Osteria Ai Galli

"A rooster crows only when it sees the light. Put him in the dark and he'll never crow. I have seen the light and I'm crowing." Muhammad Ali

It's been a few years since I visited Ichnusa Botega & Bistro. I had some great meals there -- what I remember of them, anyway. They always involved copious amounts of wine and lasted at least three hours.

The other thing I remember about Ichnusa was the lack of a written menu. The chef would come out, tell you what ingredients he had available, and what he could make out of them. There was usually some back and forth with the customer before the order was settled.

That's essentially the concept at the Italian restaurant Osteria Ai Galli in Holešovice, up near Letenské náměstí.

The restaurant is on busy Veletržní street.

Inside the entrance, there is a small shop. There are cases with cheeses, salamis, mortadella, and dried fish.

There are also shelves with pasta, balsamic vinegars, coffees, and more.

A few steps further in, there are two small dining areas. One is lined with racks holding wines for sale.

There are just five tables here. They go with paper napkins in this restaurant, rather than cloth.

The other dining area is also quite small. Reservations are recommended. I called once in the afternoon for a Friday night reservation and was told they were full.

The restaurant is dog friendly. I believe this is the owner's friendly dog.

More canines came later.

We sat in the wine rack room. We started off with the house red and white wines.

Both were dry, crisp, and tart. It was a total of 290 CZK for the house-labeled bottle and the carafe. They were simple but drinkable.

The bread was fine, but nothing special.

However, the thick, sweet balsamico and quality olive oil were great complements.

For the first round, we had a cutting covered with mortadella, beautifully soft and silky prosciutto from Marche, and excellent salami from Piemonte (145 CZK).

The cheeses were Asiago and Pecorino. A dish of plump and tender sun-dried tomatoes sat in the middle.

We also had clams in a broth of white wine, garlic, and parsley (165 CZK).

The little clams were fresh and meaty. Very enjoyable.

For a main course, the waiter recommended the monk fish. Miss P asked if it could be done alla Gallipolina --- a style she enjoyed over the summer during a trip to Puglia. He hadn't heard of it, but she described it, and they made it.

The fish rolled in bread crumbs and lightly cooked.

It wasn't done quite the same way as in Italy -- there were no little black grill marks -- but it was fresh, delicate, and much appreciated. The rich sautee of porcini was fantastic. The mix of tomato, aubergine, and celery was tasty.

I had the double veal chop.

One the positive side, the flavor was wonderful. The meat was salted just enough to bring up its rich flavor. On the negative side, the chop was run through with gristle and fat.

With the dull knife I was given, it was hard to cut satisfying and easily chewable slices from it. It could have been great with better veal, but I was disappointed.

The fish and the meat cost 525 CZK and 475 CZK, but I am not sure which was which because the receipt was not clearly itemized. The service was good except it did take too long to get the bill delivered to the table. The total was 1550 CZK without tip.

We sat in the other room on the second visit. We were joined again by our furry friend.

We started with prosecco.

Then they ran out of that, so we had a raboso.

We enjoyed its light, sweet sparkle.

This time, we started with a mix of mussels and clams.

The mussels were plump, fresh, and warm. I would not describe them as hot.

I had homemade tagliatelle with Italian sausage, tomato, and parsley.

The salty sausage was fresh but one-dimensional. To be fair, I've been spoiled by a number of other great Italian sausages lately. The pasta was nice, but cooked a little past the point I like.

Miss P had the shrimp, which she liked very much.

They were cooked to just the right point and kept that special flavor you get when cooking them with the heads and shells on. It was well worth the peeling effort. The salad on the side was nothing to write home about.

I needed to try a dessert. They had tiramisu, but I went for the sweet mascarpone.

Aside from the thick dusting of cocoa on top, the name pretty much says it all. It was sweet, creamy stuff, but I wished I went for the tiramisu.

The tab for this visit came to 1025 CZK before tip.

If Osteria Ai Galli was in my neighborhood, I'd be more than glad.

Some things on their unwritten menu were great, but not everything. They didn't make me want to change my regular Italian restaurant rotation of La Bottega di Finestra and Osteria Da Clara. Miss P is Italian and felt pretty much the same way.

