZK. For Marennes, it was 195 CZK.

The Crustacea Platter cost 1250 CZK. The lobster roll was 395 CZK.

There's a saying that if you have to ask how much fresh seafood costs in Prague, you can't afford it. But I'll tell you. The final bill was 2615 CZK before tip.

That's more money than I've spent in a restaurant in a very long time. Was it worth it?

Well, the atmosphere is pretty casual, and it's not all that comfortable. It doesn't seem like a place where you are going to drop that kind of cash.

When it comes to what you are eating, you do feel like they've invested in top quality seafood and making sure everything, from bread to olives, tastes good and right.

I ate (and spent) much more than I usually would in order to experience as much as possible in one visit. The big question for me is: would I go back?

The answer is a qualified yes. I say yes to the lobster roll. It is both great and fairly priced. At The Grand Central Oyster Bar in New York, you'd have a lesser lobster on a bun that would cost you more money ($27.95) than this one.

Times have changed since the days of Jonathan Swift. It not the bold, but very rich men and women who so easily eat the oysters these days. It is not for those with Liliputian budgets.

But I definitely see a day ahead when I'll be perched on a stool with a cold glass of white wine in one hand and a lobster roll in the other. I'll be feeling grateful and good that I found at least this perfect little pleasure during my culinary travels.

Zdeněk's Oyster Bar
Malá Štupartská 5
Praha 1, Staré Město
Tel. (+420) 725 946 250

Prague Food Festival 2011

2011-06-03T01:23:00.118+02:00

"Let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths." The Bible

I've been attending the Prague Food Festival religiously for the past three years. It's a heavenly way to sample a wide array of offerings from many of Prague's best restaurants.

It's eater's paradise for endlessly searching grazers like me. The fest is also something of a moveable feast. This year, the extravaganza was in the Eden-like setting of Prague Castle's Royal Garden.The location has changed every year I've attended, and this was the best so far.

I liked it very much in 2010 when it was in lower gardens on the other side of the castle. The 2008 location on Slovanský ostrov was quite good. But all were much better than the cramped and divided areas on the Vltava used for the 2009 festival.

I was there on Saturday and Sunday which, for some, are days of rest. But there was no rest for the foodies.The deal was the same as previous years.

It cost 400 CZK to get in, but that includes 250 CZK worth of food tickets called "Grands."Each Grand is worth 25 CZK and they are sold in packs of 10. I bought 500 CZK extra on both days, so I spent 900 CZK a day. Not cheap, but I had a lot of eating to do.

There were cooking demonstrations in the beautiful Míčovna or Ball Game Hall.It was between shows when I looked in.Later, I tried to see one, but it was too full and I was shut out.

The weather was cool on Saturday with a few threatening clouds, and crowds were light. It was easy to move around.The first dish I tried was at the tent for the Mandarin Oriental's restaurant, Essensia.It was Sri Lankan pork belly in black current with lentil salad and basmati rice (150 CZK). A great start.The fatty meat was cooked into a melt-in-the-mouth state.

I didn't taste blackcurrant, but it was accompanied by a delectable salty, spicy curry sauce. The lentils were mixed with vibrant mint and cilantro. I scooped up the extra sauce with the papadum and rice.

Then I hit the Aromi-La Finestra stand -- two of the top-end Italian spots in town.I had the grilled Marchigiana beef with bean salad (150 CZK). Terrific.The beef, cooked to medium was ever so tender. There was beautiful seasoning along the edge of the meat, which was lightly glazed with an intense olive oil. Crunchy beans, mixed with mushrooms, were a great complement.

Along with this, they gave diners a gift of hand-carved prosciutto on toast with olive oil and a basil-infused tomato sauce.A sweet (and salty) deal.

Then I walked down to the lower garden level, next to the garden's very modern-looking greenhouses.I found the stand for Chagall's Club, which was one of my favorite restaurants in recent months.I got the cod with coriander, parsley crème, and marinated onions (100 CZK). Loved it.The fish was just lightly seared, giving it a light firmness on the outside and a pristine, clean flavor and texture inside.

The crème leaned toward the sweet side and had an interesting texture, almost like hummus. I asked the chef what else was in it, but he wouldn't say. The sweetness was balanced by the sourness of the vinegary onions. I thought this dish was perhaps the best of show -- and a bargain to boot.

Then I went meditate on the offerings from the Buddha Bar. I had trouble deciding, so I got two dishes.

First, I tasted the grilled pork belly marinated in garlic and lime with a caramel glaze (150 CZK).It sat on a salad of carrot, cilantro, and mint. The pork portion was half the size of Essensia's. The sweet glaze had a teriyaki tang and a light char flavor.

This porcine cube was meatier and less fatty than Essensia's and was on the chewier side. I mentioned my preference for one from the Mandarin Oriental to a food journalist I ran into. She told me her preference was the opposite. When she had Essensia's, that one was meatier and less fatty.

It just goes to show -- cuts of meat and critics can vary widely. So take it all with a grain of salt. However, we both agreed that the pork belly at Sansho beat them both.

The other dish I sampled there was the crab cake. The fried ball was filled with a shredded crab mixture that had a creamy texture and a red peppery flavor.I thought it was OK. My friend Mr. T thought it didn't taste crabby enough. The sour salsa underneath didn't really work for me either.

Of course, with all this food, there must be drink. Wine was available, but I went for beer. This year, Pilsner Urquell products were available.They had regular Pilsner, but I went for the richer and more complex Master 13° amber and the Master 18° dark. At 25 CZK per .3 liter glass, I spent more than a few Grands here.

I returned on Sunday and it was a gorgeous day.As wonderful as that sounds and as fantastic as it looked, it also brought out the crowds.The lines for some restaurants like Kobe and Krystal-Mozaika were so long I didn't have the patience to try them.There was a line, though shorter, for another restaurant favorite, U Emy Destinnové.

There I had the wasabi-crusted scallops with julienne garden vegetables, honey soy vinaigrette, and sesame seeds (100 CZ).The small scallops were seared perfectly, with a delicate texture. I didn't taste wasabi. Instead, there was the strong, sharp flavor of peppercorns.

U Emy's American chef and owner, Steve Trumpfheller, was on hand to make sure everything went according to plan.He was very excited about a new menu he had just put together for his restaurant.

The crowds did cause some bottlenecks in the narrower sections of the garden. But there was no line at all for Kampa Park, one of Prague's most expensive restaurants.

