Some like it hot. Others don’t. Which is why the concept at Gast, the newly opened restaurant at Gasteig, sounds like such a good idea. Upon entering, diners are handed the menu and a chip “credit” card, before going to their chosen food station and taking their pick from a selection of pizza, pasta and wok dishes. They can then ask the chef to prepare their chosen meal just to their liking, be it by adding more chilli, coriander, cream or otherwise. At the end of the meal, they simply hand their chip card in at the cash desk. Not that you’ll be looking at a bumper bill—mains cost between € 5 and € 8. The brainchild of Marc Übelherr (Zoozie’z) and Uli Springer (Café Reitschule), Gast hopes to entice the young hip crowd, as well as the usual culture vultures who pass through the concert venue.
Someone who already manages to pull the bright young things is Hugo Bachmaier. Owner of the Bachmaier Wirtshaus at Leonrodplatz, he’s now gone down the leather cubes, low tables and stylish lounge route with his second outlet, at Leopoldstrasse 50—Bachmaier Hofbräu. By all accounts it’s somewhere where Schwabing people go to watch Schwabing people, especially in summer, when Bachmaier is planning to have a series of mobile “boxes” outside the bar, each of which takes six people and can be moved to whichever happens to be the sunny side of the building.
Another restaurant expanding its empire, much to the delight of homesick Brits, is New Delhi Indian, which has opened a second branch: Tandoori at Klenzestrasse 89. Not only does it claim to be the only Indian in the city to serve Ayurveda health food, but it’s also the only one which offers that British classic, the balti. A word of advice—if you’re a fan of this truly unauthentic Indian dish, you’ll have to ask for it, as it doesn’t appear on the menu.
The Englishification of the curry is one thing. But mixing steak and sushi has to be a new one. The two gastro genres are the focus of the menu at newly opened Moccar, at Steinstrasse 79. We’re not entirely sure what prompted such an unusual concept—perhaps it’s intended as the perfect compromise for vegetarian women and their meat-eating men. Or vice versa.
There’s more self-service on offer at the Fünf Höfe’s latest gastronomic addition—Vapiano. This Italian chain, which is due to open a second branch, in the Schrannenhalle next month, offers a range of pasta and pizza dishes and desserts, including the intriguingly named “death in chocolate.” We’re not entirely sure what the secret ingredient is here, but best keep your eyes out for it! And, ok, so having someone wait on you may be one of the things that makes eating out so special. But, hey, at least this whole trend of serving yourself means you won’t have to put up with cranky German service! <<<
