The Fish Market, Rybi Trh
Off to Prague to see the Christmas or Easter Market or make a pub crawl for Czech Brews? Although famous for beer, you can find fish
here, too. Hidden behind the Tyn
Church is an old courtyard where fine restaurants can be found at modest
prices. The Fish Market is one of them.
The Ungelt was
established in the 12th century as a fortified courtyard to protect the
merchants travelling through Prague. It is located directly behind the Tyn
Church and hence is also called the Tyn Courtyard. The courtyard was originally protected by
ditches and walls and under the protection of the king. "Tyn" means
"protected." The later
German term "Ungelt" refers to
the area as customs zone where the merchants paid a duty for entry. It had a
third name s the "Cheerful Court"
Laeta curia, because of the socializing and festive atmosphere that
surrounds large market places and
trading. The Ungelt flourished during the time
of Charles IV and Wenceslas IV
during the 14th century. As trade broadened through centuries, the Ungelt lost
importance and by 20th century, the
Ungelt was a circle of dilapidated buildings that gave refuge to poor people
and rundown offices and work places. In 1996, the Tyn Courtyard was renovated
and Renaissance Granovsky Palace restored. The palace dates from 1558 and is
decorated with beautiful Renaissance sgraffiti with an arcade loggia decorated
in illustrations of Bible stories and
Greek mythology. Across from it is the Black Bear at No. 642 already established in 1428. The Black Bear
has a Baroque facade with 18th century statues of St. John of Nepomuk, St. Wenceslas
and Florian. The building is named after a black bear in chains. Inside this
hourse is the Indian Jewel Restauarant, but across the courtyard is the Rybi Trh, Fish Market.
On a cold winter's day
when heavy clouds smother Prague, fresh fish over in the Fish Market brings back the warmth of the
Mediterranean sun Fish is delivered regularly and the menu varies accordingly. The bream comes
from Croatia, the salmon from Norway, the mussels, clams, oysters and prawns
from France and the octopus from Morocco. The Atlantic halibut and monkfish
from Norway and the turbot form Croatia, but the lobster is Canadian. Red
Snapper comes from Italy. Unlike the tourists, this is their final destination
and their appearance is exclusive for you.
There's fish I know
and fish I've never met before, but they're here for your pleasure. The bream
is stacked on ice alongside the red
rockfish. The rockfish laments every day
of the week as Monday. His face shows
the intimate displeasure of being
caught. The bream are still gasping their last breath, their mouths wide open with eyes pallid. They make
a tasty dish.
The restaurant swims
in pleasant aquamarine pastels of tourquoise and sea-green. Lobsters
patrol their tank with their giant claws
taped so to discourage anti-social behavior. Nearby swim domesticated small fry
in brilliant orange and pink, happy to escape the kitchen and dart away into
their broken pots and scallop shells whenever anybody looks at them. They
apparently comprehend the significance of the piled bream on ice and find their
tank a more secure place. They're all for the spectator sport but not for
participation.
The manager, Tomas
Plechata arrives. He's friendly person who sees that the restaurant is well-stocked, efficient, clean
and hospitable. The dining area is modest and comfy—a good choice for an
intimate chat or romantic dinner. The décor is simple. In a window is beautiful model of tall-masted ship and over
the doorway a swordfish arched in an eternal leap.
The kitchen staff are
friendly, amiable and courteous. I watch the chef select
my bream and filet it expertly. His fingers are swift in their execution and the fish is cleanly
cut in neat ribbons with admirable skill.
His assistant prepares the vegetables. In minutes, their hands arrange the vegetables on the plate, settle the fish,
set the garnish and make the final artistic touches. It's cinematic watching
them prepare the food so precisely; but much more enjoyable to eat it. There's
no waiting about for the ship to come into harbor and dock.
The bream is perfect.
I'm in heaven. It's everything fish should be: delicate, succulent, smooth,
airy and delectable. It falls apart with a prick of my fork. It's perfectly moist without being soggy or mushy.
The tender bits float about in my mouth like
small bits of paradise. Only a
cat can purr more loudly than my stomach. It's indescribably good. The bream is
accompanied by fresh vegetables that have been sauteed on hot fire. They are
tender, but still have texture and crunch so important to making carrots and
broccoli attractive and delectable.
The food is well-prepared. There's no need for huge servings, heavy fats
or salty fried carbohydrates. A modest portion
satisfies the mouth and stomach with healthy nutrition and fabulous
high-definition flavor. The broccoli is crisp with fresh sweetness. The carrot
slices are delicate as almond slivers.
Crispy is mixed with succulent zucchini in all its glorious richness. If my tongue
were only a bit longer, I'd be licking my face and nose to catch the small
splatters of food caught on the cat's whiskers. Outside, winter brought icy snow; but inside
my stomach is one warm fish that won't be returning to the sunny Mediterranean
clime.
Vlasatice Chardonnay
accompanied the bream. It was a good
choice made by the manager. The wine was light, a bit fruity, but not dry or
excessively sweet. It tasted like the first drops of spring rain after a cruel
winter. Although Czech wines are not so well known on the market, the area
close to the Austrian border near Slovakia is rich in vineyards that are making
a stunning revival into the international market. They are smooth and pour
easily, particularly around the time of the late harvest when the new wine
arrives in Prague in large kegs and sold
on the streets in frothy glory.
Fish Market dishes are
meticulouosly prepared and artistically
arranged. It's a shame to eat such food. The entree of salmon, prawn and yellowfin tuna are as
artfully designed and presented as the finest Swiss after dinner chocolates. They are miniature
works of art delivered by expert hands. The manager is totally aware of presentation—it's
not just the careful selection of fresh
fish and its origin, but the details of service; the colors and shapes that are
important.
It's food art and
because I lack words for the skill involved, I leave some images of the artwork from Rybi Trh.
There's two important
words to repeat: it's good and secondly,
go there.
Restaurant Rybí trh
Týnský dvůr 5
Praha 1 - Staré město
110 00
Tomas Plechata, Manager
posted by pogomcl at 10:38 AM
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