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August 30th, 2008
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Close to a class act

Minor glitches mar a first-rate dining experience
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By Dave Faries
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
April 23rd, 2008 issue

VLADIMÍR WEISS/THE PRAGUE POST
Chef Sunny Passi gets the grill working for his excellent chicken tikka.
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Metropol Music Café


Na Poříčí 12
Prague 1-New Town
Tel. 222 314 071
Open daily 9 a.m.-3 a.m. (kitchen until 1 a.m.)

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

FROM THE MENU



Al Rahib 110 Kč
Baba ghanoush 120 Kč
Hummus lahma 160 Kč
Falafel 120 Kč
Merguez 120 Kč
Lamb chops 340 Kč
Chicken masala 295 Kč
Beef fillet 545 Kč
Naan 50 Kč

Every chef, from time to time, must deal with little catastrophes.
Frayed wires inside the freezer’s motor burn out, spoiling a day’s worth of ingredients. One of the line cooks throws a tantrum and storms out during lunch rush. Perhaps some construction crew working down the street shuts off the gas line feeding the restaurant’s stove by mistake.
Guests rarely learn of such mishaps, for much like the “show must go on” ethos in the world of live theater, good chefs find ways to deal with crises and still maintain flawless service.
So it was a bit surprising when our waiter at the new Metropol Music Café returned to the table and apologized. No hummus today, he explained, because “the machine broke” — never mind that clever home cooks prepared the chick-pea mash for centuries before the advent of wall sockets and food processors.
The staff’s lack of initiative denied patrons a memorable experience. When able to power up their fancy tools, Metropol creates a full-bodied, earthy mash. Riding above this is a sharp crest of tahini — two disparate flavors working in tandem. And three distinct textural impressions emerge: silken, yet thick and pulpy, with a little grit.
On the same visit, the same waiter brought two of our entrees and another apology. “We are having problems with the grill,” he said. The third dish, chicken tikka, would be delayed — until we picked the first two plates clean, as it turns out.
Yet once again, it was worth the wait.
A peppery spice builds behind the first cool bite of tender, marinated white meat. It sparks briefly, then bursts into a flickering ground fire: never hot enough to sear away other flavors, but impossible to quench. It lingers on your palate long after you finish the dish.
If the restaurant’s kitchen ever learns to solve unfortunate glitches (my final visit was marred by a sticky, crusted beer glass), Metropol will rank near the top of Prague’s growing list of impressive restaurants — in all categories.
Baba ghanoush comes in small portions, but the flavors are bold. A piercing, acrid smoke surges from its murky base. Then, as the charred taste wears away, more complex and subdued, almost bitter elements show themselves. North African merguez sausage carries a modest thread of heat behind a tangle of sweet, herbal, pungent and gamey aspects. Metropol’s version of falafel presents a handmade character: crispy, but not completely crisp around a center both moist and crumbly. Although quite herbal, the seasoning backs away from a more notable — and natural — mellow, nutty taste.
Perhaps the chef handles all the heavy-duty cooking chores himself. Either that or he’s somehow managed to coax locally hired line cooks to pull meat from the grill before it shrivels into shoe leather. The lamb chops, for instance, reveal a deep magenta center, rich and buttery. A drizzle of jus steeped with tarragon simply enhances the elegant yet rustic mood.
The menu ranges across the Middle East to India, where you find an audacious version of chicken masala: tender bird drenched in an intense sauce, at once burning and chalky, with bitter edges. Each spice plays a role in this densely layered mass, and you sense every one. But you remember the heat.
Now, can the kitchen satisfy more Western tastes — such as the craving for beef?
Ordered rare, served rare, Metropol’s fillet almost dissolves on the tongue. The flavors, rich and masculine, are bound by a thin sprinkle of pepper and the concentrated punch of a jus reduction. The chef treats salmon with the same consideration, allowing its natural character to stand out.
Metropol occupies the old Dinitz space. Downstairs keeps the old café look, with a program of live music and shortened menu. The “oriental” restaurant fills out a more elegant setting upstairs. While it still overlooks the café seating and small stage, the balcony is now glassed-in to buffer the sound.
Now, if the owners would just kick in a little extra to fix the broken hummus machine and solve whatever problems afflict the grill.

Dave Faries can be reached at dfaries@praguepost.com


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