There, I tried the halibut with cauliflower, raisins, and dill beurre blanc with capers (175 CZK).It certainly looked pretty. However, the fish was sadly overcooked. Halibut is known for its dense, firm texture, but this one had become mushy.

It was a real shame because the sauce was fantastic. It had a buttery tang along with the sweetness of the raisin and salty, browned cauliflower. It was so good, I picked up the plate and licked it clean like a lollipop at the end.

The last place I tried was Mlynec, which is now focusing on high-end Czech cuisine. I ordered the grilled fallow deer medallions with a vegetable cream sauce and blackcurrant jam (175 CZK).It was a happy ending. The gamy meat was super tender and easy to slice with my plastic knife.The thick, sweet, fruity sauce was divine. Again, I went into plate-licking mode.

As I made my way out, I picked up my parting gift. Everyone who attended the festival received a case with three types of Pilsner Urquell's Master beer.Since I went twice and had a friend who didn't want them, I ended up with three sets. Nice.

Of course, Czechs are the biggest beer consumers in the world and someone should have considered whether such elaborate cardboard cases were really necessary. Large numbers of people drank their Masters on the spot. Unwanted, unneeded boxes were strewn all over the place outside the gates.

I spent the Sabbaths judging the food and drink . Now I'll pass judgement on the festival.

Yes, the prices do seem to be creeping higher. But overall, I'd say this was the best fest yet.

The garden was just gorgeous, the weather was perfect on Sunday, the crowds light on Saturday, and I think I enjoyed more dishes from more places than ever before.

I pray that next year's fest will be as good or better as this one was. Even though my expectations have risen to an ever higher plane, I have faith it will be.

Brewsta's Steaks 2011

2011-05-20T01:08:00.066+02:00

"The only time to eat diet food is while you're waiting for the steak to cook." Julia Child

When it was suggested that I put together a list ranking my favorite steaks in Prague, I readily agreed.

Call it a meating of the minds.

Since the annual Brewsta's Burgers list always proves popular, why not extend the franchise? After hamburgers, steaks are definitely a top choice for me when dining out.

This list consists of steaks I've eaten over the last year. Whether the steaks would be prepared the same way a day later or a year later, I cannot say. I can only tell you that this is what I ate and what I thought about it.

Since I don't say these are the best, but rather my personal favorites, I will tell you my main biases up front: I greatly prefer more tender North or South American beef cooked over a flame. I tend to dislike the generally tougher and less marbled Czech beef. So, now you know.

Let's get it started:

21. Tapas Chorizo de la CambusaDid I say favorite steaks? The ones here were my least favorite. The crashing disappointment was heightened by the raves on Tripadvisor saying how good they are. I tried the "Bavette Ambassador". It neither looked nor tasted like the American flank steak it was purported to be. This steak was one of the toughest, hardest to chew pieces of meat I've had in a long time. I even tried the more expensive Argentinian entrecote and thought they were virtually identical. I had no desire to finish either of them.

20. Zelena ZahradaI liked a lot about this restaurant. The steak? Not so much. It looks pretty enough. There was good, beefy flavor, but it was not very tender. It had grill marks on it, but it didn't have much of a grill taste.

19. Na KopciNa Kopci is beloved by many, especially among Czechs. I'll probably take another beating for saying this again, but I didn't love the steak I had. It wasn't bad, but the meat was not tender and the flavor was unexceptional. The Cognac sauce was excellent, but there wasn't enough of it to make the meat more appealing.

18. Jáma SteakhouseYes, I only ate here a month after it opened. I haven't been back, though I've had people write to tell me it has gotten better. The New York strip loin I had was one of their better offerings. The Irish beef had a smoky flame-grilled flavor. Otherwise, it was surprisingly tough and hard to chew. It reminded me of many a Czech roštěná I've had. I liked the more tender rib eye much better, but it was one of the thinnest steaks I've ever had.

17. Céleste BistroI tried their entrecôte with strong red wine sauce. I don't mind fat on my beef, especially on an entrecôte or rib eye. But this one had an unacceptable amount of gristle. Significant portions of the steak were inedible. Sure, you can cut around it, but it was disappointing. The red wine sauce was pungent, savory, and terrific. With better quality beef, it would be a favorite.

16. Baang!The strip steak "Dijon" at this modest restaurant was high quality Uruguayan beef. It was tender. It was tasty. It would have ranked higher, but for one problem. They completely drowned the beef under the creamy Dijon sauce. I scraped it off as best I could, but it detracted a fair amount from my enjoyment.

15. CowboysCowboys is an American-styled steak restaurant has an excellent location just below Prague Castle. I had high expectations. They were not quite met. I ordered the 250 gram rib eye. On the plus side, it had a wonderful flavor from the flame grill. However, the meat itself did not make for easy cutting. The menu says the cut is "the most marbled for more flavor." But marbled meat should also be tender. This one wasn't, and there was also a vein of very tough gristle though the middle. The sauce on the side, which costs 25 CZK extra, was sweet and tasted like red wine barbecue sauce. I'd understand if that doesn't sound appealing, but I loved it.

14. GabrieleGabriele is a high-end Italian eatery, highly rated by others, and the chef, Gabriele Feliciani, has worked in many a Michelin-starred establishment. I went for a tasting portion of Apennine beef steak with Barolo sauce. The full portion would be one of the most expensive steaks I've seen at 725 CZK. Worth the money? I didn't think so. The meat itself was not particularly tender and the flavor rather plain and unimpressive. Adding salt helped, but I've enjoyed many lesser-priced steaks more than this one. The sauce was the star, with the alluring perfume of the wine maintaining my attraction. The syrupy glaze on the meat and was both acidic and sweet, though it might be too sweet for some.

13. ČestrThe proprietors of this new restaurant make much of its aged Czech beef, which is butchered on the premises. I had the 125 gram entrecôte with Périgourdine sauce. It was lightly salted and the natural flavor was pretty good. There was a light external crust from the non-flame grill. I had one problem with it. It wasn't tender enough for me. Even when the steak is from the very best of Czech beef, and it is prepared with the highest standards, I still haven't found one that meets my standard for greatness. That said, the beef tenderloin, cooked rare, was more tender and a better choice.

