7 reasons not to miss Foodparade next time!
We like food festivals, because they offer a great opportunity to try a range of goodies all in one place. And in the gardens of the Troja Chateau, the experience is heightened by the beautiful setting. From the romantic fountain in the middle of the park, there were 4 lanes lined with white stands exuding familiar and exotic aromas alike. Before I tell you about the interesting things I tasted, let me offer 7 reasons why you should attend this festival next time!
1. Presentation of premium dining in Prague
At Foodparade, you can visit the stands of restaurants and bistros that create truly delicious and more important, top quality meals with unique and original flavours. These are no “no-name stands”, and you know precisely which venue they are from. Nobody wants bad advertising right? So the food is seriously good!
2. No crowds, no fences, just a luxurious chateau garden
While other food festivals are held at various locations, usually in the city centre or a smaller enclosed area, there is more than enough space here. And not just any space. It is magical, almost fairy-tale like! All the more so when you can indulge your taste buds!
3. Fast payment, no cash, crown or queues
Let’s move from the romantic to the practical. Neither money nor cards were used to pay at Foodparade. At the entrance, you charged a chip for the amount you wish to spend on food (and drinks), and then you simply choose, buy and place the chip on the sellers’ reader. Payment is completed in seconds, there are no queues, you don’t have to keep pulling out your wallet, and the sellers don’t have to worry about having enough change. This is a very elegant solution, wouldn’t you say? Not even the amounts you pay are specified in money. They are automatically converted into “chefs”, the local currency.
4. Plenty of space and picnic options
The sufficient amount of space has already been mentioned, but now I’m speaking about actual surface area and its use. In the middle of the lanes there were small tables for eating while standing, whereas along the sides on the lawn, there were plenty of wooden tables, lounge chairs under the trees in the park, and you could even rent a blanket to enjoy an authentic picnic!
5. Great diversity of offered foods
Food festivals are often focussed on just one type of meal – be it the specific cuisine of one country (festival of Vietnamese, Mexican or French food), or one specific dish (vegetarian, soups, burgers, etc.). Here, everybody can choose. There are non-vegetarian and meaty dishes, hot, cold and assorted delicacies from around the world – Asia, India, France, Slovakia, etc.
6. You need not worry about dishes
Firstly: there is not plastic here! The meals are served on porcelain plates and drink in real glasses! Secondly: the dishware is not the property of the stands. You can take it wherever you want to and leave it at another stand even 100 metres away. No stress!
7. Get tips for great venues
Although Prague is full of luxury bistros and restaurants, you often might not even find out about them. At Foodparade, you will get an idea of the interesting places with fine cooking, which can become a great idea for dining out with your partner, friends or family.
Now for the best: What did I indulge in?
Asian cuisine is my favourite, which is why Chinese filled with meat and a traditional spring roll were my first choice, paired with white wine from the B\V winery. I have a weakness for Hibernal, and theirs is excellent.
I was very pleasantly surprised by the cheeseburger without meat… simply just cheese. But really luxurious cheese! Rougette is a special, finely ripened cheese that is perfect for melting. It can easily be prepared in the oven. At the stand, they served it in a fresh bun with original sides, including cranberries, beetroot and tasty dip.
I love Indian food, so then next course was a classic chicken tikka masala with rice. And because I still had a few chefs left over, I concluded by gourmet tour once again in Asia. At the Vietnamese Anthill Café stand, they offered me truly sublime Vietnamese pancakes with prawns and meet, and for dessert a matcha crepe with sweet cream, which I wasn’t the only one swooning over…
Are you still wondering whether to attend Foodparade next time! I’m not, and you’ll see me there again next year!
