A shared pop-up by Kristína Nemčková and Martin Štangl
A tasting dinner at Štangl
Pop-ups at Štangl are nothing new. In the spring, chef Yiannis Mexis took over the open kitchen above Karlin's Eska with his pop-up Anemoia, and at the end of September, Kristína Nemčková and Martin Štangl took the reins.
Together, they hosted three unforgettable evenings highlighting local ingredients and Michelin techniques. In addition to six courses – five savoury dishes and a dessert – the guests also enjoyed three amuse bouche, a pre-dessert, and a petit four as a small farewell to the evening.
Several days of preparation
"In the morning you’re full of energy, by the evening it’s running out. It's a bit stressful and more work than usual, but I hope the pop-up goes well and there will be joy at the end," Martin Štangl shares, a few hours before the first guests sit down to eat.
He has been planning the pop-up with Kristína Nemčková since the summer, but only the last three days before the event have been dedicated to on-the-spot preparations. "My wife tells me with a smile that I've been cooking and preparing the pop-up for three days, and I'm still not done," admits the chef. According to Kristina, day one of the event is the most stressful. "We are trying to prepare as best we can to make tonight a success. I believe that the next two days will be more comfortable, because we’ll know what we are getting into," she adds.
Even though both mention stress, they radiate 100% concentration, as well as absolute enthusiasm for their work. Nevertheless, Martin admits that the preparation of some menu items is difficult. "Personally, I struggle the most with the celery course, because in many people's eyes, celery is a cheap ingredient. But this just means the dish must be really well thought out and prepared," he emphasises, adding that he likes the earthiness of the dish.
Pop-up time!
A few hours later, Kristína and Martin welcome the first guests, and the fun can begin. The evening starts with charcoal-grilled bread and fermented butter, topped with kefir panna cotta with kvass and pork shoulder, which they cure in-house at Štangl.
Then, three amuse-bouche: a tomato basket filled with fresh cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and basil dust, a pumpkin leaf with pâté and pickled linden, and finally a miniature version of the legendary potatoes in ashes with smoked trout, butter, dried egg yolk, dill and chives.
The main course: an ode to locality and Michelin techniques
Martin Štangl is behind the first course, who nicknamed it "cow – grass". "Wagyu beef, from animals raised in the Czech Republic, is the centre of this dish. We serve it on an aubergine doughnut, filled with aubergine caviar, plus miso gel, horseradish kefir and herb mayonnaise. And because cows eat grass, wild herbs are used as garnish," Martin Štangl describes his dish, which is served on a stone.
Then Kristína Nemčková takes the stage, and presents guests with baked courgette. "It's a tartlet with farm curd and a courgette spiral," Kristína describes her creation, which is complemented by herbs, parsley puree, pickled elderflower and fermented honey. "Working carefully with vegetables and prioritising them over meat is an approach I carry with me from my previous work experience at the Geranium restaurant," she explains.
"The third course, brown trout, is my signature," says Kristína. The trout is marinated in a strong broth made from its own bones, then served alongside pickled wild mushrooms, crispy onions and dill stalks. The flavours of the entire composition are further emphasised by smoked egg yolk, caramelised onion foam and potatoes.
This extraordinary taste experience is followed by celery, baked in bread. "Kristina and I like to cook using only vegetables, so we decided that the fourth course will be celery, a typical Czech ingredient," explains Martin Štangl. Here, the Eska bakery also played a role – the bread used was their iconic bread 33.
To follow, more fish! The fifth course of the evening, poached zander, was an effort shared by the two chefs. "At Kristína's suggestion, we prepared the zander and then cooked it sous-vide. This technique is excellent in that you can process the whole fish, including offcuts and small pieces," praises Martin.
Plums and pears
Chamomile ice cream with grilled plums – the perfect pre-dessert to help guests hit the sweet spot. "We marinated the plums, and used nitrogen to make a crumble out of the ice cream" reveals Martin, sharing the secrets of their innovative approach.
Once guests are ready for the final course, dessert arrives: black pear. "We place the pears in a refrigerator, turned to 60 degrees. Thanks to the stable temperature, the sugars in the pears caramelise, turning the fruit black. We made them into a sorbet, and Kristína added a toasted sweet brioche," describes Martin, with Kristína adding that the dessert is also accompanied by a delicate cream made from burnt milk and cardamom.
A photoshoot with the chefs and the service and preparation team was a must after such an excellent dinner, and the guests left with a smile on their faces,carrying a small treat in the form of a stuffed profiterole – choux à la crème.
Impressions and ratings
The Půl na půl pop-up took place on Thursday, September 26th, and again on September 27th and 28th. And it seems that not only the guests but also the chefs thoroughly enjoyed it. "I have a very good feeling about the event, we have only had positive reactions, which is great. I would like to thank Kristína very much – she is a great professional and she managed it perfectly – even in a kitchen which is not her own, which is always difficult. I also thank the team from the Štangl restaurant, they all did a perfect job and I am very proud of them," emphasises Martin Štangl.
And Kristína? "I was overjoyed at the very offer of cooperation from chef Martin Štangl, and from the beginning I approached our pop-up with all humility and respect. Having the opportunity to share my passion for modern Czech cuisine, and at the same time learn from someone who has such a deep understanding of local ingredients was a huge experience for me. I found out that we are quite similar in some ways, and even if inside we experience a certain amount of stress that accompanies the tasting dinner, on the outside we stay calm," says Kristína, adding: "We enjoyed all three evenings very much and I am very happy that we received a lot of positive energy from the guests. I want to thank the entire team who participated in the event in any way, because the people from Ambiente are behind it all."
