HAPPY QUYNH – Ottobrunn – vietnamesisch

+ + + Advertisement + + +

Recently, my companion and I spontaneously decided to have dinner at Happy Quynh in Ottobrunn. I was already familiar with this Vietnamese restaurant from a previous visit with a friend, and I was in the mood for something a bit quieter, so I reserved a table by phone for 9:30 pm. The restaurant is accessible by public transport, but not as relaxed and convenient as by car, as only one bus stops there. Parking isn't a problem in this area; in fact, we found a spot right in front of the restaurant.

We entered and were immediately greeted and served by a very friendly waiter – we later realized he was the owner. We ended up being 30 minutes early, as we were hurrying because although the restaurant is open until 11 pm, the kitchen only serves food until 10 pm. The owner is Vietnamese, but speaks such flawless and perfect German that I was initially a little taken aback. 😉 We were allowed to choose a table – even a different one than the one we had reserved. Of the approximately 20 tables in the restaurant, only two others were occupied.

The restaurant is very cozy, rather chic yet still comfortable. White tablecloths, roses on the tables, vases and pots of various colored orchids everywhere, a beautiful parquet floor, lanterns, dark brown leather banquettes and upholstered chairs, silver chopsticks on the tables (yes, you get cutlery if you're having trouble with rice and chopsticks 😉), floor-to-ceiling windows on two entire sides of the restaurant, illuminated ceilings with contrasting light frames, a Buddha fountain in the entrance area, and a small, separate dining area in the right part of the restaurant – very cozy and appealing in terms of ambiance, even though the restaurant was hardly occupied due to the time of day and noisy children were playing next to us.

We were handed the menus directly by the owner and opted for an apple spritzer and a Hugo, both of which arrived promptly. You can't really go wrong with a spritzer, but unfortunately, this one was rather bland, not very appley, and not particularly delicious. The Hugo, on the other hand, was all the better for it – and, as usual, the straw was missing (…I thought a Hugo was supposed to have a straw?…). The friendly waitress brought me one after I asked – without touching it directly with her hands, something I'm rather particular about 😉. (Even when we were asked if we wanted cutlery and agreed, it was placed on the table with white gloves, not directly with the fingers. I thought that was a nice touch, even if perhaps a bit over the top. 😉)

We chose two appetizers – not exactly cheap, and in retrospect definitely overpriced. First, the vegetarian spring rolls (Cha Gio Chay) with dip (€4.90), which were incredibly spicy, so I gave them to my companion. I'd never had spicy vegetarian spring rolls before and wasn't particularly impressed – they weren't even on the menu. The Tom Chien Com – the crispy-coated king prawns my companion ordered – was unfortunately far too small for €6.90 (just two small pieces), the crispy coating crumbled almost completely, and the taste was rather unremarkable. For our main course, we chose fried rice noodles with king prawns, vegetables, and peanuts (Pho Xao Ga) for €16.90, which, while not exactly inexpensive, was quite reasonable considering the quality of the main course. It was also beautifully presented with a fresh orchid blossom. My ordered pike-perch in tamarind sauce with pak choi and rice (for €17.90) was delicious, and later, looking at photos from my previous visit, I realized I'd ordered the same thing. Overall, it was a very successful dish with incredibly tender, fresh fish, from which I only had to remove one small bone. Otherwise, this main course was also well worth the price.

Unfortunately, Happy Quynh doesn't have a menu online, so I've photographed the pages with the food listings for you. The menu is well-rounded, offering several vegetarian options, numerous different appetizers, and delicious main courses. Happy Quynh isn't exactly cheap, and we paid €59 including tip. Unfortunately, they don't accept card payments, so we had to walk to the bank right next door – or rather, my companion did. 🙂 The service was exceptionally friendly and attentive. The owner came by twice to check if everything was alright, and after we finished our main course, the waitress listed the available desserts (coconut balls, warm chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream, mango cream, etc.), but we decided against them around 10:30 pm.

I would still recommend making a reservation during the week, as we were told we were lucky, since the restaurant is usually fully booked every day and it's difficult to get a table without a reservation until around 8:30 pm. The restaurant's interior design definitely impresses with its cozy atmosphere. You might want to skip the appetizer, as we didn't have a very good experience with it, yet still paid over €11 for it. Focus instead on the delicious main courses and enjoy the excellent service. The prices are a bit high overall – especially considering we're in Ottobrunn – but it's worth the short trip. Give it a try and enjoy your meal!.

Happy Quynh is open Tuesday to Friday from 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM and 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM, Saturdays from 5:30 PM to 11:00 PM, and Sundays from 12:00 PM to 2:30 PM and 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM. The kitchen is closed on Mondays.

I'll be back: Yes. There's nothing wrong with that. It's just a bit more expensive.

Place visited: Happy Quynh
Address: Margreider Platz 4, 85521 Ottobrunn
Website

Pictures: