KATOWICE - In Your Pocket

26 RESTAURANTS
Silesian Grub French
A blue-collar region of
migrants, miners and
miners’ daughters, few
places are as well suited
to the nation’s traditional
peasant fare of potatoes,
cutlets and cabbage as
Silesia. So what have
the locals contributed to
national cuisine? Well,
you can put Silesian
noodles, knownly locally as ‘kluski śląskie’ at the
top of your culinary itinerary. Essentially a pierogi
with no filling, these pillowy potato flour doughballs
are served as a side dish almost everywhere, often
with mushroom gravy or fried fat and bacon bits on
top. With a chewy texture and typically bland flavour,
kluśki literally stick to your ribs and set like cement in
your stomach. We love ‘em. If you’re particularly down
and out, you can’t do better than a 4-6zł side dish
that stays in your stomach for two days. As for main
courses, your pervasive regional entrée for the brave
has to be Silesian beef rolades, or ‘rolada śląska’ –
a rather turd-like rolled beef patty filled with onions,
bacon and pickles. This surprisingly tasty dish with
some kluśki and red cabbage or fried sauerkraut on
the side is as Silesian as it gets and exactly how they
serve it at Bar Pod Siódemka; alternatively give it a
try at Wiejska Chatka or Chata z Zalipia. Wash it all
down with a Żywiec or Tyskie – Poland’s most popular
national beers, both from Silesia.
Tipping Tribulations
Polish tipping etiquette can be a bit confusing for
foreigners. While in other civilized countries it’s normal
to say ‘thanks’ when a waiter collects the money,
you’ll be horrified to learn that in Poland uttering the
word ‘dziękuje’ (thank you), or even ‘thank you’ in
English, is an indication that you won’t be wanting
any change back. This cultural slip-up can get very
embarrassing and expensive as the waiter/waitress
then typically does their best to play the fool and make
you feel ashamed for asking for your money back, or
conveniently disappears having pocketed all of your
change, no matter what the cost of the meal and size
of the note it was paid with. We suggest that you only
say ‘thank you’ if you are happy for the waitstaff to
keep all of the change. Otherwise we advise you to
only use the word ‘proszę’ when handing back the bill
and the payment.
Despite the fact that the average waitress in PL only
makes a paltry 10-15zł/hr, a customary tip is still
only around 10% of the meal’s total (though being
a foreigner may make staff expectant of a bit more
generosity). As such, we encourage you to reward
good service when you feel it’s deserved. Finally,
it is not common to add the tip to your credit card
payment because waitstaff are forced to then pay
tax on the gratuity; most likely you will not even be
able to leave a tip on your card. Have some change
handy so you can still leave a cash tip, or ask your
server for change.
Unfortunately for your palate, Silesia is better known as
an agglomeration of undesirable industrial towns than a
centre of world-class cuisine for connoisseurs. However,
with the gradual improvement of the service industry now
joining the esteemed ranks of the coal and steel industries
in the area, the restaurant scene has been buoyed as well.
Katowice is certainly seeing its offerings improve, though in
many ways it’s still slim pickings - especially when it comes
to ethnic food which, regardless of claimed country of origin,
will invariably contain cabbage and shredded carrots. As
in other parts of this guide the places covered here are
located throughout the conglomeration. If the venue is not
in Katowice town itself, we have added the name of the
town it is in to the address after a comma along with a map
reference if applicable. Districts of Katowice are shown in
brackets. The prices we list here reflect the cheapest and
most precious main dishes on the menu. Tipping at least
10% for table service is customary, though it may not always
be deserved. Smacznego!
American
City Rock B-2, ul. Chorzowska 9b, tel. (+48) 32
201 05 05, www.cityrock.pl. If you crossed Hard
Rock Cafe with a classic American diner in a Polish
laboratory, you might end with something like City Rock,
where motorbikes, guitars, 50s pinups, Elvis and even
a full-sized Formula 1 car are attached to the walls. The
pre-pubescent boy in you will love it and that’s before
the team of local beauties appears to present you with
the easy English menu of Tex-Mex, fried food, ice cream
sundaes, milkshakes, pasta, pizza and obligatory Polish
dishes - choose from lame-named items like ‘Easy Chick’
and ‘Grinch Spaghetti,’ or why not try to push your luck
and ask the Miss Polska serving you for a ‘Porky Party?’
