So for my first restaurant review, I’m starting with a relatively new place that I had never been to before. Why make things easy? Living on the Vinohrady/Vršovice border, I’m always looking for new, great places in our area to eat; something close, but reliable. La Jídelna is one of those places, so we decided to try it out.
La Jídelna (literally The Eatery, or Dining Room) is located in Vršovice, which is a short walk from our flat, but also easily accessible via the 22 & 4 trams (stop: Ruska).
Outside, they have boards which post their daily menu offerings.
The inside is simple but comfortable. Everything is new, the layouts of the tables are well placed (no trying to squeeze through), and the lighting is intimate without being too dark (I hate eating in the dark).
We arrived at about 7PM, and it was empty then, but later a few other tables came in. It’s not a terribly large space, so it didn’t feel awkward being the only people in the restaurant.
The waiter was very friendly and attentive, and although you may think it was because we were the only people there, his demeanor didn’t change even when other tables filled up.
Everyone else ordered Pilsner (36 CZK) to start, but I, being the black sheep of the family (read: not Czech), had a glass of Chardonnay (95 CZK).
At 95 CZK a glass, it’s a bit more expensive than in other places, but well worth it. This was definitely a strong, crisp, French Chardonnay, which I enjoyed so much that I had three glasses. I will pay more for good wine, and you should too.
The menu is a nice mix of Italian, Mediterranean, and meat dishes, the most expensive thing being the Dakotian Young Bull Steak at 195 CZK.
We asked the waiter his recommendations, and he said any of the pasta dishes would always be an excellent choice because all of the pastas are homemade.
After we ordered, the waiter brought us a complimentary tasting appetizer, Roast Beef with potato salad on toast.
The beef had a nice texture, complimentary to the potato salad, which was quite delicious. This was also a nice gesture, and the waiter did so for other tables as well. I’m not sure if this is just a temporary offering, since they are newly opened, but it was well received nonetheless.
Everyone else ordered meat dishes as their main courses, but I, again, being the black sheep, ordered a pasta dish. I did this for several reasons: I will never turn down homemade pasta, I wanted to be able to present a mix of dishes from the restaurant, and we were doing a meat-centric place the following night (you’ll know what I mean when you read the next post).
I chose the Pappardelle with Šumava mushrooms and cream sauce (135kc).
Let me say, this was simply perfection: an appropriate portion of perfectly al dente pasta, a light cream sauce that wonderfully displayed the mushrooms, and just the right amount of parsley and parmesan. My personal belief is that pasta dishes are the best when they are simple, use a few quality ingredients, and are cooked with love. A lot of times, I find that places smother it with sauce, or unnecessary toppings, and this just distracts from the pasta, which should always be the focus of the dish.
My boyfriend and his father both chose the Dakotian Young Bull steak with salsa verde (195kc), the former with baked potato slices with parmesan (45kc) , and the latter with baked potatoes with herbed dip (45kc). The steak came topped with lightly caramelized onions and a nice sauce. I tried a piece of the steak and it was well cooked and juicy. The baked potatoes were crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, also very delicious.
The last dish had by our friend was the Risotto with Roast beef and zucchini in a spicy olive oil (155 CZK). The roast beef was the same as in the appetizer, and the zucchini were quite fresh and not over-cooked. The risotto was a little salty for our friend’s taste, so he let me taste it and I agreed, a bit too salty. However, when the waiter came over to ask us how the meal was, my friend politely explained this to him, and he was very gracious and said he would pass this along to the kitchen. A true sign of a good restaurant; one that accepts criticism and looks to improve the quality of their dishes.
Of course, I had to have dessert. My excuse was, “But I’m writing a review, and I need to try at least one.” I don’t ever really need an excuse to eat dessert. I had Fried Praline pastries filled with dark chocolate, with raspberry sorbet (75kc). The sorbet came in a cute caramelized sugar cup. The soft, cold sorbet complimented the warm, gooey pastries nicely. Dark chocolate and raspberry is my favorite combination for desserts, and this was satisfying without being too overpoweringly sweet.
I’d love to tell you the total for the entire bill, but I can’t since my boyfriend snuck away and paid it without telling anyone! But as you can see from the prices above, you could easily have a nice meal for two here and still come in under 700kc.
Overall, I would give La Jídelna high marks, even having only been there once (don’t worry we’ll be going back again). They also have lunch menus, and a sister café “Erhart Cukrárna” located in Prague 7. My only slight complaint, if it even is one, is that there were not many people there for dinner, even on a Friday night. But hopefully reviews like this and others will change that. I wouldn’t want to see such an amazing place have to close down due to lack of patronage. So if you live in the area, or are just looking for a new, hidden place to try, La Jídelna is definitely a sure thing.
La Jídelna
Kodaňská 5/319
101 00 Praha 10
telephone: 271742541
website (under construction): http://www.lajidelna.cz
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The nice thing about living in a country where this is a staple meal is that it's easy to find the proper cuts of meat you need in any market. I used pork here, but you can use chicken or veal as well.
Line a roasting pan with foil, spread the coated potatoes evenly, pour remaning mix on top, and roast in a preheated oven for about 45 minutes, testing with a fork to make sure they're done.
