"At the Wuppertaler Stadtrand there is the Katernberg district. In addition to some very high-quality villas, a lot of solid ones, two families, and terraced houses. Only a few tenants, for this a lot of owners inhabited condominiums. This is where the solid, good-bourgeois middle class lives, who also looks critically about whether neighbor's front garden is hopefully well maintained. In this district, in Wuppertal, most voters took part in the last parliamentary elections in 2021 CDU and FDP. Deeply brownish right-wing party leaders and red left-oriented Marx and Engels Anbeter have no chance here. Criminal statistics are above average positive. Yes, there is still something like this where permanent pessimists are constantly complaining that everything is getting worse. In the district there is a manageable gastronomy, mostly well positioned. Operator changes are rather rare. For many years, the inhabitants of the Wichelhaus restaurant enjoyed this solid German bourgeois cuisine. At some point, the gastronomic expanded, closed the restaurant and opened a new, significantly larger operation in another district. The Wichelhaus was long empty. But suddenly a new operator about 15 years ago. But for the conservative bourgeois public in the environment almost a gastronomic culinary shock. An INDR with an INDIAN cuisine? The grundsoliden Vorgarten CDU FDP citizens in this district no longer understood the world. But oh wonders of Indians offered only a few dishes from the land of Tandoori, coconut curry, cardamom, Ayurverda and Lassi. On the contrary, he cooked German, Urdeutsch, bourgeois German and became quickly successful. And no, Hasimausi could not convince me for years to enter any Indian restaurant. Still painful in me a bad experience. Absolutely one to the kitchen in southern Europe. You will also be happy to pick up for dinner at the Turks and especially at the Arabs. The Chinese and Thai cuisine are enough to me every few months, so not so often. On the other hand, the incentive is very high to eat at the Japanese. But Indian? Never. Just because at the age of 40 I had to work, eat and drink a few weeks in India. The then arising stomach intestinal problems accompanied me for months. Yes, I'm sure it's a prejudice, but since then I've been making a big arc around any Indian gastronomy. Under certain circumstances unauthorized. At some point, friends had convinced me to go to the German Indian Wichelhaus. And the reference to the good German bourgeois cuisine did not really convince me. Sound suspicious after Schnitzel, Cordon Bleu, Wirsing, cauliflower, försterpfanne and senfbraten. So get into the Wichelhaus. The first impression ? Time seemed to have stayed here around 1980. White rough plaster on the walls, wooden beams with wooden spoke wheels in between, black decorative grids made of cast iron, tables and chairs from the epoch of the famous Gelsenkirchen baroque. Friendly, we were greeted by a pretty young lady who didn't quite match the Gelsenkirchen Baroque in the traditional Indian Sari. Our table was reserved. The restaurant has been half filled. The cards were handed. A first sleepy look into the map showed only an estimated 20% food from the country of 1.4 billion inhabitants. Mostly Essen Made in Germany . After seeing this very German-managed map, I was clear why the conservative citizens living around the environment would like to strike up here. There were, for example, cheese parrots, beef and pork medallions, a wooden carving filled with bacon, onions and cucumber and, of course, the German classic Cordon Bleu. Also fillet tips in Altbiersauce. A lot with the most exotic indian supplements such as roast potatoes and croquettes. Also as supplements spinach, roasters, cranberries and the original Indian sauce bearnaise. After seeing these dishes, I feel culinaryly very close to the Sauer or Münsterland, but millions of light years away from India. Hasimausi smiled at me and said, "You can live well, as a professional opponent of India Food . I nodded her, although the food was too clearly oriented to the classical German palate. I just didn't want to say that and discuss it here. I was hard at choosing the appetizer. There were several soups soups not my world. And vegetarian vegetable dishes, Indian rolls and dough bags, for heaven's sake also not. Süffisant, grinning and emphasizes cynically, Hasimausi wanted to recommend Punjabi Papadam. Lastly, my choice is: field salad with goat cheese, which is also a decision from the series: what else did I not find. When I saw the card with the steaks, I was very quick to decide. Five Argentine Rumpsteak were listed. Of course, the classic that was already 40 years ago in the maps of the then good restaurants. That's all: Parisian pepper steak with the classic Bearnaise I was on the order of my dear lady. German or Indian ? How presumed as an appetizer Indian Rolls and as a main dish the lamb fillet not so typical for Indian cuisine. For my satisfaction, I found something from the holy Domstadt Kölle on the map of drinks, namely early Kölsch. Hasimausi preferred a Merlot. I