KLARA

Sushi Tenzan is your go to place for the delights of the japanese culinary arts. A varied menu of bento boxes is topped by a selection of delicious ramen bowls, that classic noodle dish beloved by students and gourmets alike. Careful preparation and an aesthetically pleasing presentation are vital to founder and head chef Tenzin, hailing from Tibet. His passion for japanese cuisine has led him to California and Tokyo, where he perfected his craft. We are happy he is now sharing it with us.

Hailing from Bangladesh, Islam went through the hard school of the Bangkok streetfood scene and had a stint in Singapore, before arriving in Switzerland and firing up the Wok in various establishments. Armed with a keen sense for the fragility of our chilli-phobic european palate, he presents his take on the authentic cuisine of his home with the gruff demeanour of a hardened street vendor. There’s a ton of hidden humor behind that though, and once you dig into his Satay, Pad Thai or Pad Si Ew, you will be magically transported onto a shoddy plastic stool at a roadside food stall outside Chiang Mai. Every now and then some mysterious dish far from the beaten tourist tracks will appear as a special on Islam’s menu and if you ask really nicely, he will happily cater your event with all sorts of dishes based on insects.

Meaza’s transcontinental kitchen serves finest dishes from Ethiopia and Senegal: the delicious traditional sourdough flatbread Injera, accompanied by a vegetable potpourri and various stews – traditionally eaten by hand all over Ethiopia. Originating from the other side of the continent in Senegal is the legendary Maffé. This rich peanut stew with or without meat makes you feel good, tastes even better and warms your heart and stomach.

The Burger. That archaic symbol of American fast food hegemonism has long left its greasy roadside beginnings behind and is busy spearheading gentrification in a neighbourhood near you. Anthony Bourdain, may he rest in honour, has deservedly buttkicked gold plated truffle burgers into the abyss of history, but let’s face it: the original concept of meat between bread had some headroom. And this is where La Manufacture come in. The classics are all there, but with an everchanging list of Specials they prove that burgers can be rather amazing. Gravity defying layers of goodness are accompanied by two kinds of on-point fries alongside condiments and buns made in house. Their vegetarian options aren’t just some non descript slab of thickened soypaste smeared with wasabi and labelled “green whopper”, no, they too are created from scratch based on varying ingredients such as carrots, lentils, beets and the like. Decadence, done in style.

YOYA will take you on a trip to the savoury and spicy vegetarian cuisine of the Middle East. Enjoy their take on the alltime favorites Hummus, Falafel or Shakshuka and dig into the epic richness that is the Malawach sandwich. As references go, YOYA’s head honcho Yacki comes fully equipped: having learnt his chops in the mediterranean streetfood capital of Tel Aviv, he combines kitchen skills with his oriental family’s tradition and passion for assorted spices and herbs.

Tenzin in Tibetan means “upholder of the teachings”. The success story of Lobsang, Chimey and Tenzin “Tenz” is also a lesson in culinary matters. Short though the nickname may sound, queues in front of the Momo stand at street food festivals are long! It was therefore only a matter of time before the three Swiss-Tibetans opened their own restaurant. Since day one, the likeable young gastronomes have been overrun by gourmets of all kinds at their locations in Zurich, Zug and Bern. The steamed dumplings are served fresh with juicy fillings (meat, vegetarian or vegan) and seasoned with a fiery chili sauce. A success story to our taste!

Nón Lá, the classic southeastasian conical hat has been used by the peoples of Vietnam for millenia. Unsurprisingly, it has become their national symbol. Naming their various establishments all over town after it, shows the Nón Lá -Team’s dedication to serving authentic vietnamese cuisine. In their «Vietnamese Corner» in our Kitchen 9, they serve spring- and summerrolls, next to delicate ricenoodle dishes and that unexpectedly obvious tasting Vietnamese classic: the Banh Mi. Based on the Vietnamese word for bread, the Banh Mi today is considered a specific sandwich, packing all sorts of typically southeastasian ingredients and spices into not any bun, but a crunchy and unwieldy French baguette. The French brought their elongated bread sticks along with their ill advised notions of 19th century imperialism. The Vietnamese went “hold my Nón Lá ” and turned the thing into a delicacy of their very own style, eventually managing to have the term fixed in the Oxford Dictionary. Ăn ngon miệng nhé!