Prague’s Vietnamese Food Revolution

An older Asian female is hunched complete a state burner serving noodles, a young mates successful nan region shuffle piously into a mini Buddhist temple, and a perpetual gaggle of families look from a Vietnamese supermarket equipped pinch elephantine sacks of rice. It is simply a segment arsenic authentically Vietnamese arsenic I could expect to find. But I americium not successful Vietnam aliases moreover Asia. I americium successful Prague.

Sapa, aliases Little Hanoi arsenic it is affectionately known, is nan hub of nan Czech Republic capital’s Vietnamese community, and is simply a acold outcry from nan spires, dumplings and beer-sploshed splendour of nan humanities centre. Tucked inconspicuously connected its outskirts, this metropolis wrong a metropolis is wherever nan nation’s Vietnamese group travel to banal up connected spices, eat plates of bun cha aliases waste inordinate amounts of large, fluffy geese.

The truth that location is simply a Vietnamese organization successful Prague whitethorn travel arsenic a astonishment to anyone who’s visited. Unless you popped into a area shop – potraviny – for immoderate late-night crisps, aliases accidentally stumbled into 1 of their inexpensive clothing boutiques, it’s improbable your paths will person crossed. But aft Ukrainians and Slovaks, nan Vietnamese are nan biggest number group successful nan country.

The pagoda-style entranceway to Sapa, Prague. Photograph: peterforsberg/Alamy

“It each happened during communism,” says Khanh Ta, who – on pinch his relative Giang – owns 4 Vietnamese restaurants successful Prague. “An statement betwixt nan Vietnamese and Czech governments meant that talented students from Vietnam were fixed nan opportunity to study present and past later work. My parents came successful nan 1980s from Phu Tho, a mini municipality 40 miles (70km) from Hanoi, and past sewage jobs moving successful nan textile industry.”

It wasn’t conscionable nan Vietnamese who were invited done specified a scheme; students from Mongolia, Laos and Cuba besides came. However, aft nan Velvet Revolution successful November 1989, which spelled nan extremity of communism successful Czechoslovakia, it was only really nan Vietnamese who stayed. “Very simply, location was a amended life here,” Ta says.

You’d presume that pinch specified a long-rooted presence, Vietnamese nutrient would person been a Czech staple for decades. But erstwhile I arrived successful Prague 15 years ago, location were nary notable Vietnamese restaurants to speak of, and nan Vietnamese group who did ain restaurants were serving Chinese food.

“The Vietnamese simply didn’t deliberation of trading their food,” says Trinh Thi Duan, proprietor of nan hugely celebrated Pho U Letné edifice successful Prague 7. “The Chinese were present earlier america and Vietnamese nutrient was chartless to Czech people. It conscionable seemed acold easier to waste Chinese nutrient because nan Czechs were utilized to it.”

This each changed conscionable complete a decade ago, erstwhile Prague’s first Vietnamese restaurant, Pho Vietnam, opened successful Vinohrady, pinch different restaurants specified arsenic Pho U Letné tentatively pursuing suit. So what made this abrupt alteration happen?

Trinh hands maine a sheet of her acclaimed bun bo nam bo (€8), and says: “As much Vietnamese group kept arriving successful nan Czech Republic, Czechs started travelling successful move to Vietnam. They tried our nutrient location and told america really bully it was. So nan Vietnamese group decided to effort to waste their ain nutrient successful Prague, and it conscionable caught on.”

This is an understatement. Despite a tepid first fewer months successful which nan restaurants struggled to pull sceptical locals, location was a abrupt surge astir 2015. Just done connection of rima alone, Prague residents – aided by a emergence successful foreigners seeking non-stodgy alternatives – began flocking to nan city’s Vietnamese establishments successful droves, prompting Trinh to move to larger premises and nan Ta brothers to unfastened different restaurants.

A gourmet twist connected a banh cuon astatine Taro successful Prague. Photograph: Vojtech Tesarek

“Vietnamese cuisine is simply a elemental cuisine and though location are truthful galore flavours, it’s ne'er overpowering,” Khanh Ta says, introducing maine to his latest outlet, Taro, a high-end conception edifice successful nan metropolis centre. “Here we return nutrient that we for illustration from our puerility but we make it a small spot different. Not excessively different, though, because nan emotion from nan nutrient should ever beryllium nan same.”

By measurement of demonstration, he hands maine a trio of Vietnamese amuse-bouches – crab basket, cauliflower croquette and a quay puff pastry pinch steak tartare, each pinch intelligibly authentic Vietnamese roots but fixed a stylised gourmet twist. The banh cuon that follows is likewise constructed: atom pancakes made pinch a specially imported instrumentality from Hanoi, but served pinch succulent cubes of pork knee, a meaty dainty much communal connected a Czech menu.

The full repast – an awesome seven-course tasting paper (€105)– is delectable, and erstwhile he serves nan greenish atom ice-cream – kem – retired of a polystyrene container for illustration nan 1 utilized by motorcycle tenders successful his grandparents’ location town, you can’t thief emotion that you have, successful fact, knowledgeable a sensation of his childhood.

A vessel of pho. Photograph: Lucie Mušková

The astir authentic spot of each to acquisition Vietnamese cuisine and civilization successful Prague, however, is undoubtedly Sapa. Located successful Libuš (take tram 17 from nan centre, aliases autobus 197 from Smíchovské nádraží), this is nan mecca of each things Vietnamese. Once done nan pagoda-style entrance, you’re thrown into a chaotic labyrinth of alleyways, wholesalers and marketplace stalls trading each kinds of knick-knacks, apparel and fluffy toys. It is not designed for visitors – arsenic nan “No photography” signs and nan brusque mode of immoderate vendors attest – but if you dive heavy into Sapa’s frenzied heart, you will beryllium richly rewarded.

The golf-themed Hippo Café, for example, is simply a bully spot for java – their robusta beans imported from Vietnam and roasted connected tract by nan chatty, golf-obsessed proprietor – and nan banh mi (baguettes, astir €4) served from nan thoroughfare stalls down nan Lotus edifice are delicious.

When all’s said and done, though, Vietnamese nutrient is almost ever astir nan pho – and while location are tons of awesome options dotted around, Pho Tung is nan undisputed king. The bowls are ever piping basking and packed to nan brim pinch beef and noodles, and nan generous heap of free quay - sticks of tasty deep-fried mixed – make for awesome dippers (€7). True, you mightiness not get excessively overmuch of a grin from nan waiter but by nan clip you’ve vanished specified a satisfying meal, your grin will astir apt beryllium large capable for nan some of you.