27 May, 2018 – Taking a closer look at the restaurants of Korcula. Meet Silk, street food with a difference close to the birthplace of Marco Polo.
One of the things that always makes me smile when writing about international food in Croatia is the patriotic local reaction.
When I wrote about the opening of the first ever Japanese restaurant in Split about five years ago, for example, there was local outrage that tourists should be offered anything other than Dalmatian food when on holiday. People are visiting Croatia, they argued, to try Croatian food. They can taste this foreign stuff back where they come from. And anyway, they reasoned, as Dalmatian food is the very best in the world, why would visitors to Split want to try anything else.
Dalmatian food IS extremely delicious and healthy, but variety is the spice of life. Following this local argument, that would mean one would have to travel to Tokyo to try sushi, India for a curry, Rome for a pizza and so on. The addition of international cuisines complements the local food offer, offering better choice and more options for visitors, which leads to a better overall tourism experience.
Asian food is among the most popular cuisines for travellers, and businesses on the Croatian coast have picked up on this, and now there are several options for those looking for something a little more spicy on their Adriatic travels. One man, of course, who would have got an early taste of the spicy Asian flavours was one young Marco Polo, who set off on exotic travels to the East in search of adventure.
How fitting, then that a rather cool Asian street food eatery has opened in his native town of Korcula, appropriately named Silk. With Malaysian chefs – apparently in The Beautiful Croatia, getting work permits for Malaysian chefs is easier than for other Asian countries, Silk offers a wide variety of Asian cuisine, from sashimi salad and crispy duck, to pad Thai and chicken gyoza.
There is a decent selection of vegetarian offerings as well, and the ambience is very chilled and informal. Simple order your food at the bar, take a seat and the generous and authentic portions will be brought to your table. Silk is managed by an Australian, whose understanding of customer service and the choice of Asian food after a week of gorging on gorgeous dishes adds a backpacker feel to the Silk experience. A great place to meet fellow travellers, but Silk is also very popular locally. And currently sitting at number 6 in Korcula’s top ten restaurants would suggest that Silk has found its niche on this gourmet island.
And the good news for tourists is Split who love their Asian food is that Silk will be opening in the Dalmatian capital this summer, in a prime location just off Marmontovo. We will bring you details of the opening night as soon as we have them, but it will be a great addition to the Split gourmet scene, especially for those looking for a quick bite to eat on the street with a little more exotic flavour than the local excellence.
Follow Silk Street Food on Facebook.
Silk is located in the heart of the old town, although the coastal ‘Restaurant Row’. See below on the Google map.
