Having read a very positive review about Madame Hu in the Süddeutsche, I decided to give it a try a couple of weeks ago. I used to live opposite Monsieur Hu in the Dreimühlenviertel, and they moved to Westend late last year. Madame Hu is hipper than Monsieur Hu ever was, with bare brick walls, colourful cushions, a street food inspired menu and cute lamps hanging from the ceiling.
I ordered the chicken satay to start, my date went for the tofu summer rolls.We both ordered the homemade iced tea (lemongrass and ginger) – delightfully refreshing on a hot summer’s evening.
The menu is pretty large, but the vegetarian options aren’t great. A board of chicken and prawn satay arrived, and I dug in. The sauce was delicious, and both the chicken and prawns were juicy and well seasoned. But before I’d finished, my main course (crispy duck pancakes) arrived, and we asked where my date’s starter had got to.
I got a completely different answer to my question – namely that I’d ordered the wrong starter. There was nothing on the menu to suggest that prawn and chicken satay was even a dish that could be ordered, but, well, I wasn’t complaining about my starter, and I’d asked about my date’s…
After a little to and fro, the summer rolls came out. They were delicious – fresh and packed with herbs.
Starters were (despite the misunderstanding) really, really good, but the main courses were a little disappointing. The curry was bland and not at all spicy, and the crispy duck pancakes were nothing special. Perfectly ok, but not worth the price (around 15 € for a main).
It took a good 30 minutes for our bill to arrive, despite the restaurant being pretty empty on a Sunday evening. Maybe we’d chosen a bad day, and maybe the hot weather had the staff hot and bothered – most internet reviews of Madame Hu are positive – but it’s not a restaurant I need to head back to in a hurry. Which is a shame, as good Asian food is missing in Westend.
Find them on Facebook, and live at Gollierstraße 20.
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