New Wars Menu

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5/21/09

2:13 PM

Page 48

Foodie Diary

PKP’S NEW FARE HIKE BY MICHAŁ B. PARADOWSKI

f you’ve already done some travelling across the country by train, you’re familiar with the institution of the WARS diner: passengers tottering on bar stools at tall, narrow counters covered with a crimson polyester cloth and scraping typical Polish bistro fare from disposable plastic plates using equally flimsy cutlery in an atmosphere of ammonia and ever-present dust. This 60-year-old tradition is a wellworn relic of the past. It’s also an old joke that has yet to lose its lustre, giving fodder for many a reviewer for whom “atrocious” is just not descriptive enough to illustrate just how bad a meal can be. Now, however, the national railway’s dining cards have gotten a new lease on life as PKP finally moves into the 21st Century with new dining cards and an upgraded menu. Entering the air-conditioned dining car of an InterCity train today may be quite a jolt to a famished old trooper. He or she will find a spacious interior, featuring lounge chairs and tables for two and four on both sides of the aisle, framed by a ceiling that brings to mind creamy tomato soup, spot halogen lamps and little white lanterns along the wall. The effect is something along the lines of the Deutsche Bahn Speisewagen. The rundown counter has vanished, replaced with wait staff in spanking-new navy uniforms. There is china tableware and steel cutlery. The overall impression is airy and modern. Still, it’s a drift which has also left a distinctive stamp on the drastically overhauled bill of fare. A knowing wink will no longer score you a warm bottle of Żywiec from under the counter so the more thirsty are now at the mercy of the blokes weighed down with a shoulder bag and calling “piwo jasne, piwo jasne!” Instead, you may be offered a cup of green tea (zł.5). And generally, the fare has moved away from the staples of Polish cuisine towards a more Mediterranean diet. Wieners have been replaced with frankfurters au gratin with cheese and

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RAILWAY DINING A LA CARTE

pickle (zł.15). Herring in oil has metamorphosed into the form of tartare w/pickled cucumber, onion and marinated mushrooms (zł.12). The remaining breakfast options feature bacon, sausage and egg sunny side up (zł.18), boiled eggs w/smoked salmon and horseradish (zł.15), or muesli and yoghurt (zł.7). Instead of sandwiches, you’ll find piadina, reminiscent of summer holidays in Rimini: this is a warm flatbread from Emilia-Romagna, something between

“Generally, the fare has moved away from the staples of Polish cuisine towards a more Mediterranean diet…”

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Indian naan and chapati, Greek pita, Georgian lavash and Mexican tortillas. These are stuffed with butterhead lettuce, pork ham, yellow cheese, tomatoes, mayo and ketchup (zł.11.50). Other new additions are tomato and basil bruschetta (3 pcs, zł.9), fried camembert w/cranberry (zł.10), caprese (8 oz., zł.15), and turkey marinated in herbes de Provence with sundried tomatoes and capers (5 oz., set zł.22). For dessert, a tropical fruit salad (7 oz.for zł.10) or crêpes w/cottage cheese, fruit & whipped cream (zł.10).

Overall, I am somewhat ambivalent about the changes to the menu. Investment in a new rolling stock to replace the socialist realism relics is certainly commendable, as are the wait service and some more vegetarian additions to the menu. It’s all quite nicely served. However, only the pork chop set (5 oz., zł.20) and dumplings w/sauerkraut & mushrooms (9 oz., zł.15) remain from the hearty Polish stock of yore. None of the thick bigos that Rudi Schuberth sang about, no tried-and-tested tripe from the microwave, no pig’s knuckle, no fried sausage “po zbójnicku,” none of the other bistro superclassics. Dishes prepared on the train should be simple in preparation and nourishing but this new menu, allegedly devised by nutritionists from the Warsaw University of Life Sciences, falls a bit short of meeting the latter criterion. Nor is it that much healthier – the pan-fried salmon with butter, dill and lemon (5 oz., zł.28) was definitely too greasy. Then I had to pick out olives gone bad from the Greek salad (9 oz.for zł.15). “Change” might be Obama’s mot clé, but I’d venture to argue that when there’s folklore getting lost in transition, it’s not always a good thing.

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