It’s been a good year or more since my last visit to The Noodle Bar in Nové Město.

Her praise here was high indeed. M’s gauge for any good Thai restaurant is apparently always their rendition of the Tom Kha Kai, and this version rated up among the best of them on her personal scale. Like me, she also welcomed the fact that The Noodle Bar doesn’t shy away from spice like so many other places in the Czech Republic, and even features additional pots of dried chilli flakes, crushed peanut and soy sauce on every table for those that wish to top up the heat levels - a welcome change from the usual bog-standard sweet chili sauce bottles usually on offer, that’s for sure.

Hello, my name's Knedlikova and I'm a SaSaZu addict.

Which is rather unfortunate for me really, as unlike all my other many and varied, comparatively inexpensive addictions (wine / kebabs / norsky salat / swimming / Coronation Street etc), without resorting to the usual junkie means of turning tricks, mugging little old ladies, botched corner shop robberies and the like, I can't afford to get my fix here on more than a few select special occasions a year...


Still, I’ve probably been there maybe half a dozen times since it first opened a year or so back – even worse for an addict – tantalisingly just round the corner from my apartment. Since then, I’ve successfully managed to drag along Mr K, a visiting Mummy K, Mr Smorgasbord, and several as yet un-aliased foodie friends on the slightest premise of a celebration, as part of my ongoing attempts to rope in as many fellow SaSaZu co-dependents as possible.

The below are all photos from collective past visits – apologies in advance for the quality of some of the photographs; for some reason I seem to suffer extreme camera curse whenever I visit SaSaZu (possibly due to classic addict hand-shake in my desperation for impending culinary hit).

With SaSaZu itself effectively serving as my dining dealer, it is only appropriate that their crib should be pimped-out accordingly, with gaudy faux Buddha statues and OTT giant Chinese lanterns adorning the former warehouse interior. Needless to say, I love it... ;-))



As with any addict, I have my substances of choice at SaSaZu, the ultimate high in my case being the SaSaZu roll in all its many and varied incarnations. In fact I swear I would cheerfully sacrifice all other foodstuffs for ever more if I could just live on SaSaZu rolls alone for the rest of my natural life.

Of all of these, my absolute favourite and obligatory start to any meal here has to be the Empire Saigon Roll at 120kč a pop – a rice paper roll filled with grilled shrimp, mint and basil and served with a truly divine cucumber sauce. This for me is the crystal meth of cuisine – one hit and you’re hooked for life...


In the background is pictured the Singapore Crab Chilli at 190kč, which consisted of a portion of lightly battered and fried soft-shell crab served with two separate dipping sauces – one peanut and one shallot and garlic. I liked this, but possibly not quite as much as a lot of other dishes on the menu.

A very close contender for SaSaZu favourite is the SaSa Crispy Roll at 290kč. A half-salmon, half-tuna roll wrapped in nori and served with wasabi and black sesame sauce, this truly exquisite dish has in itself to count among top culinary experiences in Prague – fast track to an instant gastronomic high...


Third favourite on the SaSaZu front is the delicious Hong Kong roll at 185kč, another rice paper roll stuffed this time with cucumber, dorado, mint and apple soy.


The Hong Kong definitely comes with a kick, though somehow I don’t experience quite the same intensity in cravings for this particular roll as for the previous habit-forming two.

A new potential addictant recently added to the SaSaZu range is the Cha-Zu-Rha roll at 245kč, a chicken and banana roll served with Mui Tau leaf, Thai basil, fried onion and carrot mandarin sauce. All the ingredients came served collectively on a big platter, so you can effectively roll your own here.


I liked this, but not nearly as much as the fresh (as opposed to fried) rolls previously described – I’d probably pass on this in favour of the far superior Empire Saigon and SaSa Crispy Roll on my next visit.

Last (and also least) on my long list of rolls are the Bali Spring Roll (165kč), a crispy roll made with shrimps, banana and Malaysian chives with miso sake sauce, and the Jasmine Chicken Roll (175kč), a grilled spring roll stuffed full with tender chicken, jasmine tea, shiso leaf and mong bean.


Sorry about the quality of the photos – I think these were taken on Mr K’s camera phone for some reason. Either way, somehow neither of these seemed to hook me in the same way the others did – they’d do in a fix, but don’t come anywhere near to the highs induced by some of my previously documented dishes of choice. The methodone of SaSaZu rolls if you like.

