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EMIKO is a trendy restaurant right next to Munich's Viktualienmarkt, located in the upper part of the popular market. Louis Hotel. You don't need to be particularly attentive to notice EMIKO, a restaurant specializing in Japanese cuisine, as it has become the number one destination in Munich's city center for excellent Japanese food, delicious cocktails, and an extensive breakfast buffet with a remarkably diverse and unusual selection. But at EMIKO, you're not just offered a culinary journey through Tokyo combined with modern Japanese dining culture; the artisanal preparation of your chosen dishes, resulting in unique taste experiences and a wide range of aromas, is also a top priority. All of this convinced my companion and me, and we decided to visit EMIKO.
The restaurant offers a "sharing" concept for many dishes on the menu. Several ordered dishes are placed in the center of the table, and each guest can help themselves to the entire range of available food. As the name suggests, everything is shared, creating a relaxed and cozy atmosphere as a positive side effect of the delicious food. This is further enhanced by sharing dishes from the same plate. In addition, you automatically get to know Japanese culinary culture better and quickly feel comfortable in the cozy, modern ambiance. Your chosen meal is prepared by chefs trained in Tokyo, who bring this interesting culinary philosophy to EMIKO with their expertise and attention to detail, implementing it in every single dish. I personally am a big fan when dishes are actually prepared by someone from the same country.
Recently, my companion and I also attended the restaurant's extremely popular breakfast brunch. At the beginning – we arrived around 11:30 am – EMIKO was still relatively empty, and we were able to choose one of the numerous, comfortable tables. Guests are seated in soft, green upholstered armchairs at elegant wooden tables with white tablecloths, all of which are already set. While the interior design didn't strike me as particularly "Japanese," it was very cozy.
For brunch, we chose a cozy table for two by the window, bathed in sunlight and overlooking the popular Viktualienmarkt (food market). The restaurant area has around 25 tables of varying sizes. First and foremost, the breakfast buffet here is truly exceptional. Vegetarians and even vegans will find plenty to enjoy thanks to the numerous homemade vegan delicacies. I especially appreciated the inclusion of regional products directly from the Viktualienmarkt, such as various cheeses from the Tölzer Kasladen (cheese shop). You can see the selection in the photos.
As soon as we sat down at our table and a friendly woman took our coats, a waitress assigned to our table came and asked if we would like to order a specific organic egg dish. These were included in the brunch price. The choices were fried eggs, scrambled eggs, vegan scrambled eggs, or an omelet – all customizable with various toppings and additional ingredients such as mushrooms, ham, bacon, salmon, herbs, etc. We opted for fried eggs with herbs and ham, and scrambled eggs with tomatoes and mushrooms. The egg dishes were prepared quickly and brought to our table simultaneously on small plates in appropriate portions by our friendly waitress. My scrambled eggs were tasty, as was the fried egg, but nothing more exciting than, say, homemade. However, there was definitely nothing to complain about.
After taking in the restaurant's surroundings and ambiance for a bit, we headed to the buffet located at the front of the restaurant. Besides various types of bread, pretzels with mini white sausages, cheeses and cold cuts, and different kinds of muesli, the long, attractively arranged buffet offered a wide variety of dishes and, as mentioned before, some unusual vegan specialties, such as avocado-wasabi or tomato-cashew spread. I'm not usually a fan of spicy food, but I could have devoured both of those little jars – delicious! You absolutely have to try them. Hot drinks like a latte macchiato or cappuccino are also included in the price of €24.50 per person. The extensive tea selection, including various Japanese teas, leaves nothing to be desired and is an integral part of the brunch experience. My companion also helped herself to the juice bar with its fresh juices, such as fresh orange or kiwi juice, or even cucumber water – a very refreshing and fruity change of pace.
Of course, both hotel guests and all Munich residents who are simply in the area or specifically want to brunch here at EMIKO are welcome to the popular brunch. However, I highly recommend making a reservation, as you might not get a table otherwise. Breakfast/brunch is served from 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., and on weekends and holidays from 6:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. At just under €25 per person, the brunch certainly isn't a bargain (children aged 6-12 pay only half price, and children under six eat free), but it's definitely worth a visit, as the rest of the offerings are anything but standard and boring. I found the price reasonable – primarily because the selection of dishes is extensive, egg dishes are included, and drinks are also included. You're certainly also paying a bit for the fantastic view of the bustling Viktualienmarkt (Munich's central market).
As for the service, our waitress was very friendly, but she came by a bit too often for our liking, even replacing our cutlery once – for the third time – even though we hadn't used it. She also served my companion a cappuccino instead of a latte macchiato, which wasn't a big deal, of course, but we did notice. It was also a bit of a shame that the pretzels served with the (non-Japanese) 😉 mini white sausages had been hanging outside on a pretzel tree since morning, and by the time we went to get one to go with our delicious spreads, they were quite dry and hard. Thankfully, the bread selection was very extensive and varied, and we were able to help ourselves to other options.
I also want to mention the restaurant's standard menu for the winter months. (You can view the entire menu on the website linked below.) This menu is available for dinner from Monday to Sunday, 6:00 PM to 1:00 AM (kitchen closes at 11:30 PM). Here, too, you can expect unusual and delicious dishes. For example, Nasu no Misoae – Roasted eggplant with warm miso dashi sauce, Red Snapper no Nisuke – Red snapper with young bamboo shoots, salsify, and Nisuke broth, or Maguro no Tataki to Kabocha – Tataki tuna with Hokkaido pumpkin. You can view the complete menu online on the restaurant's/hotel's website. Also worth mentioning is the "EMIKO BAR." Here, they mix specially created, high-quality cocktails for you. The signature cocktails draw inspiration from the flavors of Asian cuisine, using ingredients like plum wine, mandarin orange, lemongrass, sake, Thai basil, lychee, ginger, and other premium spirits to create these delicious drinks. You can try and enjoy new and exceptional cocktail creations from the EMIKO Bar every day from 5:00 PM onwards, either at the bar or in the lounge by the fireplace, while enjoying a snack from the menu.
All in all, I can only give EMIKO a resounding "yes." The breakfast is delicious, the selection is excellent, the service is attentive and friendly – you might not even mind the waitress checking in frequently. The ambiance is lovely, and the view is simply perfect. You should definitely stop by and treat yourself. I recommend starting with brunch, as there are plenty of vegan options. Card payments are accepted. Bring your loved ones along – then your time at EMIKO is guaranteed to be great. Thumbs up!
I'll be back: Definitely recommended.
Place visited: Emiko
Address: Viktualienmarkt 5, 80331 Munich
Website
Pictures:
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