When planning our trip last year that started in Budapest and ended in the Missus's favorite city….yep, Paris, I needed to find stops in between. While the Missus does humor my desire to travel by train; She requested that no trip be longer than three hours or so. So, when planning our exit from Salzburg, I had to keep that parameter in mind. After providing a few options; the Missus agreed on Munich. It seemed an interesting city, we'd never been to Germany….and frankly, I'd always wanted to check out an honest to goodness Beer Garden.
Once, I started to do a bit of research, I got a bit excited when I read about Werneckhof by Geisel, lead by a German-Japanese Chef; Tohru Nakamura. I managed to snag reservations quite easily, considering the place has 2 Michelin Stars.
We arrived at the huge sprawling Munich Central Train Station after a uneventful two hour ride from Salzburg. I had made arrangements to stay at an Airbnb on Schillerstrasse a quick stroll from the train station. The rather "International" and slightly seed feel to the neighborhood bothered the Missus at first. But, in the end, She took to the area.
Of course, after settling in, the Missus wanted to head out right away….some things never change. I had wanted to check out the Viktualienmarkt, Munich's popular and very well known open air market. So, we headed on over. The Market has a long history, dating back to the 15th century….though it became a market by official decree in 1807.
Considering that the market is centrally located in Munich; it's amazing to consider that it covers an area of five-and-a-half acres!
Wanting just to quickly check things out; we started at the Maypole, which along with a bit of history, also lists out, like a typical traditional one, the various specialties of the region.
Among the many traditions that surround the Maypole is the mischievous one where rival villages try to steal their neighbor's Maypole. Here's a funny story of a group from the tiny village of Neufinsing (population 4300) who managed to pull off a heist of the Munich Maypole! When the terms of ransom was settled; the thieves managed to get two meals and beer out of it! You gotta love it!
We found folks in Munich and Stuttgart to be very well mannered and yet friendly in a reserved kind of way.
And also very social.
We'd return to the Viktualienmarkt and actually have a meal and spend a bit more time shopping later on during our stay.
We decided to take a quick walk to the Marienplatz ("Mary's Square"), considered to be the hustling-bustling heart of Munich. The massive New Town Hall ("Neues Rathaus") with its famous Glockenspiel takes up one entire side of the square.
We'd return here several times during our stay as well.
For now; it was time to head back to the apartment to take a short rest before heading out to dinner. Dinner was in the North Eastern part of Munich. We ended up taking the U-Banh from the Goetheplatz station and got out at Giselastrasse. From there, Google Maps was my friend and we found Werneckhof by Geisel.
The exterior is very low keyed; we were greeted immediately after entering the restaurant, shown our table, and then taken to meet the chef. We were the first customers this evening; so it was nice chatting with Chef Nakamura; whose father is Japanese and Mother German. The Chef was also interested in why we chose to dine at Werneckhof by Geisel. We mentioned our affinity for Franco-Japanese cuisine, we loved how well the flavors melded together, the precise cooking and presentation, how some places edged more on European and others more Asian. We then rattled off some of the places we'd been to; Sola, Takao Takano, Alliance, and the Chef smiled and mentioned cooking with these Chefs during events and having actually worked in the same kitchen as well. 
Dinner started with nice aperitifs, then the appetizer course. We were thrilled that the appetizers revolved around white asparagus which was in season. Each using white asparagus in different preparations.
The pickled asparagus was a sight to behold, wonderfully presented, the tofu and sorrel vinaigrette amazingly smooth. The raw asparagus was amazingly sweet and was balanced out with rocket and camelina. The grilled version was probably the most mundane of the trio; though you really couldn't complain about the quality of the product. The preparations was a nice way to enjoy and appreciate how delicious white asparagus is.
The Missus and I each took one of the tasting menus so, even though there was some overlap we'd be able to get a nice, full range of dishes.
Up next for me was the "Hamachi". Basically a Yellowtail Tatare and some sliced like sashimi.
This was a wonderful range of textures; the firm, yet buttery Hamachi, the thick, rich parsley sauce, and in an interesting touch, the marinade in buttermilk, which added a pleasant milky-acidity to the dish.
First up for the Missus was the Langoustine in Shiitake Aspic, with Oyster and Anchovies.
I wasn't sure how all these really strong flavors would work together; but there was a good amount of balance in the earthy versus the oceany-savory…..and that langoustine basically melted in your mouth!
We both had the Bavarian Salmon Trout (Steelhead) as our next dish.
The sesame and kombu beurre blanc was quite interesting adding a mixture of nutty-slightly briny flavors to the very tender fish. Yuzu added a nice acidity that helped to cut the richness. In a fairly humorous moment, the Maître'd Markus, a very mellow and friendly young man, ambled on over and started explaining what Yuzu and Kombu was……I started laughing and told him "I'm Japanese" and he cracked up saying that most of the customers, especially the German customers have no idea what these ingredients are and for many, the flavors are still mysterious and exotic. I really enjoyed chatting with Markus and his twin brother, who is the Sommelier, Tobias.
Next dish up, the Gilthead Seabream, another overlap in our tasting menu.
The rice was a bit underdone; but the pressed octopus and especially the fish based sauce was an amazing umami bomb. The fish was perfectly tender; I'm thinking it might have been sous vide.
At this point, we were asked to stretch out legs and led downstairs.
And we were taken to….."Shibuya"!
In the restaurant's wine cellar, a little bar was set-up along with the fixins for some Kushi Shabu. And some great entertainment from the "Mad Professor"…..
We got sake or shochu, and a couple of skewers……
We were regaled with stories of the chef and other staff, various jokes, and of course everything ended with the perfect photo-op as well!
We returned to our table for the "main courses". By now the dining room was starting to fill up.
Next up for me was a super tender, rich, and delicious Luma (a company from Switzerland which specializes in Aged Pork) Pork Belly topped with wonderfully earthy morel mushrooms.
The Missus had nice, though rather forgettable (compared to the pork belly) BBQ Eel.
And the meal's crescendo for me was the Ozaki Wagyu……whoa man.
And that truffle sauce….with a nice savory-spicy touch of Gochujang…….
The Missus's Koji Brined Grilled Saddle of Venison was also a big winner.
The lovely, flavor of the pasture, perfectly cooked, fork tender, the jus amazing….a touch of wasabi…good lord; an amazing dish!
And as a palate cleanser…the Missus absolutely loved Erna….the name of the Kombucha's Scoby…..
Dessert here were no joke……the Missus was in heaven.
Shiso, Medlar, Elderflower, and Yogurt.
Mara de Bois Strawberries, Tahitian Vanilla, Tonka Bean, and Sansho.
Hojicha, Raspberry and Lemon Balm.
I thought the snacks that were brought out with the check were presented wonderfully, on a map of Munich where these confections were created.
And I really enjoyed the fortune cookies.
We really enjoyed our meal at Werneckhof by Geisel. And much like our meal at Takao Takano a mere six months before; it was definitely one of the best meals we've had. We loved the effcient yet relaxed service and vibe; not stuffy in the least, a nice playfulness, but with seriously executed food. Markus and Tobias were amazing…….I still remember their names. And that's a photo of Chef Nakamura stirring the pot as a child to the right……he's been cooking for a long time!
I seriously think we'll try to return.
Werneckhof by Geisel
Werneckstrasse 11
80802 München, Germany
We caught a taxi back to the apartment….there were some road closures, so we had the very friendly cabbie drop us off a couple of blocks from our residence. The short walk back actually did us good. We'd get a great night's sleep and wake ready for another busy day!
Thanks for stopping by!
