Mlsná kavka: Eat your vegetables!

Some people staunchly believe that a meal's not a meal without meat, and will gawp at any proposal of a sort of substitute. But those of us who have ventured onto the green side and know the joys of vegetarian cooking realize the belief that "meatless equals tasteless" is a common misconception. Unfortunately, some of the items on the veggie-only menu at Mlsná kavka, a casual restaurant in Karlín, only perpetuate the stereotype. 

Mlsná kavka is difficult to classify. The menu is neither consistently bad nor consistently good; some dishes are creative and superior, like the tofu nasi goreng, while others, like the penne with tomatoes or the quiche, are so bland or dry that the words "rabbit food" come to mind.

Many aspects of the restaurant are conscientious. The corner building, just by the train tracks, exudes coziness, with tea lights on tables, low couches for lounging and warm colors like yellow and olive green. The chef is Dutch, and Mlsná kavka is part of Green Doors, a vocational rehabilitation program. But while the menu looks great, not everything holds up.

Starters began promisingly, with mushrooms stuffed with goat cheese and pink peppercorn. It was lively and inventive, and a generous portion for the price. The tiny mushrooms burst with the tangy flavor of the cheese, and the peppercorns added an extra kick. A bed of crisp and sweet radicchio, swathed in a light garlic cream dressing, turned the dish into a sizeable and satisfying appetizer.

Potato soup, however, fell flat. While it didn't taste bad, per se, it was completely overpowered by the presence of mushrooms, and the broth was too salty, with meager chunks of potato and carrot bobbing around. A requested bread basket consisted entirely of baguette butts, and stale ones at that.

A mixed salad was ordered on one recent visit as a starter; it is available also as a side dish, which it suited better. There was no arguing the freshness or variety of the greens, and shaved carrots, cherry tomatoes and red onion made for a healthy bite along with a nice vinaigrette.

Nasi goreng with tofu satay was the best of all entrees sampled, and is good enough to recommend the restaurant. Two large skewers held big cubes of well-grilled tofu, coated in a rich peanut sauce. The tofu's texture was perfect: silken and not rubbery. The sauce was creamy and indulgent, leaving one smacking for the next bite. The skewers sat atop the nasi goreng, or fried rice, which was fluffy and lightly spiced with tamarind, with a mild, long-running kick tempered by the peanut sauce. Small pieces of chopped vegetables added color and depth to the rice.

My dining companion was not as lucky in the entree lottery, however. He ordered the Swiss chard quiche, and what arrived was a triangular-shaped brick. Dense and dry, each forkful crumbled from the mass, tearing away lumps of red beets and the bitter, leafy chard. It took several bottles of Orangina (a nice treat to see on the drinks menu, which also features Kofola but no Coke or Pepsi) for him to wash it down. The side of couscous with vegetables was passable, if a poor pairing for want of any moistness.

Another dish that failed was penne with tomato. It doesn't get much simpler than this, and it could have been a chance for freshness and skill with simplicity to shine. But it was simply boring: The diced tomatoes and ample fresh basil could not make up for a lack of sauce, and the vegetable and herb flavors were stretched too thin. Chunks of garlic were chopped too large and overpowered everything else.

Mlsná kavka did redeem itself slightly with the tofu burger, which was comforting and tasty, although a bit unwieldy in a store-bought bun that soon gave way. The patty had a nice crispy crust from the pan, and the inside held whole soy beans, herbs, carrots and onion. A house-made tomato salsa added a nice sweetness to the mix, although it was flecked through with the same ominous garlic slices.

Desserts were also hit or miss. While the tiramisu - caked creatively inside scoops of vanilla ice cream - was dreamy, the lime cheesecake was like sucking on a lime. A layer of lime gel completely overpowered the cake, and required a lot of wincing to tackle.

Perhaps Mlsná kavka, which translates as "the picky jackdaw," is a fitting name for this place. If you choose carefully, there is some decent, if not particularly memorable, food to be had. But such wild inconsistency is hardly appealing, as both meat-lovers and vegetarians would surely agree.

Fiona Gaze can be reached at
fgaze@praguepost.com