The food is uniformly average, but includes comforting
seldom seen perks like half-litre Cokes and barbecue
sauce. Incredibly popular and kind of great for all the wrong
reasons. QOpen 13:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat 13:00 - 24:00.
(17-59zł). TA6UVXSW
Caucasian
Fantasmagoria C-1, ul. Gliwicka 51, tel. (+48) 32
253 00 59, www.restauracjafantasmagoria.pl. A bit
geographically perplexing for those of us who haven’t
gotten the history lesson, Fantasmagoria specialises in
‘zakaukasko-wileńska’ cuisine, which would refer to the
Caucasus region and the Lithuanian lands around Vilnius
(a journey between which would take several days as far
as we can tell). The restaurant itself has the homely feel
of a grandmother’s kitchen and the wood-burning oven
where various meat dishes are grilled to perfection adds
to the atmosphere. Expect generous portions cooked
simply and well with a range of Georgian wines available
to wash it all down. QOpen 13:00 - 22:00. (15-43zł).
TAGBSW
Chinese
A Dong C-2, ul. Matejki 3, tel. (+48) 32 258 66 62,
www.adong.com.pl. Equally ostentatious and tatty, this
huge and decidedly strange restaurant comes complete
with a coat-check grandpa, groups of office workers tucking
into plates of good-looking food, red lanterns and authentic
Chinese music. The menu is large and packed with equally
authentic Chinese dishes at bargain prices. Highly recommened
for both its novelty as well as serving the sort of food
you’ll find all over China but almost never in the UK. QOpen
11:00 - 23:00. (18-44zł). PTAVGSW
Katowice In Your Pocket katowice.inyourpocket.com
C’est Si Bon E-2, ul. Ligonia 4, tel. (+48) 32 781 68
48, www.cestsibon.pl. Certainly one of Katowice’s finer
restaurants, the service may not be as cheerful as the
interior full of lavender plants, lilac tableclothes, dried flowers,
candleholders and sun icons, but the food is top-notch,
as testified by the long list of companies C’est Si Bon does
regular catering for. The menu is in Polish, French and English,
and still full of rich, delicious dishes from the French onion
soup with croutons and Gruyere cheese, to veal escalopes
served with foie gras. A great way to forget you’re in Katowice.
QOpen 12:00 - 22:00, Sun 12:00 - 20:00. (34-59zł).
PTAVGSW
Fusion
Restauracja Sunlight B-2, ul. Sokolska 24 (angelo
Hotel Katowice), tel. (+48) 32 783 81 56, www.
angelo-katowice.pl. Located on the ground floor of the
Angelo Hotel, it’s worth getting a room upstairs just for
convenient access to this exquisite restaurant. A perfect
cure for seasonal Silesian depression, Sunlight justifies
its slightly hokey name with a modern, spirit-lifting interior
of warm colours and wall to floor length windows. No effort
is spared with the food, including regularly reinvented
seasonal menus which we heartily recommend taking
advantage of, in addition to the regular card full of creative,
locally-inspired fusion dishes like ‘duck breast with prune
puree and apples caramelized in estragon.’ Each dish is
presented as a work of art and the menu even includes
accompanying wine recommendations. Two or three course
business lunches (Mon-Fri 12:00-16:00) are a bargain for
32 or 39zł respectively, and the entire experience is one
worth basking in. Q Open 06:30-10:30, 13:00-22:00.
(25-90zł). PTAUGW
German
WunderBAR D-3, ul. Plebiscytowa 2, tel. (+48) 32
781 76 90, www.wunderbar.pl. A pleasing bar-restaurant
kitted out with pots, pans, chiming clocks and all manner of
assorted country trumpery. The menu here is pretty much
as you expect from a Bavarian themed eatery, hunks of
deceased animal served in masculine portions. If you really
mean business then look no further than the Trough Wunderbar;
a monster meal that includes pork, ribs, bratwurst,
sauerkraut and potatoes. QOpen 13:00 - 23:00. (33-69zł).
