Wschód Bar — Restaurant in Krakow

A restaurant that is expensive for no reason at all. If you look through the menu, you'd notice that everything is pretty expensive, and you might think the cuisines are expensive because they are any good, but don't bother having such a faith. There is no reason for this restaurant to have such audacious prices for. First off, I was baffled by the fact that their rice is salted. I don't know if the cooks in this restaurant have ever been to Asia or have ever eaten any authentic Asian food, but when I tried their rice before I tried everything else, I realised my experience at this restaurant was off to a good start because the rice was salty. Who does that, unless you are an amateur Asian food fan? I'm not talking about stir-fried rice or risotto but a bowl of plain rice. I've lived in Asia at least for 20 years, and I've never been served with a bowl of salted rice. Well, that's just the beginning of everything. We had a set of several cuisines to share with our group. Basically, everything was over-seasoned. Everything was salty and tasted like soy sauce. You know, not everything from Asia tastes like soy sauce. Maybe except for one of the several dishes we had, everything was soy sauce-based. Aubergines, ribs, dumplings, you name it. Everything tastes like soy sauce, and I really want you to know that Asia uses way more spices and sauces just than soy sauce. And then the next thing I was baffled by was the fact that they didn't serve any common beer but only really unknown bottled beers (so-called Italian by them) of 330ml for a very fancy price (at least 15zl). They do have a draft beer from the tab, but it's not even listed in the menu at all, and there is no label at all. I asked them what it is, but they just said it is a rice beer from Krakow, and one pint of it was 22zl, and let me tell you that it was definitely not the best beer but the most expensive beer I've had that tastes just like any other beer I could have cheaper even at the main square. The last thing I was absolutely baffled by was the fact that they charged us for a service fee. Well, the service was not bad, but it was not particularly good either. None of the employees working there looked happy or smiling. It was an experience of service you'd have in any part of this city. Yet, they charged us for a service fee. What for? For 5 years living in Krakow, this is my first time paying for any service fee at all and for such a mediocre restaurant.

Reply to the owner reply: Well, passion and heart are always not translated into good food. Unfortunately, the way you run business, your replies to customers' reviews and your approach to food will never get you anywhere near acquiring umami. You reply to everyone that you use the highest quality of everything including the ingredients but I doubt that you even have a single peppercorn of Sichuan pepper and use it for your so-called Sichuan dumplings. You don't even seem to know what is salty. You salted the rice. What does anything that is salted taste like? It's salty. You are not supposed to salt the rice at all. I know you don't agree with any customers' feedback. So I didn't expect you to. The local price of beers like Tsingdao barely costs 5zl, but you sell it for 15zl, not because of the quality as you claim, but mostly because of logistics. It's the cheapest beer you can get in Asia. Please don't sugarcoat it as if it's such a luxury product known for its quality. You advise every customer complaining here to make comments on the spot at the restaurant but I've read a lot of reviews saying that they did make a complaint on the spot, but all they were told by the staff was that the food is fine. So what's the point? If I were to make a comment on the spot, I'd ask you to change the whole recipe. You wouldn't change the recipe on the spot, would you? Because your food is already of the highest quality and standard that any food can achieve. So what's the point and what difference does it make whether a customer makes a comment on the spot or...

It took me a while to visit in their new location At 18 Zduńska Street in Dębniki. Now this much more spacious bar can host more people, if it hadn’t been for the reservation I made, I’d had to join the long queue outside

I couldn’t help but order General Tso’s Chicken- the combination of sweet, savoury, spicy and tangy battered in cornstarch chicken bathing in a deliciously sweet and sticky (hoisin sauce?) glaze is bar a proper business card! Solid portion for 38,-

Meateaters will be fond on juicy hong kong style ribs stewed in Chinese black rice with vinegar and soy sauce. Perfectly marinated help to enjoy those fall-off-the-bone ribs, make sure you accompany those with jasmin rice/ 38,-

For a bit more lighter & tastebuds refreshing dish, go for Cha Ca La Vong fish dish. This Vietnamese goodie struck a chord with me and brought back my longings for 19’s trip to Hanoi. Cod chunks are marinated in turmeric, aromatic green scallions and dill and then served with tons of coriander and  vermicelli noodles. Great umami intermezzo / 49,-

If have veggie cravings- eggplant is always a good call! Sichuann Yu Xiang eggplants are fried in a wok with garlic & ginger in the fermented soybeans . Playful sicky/sweet, sour, savory and slightly spicy sauce. The dish might be compared to Tso’s Chicken but for us turned to be way more flavourful!/ 34,-

Can’t remember if I ever left this place...

We went to Wschód Bar on a Saturday at 5 PM without a reservation and got a table right away. The place has a modern, cozy vibe, and the staff was friendly.

We ordered the Chinatown Set (supposedly for 3-4 people) for 200 PLN, which included:

Yu Xiang – Stir-fried eggplant in a flavorful, slightly spicy sauce. Soft, rich, and packed with umami. Sichuan Wontons – Juicy pork dumplings in a tangy, slightly spicy sauce. Really tasty. Hong Kong-Style Ribs – Tender, fall-off-the-bone ribs with a sweet glaze. One of our favorites! General Tso’s Chicken – Crispy, deep-fried chicken in a sweet and spicy glaze. Another highlight—crunchy, flavorful, and super satisfying. Liangban Muer – A refreshing black fungus salad with a garlicky dressing, which was nice to have alongside the richer dishes. -Jasmine Rice – Simple but necessary to balance out all the bold flavors.

Even though the set is meant for 3-4 people, we managed to finish it between the two of us—but we were completely stuffed. Realistically, the portion is better suited for three people max.

Overall, the food was great, with bold flavors and generous portions. If you're into Asian cuisine, Wschód Bar is definitely worth a visit! We’ll be...