Kiin Modern Thai Restaurant

"Consistency is the last resort of the unimaginative." Oscar Wilde

In early 2008, the only Thai restaurant I considered worthy in Vinohrady closed down. Tiger Tiger's Pad Thai and red curry chicken were favorites, and I was a regular eat-in and take-out customer.

Oddly, after it was gone, there was no other serious Thai restaurant in that upscale neighborhood or even in neighboring Žižkov and Vršovice.

Sure, these days you can pick up some Thai-like food at Sushi Tam Da or Sawadi, but it is mostly stuff would not try more than once.

As far as I'm concerned, there hasn't been any serious Thai food in this part of town for years. When I wanted Thai, I'd go to Noi, Modry Zub, Lemon Leaf or maybe Siam Orchid.

So I was quite intrigued when I saw that Kiin Modern Thai Restaurant had moved into the large space once occupied by Ristorante Soave.

It's in the neighborhood between Flora and Jiřího z Poděbrad.

During the warmer months, they have tables set up outside.

I really liked sipping their homemade lemonade with ginger (49 CZK) out there on a sunny day.

It's not too sweet (though they can make it sweeter if you like), with plenty of sharp, freshly-grated ginger at the bottom. The fresh mint lemonade (49 CZK) was equally refreshing and commendable.

They also had a "white sangria" I found too sweet.

Inside, the spacious restaurant looks much the same as it did during its Soave days. There is a small, darker, somewhat intimate space near the bar area.

Then there is a larger, brighter space with modern furniture and neon-green walls and accents.

There is also a semi-private dining area in the back.

I made five separate visits and ate my way through a lot of the menu, which has cute names for many of the offerings.

I tried the Pok Pok Wings (69 CZK). I'd recommend this little starter.

They were very spicy, with sliced red chilis mixed into the sweet glaze. The two full, unseparated wings sat on top of a carrot salad with the flavors of citrus, fish sauce, and lime leaf. It's a small dish, but there was big flavor.

The "Daisy in Pyjama" (90 CZK) was a nice twist on Vietnamese-style summer or salad rolls.

The cool rice paper was filled with cold, sliced duck breast, mango, and mint. Inside, there was also carrot, cucumber, and rice noodles. There was a hoisin dipping sauce. The mango could be riper and sweeter. A bit of the duck was too hard and chewy. But I'd get it again.

They also do a cold roll with smoked salmon (79 CZK).

I found that one more mundane.

If you like hot, fried spring rolls, you could go for the "Gold Fingers."

These were filled with taro, a starchy root vegetable, rice noodles, and vegetables. The soy-flavored dipping sauce went well with it.

The Sun Burn (75 CZK) was described as moo krob or "crispy, pork bacon and honey mustard sauce." This dish was less successful in both execution and description.

It was barely warm, dry slices of crispy pork belly. The sauce had no semblance to honey mustard, but was more of an Asian barbecue sauce. Apologies for the poor iPhone photo.

From the salad section, I tasted the "Crying Tiger" (145 CZK). This was a generous portion of warm flank steak with red onion, lime juice, fish sauce, green onion, and lime leaf.

It was very tangy and the red chili spice level was seriously high, which I liked.

Although cooked to medium, the beef was disappointingly chewy and tough. I mentioned this to some international foodie-types I met on a later visit, and they told me theirs was tender. So maybe I had bad luck.

On many visits, I had a half-liter of Pilsner Urquell (35 CZK), which they have on tap.

The beers were almost always perfect, chilled to the right temperature, with a sharp sparkle as it went down. However, the last time I tried it, the beer was not as well-poured or as cold as the previous visits.

One dish that I liked, but could be even better, was the "Lonesome Heart" (185 CZK) This was a roasted duck breast glazed with chili, garlic and ginger sauce, served on a bed of red lentils mixed with coconut milk and red curry.

It came with a bowl of rice, which I found unnecessary and went uneaten.

The duck skin was nicely crispy, though some of the meat underneath was dry. The lentils had light sweetness and a slow-building spicy kick. They worked well with the meat on the fork. I'd get it again.

I also sampled the "Canard Enchainé" (175 CZK). This was roasted duck leg served with lychee red curry sauce and rice.

