What could be more fitting than a Brezel for a quick and easy lunch. Typical for Germany’s South, the two Southern states have forever quarried about different styles and the origin. Read my analysis on the pretzel.
Breze as it is called here in Munich
Yes, the love for pretzel goes very, very far…
food jewellery
You can get almost any kind of food in Munich, so I took a break from the Hofbräus and sausages and ventured into…Asian food. First stop: LeDu (Chinese for happy), a fast food place inside metro station Karlsplatz for dumplings, savoury pancakes stuffed with meats or tofu and guabao (a steamed bun sandwich). Affordable, fast and so yummy it did not make it onto a photo.
For dessert, I thought I would stick to the Asian scheme when I spotted a place serving eggwaffles, a treat I thoroughly enjoyed in China last year. They offered a matcha flavor, so I was sold. But alas, the waffle was quite sad looking, the matcha non-existent and the flavor off, like gone-bad off…fail!
eggwaffle fail
Leaving the soggy eggwaffle behind, I join the crowd at Eisbachwelle, a standing wave of the Eisbach in the English Garden to watch some surfers show off their talent.
Eisbachwelle
On my stroll through the English Garden I come across a small queue in front of a small Japanese tea house on a tiny island. The Urasenke Munich offers tea ceremonies on most weekends, but space is limited so it pays off to be there a bit in advance.
Japanese tea house in the English Garden
Japanese tea house
Part of a traditional Japanese tea ceremony is shown, each move scripted and practised a thousand times. Quite different from the no less artistic but somehow more carefree Chinese Gongfu Cha sessions. Less about drinking tea but more about meditation and mindfulness. An educational and interesting experience. At the end, bowls of tea are served, this time a bright green matcha from Uji.
tea ceremony
A relaxing nap in Nymphenburg Park later: time for dinner! Keeping it consistent with the Asian food theme, the place of choice is Mai Garden near the Isar river, a hole in the wall kind of restaurant cooking up home-style cooking. Spots are popular so be prepared to wait. The food was comforting and the portions decent.
stir fried garlic shoots
dried vegetables with pork belly
soup dumpling
On a sunny day, the river banks of the Isar are populated with familes and groups of people lounging in the sun, swimming and blasting music into the sky. What a perfect way to rest and digest.
Isarwiese
natural fridge
Speaking of water, if the time allows, Munich has two large lakes just within reach. Starnberger See is one of them and is easily reachable via public transport. Blue sky and blue water, with mountains featuring as a backdrop, stunning!
Starnberger See
The area close to the train station offers a selection of gastronomical service and rentals for water sports as well as a couple of marked areas where swimming is allowed. A perfect summer’s day.
grilled sea bream with vegetables
August 11-12th 2018