Experience
Out to lunch: Our resident ‘foodie’ Jana gives her top tips for Düsseldorf’s best daytime dining
I love food. Not only is it essential to live (and to feed the greedy, hungry animal inside me!) but also because there is so much variety and reflection of cultures, art, chemistry, creativity and harmony in it, that it makes it an exciting experience you can feel every day. Food can be a great source of happiness, and it really bring people together.
Düsseldorf is a great city for food-lovers like me. There is a flavour for every taste and, for me personally, variety is most important. A good restaurant is certainly not hard to find in this city, but a top quality, quick and inexpensive lunch can be more elusive (unless you have done your research). Well, lucky for you, the greedy hungry animal inside me has done that for you!
Japanese
Düsseldorf is the city with the highest Japanese population in Germany. It is only logical that the best selection of Japanese food culture in Germany is to be found in Düsseldorf.
When I am in the city center shopping with the girls and we are craving sushi we usually stop at MARUYASU in Shadow Akarden. The owner still works there himself and gives you individual sushi recommendations . MARUYASU has existed since 1983 and was one of the first Japanese restaurants in Düsseldorf. It is more of a bistro though: Order, sit, eat, and go. My personal favourites: Toro, Shime Saba, Battera, Iburi Sake.
Another Japanese “classic” in Düsseldorf is Kikaku (on Klosterstraße 38) They have also been in Düsseldorf for a really long time and have amazing Tempura and Sushi/Sashimi.
Secret tip: Their lunch menus (about 15€ incl. Pickled veggies as starters the main dishes change: example: sashimi bowl or sushi + ramen soup, miso soup and fruits as desert, Refill tea).
At Düsseldorf’s Carlsplatz market, a host of amazing delicacies can be found.
Carlsplatz – Düsseldorf’s Central Market
Located in Düsseldorf’s city centre close to the Old Town you can go for a discovery tour to Düsseldorf’s Central Market Place “Carlsplatz”. To not spoil the delicious surprises I will only touch on a few favourites of mine:
Casa Cortilla has a great selection of mouth-watering pasta and antipasti. One of their evergreens are Spaghetti with truffled sauce placed on top of carpaccio. Yum!
If you are a real meat-lover then you do not want to miss this place: Steak Schmiede. Here you can challenge your meat knowledge! I usually have the filet beef medium-rare in a bread roll with honey-mustard sauce and rocket salad.
Libanon Express: Not your average kebab shop!
Lebanese
Düsseldorf has a culinary street, many tourists would call it ‘the food mile’, because most of the visitors come to eat on Berger Strasse. Nevertheless many local “Düsseldorfers” return to this street on a regular basis, especially for this special place: Libanon Express (Berger Str. 19–21). It is said that even sheiks order their food from here when they visit Düsseldorf in late summer for their summer vacation. On first sight, Libanon Express looks like a regular kebab house, but if you have a closer look you will find many kinds of stuffed pastries (vegetarian and meat), hummus, dandelion, tabouleh (parsley salad with tomatoes and mint and lime juice), falafel and many more! Its very fast and super good!
Vietnamese
Did you know that the baguette is a fixed part of the Vietnamese cuisine? The baguette was introduced during French colonialism in the 1880s. Now, it is a fusion dish between French baguette and Vietnamese ingredients like cilantro, chili sauce and pickled vegetables. ĂN BÁNH MÌ (Steinstrasse 20) in my opinion has the best Banh Mi’s, and I am quite addicted to them, especially to the Meatball banh mi with lemon grass. You can also get noodle soups and traditional Vietnamese summer rolls. One word of caution though: If you do not like cilantro, then tell them! 😉
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