When it gets colder and darker earlier outside, when the days tend to be dominated by rainy grey, people increasingly look for cosiness. Combined with culinary delights, this is the perfect medicine against the winter blues. At the Kempinski Hotel Frankfurt there is now once again a place where exactly that is on offer: Hospitality and enjoyment at a very high level. We are talking about the pop-up restaurant NIU, the Asian Steakhouse, which already made the gloomy season palatable for many enthusiastic guests two years ago. Until the end of April, chef Robin Eisermann and restaurant manager Christian Rothe will ensure that their guests are spoiled with delicacies from pan-Asian cuisine.
The symbiosis of flavors and creativity is the focus of the new menu. While this places its emphasis on high-quality meat dishes, it also offers fish and vegetarian dishes. Guests have the option of choosing a 4-course menu with fish or meat, or à la carte. On our visit, we tried the pleasantly spicy Tom Kha Kung soup as an appetizer. It makes you feel nice and warm from the inside, and not just in the coldest winter temperatures. The mix of shrimp, crispy stir-fried vegetables, soybean sprouts and galant also tastes incredibly good.
Next we were served poultry tsukune, a type of poultry meatball with a very tasty tare sauce. The whole thing was garnished with fermented radishes, a baby leaf roll and cucumbers. Our taste buds were cheering.
For the main course, we got to try salmon and tuna tataki, as well as two different steaks. Sides included Hokkaido coconut puree, Asian fried egg noodles with soy sauce, rice and wild broccoli <x>ampersand</x> beans. For seasoning, not only different salts but also delicious sauces were placed on the table. We can especially recommend the black smoked salt, the fermented soy germ sauce and the mango chimichurri.
True to the motto "One more to go." a Matcha Lava Cake with Thai Basil Ice Cream rounded out our menu. After the various taste explosions that we were allowed to taste here, it was also clear to us why the NIU is so popular: "Many of our guests have asked us when the NIU finally opens again," says hotel director Karina Ansos. "The restaurant, which we launched over a year ago, has gained many fans - but as is the nature of a pop-up restaurant, it's only open for a limited time each year."
The restaurant boasts two key features: Guests can choose from the "steak bar." US Entrecôte, US Flat Iron or Flank Steak, Sashimi-grade Tuna Steak or even Baked Portobello Steak with Soy Vegetable Stuffing. If two people can agree on a dish despite the variety of offerings, they can order, among other things, a 750-gram Dry Aged Veal Tomahawk Steak, a cut from the front back of beef that consists of the entire rib bone and attached meat.
The second special feature is the restaurant's so-called signature move: under the motto "From Pasture to Table," NIU I Asian Steakhouse serves fresh meat cuts. Depending on what the market has to offer, restaurant manager Christian Rothe presents guests with fresh - raw - cuts of beef or veal, for example. Guests choose which "cut" they would like prepared and whether they prefer it cooked in a wok or on a lava stone grill. Each cut will be served with cilantro hollandaise, sautéed mushrooms, wild broccoli and sweet potatoes.
As with last season's Signature Move, guests can again choose which knife to use to carve their meat. There are models from four highly respected brands to choose from: a stylishly simple stainless steel knife from Porsche Design in Germany, a steak knife from the traditional Italian forge Berkel with the classic red handle, a Laguiole knife from France with the typical bee on the back of the knife and finally a Kai Wasabi knife from Japan.
No question: all of this makes a visit to NIU | Asian Steakhouse an experience in every sense of the word. But even when the season for the pop-up restaurant will be over, it is worthwhile for all gourmets to pay a visit to the Kempinski Hotel. Because in summer, the excellent Lebanese restaurant LEVANTE will open its doors again for you directly at the hotel's lake.
Opening hours NIU | Asian Steakhouse at the Kempinski Hotel Frankfurt:
15. November 2019 to 30. April 2020
Friday, Saturday, Monday, Tuesday 18:00 - 23:00 (last order 22:00)
Reservations:
Phone 069 38988595, Email: niu.frankfurt@kempinski.com
