CITY Issue 55 - (Page 65) FOOD CZECH, PLEASE Prague may be famous for its stunning cityscapes and high culture, but local cuisine has never been a selling point. With a thriving sampling of international fare, however, the city today offers ample dining options for the hungry traveler. By Seyward Darby A colleague stormed up to my desk a er her lunch break last week, clutching the wax pape that hid the emains of a limp, unsatisfying meal. It seemed he to-go pita f om the Lebanese estauant located up the steep hill f om ou P ague office had been doused in spicy ed sauce that was actually just bottled ma ina a. “I give up!” she p oclaimed, decla ing he self done with inte national ethnic cuisine in the Golden City. s she g umbled, I couldn’t help but think she wasn’t giving the scene a fai shake. mid the flood of g easy Chinese joints and g imy mock-I ish pubs, topnotch ethnic estau ants a e plentiful and a godsend. e all, something has to counte t aditional Czech fa e. Czech food tends to fall into one of th ee catego ies: baked, boiled, o f ied. Staples include wild game, oily sausages, c eamy d essings, and doughy dumplings. nd while much attention has been lavished on the supposed “ enaissance” of Czech cuisine, even with ing edient twists and youthful chefs, most menus a e still heavy on t adition and light on innovative flavo s. choice dish at an in-vogue estau ant is Czech c ispy duck with ed cabbage, bacon dumplings, and d ipping pancake. Fo desse t: guilt and indigestion. In the past two decades, inte national fa e f om Japan to F ance to Cuba has descended on majo cities in Eu ope’s fo me communist bloc. nd in count ies like the Czech Republic, the impo ts have t ied valiantly to fi ll the gaping void of dishes not d ained of nuance and d owned in fat. Even b ash B itish supe -chef Go don Ramsay has ecently jumped in on the action. So when f iends o family come to visit, I let them indulge thei cu iosity in the local g ub only if they insist. e a day of P ague walking and gawking, I p efe to stee them towa d f esh tekka maki, al dente penne with pesto, o spicy black beans and ice. These estau ants a e among the best P ague has to offe fo the mo e adventu ous, disce ning, and sick-and-ti ed-ofCzech-dumplings palates. They give my pita-loving f iend, fo one, a eason to change he sad tune. / / / / / / / / / / / / / / ///// La Provence Štupa stká , P ague . ampa oup.com Boasting authentic F ench cuisine in both a g ound-floo b asse ie and elegant unde g ound estau ant, La P ovence is a P ague gem. One of five estau ants owned by the elite Kampa G oup, it’s conside ed one of the city’s most omantic spots. Dine s can savo appetize s like smoked salmon with potato blini and musta d beu e blanc, o main dishes like veal in pa mesan c ust with fava beans, tomatoes, and P ovençal potatoes. The Sushi Bar Zbo ovská , P ague .sushi.cz The hip place to eat sashimi and nigi i since , the aptly named Sushi Ba is a popula eate y in P ague’s “Little ua te .” It has a genuine sushi-ba feel, with only a few long tables, sleek wood paneling, and a wide a ay of delicately made olls. Custome s can also be su e they a e getting the best saltwate fish the landlocked Czech Republic has to offe ; Sushi Ba is next doo to a seafood shop, whe e catch comes in daily. WHAT'S FOR DESSERT AFTER A TRADITIONAL CZECH MEAL IN PRAGUE? GUILT AND INDIGESTION. 65 http://www.kampagroup.com http://www.sushi.cz
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