12. Resto Cafe PatioThe Argentinian entrecote came with streaks of a rich, salty gravy across the plate. The beef was excellent quality and the knife went through it easily, though it was not the most tender I've sampled in town. It was correctly, simply seasoned with salt and had light charring from the grill. But I wish I could taste more of that grill flavor.

11. Dock HouseGetting to Dock House is a bit of a trip from the historic center of Prague, but it is a favorite of many Czechs. I had the 300 gram Charolais entrecôte with demi-glace sauce. The steak was very tender, and there was no question about its quality. It was not very thick, but was cooked as requested to medium-rare. The only issue, to my tastes, was the lack of salt. There were a few rock crystals on the top, but it needed a strong shot of salt. The demi-glace, a reduction of veal stock, vegetables, and browned bones, also needed salt. However, it was excellent after the saline levels were brought up.

10. Brasserie La GareLa Gare is probably the Frenchest restaurant in Prague. I went for the Bavette de Boeuf, which is a veal flank. I like this cut, and it is also one of the cheaper steaks. The menu said it was sourced from France. I asked for it medium-rare, but it came medium-well. However, the light-colored beef was tasty and quite tender, except on its thinner edge. What really helped make it a winner for me was the shallot sauce. Made with liberal amounts of wine, the sauce was acidic, rather than sweet, and paired very well with the veal. I was soaking bread in it after the steak was gone.

9. IchnusaSteak is not always on the menu of this restaurant with no menu. But if the chef tells you it's on offer, I think it's worth a try. The Argentinean beef I had was thick and tender, with a slathering of balsamic vinegar syrup that gave it a tart-sweet coating. I did ask for it to be cooked medium rare, and it came out very rare, but I was not too bothered about that. The meat was so good, it was probably better that way.

8. Ristorante CarmelitaCarmelita in Malá Strana is a tourist favorite, with many fans on Tripadvisor. I think it's overrated. But the superlatives about the steak are, in this case, justified. The beefsteak with green pepper sauce really was great. The meat was amazingly tender. I could easily cut the most beautiful slices with the less-than-sharp steak knife. The beef was cooked perfectly medium-rare as requested, which brought up its excellent flavor. The creamy sauce seemed too salty at first, but I got used to it and ended up mopping it up off the plate.

7. La Bodeguita del MedioI don't go to this Cuban restaurant so often any more -- it's not cheap -- but I have fond memories of their mojitos and steaks. I loved the fillet mignon de solomillio a la parillia. The meat had great flavor from the grill. It was tender. The homemade sweet chili sauce tasted like it had an onion base. It was really delicious.

6. Chagall's ClubThe ever-changing menu listed an American flank steak. Having bought a few from Makro, I can say that this was the real deal. The beef was firm, yet all too easy to cut and consume. It was cooked perfectly medium rare with an excellent balance of salt and seasoning. There was a delectable pool of sauce Périgourdine. It had the rich, rendered drippings from the meat and a hint of peppery sweetness and wine for contrast. It seems the flank steak is no longer available, but if the Charolais entrecôte with green pepper sauce is anywhere near as good, it'll be worth a visit.

5. Bresto Café & Wine BarBresto, near Wenceslas Square, also serves a bavette or flank steak. The meat was clearly of a very high quality. It was expertly grilled, the amount of salt was just right, and it was as tender as it should be. To top it all off, the pepper sauce was among the creamiest and dreamiest I've had.

4. Restaurant U Emy DestinnovéThis American-helmed restaurant's Argentinian beef tenderloin with a Chianti reduction is my favorite non-flame grilled steak. The exterior had a scrumptious, peppery and charred crust. The interior was tender and it hit the right beefy flavor points. The sauce was sublime. I only thought it needed a dash of salt. That addition brought perfect balance to the sweet notes of its balsamic and honey elements and the assertiveness of the wine. I loved it so much, I licked the plate after I ran out of bread.

3. Crazy Cow SteakhouseOn the whole, I don't like Crazy Cow restaurant all that much. Their hamburger was terrible. Some of the side items were not great. The service was spotty. But the steaks were excellent. The 300 gram rib eye was just beautiful. The beef sliced ever so nicely. It had gorgeous grill marks and the smoky char on the outside was just right. I even liked the fried onions underneath -- sweet and crunchy.

2. La Casa ArgentinaLa Casa Argentina really annoys me, and I've tried it many times. Like Crazy Cow, there's so much wrong here. I've always found the service to be inconsistent and even arrogant. Many dishes are over-priced and I didn't enjoy much of what I ate on my last visit. And yet the steaks are among the best I've found. The 200 gram Argentinian Aberdeen Angus rib eye was great. It was tender, smoky, juicy, and cooked medium-rare as requested. However, the pepper sauce I chose was surprisingly bland.

1. El Barrio de ÁngelWhile El Barrio restaurant is not perfect, it is a nice-looking restaurant that has the most of what I am looking for in a steak. The last time I had their 300 gram Argentinian rib eye, it was terrific -- tender and smoky, with a clear flavor I've never found in Czech beef. It only needed a shake of salt or two. A mild, unexceptional chimichurry sauce was included, but sides are extra. Still, I thought it a good value on top of the good taste.

And that's all he wrote. You got a beef with my list? Give us a taste of yours.

Given the health issues involved with consuming large quantities of red meat, I must, in closing, issue a general warning. The mastication was carried out by a self-trained professional diner on a controlled main course. Your meat may vary. Anything you eat can and will be fused against you in a court of food, so help me Ronald.

Java Restaurant & Café

2011-05-06T01:47:00.054+02:00

"Authentic creation is a gift to the future." Albert Camus

My grandfather was born in Indonesia -- Java to be precise. His father was a Dutch engineer building railroads there in the early years of the 20th century.

Much later, my father was born in Amsterdam. It's a city I love for all the right reasons. I go there often to visit my cool cousins, soak up Old World atmosphere and architecture, and, of course, eat great food.

If, like me, you've explored that city's restaurant scene, you'll know that the Netherlands' earlier colonial interests are well-reflected in its many Indonesian restaurants. Love of this cuisine was certainly inherited by me through family tradition, if not genetics.

My favorite Indonesian restaurant, partly for personal reasons, is Sama Sebo. I wrote about it in my post on Amsterdam food favorites.

When I heard the Indonesian restaurant, Jáva Restaurant & Café, had opened late last year near Náměstí Míru, I was all kinds of excited.My Friend and I entered through the small upstairs section of the restaurant.This area is non-smoking and not much to look at.

