More German Restaurant Reviews
Prinz Myshkin
Hackenstrasse 2, Munich
In a city dominated by pork, veal, and various incarnations
of wurst, a vegetarian restaurant would appear to be something of a
culinary oxymoron. Be that as it may, Prinz Myshkin has not only
survived but prospered during the past two decades; and it continues to lure
Bavarians and international visitors alike with its macrobiotic specialties,
soups, casseroles, pizzas, and Indian & Thai vegetarian selections.
The restaurant itself is bright and cheery... in a constant whirlpool of motion. And,
right from the start, the experience can be rather off-putting. At lunch, for
example, there is no host/hostess to greet and seat you. The unsuspecting
patron is left to his/her own devices to snare a table... and sometimes that
isn't an easy task, especially when the joint is jumping -- which is most of the
time. Couple this with the fact that diners here are a peripatetic lot -- table
hopping at will to venues they consider more desirable, those near the large
windows at the front of the restaurant, for instance -- and you have a recipe
for culinary confusion.
But on to the food... It is good; however, on no account would
I consider it exceptional. And, during the height of the lunch and dinner
rush, the kitchen has been known to move along like a herd of turtles.
During a luncheon sojourn, most diners appeared to be
chowing down the daily special, a ½ stuffed pepper (5,50€). My wife ordered the
potato gnocchi topped with a light tomato sauce (7,90€). The portion size was
quite ample, as were most. Taste-wise it was merely OK... and not terribly
attractive to the eye. My samosas (11,20€) were huge and slightly on the bland
and dry side. A spicy julienne of carrots and cooling raita sauce were
nice counterpoising touches. Once again, not bad but hardly outstanding.
Your best bet for a casual meal here appears to be the pizza
-- fried oysters and blue cheese (10,20€); arugula, mozzarella, and Parmesan
(10,40€); tomatoes, spinach, and feta cheese (9,50€) -- and soups; perhaps
tomato-lentil (5,10€) or carrot-curry (5,10€).
The restaurant also serves wine and beer -- a decent glass of
the house Riesling goes for 3,60€ -- and you would do well to finish things off
with a potent jolt of espresso (2,20€).
Several concluding notes to bear in mind:
1) I am of German
descent and have visited the country more times than I can count; and I can
tell you firsthand that this is not a typical Bavarian restaurant by any
stretch of the imagination. Without being derogatory in any way, let me simply
say the clientele here reminds me of the gang I run into shopping at Whole
Foods. I'll leave the rest to your imagination.
2) Also, unlike most German restaurants, this is not the
type of establishment that is conducive to a quiet romantic dinner or long lingering
conversations over lunchtime wine and/or espresso. I don't mean that the restaurant
is unfriendly; it's just that it strikes me as the type of place where people drop
in on the way from here to there. A dining destination it is not.
3) Finally, if you want to avoid the crowds, your best bet
is to come for a late lunch or early dinner. The food isn't exactly thrilling,
but it is well-prepared and certainly reasonably priced. And, when you consider
the beating your hard-earned dollar is taking at the hands of the euro, this is
not a minor consideration
The Artful Diner
November 2007
The
Artful Diner is an independent, freelance food writer. His latest review and an archive of past reviews for restaurants around the country and the world can be found on this site on the
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