Hunting Moby

Once living in Prague and sharing a flat with eleven others from all around, food was often an issue. Not because we lacked it, far from it, but our wish to commune wasn´t very compatible with our backgrounds and with our tiny kitchen. So when my Indian friend tried to cook a Biryani, or an Arabic Shawarma, we knew what our clothes would smell like for the next few days. It was all well worth it, for the nurture and the knowledge received. Eating together all kinds of little facts were learned, like that the sweet, sweet Brazilian candy brigadeiro owns it´s popularity to a local military man ( that´s what it means ), the famous Hungarian goulash exists thanks to the Hungarian cowboys (Gulyás) who prepared it, or that a tea from South America called Mate has more to do with Native Americans “peace pipe” than with four o´clock British tea ritual.

If at home food worked often as a window, so it was in the city. Andel clearly showed how cosmopolitan this city could be, with all it´s American Donalds / KFCs, Indians kebabs and Chinese fast foods. But the street jew, and I don´t mean the dancers inviting passers-by to go to one of their many pubs, was local. Smažený sýr (literally, fried cheese), Eidam rolled on eggs and flour, fried, and served inside a bread with dip. The best cheap taste I´ve ever had, it goes to show beer and cheese are a serious matter to Czechs.

The city of gold also pays a homage to the city of Light (which most locals love) in the Cafe Louvre.Thickest hot chocolate in the city and a good place to play pool, the place mimics the chic atmosphere of some near river cafes of Paris. A bit of a shame, when the local atmosphere has so much to offer already.

Most places I love in Praha are a lot like hobbit holes, a door and a name visible from outside, then stairs leading under. Radnicni Sklipek isn´t different, literally a cellar full of impressive things, some hanging, some just there (my personal top 3 things are a piano, a gas mask and a swinging Santa). A very good place to save money, as the portions are far superior what you usually expects for that price. Spiced pork and chicken are the speciality, my favorite being the chicken pasta. The attendants mostly don´t speak English, but they have a translated menu, and are friendly. I was surprised tough when my Czech friends refused to come back after seeing a red poster, it seems that still is very present on peoples minds, an unseen wound available if one wishes to explore it.