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| Hradčany Restaurant |
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at the
Savoy Hotel
Prague - Czech Republic |
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Extraordinary
February - 2007 |
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5 Stars
& 5 Stripes
Overall - 'Cuisine & Service' |
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The
Ultimate Award:
Seven Stars and
Stripes® |
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| From the comfortable and fashionably chic interior of
the Hradčany Restaurant I could see the F & B Manager Marian
Satran and the Sommelier Vladimir Malek quietly discussing the appropriate
aperitif that would be served to us for the opening salvo of our cuisine
review. This charming and sophisticated restaurant sits just off the welcome
center of the Hotel Savoy located in the historical Mala Strana district of
Prague, and is one of the premier full service hotels in the city. |
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| Sommelier Vladimir now
cautiously approached with a bottle of Chateau Radyne Brut sparkling wine from
Bohemia in the Czech Republic. This wine is elegant and distinguished with a
mature bouquet and long-lasting sparkle. A team of seasoned servers worked as
support crew supplying bottled water from the famous health resort of Karlovy
Vary (Carlsbad) and offering three types of house made breads. There are so
many choices to make when we looked at the extensive menu but Executive Chef
Joseph Stangl assured us that he would provide us with some of his favorite
specialties for the occasion. |
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| The highlight of the event was the surprising finesse
with which Chef Stangl applied to the visual impact of his creations and the
subtle but satisfying flavors he managed to convey to the diner. One of his
outstanding dishes had to be the Marinated Salmon with Sweet-Sour Chilli
sauce, Salad of White Radish, Wasabi and Caviar. The masterful assemblage
of contrasting flavors offered a tantalizing balance of zest and subtle tang
although we have to caution you to go easy on the sharp sting of fresh wasabi
as it could overwhelm the caviar. An much-needed intermezzo of refreshing
Cappuccino of Sweet-Fennel couldn't have come at a better time and
resembled the coffee version with proper amounts of creamy foam floating on the
top. Another noteworthy selection was the Tuna Roll with Green Beans and
Rosemary Risotto, which excelled in both appearance and delicate flavor. To
accompany this entrée the Sommeliers choice was an outstanding Czech
Chardonnay, Marcincák, Dobré Pole, Morava 2004. We found
it to be fresh, light and noticeably dry with balanced acid and typical
characteristics of steel barrel fermentation. A further prominent entrée
to try is the Roast Saddle of Venison with Pistachio Noodles, Chanterelles
and steamed Black Salsify in Hunter Sauce. It is a local specialty that
Chef Stangl combines with the earthy flavors of wild mushrooms and the subtle
oyster flavor of an obscure root vegetable known as salsify, which is revered
in Southern Europe. A fine bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, Vinselekt,
Michlovsky 2004 with pleasant amount of tannins, became the proper pairing
for the roasted venison and the rich creamy hunter sauce. |
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| 2007 Award-Hand-Out: Hradčany Restaurant at the Hotel Savoy,
Prague - CZ |
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| An extaordinary bottle of Tokaji Aszu, 5 Puttonyos,
1993 with aromas of blood-orange finished off the dinner as we sampled the
dessert of Tropical Fruit Ratatouille with Sour Cream Lime Sauce and Papaya
Sorbetto. An after dinner walk to the nearby Strahov Monastery was in order
but not before conveying our heartfelt thanks to Executive Chef Joseph Stangl
for his outstanding display of fine dining at its best. |
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by
John Lomitola & Thorsten Buehrmann
Editor: John
Lomitola
Editor-in-Chief: Ingrid Lemme |
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| © 2007 ~ Seven Stars and Stripes, Inc. |
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