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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Der dicke Bub & Eiscafe Minini Schlebusch, Leverkusen, Germany

The Unc took us to Der Dicke Bub for some fab burgers before we went on our hike at Drachenfels. Since it was a nice day, we chose to sit outdoors and enjoy the sunshine and breeze. You will need to place your orders inside (pay later once you have finished eating) and they will bring the burgers to your table.

Der Dicke Bub, which translates to "The Fat Boy" makes their burger patties from 100% fresh beef from the NRW region, which is minced daily in-house. Furthermore, their fries are also made in-house using fresh raw potatoes. 

When you placing your order, you can specify whether you want the 140g or 200g burger patty. As the burgers are cooked to order, there will be a slight wait depending on how busy the restaurant is. No matter as we busied ourselves with taking selfies and enjoyed the glorious weather.

A selection of Fritz-Kola drinks to quench our thirst (€2.50 / €2.90)

Let's take some selfies ;)

We ordered three different burgers - the Hamburger (€6.50), the Cheeseburger (€7) and the BBQ Speckburger (€7.50) as well as a portion of fries (€3) to share.

BBQ Speckburger, aka beef and bacon burger with caramelised onions with extra cheese (€1)

Cheeseburger - same as the hamburger, with the addition of melted cheese

Hamburger - a juicy beef burger with tomato, gherkins, red onions, lettuce and special sauce

Baby Sumo approves! We enjoyed our burgers here ;)

Another one of the gang

After our burgers, we walked over to Eiscafe Minini Schlesbusch for some gelato. Lots of great flavours to choose from, and only €1 per cone. So cheap! And the ice cream was soooo good, one of the best we had this trip. Wonderfully creamy. 

Get your gelato here. They also have a store where u can sit and enjoy sundaes and more.

YUM!

I chose the salted peanut flavour... so good!

Happy days

Opening times: Monday to Thurday 11:30 - 21:30, Friday - Saturday 11:30 - 22:00, Sunday 12:30 - 21:30

Location: Der Dicke Bub, Bergische Landstraße 38, 51375 Leverkusen, Germany.

Tel: +49 (0)21431 264848

Website: http://derdickebub.de/index.php

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Recipe: Spätzle with Emmental & Caramelised Onions (Käsespätzle)

One of my favorite things to eat in Germany is spätzle. It is a type of soft egg noodle, aka German "pasta" and is commonly found in southern Germany. Since we couldn't find it in the German restaurant we visited in Cologne, we decided to try making it at home. And gosh it's so simple to make!

You will be able to find dried spätzle easily in the pasta aisle at the German supermarket. Cook it like you would pasta, in salted boiling water for about 8-10 minutes. We made Käsespätzle, aka spätzle with Emmental cheese and caramelised onions. To be honest, I was very tempted to buy a few packs of dried spätzle back home, but Emmental cheese is pretty expensive in KL, which would prohibit me from making this too often.

Back to my recipe, the onions are caramelised in some butter and then you add in the cooked spätzle as well as cheese. Delicious cheesy goodness, and very comforting too!

Käsespätzle (spatzle with Emmentaler cheese and fried onions)

Recipe by Baby Sumo

Preparation time: 1 minute

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Serves 3-4

Ingredients
250g dried spätzle
100g emmental cheese, shredded
1 large onion, finely chopped
50g Butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Parsley (optional)



1. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Add the spätzle and cook for about 8-10 minutes, or according to pack instructions.

2 In a frying pan over medium high heat, melt the butter and then add the onions. Cook for about 6-7 minutes, until slightly caramelised.

3. Then, add the cooked spätzle and gradually add in the shredded cheese. Give it a good stir, then season with salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired.

A taste of something new for BabySumoKids

Wine, spatzle and pizza = great night!

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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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