February 2008
A Lonesome Poet
Restaurant puschkin and some russian basics
The restaurant landscape here in Munich reflects the diversity of its cosmopolitan inhabitants. Foods from every continent are on offer throughout the city. Whether it is Japanese delicacies, authentic Indian dishes, Caribbean treats, or even the culinary traditions of Afghanistan you are looking for, there will be several eateries to choose from. But if you take a closer look at Munich’s food map, there are some odd spots of terra incognita. One can only speculate about the reasons why there is such a scarce representation of Eastern European food, especially from Russia. Of course, Munich has always cultivated its infelt proximity to Southern European lifestyle and cuisine. Furthermore,
Münchner are just not easily impressed. Forty brands of vodka and a few hot dishes are not enough to convince a lover of Italian cuisine to change his or her dining habits. Quite a few Russian joints had to learn this hard lesson in the past few years, and closed down one after the other.
Young restaurateur Roman Bendig is aware of Munich’s lack of good Russian food, and the need to blend authenticity with comfort in a dining establishment. The German-Russian local recently opened Puschkin with his capable mother in the kitchen. Already, it seems they are doing quite a few things just right. A visit to
Puschkin, named after the world-famous Russian author, transfers you back to glamorous czarist times. A lot of wood, red velvet, and moss-green walls adorned with Russian icons especially painted for the restaurant create a pleasant atmosphere. A wooden booth invites visitors to lounge on large comfortable cushions while listening to Russian music from the 1930s. Luckily, it is the food that makes a stay at Puschkin worth its while. Traditional hearty dishes dominate the menu. Often named after Alexander Pushkin’s works, salads, beef, and fish are the main ingredients.
Meerjungfrau (€ 3.90), for example, alludes to the author’s play “Mermaid” and has inspired an appetizer of herring, vegetables, and plums.
Eugen Onegin
(€ 7.50) is a salad bowl with shrimp, rice, eggs, carrots, and cucumber. Surprisingly, the cutlet Kiev style (€ 13.90) is a tender piece of chicken coated with breadcrumbs, served with a butter sauce, potatoes and salad. Naturally, classic Beef Stroganoff (€ 17) also makes an appearance. Along with the food, Puschkin offers a selection of Eastern European wine and beer. The restaurant’s special beverage, however, is
Kwas—a brew of rye and malt. Finally for all of those, whose love for all things Russian is lubricated with a glass of vodka, Puschkin offers an exquisite selection of the cult liquor.
Despite the diaspora bemoaned above, there are a few more alternatives for those in search of Borscht and other basic Russian food. In 2004, Svetlana Bouenkova opened
Café Gurmann near Ostbahnhof, Munich’s first and only café with German and Russian bakery products. The likeable shop owner Bouenkova, who claims to have learned all about traditional Russian recipes from her
Babushka (grandmother), also provides her customers with homemade warm dishes throughout the day. A large part of her menu consists of
Pelmeni,
Pierogi and
Vareniki, which can be summarized as dumplings with varying fillings of meat, cheese, mashed potatoes or vegetables. Her solid offers are completed by meat soups, including Borscht, and
Blinis—Russian pancakes filled with meat or mushrooms—that will keep you warm on a cold winter day. Along with tea served out of a samovar, try one of Bouenkova’s rich pastries. Prices are very moderate (below € 10) and may make up for the café’s rather chintzy seating accommodations.
Malachit’s interior resembles Café Gurmann’s particular charm of plastic flowers and fake chandeliers. Dark green curtains bestow a rather dusky atmosphere upon the restaurant. The menu, written in German and Cyrillic, offers
Ucha, a Russian fish soup with rainbow trout (€ 5.10),
Tchebureki, fried dumplings with a lamb stuffing (€ 6.50) and pikeperch filet St. Petersburg style (€ 9.80). Several variations of steamed dumplings and soups with meat are available here as well.
Considering this rather limited selection, it is always a recommendable alternative to spend a night at
Cohen’s. This Jewish family restaurant has been a Munich Found favorite for years, and features Eastern European flavors alongside Middle Eastern aromas. Tucked away in an unassuming courtyard, Jacques and Yocheved Cohen have pleased their guests not only with the best of Jewish cooking—including Russian stews and
Pierogi—but they also have created a loving atmosphere in which it feels like dining among family and friends. <<<
Puschkin
Luisenstr. 75
Tel. 52 33 544
www.puschkin-muenchen.de
Tues.-Sat. 5 pm-11 pm
Sun. 2 pm-11 pm
Café Gurmann
Orleansstr. 41
Tel. 62 23 29 94
www.gurmann.de
Mon.-Fri. 7 am-7 pm
Sat. 8 am-2 pm
Malachit
Schellingstr. 130
Tel. 12 00 32 72
www.russisches-restaurant.de
Mon.-Sat. 5 pm-12 am
Sun. 2 pm-10 pm
Cohen’s
Theresienstr. 31
Tel. 28 09 545
www.cohens.de
Mon.-Sat. 12 pm-3 pm &
6 pm-open end
