Biala Ges, ul. Belwederska 18A, Warsaw, Poland

45 years of communism in Poland could be compared to a culinary nuclear holocaust.  Consistent shortages of everything have reduced the Polish cuisine to just a few basic staple dishes.  Thus, I have a great respect for Magda Gessler, who is trying to revitalize the traditional and regional cuisine all over the provincial Poland with her TV show “The kitchen revolutions” by reorganizing one restaurant at a time.  However, what that has done, in the meantime, to 5 or 6 of her restaurants in Warsaw is not always very good.  I strongly believe that the owner’s, even periodic, presence is key to a successful restaurant.  Magda Gessler’s latest restaurant is Biała Gęś, and it is in exactly the same place as Restauracja Polska Tradycja used to be.  It used to be quite a feat to get a reservation there before at lunchtime or in the evening.  It is not a problem any more, and unfortunately uneven quality of food and lack of attention to detail may play a role in this situation.  For starters, zimne nóżki, beef tartar or the soups are just plain. Not bad, but not that great either.  The goose-meat pierogi are worth mentioning, because they do stand out in this field of mediocrity.

For the main course, the only thing that can be recommended is, well, the goose.  It is relatively easy to create a dry and inedible goose, but there the meat is tender and done to perfection; however, served without imagination.  The fish are tasteless though, and the boar is the driest I ever ate – a really boring boar ;P

Thus, while I do admire Mrs. Gessler for what she is trying to achieve all over Poland, I am not impressed with what she has not achieved at Biała Gęś in Warsaw.
PS. A friend of mine paid 580 zloty (130 euro) for a bottle of regular vodka there; saying that the place is overpriced in wine and hard liquor would be an understatement.

http://www.bialages.pl/

Hakkasan, Mayfair, London, UK

Hakkasan in Mayfair must be the most reviewed restaurant in London as of late.  It calls itself the modern Chinese restaurant, but the food I found there seemed to me like a mix of the Chinese, Indonesian and Malay fare.  Being popular with the assorted British celebrities who are famous for, well, being well known in the UK, must help in general, but it makes getting a reservation close to impossible.  Nevertheless, my pal managed to do that!  The place is relatively spacious, and has two dining levels.  The dim lighting creates a feeling of intimacy though, and one does not feel like sitting in the middle of a football field (a feat easily achieved though at “Ale Gloria!” in Warsaw).  On our level, I think there must have been close to 100 people dining, but what was really interesting was that the various service staff was pretty much everywhere.  When leaving, I have asked how many people work on that level, and I was told that it is close to 200 (!).

We have decided to go with the selection of starters first with a mix of dim sum, duck spring rolls, fried and spicy calamari, and some greens, all washed down with a designer sparkling water that tasted like… water.  The starters though were truly amazing.  The calamari were not too chewy, and not burned to a crisp; spiced just right.  The spring rolls were done perfectly.  The dim sum selection was very interesting and also tasty (yes, it had a variety of great flavors!).

For the main courses, we went with the truly delicate ribs in, what seemed like, spicy honey glaze; the fried shrimp surrounded by almond and sesame; and a cod roasted in champagne and honey. 

I do have to concur with most of the reviewers at this point: everything was amazingly good.  The service (with 200 people buzzing around) was swift and surprisingly quick and organized.  The price tag at the end was at the level of the best London restaurants, but it was definitely well worth it.

http://www.hakkasan.com/mayfair/

Papu, Al. Niepodległosci 132/136, Warsaw, Poland

Papu is one of the few restaurants in upper Mokotów, and definitely my favorite one.  It has a quaint décor with attention to detail that makes you feel almost at home, yet it is definitely good for business lunch or dinner.  The place feels a bit cramped though, and the walking area is rather tight, so somebody will bump into your chair eventually.  The service is swift and professional, used to navigating in the tight spaces inside the restaurant, which cannot be said for the (especially the inebriated) clients.  The food is a mix of a Polish cuisine with a twist (e.g. veal kidneys pan fried in olive oil with garlic and finely chopped parsley) with a modified Italian fare (e.g. risotto in a variety of forms).  My favourite starters are salads though.  The mixed lettuce leaves served with chicken livers and balsamico – honey sauce is simply divine. 

The ceasar salad with slices of grilled chicken breast and sauce made with anchovies is one of the best ceasar salads I have ever had.

However, the true attraction of Papu are the hot lava blocks, on which you can cook, at your table, a variety of meats and seafood.

Needless to say, it is a lot of fun, and very well imitates an effect of lava grill in a miniature format.  The full-size bibs are provided, so you don’t have to worry about getting splattered all over.  My personal favorites are the shrimp and the sliced steak.  Both are well pre-seasoned, and you can cook them to your own personal desire. 

The desserts are again a mix of Italian and Polish goodies, with a highly recommendable cheesecake in the lead.  The wine selection is decent enough to go with the offered food.  Overall, a very enjoyable place.

http://www.restauracjapapu.pl/

Restauracja Na Zielnej, ul. Zielna 37, Warsaw, Poland

Almost effectively isolated by the renovation of Próżna street, and the construction of the Warsaw subway, Restauracja na Zielnej is a gem in a rough.  Located in the same place as Kai Schoehals’ Kom restaurant used to be, it serves an updated Polish cuisine.  “What exactly does that mean?”you ask. Well, how about a tartar made from the Polish bison meat, served covered up with a glass full of the bison grass smoke.