My friend liked it. I thought it was too sweet.

Pad Thai is one of my favorite dishes and something I use as a benchmark to judge a Thai restaurant. I had Kiin's Pad Thai (150 CZK with chicken) three times -- twice for take-out and once in the restaurant.

It was OK, not great. The noodles were lightly sweet, which I like, and the requisite egg, bean sprouts, carrots, and green onions were in there.

On the downside, the peanuts were too roughly chopped and didn't mix in well. There was a lime slice, but I wished for more citrus and salty notes in the balance. For me, the standard-setter in Prague is still at Noi, which almost always balances the flavors well and includes smoky strips of tofu in both their chicken and shrimp Pad Thai. The last issue with Kiin's, and it is not a small one, is some of the noodles were only warm and some were actually cold.

I enjoyed the "shoryuken" (195 CZK) more than the Pad Thai. It was homemade rice noodles with flank steak, asparagus, green onion, broccoli, carrots, and bean sprouts.

There was a hint of sweetness combined with a bit of soy saltiness. The noodles were on the soft side and it was also unevenly heated. But the deliciousness outweighed the defects.

The Sweet Sticky Rice (59 CZK) was a fun and satisfying choice for dessert.

It was served in a cool-looking glass with its own glass cover. Inside was a mix of black and white rice, raisins, amaretto, sesame, and walnut. It tasted like a fancy rice pudding.

Although it was small, I'd recommend the pandan crème brûlée (55 CZK). It was super-creamy and they went very light on the sugar.

The pandan leaf gave it a green coloring and I thought it had a green tea-like flavor.

The service I experienced was very good. I had the same male and a female servers on most visits. They were very helpful, friendly, and charming with a sense of humor. These two definitely added to the warm, neighborhood feeling of the restaurant.

On my first visit, I was told that the kitchen staff included cooks from Modrý Zub and SaSaZu. That, of course, will raise expectations for some. Those expectations should be tempered.

Kiin's kitchen needed to be more consistent. Some dishes, like the duck and red lentils, were very tasty. Some were dry, including the same duck and red lentils. Several offerings weren't heated properly. The pork belly and lamb satay didn't thrill me. The Pad Thai could be better with a few tweaks.

Yet, there is nothing like Kiin in this part of town. Some of their offerings are unique, with combinations of flavors you'll find nowhere else in Prague. Many dishes were not large, but I still thought the prices were very reasonable.

Kiin is still relatively new, having opened in May. I'm hoping they'll iron out their imperfections, combining imagination with consistency to make their restaurant the star of the neighborhood.

Kiin Modern Thai Restaurant
Jagellonská 1239/24
Prague 3
Tel.: +420 728 889 999 or 222 938 596

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Zebra Asian Noodle Bar

"Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown." Chinatown (1974)

I can get obsessed with specific restaurants. It's a useful problem to have in this line of work.

If I like a place, I'll return again and again until I tire of it. In rare cases, the obsession doesn't end.

I still haven't lost my passion for La Bottega di Finestra, perhaps the finest cafe in the city. I've lost track of how many times I've been there.

Asian eateries are well-represented on my short list of regular favorites, so when I saw the new Zebra Asian Noodle Bar on Havelský trh, I quickly got curious.

For those not familiar with Prague geography, the restaurant is located between Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square.

Both the menu and the interior reminded me of Coa.

I had high hopes for that place, but they didn't pan out. Zebra also has an open kitchen, a variety of table and seating choices, and a bright, modern feel.

Zebra is smaller inside, but it has quite a few al fresco tables under an arcade.

I'll tell you right from the start: I became obsessed with this restaurant. These passions usually fade after three or four visits. I've been to Zebra six times since it opened this summer.

Rather than break down each visit, I'm going to go through everything I tried on their menu in one straight shot.

The first thing I went for was the Zebra wings.

They were fried with a crunchy coating and covered with a sweet and savory orange glaze. Some could find it too sweet. They appealed to my sweet tooth, reminding me of the guilty pleasures of Chinese fast food in the USA.

One unappetizing aspect was that they revised the menu recently. Some tasty dishes were dropped, a few others were added, and they raised the prices.