The subterranean dining area is easier on the eyes, with Indonesian decorations.There are comfortable padded and wicker chairs.There are smoking and non-smoking sections, but it should be noted that they are quite close together.I started with a half-liter of the Rohozec Skalák Řezané 11° (35 CZK). It's a nice beer and was a nice break from the usual brands available in Prague.My Friend had a glass of white wine (82 CZK) and Bonaqua water (35 CZK).

I wanted to try some classics, so we started with sate ayam (149 CZK). This was OK, but nothing special by my standards.The chicken was tender and well-prepared. The peanut sauce was on the thin and salty side.

There was an awkward moment before it was delivered when the waiter brought me a spoon."What is this for?" I asked.

"For your soup."

"I didn't order soup."

"You ordered the soto ayam. (chicken soup)"

"No, I ordered the sate ayam."

"I heard you say soto ayam."

"Really, I didn't." The waiter looked very unhappy and took the spoon away. Of course, it was a simple misunderstanding, but the vibe felt tense, defensive, and awkward.

I also ordered the lontong gado-gado (159 CZK) as a starter for us to share.I'd had a variety of versions of this dish before and was curious how Java's would be. I wish I hadn't.

The ones I had enjoyed in the past had a thick, rich peanut sauce that sat on top. Most of the sauce on this one was thin and salty and filtered through to the bottom of the bowl. What stayed on top soaked the crispy fried onions, turning them soggy.

The bowl also contained cabbage, sprouts, and carrots cooked to a mushy state. It tasted rather unpleasant. The fried tofu on top was bland and virtually unseasoned. Neither I nor my guest had any interest in eating more than a few bites of this dish.

Of course, there may be different interpretations, but when I have had gado-gado in the past, it contained boiled egg and potato. Neither was present in this version. Wikipedia says that carrots are not consider part of an authentic recipe. Also, if you Google gado-gado for images, the vast majority of dishes look much better, with thicker sauce.

For a main course, I had the beef rendang (199 CZK).I had a great version of this dish recently at Sansho. Java's was far more pedestrian. The flavors of ginger-like galangal (or perhaps just ginger) and lemon grass dominated the thin, salty sauce. But what stands out most in my mind here was the quality of the beef, or the lack thereof.

The meat is supposed to be slow-cooked for many hours until it reaches a state of extreme tenderness. This beef was still tough and chewy. I didn't finish it. I also thought the lettuce on the side of the plate was a useless addition.

My friend had the semur (189 CZK).This was sweeter and the meat was more tender. It also had a ginger-like flavor. We agreed this was better than the rendang, but didn't really excite either of us.

The meal left us both disappointed. My Friend, an Indonesian cuisine novice, seriously disliked the dinner. I, far more seasoned, wasn't thrilled either. The bill was 965 CZK before tip.

I returned for a second solo visit a few days later. I ate in the upstairs section.Techno music played on the sound system.

I drank the Rohozec Skalák světlý ležák 12° (35 CZK).For a starter, I got the pastel (89 CZK).There were two flour turnovers filled with minced chicken, vegetables, and boiled egg.It was lacking in seasoning and boring. The very sweet chili sauce on the side masked the blandness, but made it rather generic.

My main course was the mie goreng ayam (139 CZK). This didn't work for me either.The chicken was decent quality, and the vegetables were not as overcooked as in the gado-gado.

But I really couldn't detect flavors that would qualify this dish as Indonesian or even Asian. What struck me about this version was the white noodles. With almost every version I'd seen before, including those on Google images, the noodles were brown, due to the addition of a sweet soy sauce called kecap manis. I didn't taste it here.

I didn't finish it, but took it home and added some Heinz Soja sauce. It made a big improvement. The bill for this meal was 263 CZK before tip.

I had already eaten my two meals at Java when I saw that The Prague Post had slammed and panned the restaurant.

I have to say I agree with that assessment. I had such high hopes for a real Indonesian place with high standards. Instead, the cuisine tasted "Czechonesian" and I was very disappointed.

I was also disappointed to see the restaurant's counter-attack against The Prague Post on the Java Restaurant Facebook page. They posted a comment suggesting some type of extortion scheme or protection racket where restaurants that don't advertise with the paper are more likely to get a bad review.

I understand that having your business and creative efforts heavily criticized in print has to hurt and would naturally provoke a defensive reaction -- perhaps as much as spending hard-earned money and an evening on a meal you don't enjoy. But serious accusations in absence of serious proof are over the line.

They also went on to say that they've cooked for the Dutch and Indonesian embassies and staffs and had many satisfied customers. That may or may not be the case.

I can only speak for myself. I've eaten at plenty of authentic Indonesian restaurants and this food did not come close to meeting my expectations.

The prices at Java may be reasonable, but I didn't like my meals, and I won't be making any future visits.

I'll have to be content with remembering some of my great Indonesian meals of the past.

Java Café & Restaurant
Římská 33
Prague 2
Tel. (+420) 296 236 343

Yami Sushi House

2011-04-22T01:55:00.001+02:00

"Relativity teaches us the connection between the different descriptions of one and the same reality." Albert Einstein

When someone tells me about great sushi they've had in Prague, I register little outwardly. Inwardly, I feel the deepest, darkest skepticism.

I, too, once hoped and believed I'd find fine raw fish, expertly prepared, and creatively created, somewhere in the Czech capital. Now, I take reports of super sushi as greatly exaggerated. To me, they sounds like a snipe hunt.

So when a well-traveled and worldly friend told me he was loving the sushi set at Yami Sushi House, I felt all the usual dismissiveness. But it had been a while since I'd had Japanese food and I decided to give it a whirl.

I'd been to the restaurant in Old Town years ago, before its long-term closure for reconstruction.I didn't recall much except they had a decent variety of sushi rolls on the menu.

I went three times and the restaurant was pretty much always full.Tables did seem to turn over fast, but it's not a big place.Reservations are recommended.

On the first visit, I started off with soft-shell crab tempura (175 CZK).This is one of my favorite dishes and it was perfect. The tempura coating on the two small crustaceans was hot and lightly crisp.The crab underneath was fresh and crunchy.

There was a sweet soy dip on the side.To my mind, this crab was an absolute bargain. Besides Sansho, the only other place I've seen soft-shell crab is at SaSaZu. While I loved their version, it now costs 195 CZK for a portion half the size of Yami's.

There are a wide variety of rolls on the menu. I decided to go for the Rainbow Roll (296 CZK).This was barbecued eel, shrimp, tuna, salmon, butterfish, red snapper, and avocado, on top of a roll filled with what they call "crab cream" and more avocado.

The good news is that the fish was all excellent -- very fresh. The tuna was particularly good. The whole thing was a large portion and very filling.

The not so good news is it's filling because of what I'd classify as too much filler."Crab cream" is basically surimi or imitation crab that has been shredded and mixed with mayo. Also there was just too much rather bland rice. There was a double-wrapped roll of it under the precious fish.

With a bottle of Mattoni mineral water (35 CZK), the bill came to 506 CZK before tip.

On my next trip, I sat at the sushi bar. Unlike some places in Prague, they do have Japanese chefs behind the counter.I was ignored for 10 minutes by the waitresses. Finally, a chef took pity on me and got one of them to make contact.

I started with a bottle of Asahi (70 CZK).I like this beer, but it was a lot to pay for the privilege of trying something besides the usual Czech offerings.

The tuna temaki (100 CZK) caught my eye, and I ordered that.The nori wrapper is formed into a cone and then filled with rice and a fairly generous portion of fish. It was served in a cute little wooden stand.Considering a single nigiri piece is only slightly cheaper, it seems like a good deal. And again, I was impressed with the quality of their tuna.

For the next round, I got another Japanese restaurant non-sushi favorite, the unadon (350 CZK).It's a large portion of warm, barbecued eel served over rice. The fine and delicate meat is covered with a caramel-like sauce.It was a pure pleasure. I used to be able to buy my own at Thai's Asian Food Shop, but sadly they don't carry it any more.

This meal came to 520 CZK before tip.

On my third and final trip, I decided to get what my friend said he loved so much -- the sushi set (470 CZK).

It began with a bowl of miso shiru soup.I thought it was OK, but there was very little seaweed and tofu. I found it quite mild and would prefer a broth with a little more character.

They have Budvar on draft, so I got a .4 liter It was good and cold.

Then came the set.The raw scallop was a sweet and gelatinous pleasure. The squid tasted a bit fishy to me. The shrimp was fresh and snappy. The salmon was perfectly buttery. The red snapper was just OK -- it was a bland fish on its own. The octopus also had a nice snap and crunch to its flesh. The raw shrimp was a pleasure. I really loved the yellow tail sashimi.

There was one nigiri I did not like and it was a big surprise: the tuna. It smelled just fine, but it had a strange, mealy texture. It sort of dissolved in my mouth, instead of needing to be chewed.

I mentioned my trip to Yami to foodie friend, Barbarella. She also complained about this strange tuna texture. It's hard to explain that this happened more than once, especially since I had two other good experiences.

It also struck me that the chefs seem to be masters of illusion. The rolls were made to look big with large amounts of rice. And the fish on top of the nigiri were made to look bigger because the finger of rice underneath was absolutely tiny so there is a lot of overhang.

I was pretty full, but decided I should try a dessert. I got the banana tempura with honey (90 CZK).They do know how to fry that crunchy batter just right. It was simple, but I liked it.

This final bill was 605 CZK before tip.

Look, I know Yami has many fans. I've heard from more than just my friend about it. And the full seats there make their own statement. I did have a lot of good fish there. I loved the crab and the eel. I'm sure I'll be back from time to time.

The prices aren't bad... for Prague. The quality is generally pretty good... for Prague. I think those qualifiers are required.

My top choice for sushi here is still the very modest and simple Sushi Tam Da because of its value for money quotient.

But if I go to my favorite cheap sushi spots in New York or Atlanta, I'll pay less than all the well-known Prague places, and the stuff will be much better. I'll even be bold and state that I've enjoyed some American supermarket sushi more than a lot of what I find in this town.

It's all well and good if you are loving the sushi somewhere in Prague. For me, it's still a relative question and the reality tastes a little different.

Yami Sushi House
Masná 3
Prague 1 - Old Town
Tel. (+420) 222 312 756

Sansho

2011-04-01T01:28:00.139+02:00

"Don't just shove food into your mouth. Taste the flavor exploding in your mouth. Appreciate the texture. Honor your food with the time you take." William Shatner

I couldn't resist being among the first to try Sansho, the new Asian fusion restaurant created by Paul Day.

I had to test the talents of the former senior sous chef at the Michelin-starred Nobu in London. He also worked at Nahm, the only Thai restaurant in Europe to receive such a star.

Although I'd never tried it, I had heard good things about Day's work at Shiso, located in the member's only LS Club (which has morphed into the Crystal Club). I also went because I'd gotten a recommendation from "Red" on my Czech Please Facebook page.

Let's just say expectations were pretty high. And as I'll explain later, something unexpected happened that perhaps I should have expected.

Twice, I made my way over to Petrská Street. The brightly lit restaurant stands tall on its own corner.I went once alone on a quiet weeknight, and once with my Italian foodie friend, Miss P. Both times, it was still in the soft open period and the menu had not been finalized.

The L-shaped main dining area is meticulously simple. It feels in the kitchen of someone's stylishly spare country house.The front room is furnished with long, blond wood tables with cushioned bench seating.

I liked the casual, communal feel. Miss P pointed out that sitting for a long meal without back support is not terribly comfortable and she wished for placemats or some covering for the table.I was told the restaurant, which has a no smoking policy, can seat 40 people, but it would be tight. In warm weather, there will be seating for 25 more on the beautiful street out front.

Several friends have already been to Sansho and raved about it. There were just a few nitpicks about the seating: Mr. T wished he could adjust the distance of the bench to the table more easily. Mr. B said he liked the atmosphere, but felt awkward sitting elbow to elbow with an overly amorous couple.

Bad luck. Of course, there's also every chance you might meet some interesting new people at your table.

I had an issue with high noise levels when the restaurant was full on my second visit. It occasionally put a strain on conversation.

I always find it entertaining to watch cooks at work. The kitchen is not fully open, but there's a large window to the kitchen where you can catch glimpses of the owner and several other cooks hard at work.I learned on Cuketka's blog (Czech only) that Sofia Smith of Angel Restaurant fame (which I loved) was working there.

In the front, there's a bar area where oysters were kept on a bed of crushed ice.Eventually there will be photos or art on the walls. A sound system had yet to be installed.

