This Modern Love

I thought it was about time I wrote down what happened when we went to Munich before it became too long ago and I forget we even went.

A lot of people have asked, why Munich? Well, in 2009, myself and my partner spent 5 days in Berlin and loved it. One of the best holidays ever. It was sunny, there was plenty to do, the people were great and the beer was ace. The food was pretty shoddy, but hey, there was currywurst to be had. Quite a few of my friends have spent plenty of time in Germany and have said we’d love Munich so we thought we had to give it a whirl.

Munich is what you think of when us Brits think of Germany (well, apart from the wars). Lederhosen, sausage, beer, beerhalls, sauerkraut - it’s all there. Berlin feels hip, arty, modern, international. Munich feels like an old city that’s on to a good thing. Tourists come here to experience Bavaria and sample what’s on offer.

We stayed at the Adagio Munchen on Schwanthalerstrasse. A great hotel full of serviced apartments. We had a little studio with it’s own kitchen and free wi-fi in the lobby. As it was Easter, they left little chocolate bunnies in our room which was a nice touch.

On our first day, we tried to get our bearings and walked to the Englischer Garten, a massive park in the city centre. And when I say massive, I mean it. It’s bigger than Central Park in New York. It has lots of green space to run around but also attractions like a Japanese Teahouse and the Chinesischer Turm, a restaurant and beer garden. You can even surf or join in with the nudists around the lake on a warm day. The Monday of our visit was too cold to strip off but we did manage one beer outside.

We then walked back into the centre and found the Hofbrauhaus. This is the most popular beerhall in Munich, rammed with tourists but it’s not as bad as it sounds. It was actually fun. The place is huge so there’s chance you’ll find somewhere to sit. A traditional Oompah band plays which adds to the great atmosphere. On our first visit, we tried a few beers and went for the brotzeitteller - a sharing plate of meats, cheese and bread. I was advised to try the obazda - a mixture of camembert and butter, and it was as good as it sounds. The other meats were not so great as there were mainly processed or had some weird kind of offal in.

In the evening, we ate at the recommended Augustiner Braustuben, a traditional Bavarian restaurant that was busy and lively. We couldn’t sit in the main hall so sat in an off-shot room that was a little quieter. My OH went for the mixed pan, a load of meat served in a metal frying pan. There was duck breast, pork knuckle, roasted pork, red cabbage, a dumpling and a dark beer gravy. He loved it but it did defeat him.

I fancied something a little more saucy and went for the Braumeisterpfanne (brewer master’s special). Served in a similar pan, the dish was a slice of pork saddle, swabian ravioli, a grilled meatball, a meaty dumpling, mushroom cream and gravy. It was delicious but so rich. A swabian ravioli is a really dense meaty parcel with thick pasta.

There was still room for pudding though. I had to go with their special apple strudel served with vanilla cream and the OH went for a cheeseboard.

A really nice place with a great atmosphere and good, hearty, artery-clogging food.

Last night I had the pleasure of being invited to the launch party for a new Vietnamese Restaurant, Little Hanoi on London Road. If you know Sheffield, you’ll know that this street is jam-packed with some of the best restaurants in the city. Chinese, Japanese, Turkish, Greek, Indian, Lebanese - you name it, it’s got in. There’s already a nice Vietnamese restaurant, Pho 68 that my OH’s parents absolutely loved when we visited. I liked but always thought it was a bit rough around the edges and the portions could be a little smaller.

Little Hanoi makes a good first impression with bright, modern signage and spacious interior. Local illustrator, Sarah Abbott has designed the sleek business cards and menus with her simple, low-key style.

The evening began with a drinks reception and the chance to meet some of my old colleagues. We were then treated to plates of canapes, brought round by the restaurants friendly waiting staff. Summer rolls filled with vermicelli noodles, cucumber and prawn served with Hoisin sauce was tasty and fresh. Crispy pork spring rolls with a tangy dressing were filling and had a lovely layered pastry. The papaya and mango salad was a nice palate cleanser, light and fresh. Spicy chicken strips were reminiscent of a good chicken kebab but a little tricky to be eaten with toothpicks.

It was a snapshot of the type of starters served at Little Hanoi but it certainly made me want to go back and try their main courses.

After the canapes, the guests soon filled upstairs to try out the private Karaoke room. Me, I was too concerned with the food but on a trip to the toilets, I could hear a couple trying out sing-song fave, Total Eclipse of the Heart.

We bought a few more drinks at the bar and all the staff were lovely, asking whether we’ve tried Vietnamese food before and whether we’ll be back. Definitely, was my answer. I was given a menu to take away but I seemed to have lost it and they don’t seem to have a website up and running yet but I’ll post a link as soon as they do.