Turkish Food @ Mangal Restaurant, Cologne, Germany

We've eaten German, Peruvian and burgers in Germany - what's next? The Unc offered to bring us for either Korean or Turkish food in Cologne, and we chose the latter since we can easily get good Korean food in KL. We settled for Mangal Restaurant, since it was a hot day and this restaurant was air-conditioned. We were told that this street that the restaurant is on is known to the locals as the "Turkish Street" as you will find many Turkish restaurants and shops here.

Some Cologne sights, on the way to the restaurant 

On the less busy side of Hohenzollern Bridge (where you will find the love locks)

On the menu, they have English translation next to their German and Turkish names, though some of them may be incorrectly translated so better to check if you have a German-speaking friend around. There are lots to choose from, as their menu has over 160 items. We decided to order one appetizer to share, and a main course each.

The restaurant interior is modern, with an open kitchen at the front of the restaurant as well as their meats on display in the chiller

Kebab

To start, we ordered the Karisik Meze, which is translated as Mixed Appetizers Plate (€7.50). We were expecting different Turkish appetizers (there was an illustration of different items on a plate) but what arrived was some flatbread with five different dips. It was nice enough, but we would have ordered a small portion if we knew they were serving this as we didn't even manage to finish 1/4 of the dips even with 4 adults.  The dips include Carrot, Beetroot, Parsley, Tomato, chilli powder and special sauce, as well as Herbs and garlic.

The main courses made up for the boo-boo with the appetizer. All main courses came with a side salad and rice (bulgur and pilaf rice).

Our friend, Debi had the Tavuk Sis (€11.50) which is marinated chicken shish kebab. The chicken was moist and juicy.

The Unc had the Kuzu Sis (€13.50), a very tasty lamb shish kebab.  He also ordered a couple of glasses of ayran (€2.20), a cold yogurt drink mixed with salt. It is considered the national drink of Turkey.

I had a look at the chiller and spotted some lamb cutlets and they looked good, so I ordered that. They were cooked to a beautiful pink in the centre, with a nice char on the outside. I shared this with the kids and they enjoyed it too :) By the way this was described as chopsticks on the menu.

Kuzu Pirzola (€13.50)

Hubby had the Iskender Kebap (€10.50), which is doner kebab served with flatbread and yogurt. The waiter came with some melted butter and asked if Hubby wanted some on his kebab. Remember to tell him when to stop! :P

After lunch, we had some Turkish tea (kucuk Cay - €1). It comes with cubes of sugar, apparently they like their tea super sweet. Overall, we had a great meal here and service is good, so would definitely recommend this for anyone looking for a great Turkish meal in Cologne. :)

Open 24 hours.

Price: Total bill €75.00 for 4 adults (inclusive tips and drinks for 6).

Location: Mangal Restaurant, Weidengasse 58-62, 50668 Koln, Germany

Tel: +49 221 29883420

Website: http://www.mangal-restaurant.de

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Travel: KölnTrianglePanorama, Cologne, Germany

One of the cities we visited in Germany this trip was Cologne. While we were there, The Unc took us to KölnTrianglePanorama for a 360° panoramic view of Cologne City.

The KölnTriangle tower is 103.2m high with a 400m² viewing platform. The entry to Panorama is €3 for adults, and childen under 12 gets to go up for free. Once you have paid, you will have to take the express lift up to the viewing platform on the 28th floor.  The view is really quite spectacular and we managed to get some nice shots here. Definitely a must-visit for those visiting Cologne.

Baby Sumo was here.. :)

My favorite view up here at the Köln Triangle Panorama is THIS.. Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom)

Other views of Cologne city

Opening times:
May 1st – September 30th
Monday to Friday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.

October 1st – April 30th
Monday to Friday 12 noon to 8 p.m.;Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Location: KölnTrianglePanorama, Ottoplatz, 50679 Köln (Cologne), Germany.

Website: http://www.koelntrianglepanorama.de/en/

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Peruvian Food @ Restaurant El Inca, Cologne, Germany

Other than German cuisine, you will also find an excellent range of International cuisine in Cologne. One of the restaurants recommended to us was Restaurant El Inca, a hidden gem serving Peruvian food.

Located in the basement, the restaurant is cosy, homely and bustling. The restaurant can get very busy, so reservations are essential. English menus are available for tourists. The menu consists of entrees, salads, nachos, tortilla, beef, lamb, fish and sweets.

Guayaba juice (pink guava)

Pisco Sour, also known as the national drink of Peru. Good, potent cocktail :)

To start, we shared a cebiche de pescado (€8.50), fresh fish slices marinated in lemon, coriander and onions, along with fresh corn and toasted corn. The ceviche portion was generous, and this was very appetizing and whet our appetites for what's to come next.

For main courses, we ordered three dishes to share. First to arrive is the aji de gallina (€11.80), a traditional Peruvian dish consisting of chicken cooked in a mildly spicy creamy sauce. The dish gets its spiciness and yellow colour from aji pepper.  It is served with rice, boiled egg and black olives, as well as a side salad. Hearty and delicious.

We also selected a fish dish too, the Borrachito (€15.80), pike dish topped with tequila sauce, as well as two large grilled king prawns, rice and a side salad. Very nicely done.