Anyway, that’s more than enough on the roll front – let’s move on now to the SaSaZu mains.

One problem with SaSaZu is that it’s a bit hit-and-miss as to the size of the portion you’ll get when ordering off the somewhat haphazard menu – one person may end up with a main course size meal, and the other only with an appetizer size portion.

I’ve always got round the problem by just ordering several dishes and sharing with whichever dining companion I’ve successfully roped in to accompany me, but if you’re looking to get the most bang for your buck size-wise, probably the most amply proportioned options on the menu are the Vietnamese Ga Curry (195kč), Red Curry and Shrimps (295kč), Hanoi Shrimps (210kč), Singapore Lamb (395kč) and the (according to Brewsta rather questionable) Pad Thai at 240kč.

Pictured below is the Ga Curry, a more Thai-than Vietnamese style sweet curry topped with fried onions and served with cold rice noodles and water spinach. This combined with the Empire Saigon Roll is definitely one of my favourite combinations here for inducing true SaSaZu gastronomic bliss.


I was quite bemused by the concept of the Singapore Lamb (I spent the best part of my childhood on that equatorial little island, and – like in the Czech Republic come to that – definitely do not recall ever seeing a single sheep), but the dish itself was truly delicious, with pleasantly tender lamb and a sweet laksa-style sauce. The naan was warm and flavoursome, but given that there were two of us sharing on this occasion, we could definitely have done with another slice.


Other dishes on the SaSaZu menu are generally more bite-sized and are best filled out with a side of Buri Bop (a.k.a. white rice) or Egg Fried Rice at 55kč for a miniature bowl (best go for one per person so as not to feel short changed).

Some of these smaller dishes I’ve had in the past include the Indonesian Chicken Saté with emping and pinda sambal sauce (155kč) and Tai Tai Truffle Entrecote with sauté kabayaki and ginger truffle sauce (295kč):


the Bombay Butter Chicken, skewered marinated in yogurt, garam masala and lime, tandoori baked and served with roti bread (255kč):


and finally the Goi Buoi Pomelo Salad of grilled prawn, pomelo, coriander and crab with a zesty lime dressing (195kč).


Admittedly some of these were a little while ago, but I definitely remember being pretty happy with them at the time, except for perhaps the Bombay Butter Chicken, which fell rather short of the usual SaSaZu induced euphoria of most other dishes.

I’ve also tried many other things on the menu back in the days when I did not obsessively photograph my food before eating – Brewsta has several more dishes depicted on his own blog entry on the place. I think I’ve tried everything his party did at some point except for the Coconut Corn Soup and that weird-looking pad thai omelette thing, and pretty much agree with all his assessments. That said, being infinitely more measured in his praise than I, he is clearly not a potential fellow member of SaSaZu Anonymous just yet... ;-)) In addition, I’d also recommend the Papaya Salad (175kč), which is definitely as close as I’ve come to the genuine Thai article since I was last on the good old Khao San Road.

Usually I’ve pretty much long since O.D.’d on sublime SaSaZu substances by the time dessert rolls around, though last time I went with my friend Mr Smorgasbord, he somehow managed to talk me into splitting a SaSaZu Cheesecake at 155kč – talk about enabler! Still, a sweet end to this last particular SaSaZu food bender at least...



All that said, even such an irrevocable SaSaZu fiend as I can hardly fail to recognise that not quite everything is perfect with the place. Service is friendly, but at times comes across as rather over-attentive and contrived. The kitchen has an unfortunate tendency to rush out all your various dishes at once, so you need to be quite insistent when ordering if you personally prefer your meal to be a more leisurely, paced out affair. And finally my biggest bug-bear of all is that the wine list is a total rip, with even the cheapest bottle of Czech Ryzlink starting off somewhere round the 700kč mark (being addicts in more ways than one, Mr K and I always have a sneaky glass or two at home for free first to make up for it... ;-)) ).

So there we have it for my beloved SaSaZu, unrepentant trafficker of fine fusion food in Prague, for this week – I know it might not necessarily be everyone’s personal poison, but I for one am definitely not intending to break the habit any time soon... ;-)))

In my recent post on the subject of Indian food in Prague, I mentioned that I was looking forward to checking out the new curry house / cocktail bar that has recently opened in Vinohrady, Dilli Delhi. And so yesterday evening my Indian friend Tango Man and I finally headed down for a visit. Tango Man had already been once the previous week, and had apparently really liked the place.

The interior was quite cavernous and plain, which I would not normally mind (back in the UK I’ve invariably found that the quality of the curry is in direct proportion to the dinginess of the surroundings) but for the notable lack of aeration in the main basement dining area. A musty smell permeated as a result, which somehow brought to mind that peculiar odour of stale air and school carpet that anyone who also spent their miserable years of adolescence at a bog-standard British comprehensive will undoubtedly recognise.

Separate food, drink and cocktail menus were promptly brought to the table. With Dilli Delhi's rather dour interior, it didn’t really strike me as the ideal venue for a cocktail bar, but as at least one of the staff here worked previously for Bombay Bar, it’s fairly understandable that they’d want to make the most of their drink-making talents, I suppose. As for Tango Man and I, we just went for a large Budweiser at 40č (him) and a glass of the unnamed House White at 35kč (me).

More a tip-off (of sorts) than full review this time is this entry on Phò Viêt Hu’o’ng, a fast food Vietnamese noodle joint recently opened up on Sokolovská 48.


I absolutely love a good Vietnamese phò bo, but with the noodle stand at Holešovice market only being open during the day when I’m at work, Hanoi in Vinohrady being only so-so at best (full review by Brewsta here), and the mythical Sapa being located about a million miles away somewhere in the region of the Bohemian-Moravian border, I don’t get to eat it all that often. And so, on randomly passing through the area last week, my interest was immediately piqued by the menu posted up on the door here, which offered a variety of Vietnamese dishes, including my much beloved phò bo or gà (spicy beef or chicken noodle soup), bún cá (cold rice noodles with pork curry and fresh herbs / green vegetables) and even fresh spring rolls (gòi cuôn tôm).


A night or two later I was back to try the place out for myself.

The interior was as you’d expect for a fast food Asian place - pretty basic, but with a few nods to the Orient in its otherwise sparse décor.


I was feeling rather frazzled at the time, having caught the wrong bus there from work and ending up temporarily lost and confused out somewhere in the anonymous Prague hinterland (disconcertingly devoid of even trams and metro), so understandably requested a nice calming glass of wine to start off with. They didn’t have any white, but only rosé and red (both refrigerated). Needless to say, I went for the rosé - 50kč for a mini bottle of J P Chenet. Not my normal wine of choice, but decent enough given I was in a fast food joint and hardly a Michelin starred restaurant here…


Unsurprisingly, I went straight for my litmus test dish of authentic Vietnamese cuisine, the phò bo at 80kč.


It came served with some pickled bamboo shoots, a few chopped up chillies, and a slice of fresh lime. I felt a momentary pang of nostalgia for the overflowing trays of fresh chillies in different coloured varieties, coriander, beansprouts, and basil leaves it would without exception have been accompanied by in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh.



I have to say, I was a tad disappointed. Admittedly I do like my phò spicy to the point of lip numbness, but by anyone’s standards I felt this one was rather bland and uninspiring – certainly it did not bring about that much longed for noodley transcendence I’ve yet to achieve anywhere outside of Vietnam (though have come close to on occasion at Holešovice market). Bunging in a goodly amount of the chilli sauce, fish oil and soy sauce they had available on the table helped somewhat.


In my initial enthusiasm, I’d also ordered a portion of fresh spring rolls at 55kč. These actually arrived after my noodles rather than as the starter I was expecting.


Oops, clearly a case of extreme over-ordering here – especially on top of a large bowl of noodles as well. I will confess to ferreting one away secretly in my handbag, just so as not to appear unappreciative. Still, they were pretty easy to pass on, to be honest. Mainly filled up with noodles, a few slivers of iceberg lettuce and cucumber, and one or two frozen shrimp per roll, these had practically no taste or flavour at all, and the sweet sauce it came with didn’t really help much either. I personally like the infinitely more flavourful fresh crab spring rolls at Malý Buddha much better.

Still, despite a less than promising first visit, it was still with a certain sense of eagerness to sample their bún cá yesterday evening, only to find the place unceremoniously shut up for the day.


