No classic buns or dumplings, but a lot of unconventional flavors and combinations. However, Zdeněk Pohlreich is a bit skeptical about modern Czech cuisine. Will he be convinced by the authentic concepts of the restaurant Strakon Sůl a Řepa and Olomouc’s Long Story Short? And how will the stress test affect the chatty waiter? Viewers will see the next episode of Pohlreich’s restaurant fight on Wednesday, March 22 at 8:20 p.m. on TV Nova.
“Every time someone came up with something new, they were crazy. I’m glad there’s no witch hunt today. “Maybe I would be the first chef to be burned at the stake,” he says of his approach to cooking Pavel Drdel. “Quite quickly I found the courage to open something of my own. I opened a restaurant at twenty-two and closed it again at twenty-two with huge debts. I had to make money quickly, I didn’t want to earn it outside of gastronomy, nor to make money illegally, for example by selling drugs. First I went to Austria and then to Vancouver. And there I became one of the youngest chefs. And then the offer came from Long Story Short”, he recalls the beginnings Petr Henes.
Chefs and their philosophy
Both restaurant chefs not only have a unique approach to cooking, but also the use of specific ingredients. Others rely on their own baked goods, others on non-traditional fermented fruits. Together, however, it creates new combinations that are frequented by guests from all over the country. “Young start, quality of equipment and relatively extensive investment projects. I knew that the situation was changing quickly, but I was honestly surprised by the commitment and level of service, the quality of the facilities and the technological maturity. We are in the era of so-called chef pubs, when the chef is finally the main character instead of strange investors. And that’s hope for the future,” complements young modern restaurants Zdenek Pohlreich.
What will be on the menu
Wednesday’s menu will include Rojika carp peppers, St. John’s wort pâté, mushroom cube with fermented wheat or cauliflower with yeast sauce. Dumplings with fruit, as well as pork knuckle, will be served as dessert. “What makes you exceptional is that you listen to your intuition and don’t give in to the opinions of those around you. And on top of that, you’re constantly raising your inner bar up. And the fact that you work with raw materials from the environment and literally without any residues is the icing on the cake.” supplies Pavel Drdel.
Watch Pohlreich’s restaurant battle every Wednesday from 20:20 on Nova. Or a week earlier on Voyo.