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Starstruck in Žižkov

Eclectic pub is a lot more interesting than its ratings
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By Dave Faries
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
September 26th, 2007 issue

03 Restaurant

Vlkova 12
Prague 3–Žižkov
Tel. 222 730 720
Open daily 11 a.m.–midnight

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

VLADIMÍR WEISS/THE PRAGUE POST
Not by the numbers: Frog legs are just one of the unusual menu offerings at 03.
FROM THE MENU

English bacon 75 Kč
Baked hermelín 55 Kč
Chicken breast 79 Kč
Gourmet goulash 105 Kč
Frog legs 185 Kč

Perhaps 03 deliberately set out to confound the wisdom of convention.
For instance, pubs routinely post lackadaisical staples on their “daily menu” board, offering sloppily made goulash and such for 100 Kč ($5), right? People willingly shovel down this filler, considering lunchtime value more important than quality.
Well, one day last week, this cool, dinky Žižkov dive had cold peach soup chalked atop its list. Nothing spectacular — just the unadorned flavor of churned fruit contained within a pale, viscid broth, dressed only by a dollop of sour cream. Before the tangy bite of the latter made itself known, a soothing, milky sweetness enveloped the palate, strangely resurrecting long-buried memories of Creamsicles in summertime.
This was followed by a curious main course, seemingly plucked from the collegiate gourmet cookbook: chicken breast draped in melted hermelín. Again, nothing particularly enthralling about this dish, except cheese and tender white meat fused together, creating a vaguely tart skin under which lurked belts of ground black pepper. The meat’s juicy character prompted mental comparisons to the old Southern trick of brining chicken. And the balance of seasoning teetered confidently on that treacherous line between bold and barely noticeable.
Served with oil-laden fries and a beer, lunch set me back a mere 124 Kč.
Even if the soup and entree lacked four-star complexity, they show that it’s possible for a small kitchen to put a little creative effort into meals without upsetting the sacred nature of cheap luncheon specials.
Indeed, 03 also exposes flaws inherent in the practice of awarding stars to judge a restaurant’s performance.
The standards most critics abide by when issuing these prejudicial marks will not tolerate a place serving “baked brie” disguised as common hermelín that has been allowed to cool down and congeal into tepid, tasteless goo. Nor will “gourmet” goulash paired with dry, almost stale dumplings earn much praise.
Yes, the kitchen staff reduced the sauce to a hefty mass of condensed flavors. But “gourmet” should never excuse the act of shaking far too much salt into the thick brown broth, nor of parching small cubes of beef until their fibers stiffen up, separate and resist incursions by silverware.
Still, the cooks deserve marks for inventiveness.
Instead of trotting out flabby Czech pub bacon, they sizzle strips of the English version until blackened and brittle, then douse them in an interesting timid-sweet sauce of mustard (with no sharp edges) and onion (with no bitter snap). The subdued flavors allow salty, smoky and bitterly charred aspects of the bacon free range. In place of common sauce, the kitchen prepares something approaching American gravy to accompany the country chicken with green beans.
The biggest surprise on 03’s menu must certainly be frog legs, an entree portion of delicate meat, smooth and tender, in an herbal sauce. While the dish misses the mark somewhat — frog legs bask when the sauce contains more than a rumor of garlic — the simple presentation emphasizes the vague, earthy taste of meat.
In so many ways, 03 departs from the norm. Service is motivated and friendly, for one. The chef seems to care about good cooking, even though he strives to keep costs in order. As for the décor, um, let’s see: tattered Persian rugs, African artifacts, a broken pith helmet, chairs carpeted in a faded candy-stripe motif. If you had to guess at a theme — well, let’s just settle on eclectic.
Which sums up this unpredictable, cozy, cluttered Žižkov dive. Other neighborhood pubs are content to settle into stale routines. 03 chooses to toy with convention, stretching the bounds of ground-level cuisine with unique dishes.
Considering everything, it’s far more interesting than one star gives it credit for.

Dave Faries can be reached at dfaries@praguepost.com


Other articles in Night & Day (26/09/2007):

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