Came here with a group of six colleagues. It was easy to make a reservation via email and they were so accommodating to our changes with timing and the amount of people!
The restaurant space is beautiful with warm lighting. Their menu has a variety of items like soups, curries, and appetizers. I think it's interesting they call eggrolls "spring rolls" here and what I consider spring rolls is DIY special rolls.
I got a pot of chrysanthemum tea, "spring rolls," dumplings to share, and a bowl of pho (recommended to me while I was choosing between that and bun bo hue). I think it's cool that they offered bun bo hue and chè banh lot here. I don't see it often in Europe so I wish we were able to go twice so I could've tried it.
The chrysanthemum tea was a whole flower (wait for it to bloom before drinking!). It was warming for the cold weather. I also got a non-alcoholic beer which tasted just like liquid bread without the tang of alcohol. It was my first time having a non-alcoholic beer so it felt like a prettier carbonated drink to me.
The spring rolls came in three small pieces; one order is meant to be for one person. I liked how crispy it was.
The dumplings were probably the letdown of the meal. Texture and flavors were lackluster. You really got to dip it in the curry sauce that it's plated on which makes for an awkward experience when sharing. There are six pieces per order. The veggie type had mushrooms and while I usually like them, I didn't enjoy them as much as the meat version.
My pho hit the spot after a whole week of European food. I find Germany's pho to be better than those of other European countries probably due to the big diaspora. It didn't come with hoisin and Sriracha like it does in the U.S.--just bean sprouts, lime, Thai chilies, basil, and I was surprised they had the spiky leaves too. It was a good portion and the meat was tender. I demolished the whole bowl.
The service was amazing. I think the final price was a bit much per person (30€+ each). Overall I highly recommend this spot in Essen! read more