First stop was a gingerbread bakery -- no joke. It was pretty cool. The gingerbread creations were beautifully iced and some of the traditional variations that we tasted were yummy. One was gingerbread rolled with plum preserve and nuts. Another was with poppy seed paste. Second stop was open faced sandwiches, something I thought was more Danish than Czech but that just goes to show you what I know (or don't know). We had a delicious canapé-type sandwich with puréed beets and goat cheese, another with celeriac and a third with pickled herring (which I tried and didn't mind so much because it wasn't as aggressively pickled as I feared that it would be).
Next up -- pastrami and sausages (both pork and beef) with mild mustard and country bread. Then we had Russell and my favorite dish of the day -- sauerkraut soup! Sounds gross I know but it was really interesting and subtle with smokey bacon and woodsy mushrooms, silky creme fraiche and a flavorful basil oil. Jan, our guide, choose not to tell us about what was in the soup before we ate it and I am glad that he did not because I am afraid I wouldn't have been quite so open to it if I had known it was sauerkraut soup.
Delicious sauerkraut soup
After our soup we enjoyed some pate in a garden-type restaurant that you would never have found had someone not brought you there. And finally we had roast beef marinated in vegetables with bread dumpings. And for dessert -- apple strudel with custard sauce (and whipped cream). This last stop was an atmospheric second floor cafe where Kafka and Einstein ate.
Svickova w/ bread dumplings
It was certainly a day for professional eating. Fortunately Russell and I brought our "A" game so you needn't worry! We represented!
Nice reading :)
ReplyDeleteHere are some better directions to the Sapa market - take bus 113 from metro Kačerov or bus 197 from Smíchovské Nádraží bus station to Sídliště Písnice. Sapa is open daily from 9:00-20:00.