Some light fixtures consisted of industrial-looking Bakelite hubs with red wires and low-wattage bare bulbs. I asked Chef Paul what he would cover those with, thinking it was unfinished. I was wrong. He told me that was exactly how he wanted it.

There is a small room in the back with just five or six simple tables that can be pushed together if necessary and small, separate chairs.To the untrained eye, these might look like old schoolroom chairs. And basically they are.

Day said he imported them from Britain because he liked their unfussy, frugal simplicity. He was later informed that he had actually repatriated old Czechoslovak-made chairs someone remembered sitting on at school many years ago.

Overall, the impression, entirely intentional, is that the investment is in the food, not the furniture.

On the first visit, the chef offered basically a seven course tasting menu of everything he was making that night for 750 CZK. He said that he aims to keep prices for bigger main courses under 400 CZK. I saw the lunch menu and most plates were well under 200 CZK. On the second visit, there was still no menu, so I'll list the prices as they were itemized on the receipt.

As I saw with many other guests, food that is ordered by several people is served family-style, with everyone sharing from a big central plate or bowl.

A first pleasant surprise is that Sansho serves pitchers of iced tap water, rather than pushing the pricey bottle stuff (which they have as well).There was a nice twist, though, with cucumber and mint, giving it a fresh and fragrant flair. There was a 10 CZK water charge per person.

Miss P and I decided to start with white wine and shared a .15 liter glass of Sardinian Vermentino (115 CZK). It was tart with a light sweetness. Mr. B had told me how much he enjoyed it.

"Simple," said Miss P.

The first course was oysters. The bivalves came from France. They were meaty, absolutely fresh, and delicious. There were two different preparations.The small, kitschy glasses held a Thai Nam Jin sauce (144 CZK for 2). Chef Paul called it his version of Bloody Mary oysters, though there was no vodka. To put the flavor in simple terms, it was like spicy tomato juice with the refreshing taste of the sea.

The oysters still in the shells had a simple orange ponzu sauce (144 CZK for 2). To me, the oysters were really the stars here, more than the sauces.

Next came the seared Scottish salmon sashimi (180 CZK).The fish was covered with a citrus soy sauce, fresh ginger, and sesame seeds. It was another refreshing and light plate that continued to wake up the palate.

Then we received two sticks with chicken satay (120 CZK). The tender meat was expertly grilled. The nutty sauce was more salty than sweet. It was topped with crispy fried shallots. It didn't grab me as much the satay sauces I've fallen in love with at Indonesian restaurants in Amsterdam. Mr. B told me he thought it was nice but not the best dish among many other very good ones.

Chef Paul came by to explain that he had prepared a dish he called "fritto misto" but with an Asian turn (130 CZK).It included one of my all-time favorites, soft shell crab, a rarity in Prague. The little legs were expertly coated with the lightest of tempura-style batter.

There were a few delicious whitebait under there. There were also small pieces of batter-fried squid. Of the trio, this worked the least best. They were rather insubstantial. The whole thing was topped by cilantro, also known around these parts as coriander. It's probably my favorite herb.

On the side was a Thai chili sauce that didn't look like the usual stuff from a bottle you see everywhere else.This was homemade. It was sweet, spicy, and tangy, and a nice extra quality detail.

There was a dish called duck sliders (120 CZK). The excellently executed shredded duck with great skin sat on a round, fluffy Chinese-style bun. There was also a homemade plum sauce, hoisin, green onion and cucumber.It looked like it would be doughy mouthful. But I was delightfully surprised. The bun was very light and all too easy to consume. The slider went down in three quick bites.

We tried .15 liter glasses of the Grotta Rossa (100 CZK each).I liked it, but Miss P also felt it was just simple.

On my solo visit, I got to try his pork belly in a 3 pepper sauce.Some years back, I tried the pork belly at Maze by Gordon Ramsay while it was open in Prague. Without a doubt, Paul Day's was far better.

By its very nature, this is a very fatty dish. I urge you to ignore this fact. It was a pure pleasure. Each bite melted in my mouth. It spoke to me of China.

I was told some of the secrets to its success. The pork belly was brined for hours before cooking. Also, all the pork and beef Sansho served are sourced from dedicated organic farms.

The flavors reminded me of meals I'd had last fall on Gerard Street in London's Chinatown. I mentioned this to Chef Paul and he told me he'd worked for a time as a butcher there. His experience, and the taste, certainly come through.

On the second visit, I was shown a piece of fresh fish, an umbrina. I was told it was from the haike family and had been swimming in the waters off Italy only the day before.

It was later steamed and cooked with chicken stock, black bean, and white pepper (310 CZK).Chef Paul was very proud of this fish, so he looked crestfallen when I wasn't terribly enthusiastic about it.

Perhaps it is just my personal taste, but I tend to prefer lighter fish like sea bass, sole, or cod. This boneless filet had a much denser texture and somewhat fishier flavor that didn't appeal to me. Miss P also didn't love it.

However, I am enthusiastic about the beef rendang. This Indonesian dish was great.The meat was cooked for 12 hours until it reached a state of fork-tender softness. Crispy toasted coconut was sprinkled on top. It sat under a spicy, coconut milk-based sauce. On the side were homemade roti.

After the many other dishes I had that first night, it almost killed me to finish it. So yes, it is to die for.

There was a side dish of wok-fried Brussels sprouts.Very nice, and again, I was having Gerard Street flashbacks. It was fried up with fish sauce, ginger, and chilies.

My favorite dish of all came on the second visit. It was the boneless barbecued pork chop.The sweet sauced meat had a little char on it that gave it the smoky flavor I so often crave. It was cooked with galangal, lemon grass, and fish sauce and topped with cilantro.

I'll get a double portion of this next time. Miss P also liked this one the best.

When you eat yourself to the point of a Monty Pythonesque explosion, the heavenly desserts are the way you want to go out.

First, I tried the homemade ice cream (120 CZK). On this day, there was chocolate, passion fruit with pink peppercorn, and crunchy bits of pistachio toffee.The chocolate was incredible. I couldn't decide if it was like a dense chocolate mousse or a light flourless chocolate cake. The flavor of bittersweet chocolate was intense. Death by chocolate, indeed. The acidic passion fruit was the perfect palate cleanser.