could not spare myself the provocative and ironic remark: how no Lassi? Our friends ordered French onion soup, field salad with dates, salmon zanderfilet. Flott and committed the adretten young service ladies at the table. Always present and always fast passing a look at the table. Shortly after the order, plenty of fresh white bread was served, with two peels with a bright yogurt cream. Nice, tastefully pleasant, without any pointed Indian sharpness. As usual, I looked around a little while at the table a week after the parliamentary election 2021 I was eagerly discussing Laschi Laschet, the Scholzomaten and Annalenchen Co controversially. I triggered something amazement because I wished Prof. Karl Lauterbach as Chancellor. Here, my view was grazed by the ambience of the Gelsenkirchen Baroque, which was complemented and/or refreshed in various places with Indian decoration elements. I discovered figures of a Hindu goddess, Krishna Figürchen, deco elephants and small Buddha sculptures All this is often very colorful, but also in bronze or in gold colors. Everything or nothing? No matter if it pleases the owner of the restaurant and also its guests everything completely okay. The world is colorful, exotic and diverse. One more sentence to the guests. In most cases, the generation Ü 60 was represented. Apparently many from the direct residential environment. The mood was good. The trays of the service Mädels often and often bordered with fresh Krombacher. The appetizers were served simultaneously for all guests at the table. Before me there was a plate with a lot (too much) field salad, with a lot (too much) goat cheese. All this with honey. Amazingly good goat cheese. A slight sharpness, exactly according to my taste. Of course, the salad from the field was not my culinary fulfillment. But rounded off with the walnut herbal pesto yet tastefully neat. Hasimausi was also satisfied with her sweetly sour Indian rolls filled with chickens. All handcrafted prepared. The service did nothing and was on the go. Of these, some female student service can learn a lot (on teaching or pedagogy) in one or other restaurant. Then the Indian ladies served the main dish. The look at my Argentinian Rumpsteak for just 25, Euro read a weight of 250 grams. Pure with the knife, the first cut and then the view of the meat in the inner part of the steak. The Indian cook has cooked exactly what I had ordered medium well, so slightly above medium . A bearnaise that probably didn't get out of the bucket or the convenience producers are getting better. In addition, the (Achtung Satire) for the Indian cuisine typical supplements Röstitaler and Mandelbrokkoli. All right? The quality of the meat was perfect, just like the preparation. The same applies to the supplements. The broccoli would have been a little bit more bit harder. If, however, a bearnaise with peppercorns fraternally unite on the plate, beat and cannibalize the aromas mutually. So dear kitchen, nothing against green pepper and nothing against a good classic bearnaise, but please dress on the plate separately from each other. Otherwise, the main court showed a quality that I would not have expected. A short look at Hasimausi, which is always very critical in terms of lamb. But here and today she was very happy. She spoke of a proper garlic dominance, but it was still okay. And that the Indians served her foliage so loved at home to the lamb fillet, then triggered a total culinary satisfaction. Our acquaintances were repeaters and praised salmon and zanderfilet. Dessert ? Oh miracle, Hasimausi still ordered Tiramisu, although she actually died from 365 days a year on 400 days. I found not suitable for me on the Dessert card, as almost always. Then I'd rather have a Johnnie Walker. When I ordered this, the young lady asks something astonished: Johnnie what? Apparently you drink here rather than Digestif Obstler or the master from the house of Jäger. Conclusion: It always depends on what expectations you have when visiting a restaurant for the first time. I was expecting India Food in the worst case. Thanks to heaven and the Indian gods Shiva and Vishnu, there were plenty of alternatives from German cuisine. Here I have more to expect a very classic, somewhat overhauled German cuisine a la Schnitzel Pommes, Toast Hawaii and Strammer Max. That wasn't the case. No it is certainly not the modern German, trendy and light kitchen. But a kitchen that finds wide acceptance at this location and in the living environment there. How to hear, at least on weekends, always booked out. The stars: The overall impression deserves 4 stars. The same also applies to cleanliness and food. 5 stars for the very attentive service. Well, now the ambience. Probably the regulars there will award 4 to 5 stars. I'm doing it hard. The Gelsenkirchen baroque mixed with Indian figures is already a bit in need of reconciliation. For that meant 3 stars. And the PLV neat and thus deserves 4.5 stars. ps Two times a year, Fr. Sa and So. are invited to the Bollywood Special in the evening. Great India Food Buffet, plus Music, Dance."
Velbert