The bottom line is that I liked it. I'm just not crowing about it.

Osteria Ai Galli
Veletržní 71
Prague 7 - Holešovice
Phone: +420 775 439 222
Phone: +420 777 979 858

Room Tapas Bar

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not. Remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for." Epicurus

A few weeks ago, I was dreaming of sitting by the river, eating tapas in the open air at La Terrassa, and then walking the short distance to Jazz Dock to catch a show.

That dream was temporarily washed away by this spring's floods, which damaged both riverside businesses. It's not completely clear when they will reopen, but La Terrassa is aiming for the end of June and Jazz Dock hopes to be back in business in mid-July.

What to do in the meantime?

Prague is not exactly overflowing with top tapas choices. When you are hungering for some small interesting dishes that won't drain your bank account, Room Tapas Bar near Wenceslas Square is an option worth considering. It is part of The Icon Hotel and Lounge.

Entering from the street takes you to the modern, brightly-colored, brightly-lit front dining area, which was non-smoking. A number of menu items were written on the wall by the bar.

There were blond-wood veneer tables, black plastic chairs, and electric green banquettes. I'm not sure what to call this type of modernism, but it clashed too much for my taste.

The back room was cooler-looking, with a lounge vibe and an eclectic mix of comfortable furniture, including bed-like seating. The music varied between electronic and what sounded like some type of flamenco.

This was the smoking area, so I never sat there.

I've visited four times this year and had many of their offerings. They often start you off with a free taste of something.

On one visit, it was what they call Spanish omelet, also known as tortilla de patata.

The thinly sliced potato was very fresh with sweet fried onion mixed in. It was topped with a garlicky aioli.

On another visit, we received pitted black and green olives.

I really liked the red sangria. You can order a 1 liter pitcher (230 CZ) or a half-liter jar (140 CZK).

It's sweet, but not too sweet, with tangy citrus and cinnamon notes. The menu says it includes strawberry liqueur, triple sec, and brandy. It does have a complexity to it.

My overall favorite dish was the grilled octopus (170 CZK). The tentacle was charred and crispy on the outside and so tender on the inside.

It was paired with raw, lightly lemony fava beans mixed with parsley, making for an interesting contrast. I loved it so much on the first visit, I got a double order on my second visit.

Less successful, was the octopus vinaigrette the octopus vinaigrette (65 CZK).

The octopus, mixed with red and yellow peppers, was chewier. The vinaigrette was just too sour for me.

I enjoyed the black rice with squid (70 CZK).

Served in a cast iron pan, the squid was tender and the al dente rice had a wonderfully buttery flavor that was complemented by a squeeze of the accompanying lemon.

Good quality, freshly-fried calamari is hard to find in Prague. They have it at Room (150 CZK), and it can be great.

But I had it twice and it was not consistently done. The first time I had it, the squid was quickly fried and perfectly tender. I thought it was amazing. The second time, the calamari was still good, but more chewy than the first try. I thought it was a reasonably-sized portion for the price. Served with garlic aioli, lemon, and salt,

The mushroom and sausage in red wine sauce (100 CZK) was an interesting combination.

The tasty sauce and blander mushrooms balanced out the salty, chorizo-like sausage.

On one visit, we tried the white sangria, which has the same prices as the red. This one was also refreshing and not too sweet.

The menu said it was made with white wine, vodka, vanilla sugar, fresh limes and lemon, strawberries, grapes, mint, cinnamon, cloves, lemonade. I didn't see strawberries in this one, but cucumber slices made an unannounced appearance. I liked it just as much as the red, if not more.

I can recommend the Argentinian entrecote with green pepper sauce (350 CZK).

The 250 gram steak was so easy to slice, so easy to eat, especially with the creamy sauce that complemented it. After chewing hard on so many tough cuts of beef this year, this one was a tender pleasure. It was cooked exactly medium rare, as requested. It had a streak of fat through the middle as rib eyes do, which adds to the flavor.

If you don't want a steak, the marinated beef skewer (170 CZK) is a good way to go.

The meat was also tender, but it had more char flavor from the grill. The chunks hung above a small salad of chickpeas and fava beans.

