Czech cuisine shares some similarities to Chinese food - except for the beer, Yu Ran reports.

The restaurant inside the Czech Republic Pavilion, run by award-winning Czech restaurateurs, is offering diners a taste of authentic cuisine and famous beers from this Eastern European country.

The restaurant is keen to change people's perceptions of Czech cuisine, which is seen as rich and stodgy, by sticking to authentic menus and having some of the country's best chefs prepare meals.

The chefs have prepared well-known traditional Czech meals such as beef in cream sauce and dumplings, and pork with cabbage and dumplings.

"Beef in cream sauce, a favorite Czech dish, takes the best cut of beef, the tenderloin, and makes it more flavorful by marinating it, cooking it with vegetables and garnishing with cranberries for a sweet taste," said Frantiek tefunka, the deputy manager of the restaurant.

Traditional Czech dishes have surprisingly much in common with Chinese cuisine. The world-renowned Czech dumpling has its parallel in China. Czech dumplings do differ from traditional Chinese dumplings, but are similar in taste to Chinese steamed bread.

Just like the Chinese, Czechs love pork and duck meat, even though they prepare it a bit differently. In the Czech Republic, meat is usually roasted and only rarely fried.

Roast pork with potato dumplings and cabbage is a favorite among Czechs, on special occasions or as part as an ordinary meal. The reason why the dish is so popular is because of its balanced taste that combines the sour taste of sauerkraut (pickled cabbage) with a salty taste of meat.

Different from the classic Peking roast duck, Old Bohemia roast duck is a Czech festive cuisine seasoned with caraway seeds and served with stewed pickled cabbage and dumplings, with crispy duck skin and juicy duck meat that is sometimes basted with honey in advance.

"The duck is flavored before roasting so that the meat has a luscious taste without sauce, while sauce is essential for eating Peking duck because it is dry," said tefunka, explaining the difference between the two styles of roast duck.

Beer is an inseparable part of the Czech dining experience. It goes with every meal and no Czech can imagine the harmoniously integrated taste of lunch or dinner without it.

There is also a dish called Brewers' Goulash, a rich stew of Hungarian origin, which has found its second home in the Czech Republic. It is made from meat, mostly beef, stewed with vegetables, hot red paprika and dark beer. The meal is served with potato pancakes and is an ideal combination with a beer, especially a mix of light and dark beer.

"The mix of light and dark beer doesn't appear on the menu. I am one of few people who can make the mixture perfectly in Asia and I only serve VIP guests with this beverage," said tefunka.

The Czech Republic consumes the most beer per capita in the world, around 160 liters for every Czech man, woman and child annually. The popularity of beer in gastronomy is on the rise in China as well, so that lovers of the beverage will appreciate a chance to try one of the best beers in the world - the Czech original draught Budweiser Budvar, which was first brewed over 300 years ago.

"Pancakes with fruit is the most popular Czech dessert. Crepes with ice cream are also on offer here," tefunka said.

Zone C, ground floor of the Czech Republic Pavilion

Price range: 150-300 yuan per person

Opening hours: 9:30 am-11:30 pm

(China Daily 08/27/2010 page)