Six restaurants that will take you on a culinary journey around the world

Stay local, eat global

Are you familiar with Little Tokyo? Then you already know that Düsseldorf has a long-standing Japanese gastronomic tradition. But are you also aware of how many other cuisines are at home here? Whether it's Asia, Africa or Southern Europe, the Middle East or the Far East - you can basically run your index finger blindly over the world map, stop at will and then start your culinary journey of choice right here on the spot. To get you started, we would like to recommend six destinations in particular. It's better to book in advance, as the seats at your favorite places are often in high demand. It's the same in Düsseldorf as anywhere else in the world.  

Thailand: Sila Thai 

The mere mention of Thailand's culinary diversity elicits longing sighs from many Southeast Asia connoisseurs. Quite a few of them also (or even exclusively) travel to the former Siam because of the cuisine. Fragrant curries, crispy fried food, spicy noodle dishes, hot salads and sweet fruit dishes: Food is practically the state religion in Thailand - and no place in Düsseldorf conveys this spirit better than Sila Thai on the corner of Bahnstraße and Charlottenstraße. The journey begins as soon as you enter the large corner restaurant: the wood carvings and stone carvings in the interior come from Ban Dan Kwian, a town north-east of Bangkok that is famous for its craftsmanship. Three huge shipping containers found their way from there to Düsseldorf. The commitment to food culture is no less impressive. 'Sweet', 'sour', 'spicy' and 'salty' - various menus were specially created to explore these four flavors. And don't be shy: although people in Thailand like to eat spicy food, not all dishes ignite a conflagration in the Western palate. The green, yellow and red curries with chicken, duck, fish or prawns are labeled with 0 to 4 chili peppers, which prevents unpleasant surprises.  

Ethiopia and Eritrea: okra  

Are you coming on a little trip to Africa? The cuisine of Ethiopia and Eritrea is less well-known in this country than that of the major gastronomic nations, but it is no less tasty. The majority of the country's typical dishes consist of stews and thick sauces based on vegetables, lamb, beef and poultry, some of which are spicy. They are accompanied by the pleasantly sour flatbread injera, which soaks up the soups and sauces wonderfully. The concept of "finger food" is closely associated with community and conviviality here; people eat with their hands and like to share several dishes, which are served on a large platter. This is also the case at Ocra on Flingeraner Ackerstraße. The Beyaynetu mixed platter, which includes various vegetarian specialties, is the ideal dish for first-time visitors. While you wait for your food - please bring some time with you - you can enjoy Ethiopian wines, the light national beer Tef and strong schnapps. 

Israel: The curve 

Admittedly, the name does not suggest Levantine food and probably dates back to the time when the restaurant was a cozy corner pub in Pempelfort. It may be due to the large neon sign from the 1950s that the operators of today's Israeli restaurant have stuck with it. But the location's reputation has long since preceded it: The Kurve, whose menu is inspired by the extremely diverse gastronomy of Tel Aviv, is buzzing like a pigeon coop. No wonder: what comes out of the kitchen here at high speed is fresh, extremely tasty and generously portioned. Even one of the infamous mezze starter plates, which is packed with falafel, various salads, zigarim, the minced meat-filled pastry rolls, and humus tehina, the chickpea puree with sesame paste, has what it takes to fill you up for two. The fact that you want to continue with a main course afterwards is simply due to the great temptation. You have the choice between the house kebab skewer, sea bream 'Yaffa style' and vegetarian dishes such as Eyal's whole cauliflower from the oven, to name just a few of the culinary highlights. If you order the cheesecake with nuts and honey afterwards, you're all set for a desert crossing. 

China: Green Light District 

Green my ass. One color dominates the Green Light District: red. On entering the new addition, which opened in the summer on Klosterstraße, oversized Chinese characters on the wall reveal themselves as the source of the red neon light, which seems rather unusual for the dining room of an upscale restaurant. And the Green Light District has plenty of other surprises in store. For one thing: Chinese cuisine proves its extreme diversity here. And: it is delicate and elegant! This is the credo of the owner duo Ms. Chen and Mr. Dorsch, who already interpret Chinese cuisine in a modern and cool way in their two restaurants in Dortmund. Their menu is spectacular. First of all, because it is laid out like a daily newspaper. "The Green Light District Daily News" not only provides its readers with information on Chinese regional cuisine, but also with everything worth knowing about the dishes on offer under not entirely serious headlines such as "Lotus ponds achieve record sales" or "Olympic swimmers back". They take you into an impressively creative culinary world that is also remarkably detailed. The spicy sticky rice with fillet pieces of black feather chicken, shiitake mushrooms, chestnuts and Chinese honey sausage, wrapped in fragrant lotus leaves, is just one example. The baked sweet potato with Chinese wild garlic is served on a wooden root, the dumplings together with home-made "fragrant vinegar caviar" in small baskets with handles. Despite all the exuberance, we must issue a warning at this point. A visit to the Green Light District is not entirely safe, as the dishes are highly addictive. Are you experienced? 

Portugal: Clube Portugues  

It's only a few steps from the graffiti-decorated row of houses on Kiefernstraße to Clube Portugues, yet the Portuguese restaurant and the legendary mile of the left-wing alternative squatter scene of the 1980s are worlds apart. Because at Clube Portugues, you can immerse yourself in the Lisbon of, let's say, the 1950s - in a nostalgic Mediterranean lifestyle. Antiques, dark woods, massive candlesticks: the former Schwan workers' pub on the corner of Kiefernstraße and Erkrather Straße was transformed into a restaurant by three Portuguese store fitters in 2004, and since then vinho verde and the addictive sour cherry liqueur ginjinha have been flowing in streams. The menu is just as authentic as the interior: sea bream in salt crust, chicken piri piri, Portuguese paprika sausages - and as a reminiscence of the former workers' pub - cheese and ham platters at moderate prices. Saúde no clube! 

Argentina: Hala Empanada 

Street food from Argentina is new on the local culinary world map. And the hala empanadas really are something special. The small handmade dumplings, which are very popular on the streets of Buenos Aires, are available in Düsseldorf with vegan and vegetarian fillings - or as an organic meat version. "A conscious and healthy diet is our top priority," says Joshua Schneider, one of the co-founders of the young food start-up. The idea was born on a trip to South America, which Schneider undertook with three friends. After their return, it was clear: "Latin American street food was missing in Düsseldorf. We wanted to fill this gap," says the young foodie, recalling the early days. "All our products are made without artificial additives or preservatives. We braise and simmer our fillings for hours before hand-molding them into our homemade Argentinian dough." A slow food concept that convinces. The boys were able to win over the KIT Café on the banks of the Rhine as a catering partner right off the bat. Since then, they have been supplying the dumplings along with salads and tapas, while the KIT Café provides the drinks. So now the sunset on the terrace at the Apollowiesen can be crowned with an Aperol spritz and a round of dumplings.  

Cover picture: Düsseldorf Tourismus