Famous Czech Food Roasted Duck & Beef Goulash
A visit to Czech is incomplete without tasting the famous Czech roasted duck and dumpling goulash. I first tasted the roasted duck in Pilsner Urquell Brewery Restaurant in Plzeň (Pilsen), a small town about 90 km away from Prague. If time allows, I recommend one to patron at the restaurant for a good taste of local Czech cuisine before/after the tour to Pilsner Urquell Brewery.
If Pilsen is not in your travel plan, not to worry as I know exactly where in Prague city you could get the delicious yet authentic Czech roasted duck. Located in a hidden alley in old town square, the Restaurant Mlejnice is easy to miss. The restaurant is usually packed and it is best to beat the crowd by either patron before noon or after 2pm.
Regardless of the great selection of food including streak and pasta, the Czech roasted duck and goulash are must try items. The 1/4 duck is served with sauerkraut and gnocchi pasta. The skin of the duck is fried till crispy while still maintain the tenderness of the duck meat inside. The duck meat is best to enjoy with sauerkraut as the sourness helps to reduce the gamy taste of the duck. I tasted no cheesy taste on the gnocchi which I suspected they could be a type of Czech dumpling, in gnocchi pasta shape. Nevertheless, the whole dish scored!
Next in the menu is the famous Czech beef goulash soup in crusty hollowed bread. This is by far my favourite goulash. The gravy is flavorful, thick and creamy. The beef chucks are stewed to perfection, tender and moist. It is hard to stop after the first spoonful, so addictive indeed. Enjoy the goulash by tearing the crusty bread and dip into the gravy. Yum! If you are not mind with soggy bread, the inner bread should not be missed as they packed with great flavor after soaked up in the rich gravy.
Another restaurant I would like to recommend is the Hlucná Samota located in Praha 2, a highly recommended pub restaurant by my local Czech colleague. It was where I usually held welcome dinners for visitors (especially colleagues) from homeland.
I had tried quite a number of dishes and the most memorable one was the gigantic salad platter with delicious hot wings. I yearning for it but could not figure out which one was the item listed in the menu. I ended up order the hot wings with ciabatta. An average dish I would say. On the contrary, the beef goulash and sausage dumpling with bacon strips did wow me, especially the dumpling. Unlike the dumpling served in Restaurant Mlejnice, the dumpling served here is the classic Czech dumpling with meat filling. The bacon strips added the salty and crispy dimensions to the dish. The dish did have the classic flavour i am searching for.
Although I am not a 'meaty person', I do like Czech food a lot. Perhaps I have acclimated to it after spending few months in this beautiful country. I love Prague !!
