Linking Polish tradition with today's tastes
Polish food. Wherever I go, non-Poles inevitably ask me what Polish food is like and, before I can answer, say, "Lots of sausage, huh?" And, yes indeed, I've probably eaten more than my weight in kiełbasa and other pork products during the almost two years I've been in Poland. So, sometimes, rather than go through the trouble of explaining the wide variety of cuisine available, I'll simply answer in the affirmative. When friends or family make the effort to visit from other parts of Europe or across the Atlantic, though, it's time to break down the stereotypes. I have a full stable of places to go in Kraków - my favorite Polish city. And now I have one more place to add in Warsaw - Restauracja Polska Tradycja. Open a couple of months, Tradycja is owned and operated by the same woman who handles Restauracja Polska, located on ulica Nowy Świat. Part of the local dining circuit for about seven years, RP offers high-end Polish food at high-end prices. Long associated with Dom Polski on ulica Francuska, the two places officially parted ways about one year ago. Now RP has upped its presence with a slightly different take on its culinary fare at a new, this time aboveground, location. And boy do they do a good job.
The new location has similar oldish Polish decor, with tastefully done antiques from local markets. The place is naturally a lot brighter and has an outdoor patio. The soundtrack is pop from 1960s and 1970s Poland - artists like Czerwone Gitary and Karin Stanek - which is meaningless to many tourists but was a nice little trip down memory lane for Polish colleagues during a recent visit. The culinary difference between RP and Tradycja is not extreme. The main menus are the same, though the chefs are different and the seasonal menus are unique to each place. My colleagues and I sampled from the seasonal and regular menu in an uncrowded dining room. I asked them to do their Polish best at being critical toward the food but none of us found much to carp about.
Ania opted to start with a salad with cottage cheese and radishes. The big pile of greens included a rich, creamy cheese and bits of the fresh red root that was perfect for the season. A mustard dressing topped it off. Robert threw fears of salmonella and mad cow disease to the wind, plunging into steak tartar. He called the raw beef tenderloin with an egg yolk on top one of the best starters he's ever had, a nice combination of spices and saltiness with the meat. I started with the chłodnik, a cold beet and cream soup I generally like more for its electric magenta color than its unique flavor. This particular soup did not disappoint with its garish color and a sprinkling of dill and half a hard-boiled egg added to the psychedelic look. Veal slices in the soup were not mixed in over generously though they did give a nice bit of extra flavor and texture to the creamy mix. For a main dish, Ania chose veal cutlets with vegetables, mushrooms and herbs. She called the meat not too juicy, not too dry but just right - one of the better baby cows she'd ever eaten. Fresh herbs were a pleasant and flavorful addition to the dish. Her only complaint - one we all echoed - was the uninspired cast of vegetables that accompanied the main course. The overcooked broccoli, slice of zucchini and other mash of stuff was a sad little side to an otherwise delightful course.
Robert dove into a roast duck on wild plum sauce, the game and fruit combo a standard of old Polish cooking. He called the mix of tender meat and sweet sauce properly Polish and extremely enjoyable. I wanted to try the Polish noodles with rabbit in cream sauce. Despite being listed on the menu, it didn't exist in the kitchen. So I had to go for my second choice, a trout. The broiled fish was simply prepared, well cooked and tasty, accompanied by wedges of lemon and melted butter, and some more of those annoying vegetables. The dessert cart also looked pretty amazing, with cinnamon cake, cheesecake and meringue concoctions. An extra effort too was required by some to decline the sweet endings. One of us, who will remain nameless, could not hold out and tried a meringue tort with almonds and oranges. It was a remarkable ending to a good meal that didn't include a single link of sausage.
Lunch for three, including a bottle of wine, came to zł. 331 ($83).
On the menu: Salad with cottage cheese and radishes zł. 19 Beef tartar zł. 21.50 Chłodnik zł. 14 Veal cutlets with vegetables, mushrooms and herbs zł. 38 Roast wild duck on plum sauce zł. 45 Trout zł. 29.50 Meringue cake with almonds zł. 16
