Fantastic Persian food. Stuffed. 15 Euro each, no tip (you order at the counter).
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At the same time if you cook a lot of food from across the globe, e.g. different parts of Asia, South America etc. itâs often hard to get those âspecialâ ingredients (e.g. Chinese vegetables, sauces etc) easily (if at all). Every time we walk through German supermarkets (even in big cities like our hometown Hamburg) we are surprised how limited the selection tends to be. Yes, there are speciality stores in different parts of the city but even they have limited selection. In the Bay Area, there is so much more variety on easily accessible ingredients from across the globe
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Iâve read that DĂźsseldorf is the âitâ place these days for Chinese food. If youâre ever around that city, why not go shopping for East Asian stuff yonder?
DĂźsseldorf is far away from Berlin. Isnât that a little like telling someone in NYC to check out Wichita?
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Yeah, I know what a map is.
But A) itâs cheaper than going to the source, B) Europe does rail well, and C) Wichita would more likely have Sudanese/Somali goods. Câmon now 
I can I understand seeking out Chinese food in Berlin. I can imagine seeking out Chinese food if I already happened to be in DĂźsseldorf. I canât imagine travelling more than45 minutes out of my way for Chinese food in DĂźsseldorf.
I live in Toronto and rarely travel more than half an hour out of my way for good Chinese food.
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That really depends on where you are. Granted, Iâm probably spoiled in Berlin where you can find almost anything (at a price), but you are definitely right about not a lot of South or Latin American ingredients being readily available at supermarkets. Asian ingredients have made their way onto major supermarket chainsâ shelves, for sure (Viet, Thai & Chinese predominantly, Korean is still behind), and I find that the specialized Asian grocers tend to be cheaper than the German supermarket chains.
But when it comes to regional wines, cheeses, meats and breads there is absolutely no comparison in variety or price available to me back home in a small college town not in the Bay Area 
Interesting. DĂźsseldorf used to have a fairly large Japanese population & was more renowned for sushi and the like. Any particular regional Chinese thatâs big there now?
To suggest that someone who is vacationing in the south of Germany/Black Forest area for a week or perhaps slightly longer would take a train to DĂźsseldorf just to buy Asian ingredients to cook a meal or two in their Airbnb is absolutely ludicrous.
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Moly, I didnât realize that person was on vacation. Mustâve skipped that part.
Regardless, DĂźsseldorf stands out to me for another â albeit terrible â reason.
It was the planned hub of an airline called Smintair.
Their niche? Smokers.
Why not? Keep 'em all together & away from the rest of us
I am consistently blown away by just how many people in Germany still smoke.
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I just realized I have not seen someone smoke for weeks. When did they all quit? It happened so slowly I did not realize that smoking was no longer a thing for the vast majority of people. There are still millions of Americans that smoke but they must do it at home instead of outdoors. Cuz they sure are not going to smoke indoors when they are away from home.
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Itâs funny. I have probably visited Germany 15 times, spending maybe 100 nights in Germany in my lifetime. Iâve spent around 30 nights in Austria and 14 in Switzerland. Iâve never had a Chinese meal in Germany, Austria or Switzerland.
I have had Chinese food in Paris and Metz in France, and in Killarney, Ireland.
Iâve had good Japanese food in Munich, which is the only Asian meal I can remember having in Germany.
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Yes - one of the few things we really hate in Germany and also now in France on the second part of our vacation - so many people are smoking. And it is especially annoying when you are sitting outside on a terrace of a restaurant and are trying to enjoy a nice dinner. I wonder if there will be any way people will change this habit any time in the future
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The only place people can smoke now is outsideâŚso it blows.
Judging from what I see here - including some of my friends who still smoke, as well as many young folks, I am not particularly hopeful.
I actually occasionally still partake here⌠with drinks, and mostly out of self-defense bc cocktail bars and Kneipen that do not sell food allow smoking INSIDE. So you get the sweet sensation of spending an evening inside of a huge ashtray 
, and have to take a shower upon returning home in the middle of the night 
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Oh, those showers - I hated the smell of smoke in my hair and had to launder the clothes I wore when we were in bars with all of the smoke. Cigarettes/nicotine never got their hooks in me. I started smoking (Lucky Strikes) in college because friends wouldnât share joints with me because I couldnât inhale. So I got through pot-smoking 101 but didnât continue with the Lucky Strikes. Too bad I developed a love affair with alcohol. I had to give it up this year - it was going to kill me.
Both my parents were avid smokers, with my dad letting me light his cigarettes (i.e. take the first puff) at the age of 7 GREAT PARENTING DAD 
, so I started around 12-13, more seriously in 8th grade.
Iâve smoked on and off since I moved to the states many moons ago, and can theoretically still go from zero cigs for months at a time to 5 in one night, but I would never buy a pack again. Interestingly enough, my sis grew up with my dad & never started. Sheâs the goodie 2 shoes in the fam tho 
Like most âformerâ smokers I absolutely despise cigarette smoke any time itâs not ME smoking, beer in hand. I hate nothing more than leaving the house in the morning and passing many smokers on the way. Barf.
Sorry you had to give up booze - can you still partake in cannabis products?
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The one time I went to Berlin, in the fall of 2019, I got roped into going to a bar with my work colleagues. Based on the placeâs look and smell, I thought Iâd been transported to the mid-70s.
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Maybe itâs changed since itâs been a few years since Iâve been to Japan, but that used to bug me about my trips to Japan. Ugh, the smoking in the restaurants, or right outside. Hong Kong is actually better these days, but Mainland China - I didnât even bother. I knew that was going to be a hopeless even before getting there.
