The EMA espresso bar was packed with people on a Thursday morning. I was lucky enough to find a small table by the windows & when no one was looking, grabbed an extra wooden stool. Why were there so many people here? & why does everyone look so good? Twenty-something business chic seemed to be the vibe at EMA & I certainly didn’t get the memo. I’m pretty sure my jeans had holes in them. As I waited at my table, I began to worry a little. What does one order when sitting with the two most influential foodies in Prague? Should I order for them, since I got here first? I mean, what's the proper Czech etiquette in this situation? A few people standing glared at my two empty chairs by the window. Then thankfully, Jan & Zuzi walked through the cafe doors; their faces glowing in the morning light.
For those of you not familiar with Prague, you should know that Jan & Zuzi are kind of a big deal here. They would laugh & blush & shake their heads at me for writing this, but it’s true. As soon as they walked into EMA, whispers of “Ooo Taste of Prague is here!” went around the room & folks who shot me dirty looks earlier looked down at their shoes. That’s right, I needed my empty chairs. & I didn’t need to wear a blazer either.
Jan & Zuzi are the founders of Taste of Prague, providing intimate & unconventional food tours, guides, & city maps. The local food gurus of Prague, if you will. Their website & blog are frequented by those visiting Prague for the first time, expats & students living here for years, & locals eager to see what’s new in the food scene. By creating gorgeous photos & dish descriptions that explore real Czech culture amidst tourist {& dare I say, tacky} food guides, Taste of Prague has become the one reliable source for the question,“Where should we eat today?” I, for one, have found most of my usual brunch & coffee spots thanks to them.
Back at EMA, my ordering dilemma was quickly resolved as Jan generously recommended a tea for me & went to the bar for our orders. He came back with three steaming cups & we sipped our drinks as we got to know each other - the cafe buzzing with chatter around us. Zuzi was witty & sophisticated, her face brightening up with each smile; while Jan was insightful & joyful, laughing at the travel adventures that the both of them shared. As energetic & passionate individuals, it was easy to see why their food tours have become so popular & why they are loved here in the city of Prague & beyond.
AA: What prompted the two of you to start Taste of Prague tours?
Z: "Because we love to travel, especially traveling for food, & people were always saying that Prague is so beautiful. But when it comes to the food here, people were also complaining about how bad it was. In fact, only five years ago people were still complaining about the food. We didn’t have any of the cafes that you see here now, especially in Vinohrady. When we started, we only had like four places to go to & if one was closed we had to cancel the whole tour. But it has changed so much in five years. There were nice places to show people back then, but they were just too spread out to do the tour."
J: "We knew where the good places were, & honestly most other places didn’t try hard enough. There was also no good resource for where the good food was in Prague. There were only these horrible tourist traps you see on websites."
AA: Were you scared to start something so different back then? It’s well received by the masses now, but I’m sure it took awhile.
J: "It went from Plan B to Plan A for me. I had a lot of other freelance work, more work than I really could handle, so there wasn’t really a lot of risk involved. We just put up the website & waited & waited for like three months. Nothing happened in three months, but then after that it started to pick up fairly quickly. I remember the first three months were really tough, though. We had our computers in the kitchen - so we would wake up, walk into the kitchen, sit down at our computers, & just be waiting & waiting. It was really bad & sad seeing nothing. There was nobody."
Z: "It was really bad. {laughing} It was more like, not that we didn’t have business or had a little something, but more like a disappointment that my idea didn’t really work. But it wasn’t a big investment because it was only a website. & it was a horrible website too at first. But then people started picking it up pretty quickly. That was great."
AA: I think it’s mostly because you're so passionate about great, local food. What really captivates you about food in general?
Z: "I actually think food shows you so much of culture & the country. & not just the food, the whole process around the dining experience, you know. Sitting down, being served, ordering."
J: "It’s interesting because I think if you’re eating good food, you're usually eating with locals. & on the way there you’re seeing things & it’s the passage you go through to find that food. Like in Japan for instance, they don’t have street numbers, only street names. We haven’t figured out the system yet, so we looked it up & you have to search for it. You can observe how people live because it's not in the tourist part of town."
AA: What do you think food says about a culture or country?
J: "I think it says a lot. It’s a reflection of how people value food, their relationships, their time, how busy people are maybe. In the states, like in New York City, everything is go go go. You want dessert, you get it to go. Here things are more relaxed. Food tells you about the lifestyle, the way it's served & appreciated. I think the Czech food scene tells you something about the history of Prague. Like in the early 90's, it shows you that people were optimistic. Back then, people were looking ahead with a kind of optimism. I think the food scene today really reminds me of that time. It’s a very young movement in terms of the staff & the chefs. We don’t have old famous chefs here, because of what happened with communism. So right now the food is youthful, so fresh & so nice. If you go to eat somewhere really good, look around. It’s all young people."
AA: Do you think food, like art, is subjective? Are you bias at all towards types of food?
Z: "To a certain point it is subjective. There are technical things in food. Overcooking vegetables is not subjective, you know. The practical taste though, that’s subjective. Some people prefer things that are more acidic or more sweet. For example, Ottolenghi has dishes with a lot of flavors, & some people love it because it’s so interesting & you enjoy eating it because in every bite you discover something else. But at the same time, whenever he makes something else less flavorful, with less components, some people really love that & other people complain, because it’s not quite Ottolenghi.
J: "I think having done what we’ve been doing for over four years, we’ve grown close to the people who make the food. & we always really appreciate the effort, even if it’s not that great. These are real people who make great good & sometimes fail & we’re not going to write about that. On one hand, we want to provide a reliable service for people who come to Prague. & on the other hand, we really like these people! It gets too close to home sometimes. I think for us it’s good to describe things very well & then you make your decision based on that."
AA: I love that approach. You guys do a great job with your food descriptions. What kind of food do you find yourselves coming back to? Your most favorite?
Z: "For me, bread & butter. Whenever we visit any restaurant & the bread is really good, I just can’t stop eating it. Jan is always like, ‘Calm down, calm down, don’t eat it all!’ But I just can’t stop."
J: "I like meat. Give me a good burger & I’ll be happy!"
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See more at: Taste of Prague