The highlight of our meal was the anticuchos de carne (€14.50), two skewers of grilled beef, served with yuca (cassava) and side salad. The meat was beautifully cooked, well seasoned and tender.

Every piece was cooked to medium rare doneness. YUM :)

Verdict: Generous portions, delicious Peruvian food. Highly recommended.


Opening times: 6pm - 1am daily.

Price: Total bill €72 (inclusive tips), for 3 adults 2 children.

Location: Restaurant El Inca, Görresstr. 2, am Rathenauplatz, 50674 Köln, Germany

Tel: +49 (0) 221 245503

Website: http://www.el-inca.de




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Lunch @ Meat.ing, Cologne, Germany

Korean food is one of my favourites and it doesn't take much to persuade me to try out a new restaurant serving Korean cuisine. One of the things I love about Korean food is the fact that you have a huge amount of variety with the side dishes. I've made my own kimchi a couple of times but haven't had the time to sit down lately to make some, so I had to get my quick fix from somewhere else. Our last visit to town presented just that opportunity!

We visited meat.ing a Korean restaurant in close proximity to the city center of Cologne. The restaurant specializes in Korean barbecue but they also do the usual Korean fare such as udon, bibimbap, and bulgogi for their lunch menu.

Tender and flavoursome

Situated on a corner lot across an Asian grocery market

 

Interior is pretty modern and new. Each table has its own grill unit and an extractor fan

Side dishes consisted of 2 different kimchis, beansprouts and a brocolli/cabbage mix. We were disappointed with the measly portions and the fact that they do not do refills. €3.50 for an extra portion of kimchi seems extremely steep given that the korean restaurants we've been to in the past just give it to you for free.

Sobulgogi (€10.50) Flavoursome and had a nicely sized portion, we both enjoyed the bulgogi in this restaurant. The sauce went very well with the rice

Kimchi jjigae (€9.50) The Jjigae was good and had the right amount of spice to it. They definitely did not tone this down for the foreigners, and we love it! 

  A good day for a warming korean meal!

Verdict: We enjoyed the jjigae and bulgogi but were slightly disappointed with the mini side dish portions. Can't have them all it seems!

Price: €20 for two persons

Location: meat.ing, Hohe Pforte 9, 50676 Cologne, Germany

Phone: 0221-99556860

Opening hours:Tuesday to Friday- 1200 to 1500hrs and 1800 to 2300 hrs

Saturday- 1200 to 2300 hrs

Sundays and Public holidays- 1800 to 2300 hrs



*This is a guest post by The Unc.


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Lunch @ La Poêle d'Or, Cologne, Germany (1-Michelin star)

*Update 14/4/16: This restaurant has closed down.

Just this year, La Poêle d'Or in Cologne received its first Michelin star, elevating its position to one of the best eateries in town. We were there to sample their lunch menu to experience for ourselves what makes a Michelin starred restaurant and get fed by of one of rising stars of the scene in French chef Jean-Claude Bado. In addition to the Michelin star, they also have 17 points on Gault Millau 2013. We went for their 2 course lunch menu and were pleasantly surprised by the amount of small samples of amuse bouche we had throughout the meal. The lunch menu changes daily, depending on what fresh produce the chef receives each morning.

A pleasure for the senses

The exterior of the restaurant. It is placed side-by-side to its sister bistro Bistrot B

Located in close proximity to the Cologne Dom, certainly the most recognisable landmark in town.

The interior of the restaurant. We were early there and thus had the pleasure of having the restaurant to ourselves.

Cosy and understated decor

First amuse-bouche: Terrine, mousse and tartar of salmon. Three contrasting textures and tastes. A nice start!

Some warm bread and French butter

Second amuse-bouche: British sardine with olve tapenade and escabeche. Beautifully presented and the escabeche provided a huge punch of flavor. Would have went great with some bread but it was all already in my tummy by the time I thought about it.

Cheese croissant and house-made bread 

Third amuse-bouche: Coffee macaron with ham flavoured mousse. Cutely presented on a wooden platform, the macaron shell was air light and the savory ham mousse was surprisingly good

Starter: Salmon with quince chutney. This was the star of the day for us. The fatty salmon was wonderful and complimented by the sweetness and acidity of the quince chutney. Stuff of dreams!

It's not too bad looks wise as well!

Main dish: Guinea fowl with sauce Albuféra, vegetables and potato. The fowl was cooked perfectly, with a crispy exterior and and moist inside. It is easy to get this wrong and we were impressed at how good it was with the Albuféra sauce. The portion was generous as well.

Petit fours to end the meal

Some awards the restaurant managed to garner.

The waiting area at the entrance of the restaurant

Verdict: We were wowed by the great food and impeccable service at the restaurant. The sum of the parts and components of the meal were a delight and left us planning a revisit in the near future.

Opening hours. Lunch and dinner from Tuesdays to Saturdays.

Price: €65 including drinks for a table of two

Location: La Poêle d'Or, Komödienstr. 50-52 - 50667 Köln, Germany

Tel.: +49 (0)221/13 986 777

Website: http://www.lapoeledor.de/


*This is a guest post by The Unc.