Back in 2012 my wife and I tried a couple of Thai places in downtown Prague, one of which was unrelentingly bad (Lemon Leaf), and the of other which was solidly mediocre (Orange Moon). This time, determined not to weigh down our stomachs with Czech food every night, we tried this place, which has a highly visible yet slightly confusing to access position right along the riverbank between the Čechův and Mánesův bridges.
The restaurant looked a bit posh, with lovely views of the Vltava through its massive, wall-sized windows, but the prices were entirely reasonable. I think we spent the equivalent of €30 for the whole thing. The menu offered more or less the usual range of Thai dishes.
First, I should note that we are totally spoiled by Sri Thai Imbiss in Vienna (we live nearby in Bratislava), which makes some of the best and most authentic Thai food either of us have ever had anywhere, ever, so that immediately puts Občanská Plovárna (or any other Thai place in central Europe) at an extremely unfair disadvantage.
Having said that, Občanská's tom ka kai was… decent; definitely not amazing, but strangely quite spicier than I've normally had it. However, it lacked the intense aromatic flavors of Sri Thai Imbiss' version, courtesy of the generous helpings of kafir lime leaf, lemongrass, galanga root, and cilantro that Sri Thai's chef lovingly graces her soup with. Občanská's was more like what you'd find at any run-of-the-mill Thai place in the Caifornia (where I'm originally from), only spicier.
But the second starter, jum mum, consisted of these insultingly bland meat-stuffed dumplings that came with a revolting sauce that tasted only of vinegar. There were no herbs, no seasoning, just unrelenting blandness and a near vomit-inducing sauce with no traces of Thai-ness.
Fortunately, the green curry chicken was actually pretty good. I wouldn't call it mind blowing, but it definitely had a pleasing, rich flavor and a pleasantly spicy kick. The chicken consisted of these kind of bland bits of chicken breast, and the little wedges of eggplant were not cooked all the way through, but overall, I was impressed enough with the flavor of the curry that I would order this dish again.
Terezia opted for this strange noodle dish (can't remember the name and I don't see it on their online menu) that was recommended by the waitress. It consisted of what appeared to be every kind of noodle they had on hand in the kitchen, plus bits of chicken, red bell pepper, cilantro, bits of fried egg, pepper flakes, and maybe a few other herbs. The flavor was decent if well short of life-altering, but it was a generous portion and it wasn't awful or anything. It kind of looked like the chef just grabbed a bunch of stuff and threw it together. I'd probably try their pad thai next time. The green curry was definitely the star of the evening.
Unlike the other two Thai places we tried in Prague, we would actually go here again, but we remain convinced that there must be a better Thai joint in this city. (But at least this place is better than either of the two Thai places in Bratislava). Despite some redeeming qualities, I would still implore Občanská's chef to take a trip down to Sri Thai Imbiss in Vienna and see how truly good Thai food is made.
