I expected sausage. I expected beer and bread. I even expected absinthe. I did NOT expect an abundance of Thai, Vietnamese, Indian, and Chinese food in the Central European city of Prague.
Situated in north central Czech Republic, this capital city hosts gastronomic representation from most European countries, some classic American style restaurants, a TON of traditional Czech restaurants, and, due to a fascinating history, some damn good Asian food.
A Pho-king Great Hangover Cure
Photo by Shawn Hogan
Less than a minute walk from the Jiriho Z Podebrad metro stop lies Pho Vietnam. There are only a few seats, so prepare to take your Pho to-go (s sebou in Czech). This stuff is fresh, fast, piping hot, and exactly what you need on a rough Sunday morning.
Need a bit more of a wake-up? Snag some of the super hot chili oil pre-packed in small containers on the counter and put a little (emphasis on the “little”) bit in your styrofoam bowl of hangover cure.
Tongue Thai-d
Photo courtesy of modryzub.com
If your wallet is feeling a little heavy (or you’re not paying…) check out Modry Zub. They have a few locations, but the one I visited was right in the shopping and restaurant hub of Wenceslas Square. They have an extensive menu of Thai, Indian, and Vietnamese food.
You can get Pho (though it’s not quite as good as Pho Vietnam Tuan), curry, any one of the amazing soups, and, if you’re feelin’ like The Big Lebowski, a White Russian. This place is a bit more commercial than some, but the portions are bigger than most so leftovers are a definite.
You Know It’s Good Curry When You Need A Sweat Napkin
Photo by Shawn Hogan
Modry Zub set me on a curry kick, so naturally I used this incredibly helpful website to search for the best curry restaurant in Prague. The most appetizing reviews were for Curry House in Prague 8 which is nowhere near the touristy center of Prague, which is how you know it’s going to be awesome.
Despite the borderline corny interior, this place did, in fact, deliver some killer curry. Each menu item is marked with one to five peppers in terms of spiciness. The curry dishes are also meant to be ordered with a side of rice or na’an, which is not abundantly clear on the menu. Luckily, we realized that’s the play when the waiter kept pushing for us to order sides.
I ordered a two pepper curry while my boyfriend ordered a three. The difference in spiciness, however, was huge. The two pepper vegetable curry was delicious, but hardly packed a punch, while the chicken three pepper curry was almost too hot to handle.
We pushed through despite the pain and enjoyed the pleasure of bomb curry and incredibly necessary cold beers. Highly recommended.