We sampled a number of desserts. The one I looked forward to the most did not meet my high expectations. Room is one of the few places in Prague to offer churros (55 CZK).

The five fried, pieces of dough were crispy, but not quite crisp enough on the outside, and there was too much gooey, unfried batter on the inside. Oddly, they were topped with cane sugar that, for the most part, did not stick to the churros. On the positive side, it came with seriously amazing dulce de leche, rather than the chocolate sauce stated on the menu.

A better option was their freshly-made pancake filled with the same dulce de leche.

The top had a coating of burnt sugar, giving it creme brulee-like taste. Do you self a favor. Try it.

The last dessert I tried was the orange flan (55 CZK).

The custard had a very light orange syrup over the top. I liked that it didn't have too much sugar in it. This was another good way to end a meal of dulce de leche is not your speed.

The service was friendly and efficient, except for a couple of moments when our waiter on one visit disappeared for a fair amount of time. If you are lucky, you will be attended to by an Argentinian gentleman named Juan, who is one of the more friendly and charming servers you'll come across in this city. He told me they are planning a further expansion of their menu.

People can argue about the definition of tapas and whether these dishes qualify. They can take issue with whether the tapas is more Argentinian or Spanish.

I don't care much about all that. I just want to enjoy well-executed cooking and feel well-taken care of.

And I think Room Tapas Bar is serving some of the tastier little plates you'll find in Prague right now.

Room Tapas Bar
V jámě 6
Prague 1
Tel., (+420) 221 634 100

Kiin Modern Thai Restaurant

"Consistency is the last resort of the unimaginative." Oscar Wilde

In early 2008, the only Thai restaurant I considered worthy in Vinohrady closed down. Tiger Tiger's Pad Thai and red curry chicken were favorites, and I was a regular eat-in and take-out customer.

Oddly, after it was gone, there was no other serious Thai restaurant in that upscale neighborhood or even in neighboring Žižkov and Vršovice.

Sure, these days you can pick up some Thai-like food at Sushi Tam Da or Sawadi, but it is mostly stuff would not try more than once.

As far as I'm concerned, there hasn't been any serious Thai food in this part of town for years. When I wanted Thai, I'd go to Noi, Modry Zub, Lemon Leaf or maybe Siam Orchid.

So I was quite intrigued when I saw that Kiin Modern Thai Restaurant had moved into the large space once occupied by Ristorante Soave.

It's in the neighborhood between Flora and Jiřího z Poděbrad.

During the warmer months, they have tables set up outside.

I really liked sipping their homemade lemonade with ginger (49 CZK) out there on a sunny day.

It's not too sweet (though they can make it sweeter if you like), with plenty of sharp, freshly-grated ginger at the bottom. The fresh mint lemonade (49 CZK) was equally refreshing and commendable.

They also had a "white sangria" I found too sweet.

Inside, the spacious restaurant looks much the same as it did during its Soave days. There is a small, darker, somewhat intimate space near the bar area.

Then there is a larger, brighter space with modern furniture and neon-green walls and accents.

There is also a semi-private dining area in the back.

I made five separate visits and ate my way through a lot of the menu, which has cute names for many of the offerings.

I tried the Pok Pok Wings (69 CZK). I'd recommend this little starter.

They were very spicy, with sliced red chilis mixed into the sweet glaze. The two full, unseparated wings sat on top of a carrot salad with the flavors of citrus, fish sauce, and lime leaf. It's a small dish, but there was big flavor.

The "Daisy in Pyjama" (90 CZK) was a nice twist on Vietnamese-style summer or salad rolls.

The cool rice paper was filled with cold, sliced duck breast, mango, and mint. Inside, there was also carrot, cucumber, and rice noodles. There was a hoisin dipping sauce. The mango could be riper and sweeter. A bit of the duck was too hard and chewy. But I'd get it again.

They also do a cold roll with smoked salmon (79 CZK).

I found that one more mundane.

If you like hot, fried spring rolls, you could go for the "Gold Fingers."

These were filled with taro, a starchy root vegetable, rice noodles, and vegetables. The soy-flavored dipping sauce went well with it.

The Sun Burn (75 CZK) was described as moo krob or "crispy, pork bacon and honey mustard sauce." This dish was less successful in both execution and description.

