Berlin getaway series: #2.0 Düsseldorf

Düsseldorf

Quite by chance I find myself at present in the Rheinland in the West of Germany (about 4 to 5 hours West and slightly south of Berlin) in the capital of Nordrhein-Westfalen. It is in the heart of the Rhein-Ruhr-Gebiet, an area encompassing multiple cities such as Dortmund, Duisburg, Köln, Bonn, Essen, Bochum and more, with a combined population of 11 million. 

Care of www.reading-dusseldorf.org.uk

As the regional name indicates, it is situated on the River Rhein downstream from Köln und Bonn. And if Wagner's Rheinmaidens were looking for somewhere to spend their recovered Rheingold, I'm sure they would find all the necessary luxury shops here in Düsseldorf. 

Looking Upstream Rhein (c) MJT

Looking Downstream Rhein (c) MJT

Just for fun, here is the entire production of Wagner's Rheingold from 2007 in Bayreuth, in case you have a spare 2.5 hours.

While I wouldn't have expected to visit Düsseldorf specifically from Berlin, since arriving I have found it to be a very pleasant city - much calmer, friendly and civilized than Berlin - and very diverse in cultures and architecture. For example I quite like the newly opened Daniel Libeskind designed building at Jan-Wellen Platz. 

Libeskind Architecture (c) MJT

The Alt-Stadt (old city) which is build upon the bank of the Rhein is well worth exploring, as there are numerous culinary options (at some points a different nationality per shop), including Ethiopian, Spanish, Turkish, Italian, Japanese, Vietnamese, alongside various fish markets and bakeries. Plus a central market area and cafes/beer gardens stretching along the bank of the river. 

Along the riverbank (c) MJT

And so over the next few blogs I hope to explore the city further and share my experiences and recommendations for this Berlin getaway to the Rheinland.

M.

Burgers in Berlin: #1 District Môt

District Môt

Saigon Street Food

(C) MJT

Near the intersection of Rosenthaler Platz and on the corner of Mulackstrasse is a new(ish) vietnamese restaurant. Directions here:

We tried their Mittagsmenü when they first opened approximately a year and a half ago, and were intrigued but not overly impressed. 

Since then they have modified their menu, and their Bao Burger is an award winning creating in Berlin. 

  

(C) MJT

Basically if one is familiar with the dough of chinese buns (eg BBQ Pork Buns), this is the bread of the burger - so the texture and density is quite different to that of a regular burger. 

The ingredients are strong in flavour, enhanced particularly by the coriander and chili. 

Care of www.districtmot.com

The effort that has gone into making this Berlin corner restaurant resemble a busy Saigon street is impressive, if not a little too crowded - but that is probably part of the theme. 

While I would recommend trying the Bao Burger, I have to confess that I do find that the service is extremely poor - both in attendance and manner. Given the number of Vietnamese restaurants in Berlin, in order to compete, the service does need to improve.

More information regarding the regular menu can be found on their website: www.districtmot.com  however this does not have the Burger information, as it is usually a special item.