He was able to realize his dream of independence with his bistro “Eselchen.” Offering typical bistro cuisine, selected wines, and an extensive variety of Flammkuchen (a kind of flatbread), there is one special variety that reflects his Indian origins. It is the Indian version of Flammkuchen with curry cream, chili, chicken and spinach. His curry spice mix, which can be purchased at the bistro, is a secret tip amongst Duisdorfers. He gets it from his own cultivation in India.

When he was eleven years-old, Enzo Morello, now 33, became inspired by a broken down ice cream truck at his uncle’s Esso gas station. It spurred him on to grow a passion for ice cream and in 2007, he opened his first “Gelateria” in Euskirchen. But he wanted to go back to Dusidorf because, “Nowhere is it more beautiful.” When a former ice cream shop was put up for sale, he bought it and opened „Eiscafé Morello“ in 2011. For the past three years, he has also had a pizza-making business with what he calls "the only true wood-burning stove" to produce his idea of​a crispy thin pizza. It is next door to the ice cream shop and you can pick it up for take-out or order it from the ice cream shop.

If you continue in the direction of Derlestraße, you can spend an evening with home-style or even Mediterranean cuisine in the restaurant "Alexander". Alexander Mitrovi has run his hotel and restaurant opposite the "Eselchen" for ten years and has many regulars, who ensure that there is seldom an open table in the pedestrian zone. On both sides of “Alexander”, there are surprisingly many international offers, the Spanish ("Abacanto Tapa Bar"), Syrian ("Aleppo"), Greek ("Pascals"), Italian ("Rochus Pizza"), Chinese ("China Woking ") and the Turkish (" Marmara ").

The Greek restaurant "Armonia" on the corner of the Schickshof will re-open in September. New owner Athanassios Catsios, nicknamed "Saki", promises freshly prepared specialties and wines from all regions of Greece.

On the last part of Rochusstraße between Schickshof and Derlestraße are the restaurants “Bonjour Vietnam” and “Indien Kitchen.” For Thanh Tuan Vuong (32), “Bonjour Vietnam” is his third restaurant; he also owns one in Siegburg and one in Düren. He chose gastronomy as a business pursuit after studying business administration in Berlin. Based on his success, that seems to have been the right decision.

Vuong says it’s a pity the guests don’t order the typical Vietnamese Pho soup with rich spices such as cardamom, star anise, cinnamon and roasted ginger. Instead, "the guests here always want fried noodles," he laughs. Talwinder Singh opened "Indien Kitchen" just a few weeks ago and his experience has been that Germans love to eat chicken with pineapple. "And it should not be too spicy", he already knows from previous experience. He is happy to explain to his guests that in contrast to southern India, he comes from Punjab in the north, and there dishes are only moderately spicy.

Vian Haj Rshid runs the “Shahba Market” on Rochusstraße, and said she would be happy to explain how to use the various spices in cooking, but people normally just come there to buy fruit. Less explanation is needed at the organic store opposite her, run by Heike Deinet. Here organic foods such as cereals, nuts, noodles, coffee, spices and much more can be filled in an environmentally friendly way, either in paper bags or in containers brought along. The end of the culinary journey in Duisdorf is where Derlestraße meets Am Burgweiher, with the Japanese sushi and grill restaurant “Da Yu.”

Orig. text: Stefan Hermes

Translation: ck