CULINARY TRAVELS
For almost a whole year we have been living with the order of the day: Stay at home! Of course it makes sense. Yet it’s difficult to not give in to a bit of wanderlust. However, isn’t food one of the most wonderful things about travel? And isn’t it just handy that Düsseldorf is home to a gastronomy scene covering almost every part of the world – from Taiwan to Eritrea, from Peru to Australia? Here are a couple of recommended stop offs on our culinary travels – which also happen to have a much smaller carbon footprint than using air travel.
WHEN ORIENT MEETS OCCIDENT
The city district of Oberbilk isn’t called ‘Little Morocco’ for no reason – around Ellerstraße, Linienstraße and Dreiecksplatz North African vegetable shops, hairdressers, patisseries and shisha bars jostle for space. And right in the middle of it: Badr Haddad’s La Grilladine. The little restaurant, which opened in 2012, is one of the best and most visited in this district bordering the back of the main train station. The ‘little rotisserie’, which only has enough space for 32 seats and some more on the pavement patio, is primarily famous for their charcoal grilled dishes. “Meat in particular plays an important role in Moroccan cuisine,” says Haddad. Skewered lamb, chicken or mince (Köfte) are part of the menu penned in chalk on the wall, and so are Merguez, spicy lamb sausages. And always available: sea bream and Loup de Mer, also from the grill and served in one piece alongside fried patatas bravas and salad. “Typical for Moroccan cuisine are also tajines,” explains Haddad. This is a stew with couscous, vegetables, Moroccan spices, with meat as an option – all slow cooked in its own juices in an earthenware pot, the so called tajine – completely devoid of fat and thus low in calories. The proprietor does not offer alcohol but a typical very sweet, fresh mint tea, which is being served authentically in gold embellished glasses. The customers of La Grilladine have been appreciating this for years. It is not uncommon for a crowd of hungry customers to wait outside on the pavement until a table becomes available. The restaurateur could thus be quite content. But Haddad is not prone to resting on his laurels, he is a man of action: at Dreiecksplatz, opposite of his rotisserie, he is planning to set up a bazar. Seven little stalls are planned to sell snacks and arts and crafts from North Africa. So, in order to purchase hand painted ceramics, leather bags and aromatic spice mixes it is no longer necessary to hop on a plane to Marrakesh. The bus to Oberbilk will do. •
LA GRILLADINE
Dreieckstraße 26, Düsseldorf, Germany
www.grilladine.business.site
ONE, TWO OR THREE
If you fancy a culinary journey spanning three continents all at once, then Waya Kitchen is just the right place. The menu, simplified due to the coronavirus situation, features delicacies influenced by both North- and South American and also Asian cuisine. As a former successful hip hop dancer, Waya boss Nicolas “Nick” Wiedmann-Harland, collected ideas and inspiration on countless trips across the world, before he opened the restaurant in Flingern in May 2019. On the menu - spanning (culinary) continents – Edamame and Gyozas from Japan co-exist in harmony with Canadian poutines (“with proper cheese curd”) and a total of six variations of burgers. “Initially I really did not want to put burgers on the menu,” says the restaurateur. However, being so straight forward and prepared in no time, the US food classic made it onto the menu during the pandemic after all. And the feedback was amazing: “Much feted by customers, the burgers are now here to stay.” Fried chicken has also been met with great popularity. It is served, amongst others, with the Argentine herb dip Chimichuri or maple syrup and pickled gherkins. In case the snack version (6.50 Euro) is not sufficient, it is possible to order the bucket with salad for 23.50 Euro. Wiedmann-Harland points out though, that all of this is only a snapshot of what’s on offer at this very moment, as he and his international team come up with new ideas all the time. This means that in future Waya Kitchen may well serve Empanadas, Tacos or Tempura. After all, the world is vast. There are still a lot of culinary discoveries to be made. •
Waya Kitchen
Platanenstr. 21, Düsseldorf, Germany
www.waya-kitchen.de
A BOWL FULL OF HAPPINESS
A five minute stroll away from La Grilladine is Phox Pho. In November 2019 Khanh Huy Nguyen and his brother-in-law Hung Nguyen opened the restaurant, where everything revolves around the traditional Vietnamese soup Pho, in Stresemannstraße. In his home country Pho is actually frequently enjoyed for breakfast. “The preparation is very complex, so the Vietnamese tend to eat it in one of the numerous food stalls and not at home,” explains Khanh Huy Nguyen. The concept of Pho has already been exported from Vietnam to every corner the world. In the US, the 42 year old explains, this kind of restaurant can be found on every corner. However, in Düsseldorf there was a gap in the market with regards to Pho – which since has been filled by the Nguyens. There are three variants of Pho: with beef, with chicken and a vegan one. The most important thing is of course the base, the broth. “The bones or vegetables are being slow cooked on low heat for between 24 and 48 hours,” he explains. The soup is then served on a bed of rice noodles and accompanied by a little plate full of herbs like coriander, Thai basil and sawtooth coriander, which can be added according to taste. Herbs play a central role in Vietnamese cuisine. And the starters which are listed in the pleasantly uncluttered menu are no exception. Customers at Phox Po must try the ingenious mini pancakes either the vegetarian option or with king prawns. “You can’t find these anywhere in Düsseldorf,” Khan declares proudly. He then goes on to explain that part of the concept of the restaurant is to only offer dishes that are being served at home. So a customer’s remark like “it tastes just like at my mum’s” means the world to the restaurateurs. They have heard it quite a few times, too. •
Phox Pho
Stresemannstr. 32, Düsseldorf, Germany
www.pho-x.de
MORE CULINARY TRAVEL DESTINATIONS IN DÜSSELDORF
Europe
Austria >> Rubens, Kaiserstr. 5
Turkey >> Noa Foodbar, Martinstr. 11
Portugal >> Clube Portugués, Erkrather Str. 197
Croatia >> Maslina, Börnerstr. 2a
Poland >> Klußka, Fischerstr. 5
France >> Bistro Fatal, Hermannstr. 29
Spain >> La Taberna Espagnola, Wielandstr. 37
Asia
Korea >> Beud, Zimmerstr, 28
Taiwan >> Teamate, Immermannstr. 65c
Japan >> Takezo, Immermannstr. 48
China >> Böser Chinese, Flurstr. 74 and Zollhof 13
Africa
Nigeria, West Africa >> Treasure, Mettmanner Str. 1
Eritrea/Ethiopia >> Yatana, Worringer Str. 67
North America
California >> Cali Eats, Kaiserswerther Str. 228
Latin America
Peru >> Lima’s Restobar, Münsterstr. 242
Columbia >> Lunitas, Ulmenstr. 18
Australia
Greentrees, Lorettostr. 54 and Münsterstr. 149
Words: Alexandra Wehrmann
Pictures: PR / Markus Luigs, Kristof Puller, Luca Tanzer, Lars Neill
(The article was already written in October 2020)