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July 6th, 2008
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Almost hooked

Patience pays off at this tiny Malá Strana spot
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By Dave Faries
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
April 30th, 2008 issue

JAN PŘEROVSKÝ/THE PRAGUE POST
When it's open, the kitchen turns out some tasty fare.
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FROM THE MENU



Caesar salad 85 Kč
Celeriac-apple soup 70 Kč
Seafood chowder 90 Kč
Grilled chicken breast 275 Kč
Seafood pie 255 Kč
Sirloin steak 315 Kč
Pilsner Urquell 40 Kč
Little Whale


(U malé velryby)
Maltézské nám. 15
Prague 1-Malá Strana
Tel. 257 214 703
Open Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-8 p.m. (limited menu)

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

Little Whale became a source of great frustration.
Several times I dropped by for a meal, only to find the doors barred. On one occasion, a note declared the place closed while the owner slipped away for a quick vacation. Tiny chef-owned restaurants can’t just turn the kitchen over to a stand-in, after all.
Another evening — a Saturday, to be precise — the place was shut down for a private party. Large establishments, of course, set aside a dedicated room for this kind of thing. Mom-and-pop operations must balance the benefit of a guaranteed income for one night versus the cost of shunning potential customers. With only about 20 seats, even a Viktoria Žižkov fan club gathering would strain Little Whale.
So for a time it seemed as if I would never make it inside. In some small way, this Malá Strana kitchen became my white whale.
When I was finally able to eat there, it was with a burning question in mind: Is it worth such an extended quest?
My first discovery was that the seafood chowder suffered from rending, citrusy gusts of sour seasoning, like very fresh and intense lemongrass. The cream broth was a little unsteady, yielding its desired fatty heft a washed-out, watery character. On the other hand, large chunks of whitefish were firm to the bite while salmon ribboned by veins of beautiful white fat melted on the tongue. And it’s difficult to imagine more perfect, tender calamari.
Rare sirloin steak showed a thin margin from searing on each side, giving way to the vivid maroon color of natural beef. Dense and husky in flavor, washed lightly by salt, pepper and garlic, scarred bittersweet on the grill, it’s an impressive piece of meat. Yet the chef insists on silencing the expressiveness of a beautiful steak with a deadly pool of red wine and cherry, reduced until a candied taste emerges.
Applied with even the gentlest touch, the sauce still manages to dominate.
This is akin to what occurs when a very good cook puts on airs. Dishes bearing haughty names receive home-style treatment.
Sometimes this means downplayed, even overly simple presentations. The grilled chicken breast, for instance, remains a portion of bland white protein. Though it’s juicy and well-prepared, the sides — a wedge of polenta and slivers of charred eggplant — stride well ahead of the meat itself.
Little Whale’s seafood pie is, essentially, mussels mariniere minus the shallots, baked under potatoes au gratin. Did I say something about a home cook putting on airs? I meant a foreign chef at some family reunion in Kansas.
In addition to mussels, scraps of other fishy things struggle for attention. But the standout sensations arise from the recipe’s classic French base: the sharp prick of white wine countered by the murky earthiness of good shellfish.
The one-man kitchen is not without its surprises. Whatever prompted the chef, in this age of “updated” Caesar salads, to list something more classic, was a good idea; the intricate combination of gentle, bitter, pungent elements reminds one just why the plate of seasoned greens became a sensation in the first place. Fresh sardines draped around the salad contrast the garlic-heavy dressing with residue from their sweet, tangy marinade and strong finish. Instead of crispy croutons, there are creamy cubes of polenta.
A chalkboard special one particular evening allowed the chef to, finally, show himself fully capable of mimicking the subtleties of a pricey fine-dining destination such as Allegro. Set in a sedate, creamy broth, celeriac-apple soup balanced a fruity sweet breeze against a grounded, earthy base.
It was simple and profound at the same time.
So maybe it’s worth a few irritating moments, at least on occasion. Other times, Little Whale is a cozy, inexpensive nook serving unpretentious and very satisfying meals.

Dave Faries can be reached at dfaries@praguepost.com


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