Our first taste of Poland was a Polish breakfast, scrambled eggs, cured meats and cheese with toast on the side.I am definitely one for cold meats and cheese but probably not overally for breakfast. Needless to say it did compliment the scrambled eggs and to me was more of a brunch meal than just breakfast. We also indulged in hot chocolates quite early on as our hands were about to fall off fro the cold. We walked into the closest cafe we could find and ended up forking out about £9 for two hot chocolates. Adam went for a white hot chocolate, pretty much milk with sugar, and I chose a classic hot chocolate which was more like chocolate cake mixture and I pretty much needed a spoon to get thick mud like liquid into my mouth!
These two food tastings didn't give me much hope for our evening dining experiences. However, boy was I wrong. Our hotel recommended a restaurant called Szara Kazimierz (no idea how to pronounce it!) which was also Michelin star recommended. It happened to be just around the corner from where we were staying, which made it an ideal spot for walking in the negative degree air. So off we went and found this restaurant no other than 100 yards away. The menu looked amazingly appetising with a good array of traditional Polish food and also a modern selection. Typical me however, I wanted to peruse the other options on offer so with Adam huffing and puffing behind we strolled around the square in search of a better option, this was not found - Szara Kazimeierz had won.
The food all sounded mouthwatering delicious so we decided to treat ourselves to two courses each. Each person getting a different item on the menu so we could try as much as we could. Adam started with fried toast with a pinch and goats cheese and a balsamic glaze whilst I settled with a zucchini fritter with dill creme fraiche and smoked salmon. The salmon was rather bland but still enjoyable whilst I cannot deny I do love goats cheese and balsamic together so this one definitely won me over, not a huge fan of the fried toast though.... the mains were the real treat - Adam chose a traditional wild boar stew with potato dumplings served in its own little casserole dish, and I chose the beef torpedoes (tender beef schnitzel stuffed with mushrooms, and bacon, served on a bed of spinach and drizzled in a red wine sauce. The flavours of both dishes were tantalising. Topped off with a nice drop of 2009 red vino we enjoyed every mouthful our meal had to offer. The beef torpedoes in particular were oozing with flavour especially accompanied with the jus. The wild boar stew was a modern take on a traditional Polish stew and the meat was so tender and warming in a cold winter night. Needless to say after these courses we were unable to fit in dessert which didn't really bother me as I don't have an overally sweet tooth anyway!
Our second night we wandered into the Old Town, and after a tour of the city centre via a horse and carriage we decided to settle on Szara, the flagship restaurant of our previous nights chosen eatery. This being centred in the market square of Krakow immediately upped the prices of the food. This not being a huge problem though as the Krakow £ compared with the pound makes for a cheap evening out, so once again we decided to splurge and go with another two courses each. The menu was very similar to Szara's sister restaurant from the previous evening but with a slightly different spin. I decided to go a bit more traditional with my pickings for the evenings courses and went with a Polish speciality 'Fish soup a la Bouillabaisse' basically a tomato soup filled with about 6 different types of fish and garlic and onion, and garnished with aoili. Fish not being a usual choice for me, let alone soup I thought I was getting well out of my comfort zone. I ordered a half portion as I didn't want to ruin my main course, however a rather large 'half portion' was brought to my table in a luscious red colour smelling of garlic and making both Adam and I drool (his creme of mushroom soup was nothing on mine!) The soup itself was mouthwatering delicious, the tenderness of the fish and mixture of tomato and onion made this bowl of goodness. So good in fact that I had to enquire to the waiter, what type of fish (I had assumed only one?!) and what the ingredients were. He explained the fish was cooked slowly over a period of time but could not disclose much of the method or other ingredients, however exclaimed that it was one of his favourites too.
I could not finish my first course despite the richness of the flavours, Adam was quite happy to take over the last quarter and devour the rest of the soup. My second and main course did not let the deliciousness end. I chose the leg of lamb with a chevre sauce, potatoes marinated in garlic and thyme and served on spinach with cherry tomatoes. The idea of lamb spinach and tomatoes together sold me in one. The combination of all the flavours of the dish, the sweetness of the tomatoes, the garlic in the spinach and the delicate tenderness of the slowly cooked lamb was savoured in my mouth for the entire evening. The lamb was so tender and rich it flaked off the bone and kissed the garlicky sauce that was accompanying the dish. It was one meal that there no way I was letting it go un-eaten! Adams Veal chops with a creamy Dijon sauce, parmesan and spinach potato croquettes according to him was delicious, he is a sucker for croquettes! But I have to say had nothing on my meal. It was one I could eat over and over.
Krakow has proven to have some of the best food since I have been over in the Northern Hemisphere AND thats over Italy, (and boy, I looove Italia!). Whilst I wouldn't recommend longer than two to three days in Krakow I would definitely recommend the food and in particular these two places to dine. Bon apetit! (not sure what that is in Polish....)
