Background
When Vietnamka opened it became the talk of the town, its reputation mirrored by its guest list – it wasn’t unusual to spot celeb chefs like Kurt Scheller scurrying out with a takeaway. Their success has continued post-lockdown, and resulted to a move to more spacious surroundings – right upstairs. But while it’s great that the new look Vietnamka has more elbow room, its replacement – a Thai venture created by the owner of Vietnamka – might cause you to raise a suspicious eyebrow.

Food
Though unsubstantiated, the rumor is that the two venues – Vietnamka above and Tajka below – have the same chef wokking up. We witnessed him moving between restaurants, but can say with certainty he wasn’t leaving the premises to stock up on fresh basil.

Nonetheless, his pad Thai checks the boxes of being sweet, sour, salty and bitter, but while the umami was good the tastes are far from thrilling. Faring better, though, try the Kai Med Mamuang (chicken with roasted cashews).

Revealing a master’s hand, the soupy brown sauce comes with perfectly cooked rice and topped with fresh greens – it’s a dish you would go back for.

Interiors
We used to love the bird murals that adorned Vietnamka, so the new gaudy yellow walls take a little time to get used to. For sure they’ll make your photos less Insta-friendly. But for those that can’t leave a restaurant without updating their social media, find a back nook with some angel wings to pose against.

Verdict
With Japonka, Vietnamka, To To Pho, Koreanka and a couple of other ventures in her portfolio, no other restaurateur has done more than Linh Nguyen to bring the tastes of Asia to Warsaw. With Tajka, her streak of creating successes looks set to continue.

Tajka

ul. Poznańska 7, Śródmieście

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