It was barely warm, dry slices of crispy pork belly. The sauce had no semblance to honey mustard, but was more of an Asian barbecue sauce. Apologies for the poor iPhone photo.

From the salad section, I tasted the "Crying Tiger" (145 CZK). This was a generous portion of warm flank steak with red onion, lime juice, fish sauce, green onion, and lime leaf.

It was very tangy and the red chili spice level was seriously high, which I liked.

Although cooked to medium, the beef was disappointingly chewy and tough. I mentioned this to some international foodie-types I met on a later visit, and they told me theirs was tender. So maybe I had bad luck.

On many visits, I had a half-liter of Pilsner Urquell (35 CZK), which they have on tap.

The beers were almost always perfect, chilled to the right temperature, with a sharp sparkle as it went down. However, the last time I tried it, the beer was not as well-poured or as cold as the previous visits.

One dish that I liked, but could be even better, was the "Lonesome Heart" (185 CZK) This was a roasted duck breast glazed with chili, garlic and ginger sauce, served on a bed of red lentils mixed with coconut milk and red curry.

It came with a bowl of rice, which I found unnecessary and went uneaten.

The duck skin was nicely crispy, though some of the meat underneath was dry. The lentils had light sweetness and a slow-building spicy kick. They worked well with the meat on the fork. I'd get it again.

I also sampled the "Canard Enchainé" (175 CZK). This was roasted duck leg served with lychee red curry sauce and rice.

My friend liked it. I thought it was too sweet.

Pad Thai is one of my favorite dishes and something I use as a benchmark to judge a Thai restaurant. I had Kiin's Pad Thai (150 CZK with chicken) three times -- twice for take-out and once in the restaurant.

It was OK, not great. The noodles were lightly sweet, which I like, and the requisite egg, bean sprouts, carrots, and green onions were in there.

On the downside, the peanuts were too roughly chopped and didn't mix in well. There was a lime slice, but I wished for more citrus and salty notes in the balance. For me, the standard-setter in Prague is still at Noi, which almost always balances the flavors well and includes smoky strips of tofu in both their chicken and shrimp Pad Thai. The last issue with Kiin's, and it is not a small one, is some of the noodles were only warm and some were actually cold.

I enjoyed the "shoryuken" (195 CZK) more than the Pad Thai. It was homemade rice noodles with flank steak, asparagus, green onion, broccoli, carrots, and bean sprouts.

There was a hint of sweetness combined with a bit of soy saltiness. The noodles were on the soft side and it was also unevenly heated. But the deliciousness outweighed the defects.

The Sweet Sticky Rice (59 CZK) was a fun and satisfying choice for dessert.

It was served in a cool-looking glass with its own glass cover. Inside was a mix of black and white rice, raisins, amaretto, sesame, and walnut. It tasted like a fancy rice pudding.

Although it was small, I'd recommend the pandan crème brûlée (55 CZK). It was super-creamy and they went very light on the sugar.

The pandan leaf gave it a green coloring and I thought it had a green tea-like flavor.

The service I experienced was very good. I had the same male and a female servers on most visits. They were very helpful, friendly, and charming with a sense of humor. These two definitely added to the warm, neighborhood feeling of the restaurant.

On my first visit, I was told that the kitchen staff included cooks from Modrý Zub and SaSaZu. That, of course, will raise expectations for some. Those expectations should be tempered.

Kiin's kitchen needed to be more consistent. Some dishes, like the duck and red lentils, were very tasty. Some were dry, including the same duck and red lentils. Several offerings weren't heated properly. The pork belly and lamb satay didn't thrill me. The Pad Thai could be better with a few tweaks.

Yet, there is nothing like Kiin in this part of town. Some of their offerings are unique, with combinations of flavors you'll find nowhere else in Prague. Many dishes were not large, but I still thought the prices were very reasonable.

Kiin is still relatively new, having opened in May. I'm hoping they'll iron out their imperfections, combining imagination with consistency to make their restaurant the star of the neighborhood.

Kiin Modern Thai Restaurant
Jagellonská 1239/24
Prague 3
Tel.: +420 728 889 999 or 222 938 596