On the second visit, I had the sticky toffee pudding (135 CZK). It was very much like the great one that Sofia Smith made at Angel. Served warm with vanilla ice cream, this caramelized confection was a super rich finish. I must warn you, it does require a sweet tooth of saber-toothed tiger proportions to consume this dessert.

Now it's time to tell you about my unexpected experience. Although it has already gotten busy by word of mouth, the first night I went, I was alone and there was only one other table occupied. I stuck out like a sore thumb.

Chef Paul struck up a conversation with me. He sat down at my table. We talked at length, and he satisfied my endless curiosity on many topics. I really do love talking about food, as does he, and my guard was down.

At the end of the conversation he said, "And by the way, I read your blog."

Czech Please! Busted! I'd been recognized a few times after an article was published, but it had never happened in the middle. At that point, I just said I'd have to make full disclosure and let the chips fall where they may. This was a restaurant I had to write about, no matter what.

Did I get special treatment and attention? Maybe. Was I too nice or too hard because of it? I hope not. Was a drink and the pork chop dish left off the bill by mistake? I hope so.

All I can say is that I did my best to report my honest impressions. However, if that is not quite enough, I also have the independent views of those friends and acquaintances who have already eaten at Sansho.

One of them is Grant Podelco, the polymorphous Prague blogger. He's the author of the Gusto blog, among other many things. I saw him through the window one night as I passed by having dinner with his wife and friends.

He later told me it was "one of the best dinners of my life, and certainly the best meal I've had in Prague." High praise, indeed, from a former restaurant critic.

Mr. B texted me at the end of his dinner. The message said: "Am at nonfancy fusion place. Outstanding; einmalig (unique) in Prague." Mr. T gave it a big thumbs up. The only dissenting voice was Miss P, who was not nearly so impressed.

It's not necessarily a cheap meal. If you eat and drink as much as I did with Miss P, you could hit 1000 CZK per person.But you could certainly eat and spend less. Either way, I'd still say it's a great value. You could really taste the time and attention to detail that was put into each dish.

I'm putting Sansho on my recommended list for friends and visitors. Mr. B is right -- there's nothing else quite like it in the Czech capital.

That's because Paul Day, like William Shatner's alter ego, Captain Kirk, is a man with a mission.

And that is to boldly go where no chef has gone before.

Sansho
Petrská 25
Prague 1 - New Town
Tel. (+420) 222 317 425

Čestr

2011-03-18T01:47:00.105+01:00

"My favorite animal is steak." Fran Lebowitz

When I arrived in Prague a century ago, the Ambiente restaurant on Mánesova was an early favorite. It was one of the best-run dining spots in town, with super tasty wings, ribs, steaks, and much more.

The Ambiente Restaurants Group has opened a number of the city's best eateries in the years since. Sadly, the Mánesova location closed recently and I am going through Carolina wing withdrawal.

At the same time, they've just opened a new restaurant called Čestr. It's in the completely done over space once occupied by Zahrada v Opeře (Garden in the Opera) next to the State Opera.It's in the building that was once the Czech Federal Parliament, later the Radio Free Europe headquarters, and is now an annex to the National Museum.

Inside, it is a very bright, wide-open space with simple round tables and basic chairs.There is a busy open kitchen.There are big tanks for the fresh-brewed, unpasteurized Pilsner Urquell direct from the brewery.They have a meat locker with windows for viewing whole sides of Czech beef.I looked in and could actually see tags detailing the cattle's birth date as well as its... let's say expiration date.The varied designs on the ceiling that look like blue snowflakes are actually just cut-outs of steer heads arranged in different patterns.There are even decorative meat hooks hanging from the ceiling. The whole restaurant is non-smoking.

I arrived for my first visit and received their folded paper menu.Offerings vary from day to day. Right now, they only had Czech-language menus. If you want a cheat sheet, there is an English language sample menu on the Internet.

Inside the folds, there was a card with tongue-in-cheek explanations of the restaurant's philosophy and the origin of its name. Čestr is a shortened version of Český strakatý skot, which is a type of Czech cattle. The credo: small portions are good, they wake up the taste buds.

A waiter arrived promptly and delivered what was to be the first of many new experiences. It was an amuse beer, if you will.A small tasting glass with a swallow or two of 18 degree Master dark beer, topped with foam from regular Pilsner Urquell. Cookie crumbs were sprinkled over that. It was... interesting. Taste buds awoke.

Next came a little butcher block with a few slices of excellent, recently baked Czech bread.It was better than you'd find at most places, with an earthy, smoky flavor.

Of course, I was in the mood for a larger beer. Čestr serves tanked Pilsner Urquell which is delivered direct from the brewery and unpasteurized (40 CZK).Crisp and cold, it's as good as it gets.

Their drinks menu is only posted on the wall and online.Many of the beverages are over-priced. A shot of Becherovka was 78 CZK, a .2 liter Coke was 55 CZK, a .3 liter glass of homemade ice tea was 55 CZK.

They charge 35 CZK per person for an unlimited amount of filtered sparkling or non-sparkling water. I know filters aren't free, but that's still pretty steep for tap water.

I ordered an appetizer of their beef "sashimi" (145 CZK). Don't let the close-up give you the wrong impression. This is a small portion on a small plate.But there was no denying that the very fresh slices of raw tenderloin had big flavor. It was dressed with what the waiter said was a Ponzu sauce which is made with mirin (a sweet rice wine), and citrus.

It was lightly spicy, salty, and sweet. There was also apple jam with ginger, though I didn't taste much of that. It was more like little dabs of apple sauce. I liked it.

Then I had the vysoký roštěnec (185 CZK), which the waiter translated as "entrecôte." Their English online menu called it "top sirloin." It was served on one of those little butcher blocks along with a small, sharp, folding knife shaped like a fish.

I asked for it medium-rare. It was cooked properly. It was lightly salted and the natural flavor was pretty good. There was a light external crust from the non-flame grill.

I had one problem with it. It wasn't tough, but it wasn't tender either. There was a proper ribbon of fat, but overall, the beef wasn't well-marbled.

I'm sorry if this wounds anyone's national pride, but I have never thought Czech beef was very good compared with imports, especially from North and South America.

Almost all the grilled meats were 125 grams. Gram for gram, prices are a bit more expensive than some other good steakhouses.

And just a warning: I absent-mindedly picked up that folding fish knife upside down and when I attempted to cut the steak, I almost folded it on my finger. I like my steaks on the bloody side as long as it's not mine.

