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| Prague -
Czech Republic |
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Society -
Extraordinary
July - 2007 |
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6 Stars
& 5 Stripes
Overall - 'Cuisine & Service' |
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The
Ultimate Award:
Seven Stars and
Stripes® |
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As if on some kind of Quixotic cuisine quest to find
the ultimate in fine dining, my colleague Rolf and I came to the Aquarius
Restaurant, a hot new eatery located in the well established Alchymist Hotel
& Spa. Church spires, tiled roofs and a meandering river nearby punctuate
the inexhaustible number of historic buildings in this precious neighborhood of
Prague. The fundamental goal for our visit is to experience the culinary
extravagance of Executive Chef de Cuisine Tomáš Sysel, a local boy
who is making a name for himself in the rarified air of world-class chefs.
Every successful dining experience starts with a solid location followed by
promising ambiance, seemless service and of course well thought out and
creative cuisine. Aquarius at the Alchymist Hotel sits virtually in the shadow
of the great castles of Prague and the imago urbis (urban image) is carried on
inside the restaurant with opulent painted murals, sinuous light fixtures and
period furniture conducive to a 16th century setting. |
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As a complimentary start
offered for all Aquarius's guests, there was a cheese and wine degustacion in
the anteroom just outside the restaurant featuring the finest assortment of
local Czech products. This is where we were introduced to a spectacular array
of fresh artisan cheeses and wines from the Czech provinces of Moravia and
Bohemia, all of which can be paired with the incredible cuisine of Chef
Tomáš Sysel.
"A good first impression" I said to Rolf as we
entered the restaurant to our table, situated especially close to a section of
the giant wall mural depicting a scene of Hannibal's elephants crossing the
Alps. Noteworthy of mention is the marvelous Rona stemware, Broggi silverware
and Lillian porcelain carefully arranged on each table as if artfully measured
precisely in centimeters. "Of course all this would be meaningless without the
same level of cuisine" I heard Rolf whisper to me as we perused the menu. It
wasn't long before my colleague's utterance would be validated. Some of the
highlights of Chef Tomáš's culinary imagination proved to us that
he is definitely a real player in the world of gastronomic creativity.
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| We especially like the Terrine of Duck Foie
Gras covered with dried dates and lightly toasted homemade brioche. This
entrée was paired with a bottle of local Czech Ryzlink Vlassky, Ice
Wine 2003, Sedlec a well-crafted Welschriesling with an affinity for rich,
sumptuous foods. Also worthy of anyone looking for a new take on a seafood icon
must try the Octopus Carpaccio with Black Olives from Taggia served with
tender potatoes and Valerian salad. Tender tendrils of delicate octopus
carefully woven on top of Taggia olives providing a modicum of salt and layered
with Valerian salad, an herb used in ancient times as a mild sedative. I
checked to see if Rolf was still alert and he was. A fine pairing was achieved
with a tulip glass of Rueda Blanc Marques de Riscal, 2005 Rueda Alavesa,
Spain. This wine offered a gracious combination of sophistication and
friendliness with a floral mélange of white lily and mango. |
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| 2007 - Thorsten
Buehrmann & Executive Chef de Cuisine Tomáš Sysel |
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For our main course, we were thrilled by the
Thyme Crusted Rack of Lamb with vegetable cous cous and rosemary jus, which
offered jus the right amount of herbal coating to hold in the incredible juicy
flavor during and after the cooking process. One of my all time favorite wines,
Brunello di Montalcino Castello Banfi, DOCG 2001 from Tuscany was the
match made in heaven with it's dark ruby red color and restrained earthiness so
as not to compete with the lamb but to support it. Finally, we relished the
richness and deep fruit flavor of the Alchymist Special Fruit Sabayon,
artfully made with a supercharged dose of Czech sparkling wine. We suggested to
the management that it might be a special thrill to see this dish being made
tableside. |
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“Our dining experience complete, we bid farewell to Chef
Tomáš Sysel and his capable team with a special
thanks to the
management and staff of this fabulous establishment for our delightful culinary
adventure.” ~ TB |
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by
Thorsten Buehrmann & Rolf Staehler
Editor: John
Lomitola
Editor-in-Chief: Ingrid Lemme |
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| © 2007 ~ Seven Stars and Stripes, Inc. |
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