Having hauled arse across town and nearly asphyxiated from the intense body odour of some of my fellow passengers on Prague public transportation to get there in the first place, I was - to put it mildly - decidedly (and yes, possibly also irrationally) narked. Rather uncharitably perhaps, I therefore decided that Phò Viêt Hu’o’ng through its laxity in opening hours had hereby unwittingly forfeited their right to a second, potentially counterbalancing review – beware restaurants and eateries of Prague, you cross Knedlikova at your peril... ;-))

Well, there we go – the place is there, let me know if you go and whether it’s worth my while to head back there sometime. Either way, I expect I will probably relent sooner or later and head back for that much anticipated bún cá and report back via the blog or accompanying Facebook site at some point in the future. But based on my disappointing first visit and seemingly random opening times, I wouldn't hold your breath…

When reviewing Indian restaurants in Prague, you always have to make allowances for the fact that it's never going to be this:

Yep, this is my local - the Sultan Balti Palace on Wokingham's main town square. You have one, I have one, and chances are it's not in Prague. Many a happy meal of vegetable shashlik, chicken tikka masala and oversized balti naan were consumed at the Sultan in the ten years before I moved to Prague, and it's still top of the list of places to visit on the one or two occasions I brave the UK to catch up with friends and family each year.

Back in the Czech Republic for the other 360 odd days of the year though, where best to scratch the curry itch? Like most expat Brits, in my four years here I've searched in vain for true curry nirvana in Prague, and despite having come tantalisingly close on certain occasions, until recently had never yet quite managed to achieve that state of perfect bliss I have so effortlessly reached on countless occasions before back at the Sultan.

I'd been to been to Masala (started off good, but seemed to go off the boil lately), Tikka Dhaba (just plain weird, inauthentic food, possibly stoned waiter), Beas, Balarama and Govinda (all more canteen than restaurant though and usually only open when I’m at work), Tandoor (overrated), Chanchala (great dhosas and chai, but located in a shopping mall), Himalaya (good put pricey), the Indian Jewel (yet more costly), Khajuraho (just plain silly expensive), Haveli (good but out of the way), Mailsi (meh), Manni Pakistani (absolute crap), Rasoi (shut down a couple of years back amid allegations of tax evasion, as I recall), and last but not least Rana (my hitherto pleasantly down-and-dingy favourite). I’m still looking forward to trying out the new restaurant that has recently opened in Vinohrady, Dilli Delhi.

Personally speaking though, true nirvana was for me at long last achieved on the opening of the Curry House in Palmovka last year. God, I love this place. Undoubtedly part of it is proximity (I live just across the bridge in Holešovice), meaning that at last I have a “local” in the geographical sense of the word, but more than that it is the seriously tasty food, extensive menu, and – most importantly – the fact that they are not afraid to actually use spice (seemingly a dirty word in some Indian eateries here) that have so unreservedly won me over.

I’ve actually only ever eaten in the restaurant itself the once with the girls (pre-blog), all fellow Brits who unanimously declared their curry itch to have been well and truly scratched. Its interior is quite plain and possibly a bit too brightly lit for my taste (photos are available on the website), but the service was impeccable and a good time had by all. However, Mr K and I have had take-out from here on at least a dozen occasions, experimenting from time to time with the menu, but more often than not trying but failing to deviate from our standard curry formula (as illustrated below).

Pictured here is yesterday’s dinner of saag aloo, chicken jalfrezie, lamb rezela (one of the restaurants specialties - a Bangladeshi medium hot curry of fried onion, garlic-ginger paste, and yogurt) and aloo paratha (a.k.a. potato pancake - my preferred alternative to naan bread, especially when ordering takeaway, as it tends not to lose its freshness so easily).

Call me an uppity food snob if you like, but I have to say that apart from the odd quickie sandwich / coffee on the hoof here and there, I don't generally like eating in shopping mall restaurants - I just somehow find them pretty impersonal and contrived, and would on the whole prefer to have a meal in a more atmospheric local restaurant instead.

For this reason, despite having literally drunk my weight in chai over the last year at Chanchala, a gaudily decked out Indian restaurant on the top floor of Palladium mall, until today I had never once actually eaten there. In fact I probably never would have done so at all, had it not been for the one feature of their menu that has long tweaked my interest - namely their selection of dhosas, a crèpe-like speciality of southern India which I used to regularly enjoy as a light lunch when I was living on the subcontinent a few years back. As far as I know, dhosas aren't found on the menu of any of the other Indian restaurants in Prague (though please correct me if I'm wrong), so after months of meaning to get around to it, I finally decided to go against the grain tonight and head off to an impersonal, non-descript shopping centre for my dinner.