Monday, July 23, 2007

Fraktal - Brunch

I have written about Fraktal before. They do have pretty good hamburgers. But what I really like most is their Saturday-Sunday brunch menu.

And what I like most specifically about their brunch is their "breakfast enchilada." It doesn't seem to fit the classic definition of an enchilada -- no corn tortilla -- but I won't quibble.
The menu says it is a flour tortilla, filled with scrambled eggs, spicy klobasa, and sofrito. The "klobasa" had nice flavor, but was a little hot dog-like in consistency. Sofrito is usually chopped onions, pepper, and tomatoes, but I had a hard time seeing some on the inside. The menu says there is melted cheese, salsa, cilantro, and crème fraiche on the outside. I think there is a little enchilada sauce hidden under there.

In the end, I really don't know. It was early and it is very, very dark in there. Anyway, it doesn't matter. These are not complaints, just minor confusions.

I love this breakfast -- Real comfort food that reminds me of a restorative morning meal I once had in Ensenada. Or was it lunch in Rosarita Beach? Again, I don't really know, but I do know that Fraktal's dish also comes with black beans and rice and costs 150 CZK.

You can only order from the brunch menu during brunch hours on the weekend from 11:00-15:30, and it slants strongly toward Mexican-style dishes.

Another offering is huevos rancheros for 125 CZK. The menu says it has "Two fried eggs, melted cheese, Cuban-style black beans, cilantro, crème fraiche, salsa, and shredded lettuce served on a grilled flour tortilla."

It has a lot of similar components to the breakfast enchilada, but I could do without the lettuce, myself.

If you want to go non-Mexican, there is the Pipérade Omelette for 130 CZK. This is a "three-egg omelette with Pipérade (a traditional Basque vegetable blend with onions, peppers, fresh tomatoes and bacon sautéed in olive oil."It comes with homemade garlic mashed potatoes and a small salad.

For the vegetarians, there is the "Big Salad" for 115 CZK. It is a tossed green salad with feta cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers and grilled vegetables. It is served with goat cheese crostini and Balsamic mustard vinaigrette. V said it was just OK.

They also do steak and eggs (135 CZK), corn muffin and eggs (90 CZK), crepes with fruit (115 CZK), scrambled eggs and bacon with mashed potatoes, tossed salad, and a grilled tomato (115 CZK), and a club sandwich (95 CZK).

You can see the whole brunch menu online here.

Did I mention it is dark inside? This subterranean space is a popular bar and hangout, especially for expats. It can pull in the crowds at night.

During the day, there is mininal lighting, and even with small windows, it is hard to see your food in some areas. V didn't like eating in such dim light.

Fraktal is something of a labyrinth and there are a few back rooms where you can disappear. But they are big enough that they could handle a big group of around 12 of my friends.

There is also the bar area up front, which has a few tables. For some, after a long night, the lack of any harsh glare could be a good thing.

However, if you want bright light and fresh air, you can try to score one of the few outdoor tables on the street. I've said before, Prague is not a big breakfast town. But when I'm hungering for big meal on a weekend morning, Fraktal is one of the few places I can go that satisfies.

Fraktal Bar Restaurace
Šmeralova 1
Prague 7
Tel. (+420) 777 794 094

You can read an earlier post on Fraktal's hamburger here.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

The new Bohemia Bagel down a few blocks off Veletrizni is pretty good too...and served all day.

That makes two good breakfast places in Letna...Whoo Hoo!

Anonymous said...

Two decent places to eat in Letna? Wow .. that's a real development. I live near Letna and I hear all the time from Vinohrady people how "Letna is the next Vinohrady .. etc" I tell them when there's a dozen good places outside my door (that people will actually cross town to go to .. ), then we might honestly be seeing a real Letna revival ... But Brewsta's right about brunch. Fraktal has managed to break out of the "neighborhood place" category and is now a destination ..

Brewsta said...

Well.. I did have a bacon, egg, and cheese bagel at the original Bohemia location last year. The fried egg, from a steam tray, was overcooked, but barely warm, and the bacon was overcooked and very hard to chew.

They had almost everything pre-prepared to deal with the morning rush.. But quality was sacrificed.

There are a few things I like there -- but since the breakfast was mentioned.. Just reporting my experiences, good and bad.

I hope to post on Bohemia Bagel's sandwiches soon.