Or slivers of smoked duck with a pomegranate.  Foie gras with the cherry sauce and brioche is highly recommendable as well.

The main courses are based on the Baltic sea fish selection and the meats, which have not been imported from anywhere.  The presentation is fantastic.  The runny egg looks great on the pike perch in the mustard sauce.

My personal favourite though is the sliced venison tenderloin served on the fried potato dumplings with a gentle and tasty mushroom sauce.

To be honest with you, I was pleasantly surprised, if not shocked how well everything tasted.  Thus, I suppose, why despite all the trouble that one has to go through to go there, the place was relatively busy.  The service was efficient and discreet, and our desserts arrived at the right time. One piece of advice:  do beware of the waiters’ recommendations who seem to have a rather pedestrian taste.  Unfortunately, the retaurant is more well known by the actors and celebrities with a questionable taste who visit the place, than by the chef who prepares such wonderful treats; don't let that discourage you from visiting.  Another interesting feature, is the actual smoking section for those who need a smoke with their coffee, or a cigar with their cognac.  The place is rather formal, but the white linens, in reality, cover up Kai's old rough wooden tables.  The brick walls also tone down the atmosphere a bit; and some believe make them it more cosy.

U Kucharzy, ul. Ossollinskich 7, Warsaw, Poland

A friend told me some time ago that one does not go to „U Kucharzy” for the food, but for the ambiance.  It’s true that for  those who are tired of the “another fancy restaurant” look, this is the place.  It is set in the hotel kitchen of a truly magnificent, but now closed, Hotel Europejski.  I mean it is actually the kitchen, as the cooks are cooking right next to you.  The décor is natural to such an environment, and I am sure that some of the staff still can recall the Europejski’s heyday during the communist times.

Now, the food.  After my numerous trips there (mainly to amuse my foreign guests, who are always blown away by the idea and the environment), the best way to described what is served there is comfort food.  Unfortunately, nothing really stands out.  I mean it is cute that the server cuts the beef for the steak tartar on the cutting board at your table, but again the taste and the presentation are rather lacking. Thus, it is truly difficult for me to recommend anything.  Mind you the food is good, but that kind of food I can get at my grandma’s.  I don’t need to go to a restaurant. 

The place is also pretty famous for the rather spotty service.  Thus, don’t be surprised if the soup is delivered to your table, while the spoon to eat this soup is given to you 10 minutes later.  To sum up, if you want to be amused or amuse somebody with a very different restaurant setting, then this is the place.  Do not expect the food to blow you away though.

http://www.gessler.pl/newruk5.htm

Platter by Okrasa, the Intercontinental Hotel, Warsaw, Poland

Karol Okrasa, “the cover boy” of the latest issue of the Austrian „SucCEEd” magazine (http://www.diabla.at/en/magazine/std/Succeed/2012/1), has made his name as the chef at Bristol hotel in Warsaw.  His current restaurant is also in the hotel, the Intercontinental hotel in Warsaw to be precise.  I have never seen his TV show, but his natural boyish good looks must sell well among the ladies of all ages.  He claims that cooking is his passion, and I must say I do see it in his food. My latest experience at his restaurant was once again very good; an unusual feat for a restaurant at the hotel.  I have decided to start with a salad.  His a la carte salads are always an interesting mix of a protein and the greens.  This time around, I have decided to go with a salad with scallops (yes, I love them) in this really amazing version of béarnaise sauce.

The scallops were seared perfectly.  A very nice beginning.  Next, the ultimate test – kapusniak; a Polish soup based on the sauerkraut, which should be light and refreshing, and too often resembles bigos.  This one was really good. Based on the goose broth with lovage added for taste, it was excellent.

Following the kapusniak, I selected the fish for the main course.  The plaice was OK, yet rather tasteless and slightly overcooked.  The lentils though were a definite hit.  They had perfect texture (the one you get after getting them cooked twice), and the tomato confit (I think) added a perfect balance to the dish.

Yes, I am not the dessert fan, but when I heard they have that they have a passion fruit mousse and the poppy-seed cake I was in a bind.  I went for the passion fruit mousse, which met all of my gluttonous expectations. 

Overall, it is one of the best restaurants in Warsaw.  Having Mr. Okrasa run the place was a stroke of genius for whover made this decision for the hotel.

Zielnik Cafe, ul Odynca 15, Warsaw, Poland

In the culinary desert of the upper Mokotow, Zielnik Cafe really stands out.  Although, it is a small place with just a few tables, it has the setting and the climate to enjoy good food.  I have not been there for a while, although I used to eat there quite often a couple of years ago.  Then, it was the beef tartar and veal cutlets (if I remember correctly) that were my usual favorites.  Uncomplicated, fresh and well-done food.  This time around, I sampled the chicken livers served in the cherry sauce.  That was a very fortunate combination.  The cherry sauce was not too sweet either, and the cherries’ tartness played well against the taste of the livers.  For the second course, I have ordered the veal pierogi (a recommendation of my companion), who were beautifully served in a circle on the edge of the plate, with a small saucer with butter in the middle.  Pierogi were very good; the dough was light/thin, while the meat maybe a bit too dry.  Upon exiting the place – a nice surprise: a box for each of us with a little dessert sesame cake with some halva on top.  All of that brought some nice memories.  I have to visit Zielnik more often.

http://www.zielnikcafe.pl/