MUNICH, Germany – The majority of the grandiose, neo-baroque architecture of the city of Munich obviously did not survive the Second World War. Almost everything was destroyed. Only a few facades remain. One of them is called Fünf Höfe, a shopping complex which houses Munich restaurants, including restaurant Pageou. I had the chance to visit it during my last trip to Munich.
In this series of articles, Cédric Lizotte visits some of the best restaurants in Europe. From France to Switzerland via the Czech Republic, here are the best places to sample the delights of some of the best chefs on the planet. Follow it with the hashtag #CedricInEurope.
The head chef of the restaurant is Ali Güngörmüş, a celebrity chef in Germany. He is the only chef of Turkish origin to have a Michelin star, for his restaurant Le Canard, in Hamburg. If the Michelin-starred restaurant offers white-tablecloth cuisine – comparable to a suit without a tie, for example – Pageou offers a chic but relaxed atmosphere – maybe jeans and a blaser.
Munich Restaurants: The Meal at Pageou
I had the chance to try the restaurant in good company, which allowed me to taste twice as many dishes.
Since I tried the restaurant at lunch time and it’s in the center of Munich, the meal took place quickly. The business people who are customers of the restaurant and who work in the surroundings do not have a second to waste. Munich is a stiff place!
Fortunately, I do not have to work, this afternoon. I am offered a glass of bubbles as an aperitif. An aperitif at lunch, isn’t that life, isn’t that living large?
After a few minutes, the first dish is presented to me, accompanied by a glass of Pouilly-Fumé.
Unfortunately, the service is expedited, frigid, and the waitress does not dare to glance at my general direction when she speaks to me.
The first dish, a soup of cauliflower and coconut milk, is obviously inspired by the tastes of Thailand.
Fortunately, the dish my companion gets is much better. Delicious ravioli made by hand and stuffed with duck are accompanied by chestnuts and mushrooms. The combination of tastes is very successful, and the pasta of the ravioli is extremely thin and soft.
As a second service, my partner gets a nice hot eggplant salad. A very tasty espuma of parmesan supports the dish well.
For my part, I get a steak-frites. Unfortunately, the fries are soft and have a faint taste of freezer; The steak is rather mealy.
The whole meal finishes with a nice dessert. For my part, mango and chocolate sorbets; on her side, an apple strudel. In both cases, the aromas and combinations are successful. If only the plates had been put in the freezer before the service, they would not be melting the pretty sorbet quenelles so quickly.
Restaurant Pageou, Kardinal-Faulhaber-Straße 10, 80333 Munich