TAGBS
Hungarian
Zaklęty Czardasz D-2, ul. Kopernika 9, tel. (+48)
32 257 01 32, www.czardasz.com. Certainly one of
Katowice’s finest and most unheralded restaurants,
this aromatic Hungarian effort serves excellent ethnic
cuisine in elegant surroundings hung with garlic and
pepper garlands, wicker lampshades, latticework and
vines. The enticing menu offers a dozen ways to enjoy
their delicious goulash (trust us, you’ll be licking the cutlery),
plus stuffed peppers, potato pancakes, pork loin,
fish and more - all complemented ideally by Hungarian
wines and tokajs from their adjoining shop. Portions are
positively huge, with food practically spilling over the
edges of the plate, and it’s worth noting that you can ask
for many of them in a smaller amount. A new year round
patio and cellar wine bar only make us more enthusiastic
to recommend this place than ever before. QOpen
10:00 - 22:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00.
(28-49zł). PTAUIGBSW
katowice.inyourpocket.com
RESTAURANTS
Polish Food
Those wanting to take a quick foxtrot through the world
of the Polish kitchen should consider putting the following
to the test:
Smalec: Fried lard, often served complimentary before
a meal with hunks of homemade bread. It sounds evil,
but it works like a miracle any day, especially an arctic
one. Ideally partnered with a mug of local beer. Any Polish
restaurant worth its salt should give you lashings of this
prior to your meal. You only need ask.
Soup: Keep your eyes peeled for Poland’s two signature
soups; żurek (sour rye soup with sausages and potatoes
floating in it) and barszcz (beetroot, occasionally with dumplings
thrown in). Table manners go out of the window when
eating these two, so feel free to dunk bread rolls in them.
Bigos: You’ll either love it or vomit. Bigos, a.k.a hunters
stew, is made using meat, cabbage, onion and sauerkraut
before being left to simmer for a few days. If you have
second helpings then consider yourself a Pole by default.
Gołąbki: Boiled cabbage leaves stuffed with beef, onion
and rice before being baked in a tomato sauce. Urban
myth claims Poland’s King Kazimierz fed his army gołąbki
before his victory outside Malbork in a battle against the
Teutonic Order. The unlikely victory was attributed to the
hearty meal his troops had enjoyed before hand.
Kiełbasa: Sausages, and in Poland you’ll find several varieties
made primarily with pork, but sometimes using turkey,
horse, lamb and even bison. Few varieties to watch for including
Krakowska, a Kraków specialty which uses pepper and
garlic, kabanosy which is a thin, dry sausage flavoured with
carraway seed and wiejska; a monster-looking u-shaped
sausage. Kiełbasa was also the nickname of one of Poland’s
most notorious gangland figures of the 90s.
Pierogi: Pockets of dough traditionally filled with meat,
cabbage or cheese, though you will also occasionally
find maverick fillings such as chocolate or strawberries.
Placki: Nothing more than potato pancakes, often paired
with lashings of sour cream. Again, all your traditional
folksy Polish restaurants will have these on the menu, if
not you have every right to raise a few questions in the
direction of the kitchen.
Zapiekanki: Also known as Polish pizza. Take a stale
baguette, pour melted cheese on it and then cover it
with mushrooms and ketchup from a squeezy bottle.
Best eaten when absolutely plastered. Where to buy it:
various fast food cabins dotted around the city centre.
Dessert: Few things in life get a Pole more animated than
a good dessert. Sernik (a kind of cheesecake) being a
must if you want to even attempt to convince a Pole you
have visited their country.
Kaszanka: This is the Polish variation of blood sausage,
in this case pig’s blood mixed with groats, and is generally
served fried with onions. Unlike in other countries it is not
served in the form of a sausage. A variation on the blood dish
is Czernina, a soup made of duck’s blood mixed with poultry
broth. An interesting tale is attached to this dish as it was the
dish served by the parents of young women to her suitors
as a sign that their proposal of marriage was not accepted.
July - October 2012
27