A rare breed

Like stiff, sky-high hairdos and Michael Jackson, mixed menus that offer the likes of filet mignon as well as sushi are a thing of the past.

As the current wisdom goes, restaurants do best when they focus on one style of food and do it well. After all, you wouldn't go for heart surgery to the same place where you get your teeth cleaned. So why would you order osso bucco from the same place you get pad thai?

Thus, it was with some skepticism that my dining companions and I tried Soho's East-meets-West cuisine. This Podolí restaurant, however, far surpassed our expectations, producing wonderful Continental dishes that were on a par with its surprisingly delicious sushi.

Soho's décor, like its menu, is unintentionally retro, with stuffed lounge chairs, votive candles, odd flourishes (including a near life-size wicker deer) and gauzy, mosquito net-like curtains that section off the dining room into more intimate spaces. Unfortunately, the same gauzy, shimmery curtains were drawn across the windows on a recent evening, blocking what should have been a lovely view of the Vltava.

If the surroundings didn't win us over, however, the food certainly did.

The grilled prawn starter was simple and elegant, consisting of a single, sweet and succulent jumbo prawn laid out atop a perfectly cooked mound of saffron risotto.

A smoked trout appetizer was also wonderful, served with a creamy cucumber mousse. A beet sauce drizzled on this plate tasted nice, but was unnecessary, as the flavors of the smoky, salty fish were quite adequate on their own.

Soho's beef carpaccio was very good as well, topped with just the right amount of parmesan shavings, olive oil and black pepper. However, a massive bush of unseasoned greens sprouting from a tube-shaped frico presented smack in the middle of the plate served more as an obstacle than a garnish.

Next, a generous platter of Philadelphia rolls convinced us that this restaurant knows how to handle its maki. It's true that Philadelphia rolls (filled with cream cheese, cucumber and avocado) are more fusion than real sushi. Even so, the texture and taste of the raw salmon was fresh, and the rice and seaweed were expertly rolled. If this was any indication, the other offerings on Soho's lengthy sushi list should be exceptional.

When it came to the mains, there was some confusion in the English translation of the menu. A "leg of fryer," which we took to mean young chicken, turned out to be rabbit, which was nevertheless nice and tender and slathered in a creamy wild mushroom sauce.

Meanwhile, a dish described as a combination of beef, chicken and pork turned out to be a Chinese-style noodle stir-fry, laden with mixed meats and vegetables and topped with a pile of crunchy, deep-fried vermicelli. Though unexpected, this was still a very flavorful dish.

A filet of salmon wrapped in paper-thin slices of zucchini was beautifully done. The fatty fish melted in the mouth, just as it should when it's not overcooked. However, for this dish, the accompanying risotto was just slightly on the mushy side, not quite matching the perfection of the appetizer portion.

The starters and main courses left little room for dessert. But my dining companions and I happily managed to squeeze in a creme brulee with raspberries, which matched the quality of the rest of the meal. The caramelized sugar gave a satisfying crack under the spoon, and the custard beneath was rich and creamy. Served on the side, a smattering of liqueur-drenched raspberries added an extra dimension to each spoonful.

The service staff here were casual, giving diners plenty of space.

On the whole, Soho delivered a highly satisfying meal that was a few niggling points shy of sublime. While some things are best left in the '90s, it offers rare evidence that the mixed menu can stand up to time.

Wency Leung can be reached at
wleung@praguepost.com