I've returned home by now, and am mildly embarrassed to have written so few of the blog posts that came into my head during this year's European stay. In the past I was a much more regular blogger.
In any case, I thought I might add on some culinary notes about changes in Prague. I've already mentioned that restaurants are charging more and expecting customers to tip rather than just round up as was previously the norm. But here I'll note actual shifts in cuisine.
Ten or fifteen years ago, most restaurants in Prague offered... guess what... Czech food! Second to Czech food came Italian food in the form of pizza, pasta, and risottos. Here and there one might also find Chinese, Thai, or Mexican (sometimes of very dubious authenticity). And, many years ago, there was a Georgian restaurant. I don't know which part of town the Georgian restaurant was in and so I have no idea whether it still exists. The only other Georgian restaurant I've been to was in Berkeley, and it is long gone.
Now, I was going to say that hole-in-the-wall gyro stands are new, but then I realized that they are not, they are just much more common and often have a sign saying "Kebap" which I don't think was the case before. I am certain, too, that in years past the proprietors did not ask if one wanted a tortilla. When asked this, I supposed they meant pita bread, so I said yes, but although the pronunciation of "tortilla" would have amused Mexicans, the object I received was indeed a flour tortilla. I was surprised and suspected I should have said I wanted bread, except that I had supposed choosing bread would have gotten me Czech bread. And while I like Czech bread, I don't want it with falafel or the like. (I can be something of a purist at times.)
So that's one kind of food that has become much more common. Thai and Chinese and Mexican restaurants too are rather easy to find. I was not greatly impressed with the two Chinese restaurants I visited--not having been to China yet, my favorite Chinese restaurants have been in California. On the other hand, while I didn't sample any of the Mexican food, the sudden prevalence of burrito joints suggests that one can probably get a decent burrito should one desire. And probably a more authentic one than those initially offered at American University's cafeteria back around 2001, which while tasty enough were made by staff who were clearly baffled by the whole concept and worked very slowly to concoct them and then cut them in half and topped them with sour cream and chives.
Something that seems utterly new in the past couple of years is, surprisingly enough, Vietnamese food. Why is this surprising? Well, given that North Vietnam sent a great many of its people to Czechoslovakia back in the 1970s, resulting in a large Vietnamese minority, you would think Vietnamese food would have become a staple long ago. Nope. It remained in the Vietnamese community until very recently. The Vietnamese run (apparently) all of the convenience stores (which stay open late as do those in the US, but which are much more focused on food and liquor than ours) and are famous for providing cheap clothing and suchlike at outdoor markets, but now their cuisine is being discovered.
And I might add that now the Vietnamese have been in Prague long enough (as you would expect) that one finally hears younger Vietnamese Czechs speaking perfect Czech with no accent whatsoever. I'm not sure why I never encountered this years ago, but I did not. Maybe it's a sign of increased connection. There are still plenty of Vietnamese Czechs under forty or so who have a strong Vietnamese accent.
To round out my account of the Prague restaurant scene, I must reveal that it seems harder and harder to find ordinary Czech restaurants. They exist, and it's true that as I spent a lot of time at the library, I was not in a part of town where ordinary fare for non-tourists was readily available other than in places such as the library bistro. But it seemed much easier to find Italian restaurants.
Ah yes. And food at cafes. That's another matter, although not necessarily more traditionally Czech. Perhaps I'll write about that another day.
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