When they first opened, they charged 89 CZK for six Zebra wings. Now they've soared to 139 CZK for eight. A number of offerings went up in cost by between 10 and 60 CZK.

We tried the vegetarian dim sum (99  CZK).

The five delicate dumplings were filled with tofu, bok choy, mint, leek, and Thai basil.

They come with a terrific, tangy dipping sauce. This was ordered on many visits.

They also have shrimp dim sum (119 CZK). These three dumplings filled with chopped shrimp also had the satisfyingly moist, thin skin.

The dipping sauce was the same. While not bad, we preferred the veggie dumplings.

I was curious about the Vietnamese roll (169 CZK). Of all the things I tried, this was the only one I considered a failure.

The waiter told me it was fried, but it was only lightly griddled. The menu says it is filled with shrimp, avocado, shallots, and mayo.

While I could see some of those things inside, all I could taste was a large amount of mayo and some celery. A sweet mustard sauce sat on the side.

We enjoyed the cool and refreshing soba salad (179 CZK).

The buckwheat noodles were combined with fresh spinach, mint, peanuts, and a light vinegar dressing. You will also feel some garlic.

An alternative is the green papaya salad (169 CZK).

This was a handful of crunchy papaya mixed with cherry tomatoes, spring onions, sprouts, and peanuts. The tart dressing included lime and fish sauce. Nice.

Two soups I really loved, the corn with coconut milk and the Five Treasures have dropped off the menu update. I won't tease you with the pictures.

They still have the tom-yam (179 CZK).

This type of hot and sour soup is not usually made with coconut milk. Some variations are made with a small amount, but this version was much more like a Tom Kha Goong.

Either way, the large bowl was loaded with glass noodles, calamari, shrimp, and shiitake mushrooms. The seafood was fresh and well-complemented by the lime leaf and fish sauce, plus with a slow-building heat. It was very filling by itself.

I sampled my Thai litmus test dish, the Pad Thai with shrimp (249 CZK). I'd rank this one second only to the version at Noi, which is still my favorite in the city.

The noodles had layers of flavor that ran from tangy to smoky to salty to nutty. There was a bounty of shrimp in there. I counted 12. Though not large, they were cooked just right to a delicate and still tender state.

Continuing with the Thai theme, there's the massaman curry with beef (249 CZK). Rice is included in the price.

In my recent story about Občanská plovárna, I was talking about my desire for thicker, creamier curries in Prague. This is exactly what I was talking about. It's my wish fulfilled.

Thai curries are usually thin and soup like. The exceptions are panang and massaman curries, which can be creamier and more Indian-like in their consistency.

In this one, chunks of beef were slow-cooked to softness. The meat was surrounded by eggplant, potato, white onion, green onion, and peanuts. The spiciness built up slowly. It was a little too salty for me, but otherwise great.

If you like that one, you might want to try their "Chang-Mai" noodles (249 CZK).

Their homemade egg noodles were covered in a thick, red curry coconut sauce. There was also tender chicken, coriander (cilantro), green onions, white onions, peanuts, mushrooms, and eggplant.

Continuing with the egg noodle theme, they have a Japanese dish they call Kuni salmon (249 CZK). This included shrimp, yams, leeks, and oyster sauce.

The shrimp were excellent again and the yams had a mild sweetness. Overall, it had a strong flavor of Thai basil supplemented by the large amount of fresh coriander on top. I did hear one complaint that there weren't enough of the small pieces of salmon.

I'd note here that they were accommodating and prepared this once without salmon on request. Another time, my date asked if they would make a vegetable stir fry, which was not on the menu.

They were happy to do so, and she was happy with their creative effort.

From the Chinese portion of the menu, I ordered the Sichuan Beef (279 CZK).

The tender beef slices were mixed with a sweet and seriously spicy sauce. There was also bok choy, green and white onions, and what tasted like Thai basil. Rice came with it in the bowl.

The last of the main courses was the pork ribs (249 CZK).

