Krystal Mozaika Bistro

Mozaika is a longtime favorite in Vinohrady, serving up diverse but excellently executed dishes in the leafy suburb of Prague 3. So the opening of a second location, with a slightly different focus, came as great news.

This time, they've set up shop in Karlín - a welcome addition to a neighborhood that is accumulating a great variety of quality restaurants. Krystal Bistro has a decidedly more Czech focus, in contrast to Mozaika's menu, which includes French touches as well as salmon wrapped in seaweed, grilled calamari and chicken breast tandoori.

Some dishes are found at both restaurants, like the beef tongue and the rabbit leg, both cooked "sous vide" (more on this later). But Krystal also includes aspic, svíčková, pork shoulder, pork-rind spread and even utopenec (pickled sausage). If your first instinct upon hearing those standards is to roll your eyes and dismiss the menu as more of the same, you're missing out.

Krystal is a fantastic addition to a culinary movement in Prague that is taking care to elevate and preserve Czech cuisine. At the nexus of this is the Ambiente Group, a restaurant chain that has found acclaim recently by applying in more accessible venues the very special philosophy it distilled in its flagship, La Degustation Boheme Bourgeois. There, chef Oldřich Sahajdák practices Czech cuisine with all the skill and vision of a top chef. Next came Lokál with simple, fresh and honest Czech hospoda food; and now Čestr, which challenges the idea that the best steak in Prague must be imported.

Krystal's dishes work with the bistro concept - simple meals priced moderately and done well. The Krystal talíř (plate) is a perfect starter to sample what the kitchen is capable of, self-described on their website as "simple traditional dishes using fresh ingredients from local suppliers."

The utopenec was a healthy shade of pink, not overly fatty and cut wonderfully with freshly sliced white onions and a vinegar tang. Thin cuts of salty, smoky pork fat were similar to Italian lardo, but with a more assertive taste.

Small rounds of aspic resembled head cheese, but according to the menu, it had been prepared with a brawn of pork leg. It was fresh and light, mild enough for diners who don't care for the organ meats that can sometimes be included in head cheese.

Triangles of goat cheese were springy and fresh but didn't carry that musky, barnyard taste goat cheese often has. The texture was closer to paneer, Indian cottage cheese, and skirted the line between pleasing and bland, but given the strong fats and meats on the platter, a milder choice isn't a bad idea.

Smoked trout rilletes were a fantastic mix of Czech and French, a decadent fish paté that was brightened with a topping of fresh chopped chives that paired perfectly with the spongy, fresh Czech rye and brown breads.

In the middle of the platter was a small bowl with pickled cocktail onions and a sliced pickle, a simple addition to help cut through the fattier bites on the platter.

And that was all on a single plate - more than enough for two diners. Three diners, however, couldn't finish that whole plate as well as a second appetizer, not because they weren't delicious, but rather they were too good and fantastically rich. Liver paté, pink and smooth but not overly processed, was dotted with morrel mushrooms that boosted its earthy, warm taste. A small berry jam on the side served as the traditional fruit pairing, but was a bit too sweet and lacked the sour tang that a good compote can lend to patés.

Krystal's main courses skew traditional Czech meals, prepared in the bistro styles of slow cooking, in some cases, sous vide, the technique that submerges vacuum-sealed bags of meat in water kept at a low temperature for several hours and often finished on a saute pan. Krystal uses this method for rabbit leg, svičkova, coq au vin and beef tongue. One of the fattiest and most unctuous cuts of beef, the tongue is a great choice for fans of ox-tail or other gamey and tender bites. Krystal's version melts in your mouth like the most tender pot roast you've ever eaten. The demi-glace is an elegant gravy on the meat, but don't waste it on the mashed potatoes, which were so gluey they seemed to be closer to being classified as a potato dumpling.

The carrot puree on the side of the sea bream fillet was similarly superfluous and didn't quite match the main. But in both cases, the disappointing sides were, in fact, beside the point. The sea bream fillet was tender and flakey, topped with skin that was crispy except for where it was under the bacon that wrapped the fish. It's not a bad idea, but it's not a brilliant one either, and the fish would have been just perfect without the extra shot of pork fat and salt.

The crispy bacon on the hamburger, however, was a valuable addition. Fans of Mozaika's hamburger will be happy to know it's been replicated at Krystal, and it's just fantastic, if seriously messy. The meat was cooked pink in the middle, as requested, but had a nice char. Pickles, mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato all combine in perfect amounts, and the plastic squeeze bottles of mustard and ketchup brought to the table are a cute touch.

As with bistros, Krystal's service and atmosphere are friendly but casual. You might wait a bit at the beginning to get your drink order in, but the servers will make sure your silverware is replaced, and the chef himself may even take your order. The check won't make you spit out your digestif, either. You'll feel you got away with a serious bargain.

Claire Compton can be reached at
ccompton@praguepost.com