Sauces are extra. I got the Périgourdine (25 CZK). Served in a small copper pot, it is described as a demi-glace with duck liver and black truffle.It was lightly sweet with a hint of mushroom. I did not find it particularly exceptional or complex. It did not compare to the amazing demi-glace that was once available, ironically enough, with the entrecôte at Ambiente's Cafe Savoy.

There was a separate pot for the fries (65 CZK). These are homemade and fried in sunflower oil.They were the best fries I have had in Prague -- hot, crispy, perfectly sized, nicely salted and highly addictive. This is dangerous because side items are all-you-can-eat. I must add that I did receive one batch on another visit that were a little undercooked and not hot enough.

Once assembled on their cute zwiebelmuster-style cow plates, it was an enjoyable steak frites meal.Next. Dessert. Valhrona chocolate cake (125 CZK). Highly advisable.The three cold chunks of rich, fudgy chocolate were lightly laced with chili that produced a subtle, slow burn. Cookie crumbs gave it crunch.

Even more impressive than the chocolate was the homemade peanut ice cream. Nutty, sweet, and creamy, it was incredible. I lamented that the portion of ice cream was so small.

There's an old show business saying: Always leave them wanting more. This dish certainly helped me to understand their small-serving philosophy more clearly. How would my taste buds ever sleep properly again?

The service was friendly and blindingly fast.In some restaurants, that wouldn't work, but here it felt normal. Finished plates were often cleared in a flash.

The bill for this three-course meal, which left me quite full, was 585 CZK without tip. And this was before they instituted the 25% soft-open discount through the end of March.

On the next visit, I started with the lamb tartare (135 CZK). The minced Židovice lamb is mixed with shallots, coriander, lemon peel, egg yolk and virgin sunflower oil.It was very fresh, but did not taste particularly lamby. The dominant flavor was cilantro, which I do love. It came with home made potato chips, which were great, but not in sufficient quantity to support all the meat.

I had the spinach salad with grilled chicken (125 CZK). True to form, the portion was tiny.The leaves were thickly coated with a dressing made with Gran Moravia Parmesan. It was Caesar-like and delicious. There were pieces of garlic in there.

On the downside, I did not like the small pieces of chicken. They were cold, not tender, and slightly dry.

Then I had the 125 gram grilled beef tenderloin (185 CZK). It also was available in a 250 gram version.This was much more tender than my previous steak, but still not up to steaks from other regions previously mentioned.

It tasted very good. I asked for it medium-rare, but it came out rare. Even so, it was quite good cooked like this, and there was no reason to complain.

I coated the meat with their pepper sauce (25 CZK). That is made with fresh green peppercorns, butter, demi-glace, and brandy.Biting into the peppercorns provided strong bursts of flavor, but I did not taste much pepper flavor in the sauce itself. It was a good complement, but again, I didn't think it was great.

For visit number three, I returned with my foodie friend, Jersey Girl.Not everyone I've talked to appreciated the interior design, she thought it was cheerful, interesting, and liked it.

It was on this visit that I noticed that the chairs were not comfortable. Maybe that's part of the wake-up plan, too.

JG didn't want a Pilsner, so she ordered the Master 18 degree.It only comes in a .33 liter bottle. It's a rich, strong, dark beer.

I started with the homemade matjes herring (118 CZK). It was marinated in organic yogurt and served with pickled beets.I'm a major herring aficionado, but more for the fresh or brined version you can get in The Netherlands.

This version was fairly standard, with very firm chunks of fish. It was just OK and not something I'd get again.

JG ordered the tomato salad. She loved it.She noted that the skins of the cherry tomatoes had been removed. The sweet vinegar really brought out the essence of the tomatoes. It was simply mixed with red onion and leek.

For her main, she had the trout filet cooked on butter (258 CZK). The fish sat on a bed of zucchini and peppers seasoned with thyme.The fish was pristine and fresh and perfectly cooked to a delicate state. There was one big problem. It was totally bland.

She asked for salt, since there was none on the table. The waiter brought a comically huge salt canister that looked like it was originally intended for watering plants.They do believe in some large things, apparently.

I had the beef ribs (165 CZK). I thought they were great.The menu states that the ribs are cooked in wine for 16 hours. They were boneless, fork tender, and there was a great deal of fat on them. It was easy to cut that off. The fat also made its way into the wine-infused, beefy sauce. A guilty pleasure.

On the side, I had the roasted cabbage filled with apple (65 CZK).The diced fruit was cloying and tasted like sauerkraut. The cabbage leaves tasted like apples. It was a cute-looking concept, but the taste just didn't work for me.

I returned for a fourth and final time with a visiting American VIP from Vienna. In addition to the usual unadorned bread, we also received a quartered slice with cream cheese this time.VIP had the tenderloin cooked medium. It was tougher and more chewy than the one I had. I think rare is the way to go with all the beef.

I wasn't so hungry and just got the smoked duck breast starter (128 CZK). I've never had duck quite like this.It was incredibly soft, almost gelatinous. In both taste and texture, I found it indistinguishable from ham.

It came with what can only be described as red cabbage foam. In a menu filled dishes that sometimes successfully contrasted the pedestrian with the puny and precious, this went too far.

Yes, it tasted exactly like sweet red cabbage. No, I would not get that again.

A filling meal for one will generally go for around 500 CZK a person. The restaurant is already doing quite well in its soft open. It was always about two-thirds full during my visits.

Even though other restaurants have failed in that location, I have little doubt it will succeed. I'd consider it one of the best dining and beer drinking options around Wenceslas Square. That said, there's not a lot of top quality, good value competition in the immediate area.

If my prime goal is steak, Čestr would not be my first choice. Personally, I'd go for the rib eye at El Barrio de Ángel, the tenderloin with Chianti reduction at U Emy Destinnové, or the rib eye in the low-rent surroundings of Crazy Cow.

Čestr is definitely worth a try, and I'll be back, I'm sure -- especially for the great beer, fries, and peanut ice cream.

I went to Čestr four times because the concept intrigued me. I'd never seen anything quite like it before.

I'm still not exactly sure what to make of it or even how to categorize it. Calling it a steakhouse seems wrong, but that's as close as I'll get for now.

When you compare it with the other steak spots around Prague, Čestr really is a different animal.

Čestr
Legerova 75
Prague 1 - Wenceslas Square
Tel. (+420) 222 727 851