These baby backs were not as tender as the American style ribs at Mood, but they were still easy to peel apart with fingers. Although the menu said they have a "sweet and spicy glaze," I found them more salty than sweet. And I thought they were great. The flavor brought me back to London's Gerrard Street and New York's Chinatown. It wasn't exactly the same, but close enough.

On the last visit, we tried the two new and most expensive items on the menu. My date had the Zebra maguro (570 CZK). It was sesame-crusted seared tuna over bok choi cooked with soy sauce.

We were guaranteed it would be served very rare. Although not quite as rare as we would have liked, it was still within our acceptable range. There was a sour yuzu sauce on the side.

My date liked the tuna. I thought it was OK, but I'd say it didn't satisfy my price to pleasure quotient.

I had their Thai-style sea bass (490 CZK). Although I'm a big tuna fan, I actually like this dish better.

The large, fresh filet rested on a very tart lime, coriander, and lime leaf sauce. There was also fried garlic and cherry tomatoes underneath. It might be too sour for some people, but I enjoyed the strong taste.

Rice came on the side for both dishes, but it went less well with the tuna, which had very little sauce with it.

To drink, I most often had the .3 liter glass of Merlin dark beer (45 CZK).

It was on the sweet side, with coffee and caramel notes. They also serve Lobkowicz Premium 12° beer, which I like as an alternative to Pilsner Urquell.

My date drank rosé (99 CZK) and a large bottle of Romerquelle sparkling water 85 CZK) on one visit.

Her favorite beverage was their super thick, creamy, homemade mango lassi (95 CZK).

As enjoyable as it was, the downside is that it is a very small bottle for a big price. They also have .25 liter bottles of BonAqua, which is not cheap either (55 CZK).

I did try one dessert: the marquise chocolate with ginger and orange (99 CZK).

This was something akin to a rich chocolate mousse with candied orange peel. I liked it very much.

What about the service? It was all over the place. There was a total melt down on one visit with two forgotten orders, incorrect charges on the bill and the like.

On a couple of visits, the service was terse and impersonal. On another two, it was stellar. Our hyper-efficient waiter was as friendly and as sweet as their wings.

I'd make some allowances for the restaurant being newly opened. The later visits did have better service.

The location, at a crossroads of Prague's tourist trails, can't be cheap. The rising prices did take away some of the feeling of value. I thought the price for water was ridiculous.

However, with many filling and delicious dishes going for around 250 CZK, it's still possible to eat at this restaurant and not go broke. My meals for two with at least two courses and drinks averaged 1000 CZK.

In the end, I became obsessed with Zebra because it presented flavors that were familiar to me and, at the same time, so unfamiliar in Prague.

It's clear the people behind this restaurant have an international perspective and did their homework. Although not gourmet or groundbreaking, Zebra brought back memories of simple, but satisfying meals in London, New York, Los Angeles, Beijing, and Thailand.

For me, food like that is hard to forget.

Zebra Asian Noodle Bar
Melantrichova 5
Prague 1
Tel. (+420) 777 873 333

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Občanská plovárna

"The nicest thing about standards is that there are so many of them to choose from." Andres S. Tannenbaum

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I ultimately judge Thai restaurants by their Pad Thai.

When done right, it's one of my favorite dishes, but it requires the balancing of a lot of flavors. I've had plenty of bad ones and very few good ones.

My standard for excellent Pad Thai in Prague is the one served at Noi. In fact, it's among the best I've ever had. There's a lot going on in that dish.

I read a report that there was a really good one being served at the Thai restaurant, Občanská plovárna. I went to check it out.

The restaurant sits on the river below the main embankment road.

The nearest tram stop is Čechův most. Trams 1, 8, 12, and 17 go there.

I used come to this building in the late 90s when it was a high-end restaurant called Aqua. The 2002 floods wiped out the structure's interior. It's had a series of tenants afterward that didn't interest me. But it's a great location.

They've done up the interior with some Thai touches. There are great glass window walls that completely open up the dining room to the river.

Outside there are plenty of metal tables along the banks of the Vltava. Some had table cloths, which lent a more upscale feeling.

It was less pleasant to eat on bare black metal. Either way, there is a good view. The tables also have good cover in case of rain.

On my first visit, I had the Pad Thai. But I'm going to save my review of that for the end.

