La Casa Azteca brings traditional Mexican food and cultural celebrations to Prague.
Run by Miguel, originally from Mexico, and Modar, who comes from Syria, the restaurant draws on their experience in the city’s Mexican food scene while introducing customers to dishes and traditions from beyond the familiar.
Two routes to Prague
Modar arrived for work as a structural engineer. While learning Czech, he found himself working in a Mexican restaurant, where he became interested in the food and the business.
“I fell in love with the Mexican concept and the Mexican food, so I had to stay,” he says.
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Miguel, meanwhile, had already spent years living abroad, including five years in Montreal and time in the United States. He had always wanted to experience different countries, and Prague was another step in that direction.
Still, the city felt unlike anywhere he had been before. He remembers seeing a tram when he first arrived and feeling as though he had landed in a fairy-tale country.
The two eventually met through Prague’s Mexican restaurant scene, around nine years ago. What started as a shared connection to Mexican food eventually grew into a business partnership.
Keeping Mexican food authentic — and introducing it to Prague
At La Casa Azteca, Miguel and Modar want to keep the food close to what customers would find in Mexico, combining street food with dishes more commonly associated with traditional restaurants. The menu includes mole, chiles, flautas and tacos, with each dish bringing its own flavours and character.
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Keeping those flavours in Prague, however, sometimes means working with ingredients that are harder to find locally. Herbs commonly used in Mexico can be difficult to source, while ingredients such as tortillas and chillies can also be more expensive. Some elements therefore have to be substituted without losing the character of the dish.
They have also had to navigate some of the expectations Czech customers bring with them. Part of that process has been showing customers that Mexican cuisine goes well beyond the familiar image of tacos, enchiladas and very spicy dishes.
“People think that in Mexico we are always eating spicy food,” Miguel says. “It’s true, but not all our food is tacos and enchiladas. We eat normal food too — pasta, a piece of meat with rice.”
The same approach extends to drinks. Mezcal is still relatively unfamiliar to many Czech customers, so the team uses the restaurant as a place to explain where it comes from, how it is produced and how different varieties can taste.
“It’s something that people can explore,” Miguel says. “They appreciate the taste. They appreciate the liquor. It’s not just a party drink.”
Building a business abroad
Although Miguel and Modar have around nine years of experience in Prague’s Mexican restaurant scene, La Casa Azteca is a newer chapter. The current project, which combines a restaurant with a neighbouring service window, has been running for around six months.
Starting their own business required learning how to navigate the Czech system from scratch. “We had to learn so much about running a business in the Czech Republic,” Modar says. “Everything is very well organized and very well thought out, so you really need to be prepared. You have to pay attention to every detail and every small thing.”
There was also the risk that came with building something abroad, without the same safety net they might have had at home. “I think it’s harder to take risks when you’re living abroad because, if you fall, there’s no one to pick you up. The stress is greater. But at the same time, you know there’s no way back, so you have to make it work,” Modar says.
Celebrating Mexican culture in Prague
Beyond the menu, Miguel and Modar celebrate Mexican traditions through events at the restaurant. After marking Mexican Independence Day in September, they are now preparing for the Day of the Dead, with Mexican dancers, live mariachi music, decorations and special dishes planned for the end of October.
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The post Beyond Tacos: Meet the Founders of La Casa Azteca in Prague appeared first on Prague Morning.