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Foodie Diary
PKP’S NEW
FARE HIKE
BY MICHAŁ B. PARADOWSKI
f you’ve already done some
I 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 well-
worn 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
“Generally, the fare
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
has moved away
from the staples
of Polish cuisine
towards a more
Mediterranean
diet…”
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.
TASTE ON BOARD