I started off with a beer. They serve Lobkowicz, which I quite like, in .3 liter glasses only (30 CZK). It's a nice alternative to Pilsner Urquell.

I do wish they had half-liter glasses. They also serve BonAqua sparkling water (45 CZK), which I really don't like.

First, the price is crazy. Second, the .25 liter bottles are too small to quench your water needs through a meal. And third, Mattoni is Czech, tastes better, and comes in more satisfying .33 liter bottle.

My date had a .2 liter glass of wine (50 CZK). It was fine.

We both ordered soups. They took a long time to arrive. I had the Tom Kha Kai (95 CZK), another classic Thai dish.

It was lightly sweet with the comforting aroma of galangal. The chicken was fresh and not overcooked, as is sometimes the case. There was also a good balance of lemongrass, fish sauce, and cilantro (coriander). The bowl was large.

My Italian companion had the Tom Yum Kung (105 CZK).

This roughly translates as hot and sour soup with shrimp. Indeed, I usually enjoy this soup at other restaurants because of its terrific tang.

Here, the broth was more salty than sour. The chef at this restaurant is Thai, but I've never had a version quite like this.

Dull, almost raw mushrooms floated at the top. Underneath, there were three, delicate, properly cooked shrimp. This was a similarly large serving of soup. I didn't like it much.

This meal, which included the Pad Thai with shrimp (285 CZK), some stir-fried spinach, and a long wait for both came to 815 CZK.

I returned on a warm evening with G-Man.

He started with the fried black tiger prawns (175 CZK). You get six medium-size crustaceans with plenty of bread crumbs on them. There was the standard sweet chili sauce on the side.

They were nice and crunchy, but it's not something I would have ordered to test the skills of the kitchen.

I had the Pra Neua or which the menu describes as marinated beef tenderloin with lemon grass, cilantro, and Thai herbs (185 CZK). This I loved.

The slices of beef were incredibly tender and tasty. All too often when I get beef salads in Prague, the beef is all too tough. Not here.

The dressing had the perfect balance of fish sauce, lime juice and, coriander, and mild, sweet onion. It was the right mix of sweet, savory, and sour. The portion was not large, but the quality level was high.

Inspired by my choice, G-Man ordered the Lab Kai (165 CZK). This is billed as a salad with fresh coriander, mint, onion, lime, and chicken.

It basically tasted the same as my dish, except with chicken. I didn't really detect the mint in there, and it was not as spicy as my Pra Neua. We both liked it anyway.

Then I got an order of panang curry with pork (185 CZK). Rice was included with this dish.

The mildly sweet sauce had the strong flavor of lime leaf I like. It also was thin and soup-like. I long for thicker curry sauces in this town.

The pork was fresh and not overcooked. Other than that, there was really only lightly cooked, chewy eggplant chunks. Not too exciting.

This meal, which included five beers and two glasses of wine came to 960 CZK. The service was a bit better this time.

And what about that Pad Thai with shrimp?

First, it was certainly the nicest presentation I've seen. The huge portion came wrapped in a banana leaf.

It's really enough for two people. I took half of it home. There was a generous portion of butterflied, properly cooked shrimp. The tofu picked up a smoky flavor from the grill.

And yet the massive amount of rice noodles themselves were unforgivably bland. I squeezed out the one lime wedge, but it didn't help much. I'd probably need at least two or three more to get the flavor right. And though there were chili flakes on the side, the crushed peanuts were missing. As in not there.

In addition to more lime, I'd wish for another dash of fish sauce and a hint of sweetness. And I wouldn't forget the nuts. These are my tastes, but my date agreed with me completely. This Pad Thai didn't make the grade for either of us.

While I loved the beef and chicken salads, the noodles and curry left me disappointed. The view and the peaceful location are perhaps the biggest draws for Občanská plovárna.

The trams that go there are not the most convenient for me, but a better option for some, including me, is that they have their own parking lot. It's something I'd consider on a nice weekend day.

But given my standards, I'll probably still choose Noi when I'm in the mood for Thai.

Občanská plovárna
U Plovárny 8
Prague 1 - Mala Strana
Tel: (+420) 257 531 451

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