Takumi

I’ve just returned from a trip to Saint Petersburg. The city took me completely by surprise. The weather was gorgeous, its people stylish, alternative and friendly and the food was lovingly prepared. I ate mostly hearty Georgian food, interspersed with a visit to a Ukrainian restaurant that offered fiery vodka and a pet pig.

The night before I went, I took my tortoise up to Hallbergmoos, where he was going to spend his holiday with the two tortoises he hibernated with last winter. Driving back to Munich, the hunger pangs kicked in and I remembered a friend once telling me of a good ramen bar in Schwabing. After some frantic texting, I found out its name – Takumi, located on the corner of Heßstraße and Schleißheimerstraße.

First up – do not drive there. Schwabing is the worst place to find a parking spot and it took us a good 20 minutes. By the time we were inside Takumi, it was already 9:30pm, but the restaurant was still pretty full. We ordered gyoza (on offer on Wednesdays), Takumi’s house ramen, tan tan men, with minced meat, veg, garlic and chillis, and a roast pork ramen bowl.

The tan tan men bowl (11.80 €) had been recommended to us by a friend, and we weren’t disappointed. It was creamy, spicy and hearty. The pork ramen dish (12.80 € with miso) was less spicy and more delicate, a little more suited to the warmer weather – whereas the spiciness of the house dish would be a great antidote to a cold. The gyoza were delicious – moreish, buttery balls of dough and meat. I had an apple juice (I had a flight to catch the next morning), but Takumi offers Japanese Kirin beer, umeshu, Japanese vodka and sake, if you want the full experience.

Service is super friendly, and Takumi is hugely popular among Schwabinger locals, with many regulars. They serve dinner until 10pm, and don’t accept reservations, so I’d recommend getting there a little later to save queuing (at 9:30pm there were a few free tables).

お食事を楽しみなさい!