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All for one

With Lorieux in charge, La Provence is an exceptional place
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By Dave Faries
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
July 25th, 2007 issue

Jan Přerovský/THE PRAGUE POST
As French as a bottle of wine: the inviting dining room behind Old Town Square.
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La Provence

Štupartská 9
Prague 1–Old Town
Tel. 296 826 155
Open daily 11 a.m.–11 p.m.

Food ***
Service ***
Atmosphere ***
Overall ***

FROM THE MENU

Duck rillettes 265 Kč
Escargot 235 Kč
Oysters 325 Kč
Bouillabaisse 335 Kč
Beef Bourguignon 375 Kč
Rabbit Provencal 415 Kč
Sole meunier 595 Kč
Crepes Suzette 195 Kč

Young French chef Jerome Lorieux arrived in Prague a little over a year ago to take the helm at La Provence.
At the time, word on the street had Kampa Group’s Old Town establishment on a downhill slide, desperately in need of help in the kitchen. Last June, Lorieux began putting his touch on gourmet menus, lunch specials and the hallmark of brasserie dining, classic French fare.
When he’s behind the oven, which is most of the time, La Provence reflects the France of travel-writer lore, the one where unpretentious country inns and rowdy urban bistros serve the most exquisite dishes. Under his tutelage, simple traditions such as duck rillette — the Old World version of luncheon meat on toast — bask in surprisingly profound flavors and textures.
Rillette involves a relatively easy process: Cook the meat in fat, then pound it to smithereens. To master the technique, to beat game bird until shreds of meat are so docile as to almost melt — well, that’s why good restaurants hire talented chefs. Here, an onion compote condiment surrounds the pate with fruity sweetness before the husky pull of onion brings everything together. Quite basic and very good.
Raw oysters are even easier — just a matter of freshness, knowledge and a perfect mignonette. Or, in this case, fiercely sour sherry vinaigrette that transforms the clean, saltwater taste of unadorned shellfish. Natural oceanic flavors ambush the potent vinegar wash, allowing the intense character of sherry to escape without harming the main ingredient.
Let’s just say it’s difficult to elaborate on something so right.
La Provence takes pride in its beef bourguignon. Tender cubes of meat dwell in a complex sauce, fruity and sweet with a vegetal layer, grounded in bitterness but held together by a consuming rich and hearty base. Advocates of goulash and dumplings slink away in despair when confronted by this country French counterpart. It’s stoked with bacon, mushrooms and pearl onions. Instead of white bread, firm golden potatoes are dusted with herbs and pulled from heat well before they turn to mush.
Clearly the restaurant is worthy of top honors. Unfortunately, when the chef’s away the Czechs will play.
The same Bourguignon ordered on a night off for the chef was served without mushrooms, without pearl onions and with very little bacon. Condensed flavors — the deep plum and bitter earth — lacked density and were blanketed by salt. The meat? Abused by line cooks until it succumbed.
Bouillabaisse selected on that same visit had a nice ruddy broth, full of root vegetables and hunks of firm, flakey whitefish, along with a few mussels. The broth began with an acidic sting, which then yielded to rustic, vegetal yearnings, and then … more salt.
A lot more salt.
In short, it’s a good thing Lorieux doesn’t stray from the kitchen very often. His presence rewards guests with escargot wallowing in melted butter laced with garlic and herbs — simple and satisfying. Tarragon underscores gentle rabbit Provencal. And sole meunier not only features fluffy meat under crisp skin sizzled in butter, but also a coating of beurre noisette, so the delicate flesh carries a subtle, nutty taste. Pomme frites served alongside may rank as the best in Prague: crunchy on the outside, billowing within. For dessert, try crepes Suzette flamed tableside, blending creamy, citrus and burnished sensations. Perfect with a cup of strong coffee.
Everything else is relatively consistent, with service stumbling only on occasion. For the most part, guests receive surprisingly polite, even cheerful treatment. And the refined touches still allow for casual dress and behavior.
True, the restaurant’s location poses some challenges, what with Chateau Rouge a few meters away. No matter; if you happen to sit by an open street-side window, managers may shift your valuables out of snatching distance. Whiffs of peculiar herbal smoke drift by as well, evoking memories of misspent youth.
La Provence is one of the city’s best dining destinations. Just call ahead to make sure Chef Lorieux is in the house.

Dave Faries can be reached at dfaries@praguepost.com


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