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Today I'm going to tell you about the recently opened Kochhaus in Haidhausen, Munich. You've probably already heard of it, as Kochhaus is making headlines all over Germany, and with the Haidhausen opening, it's their third location in Munich. Simply put, the Kochhaus concept offers "customized recipes" in their stores, providing you with the exact amount of ingredients needed for your chosen dish.

Furthermore, it's the first food and culinary supply store dedicated exclusively to "self-made cooking"—that is, cooking and preparing food yourself. More specifically, since February 2014, you can now stock up on delicious, fresh ingredients at Kochhaus in Haidhausen—affectionately known as "the French Quarter"—organized by recipe rather than by product category, as in typical supermarkets. Despite my extremely limited cooking skills, I couldn't resist and have already visited the inviting shop several times. And I must say, it's truly enjoyable to browse the shelves, read the displayed recipes, shop, sample products, and then try out selected recipes at home. Even if you haven't yet developed an affinity for cooking and experimenting in your own kitchen, your first visit to Kochhaus will definitely inspire you to try something new.

Kochhaus: Munich's walk-in recipe book in Haidhausen

I immediately thought of writing about it for you, as Kochhaus is, in my opinion, the perfect alternative for anyone who, like me, constantly eats in restaurants and therefore isn't yet a very good cook; for anyone who prefers cooking with instructions and simple "to-do" steps; and also for anyone who doesn't always need huge quantities of ingredients for home and hates wasting food as much as I do. Kochhaus's description of it as a "walk-in recipe book" is quite apt, I think, because as soon as I entered the shop at Weißenburger Straße 26, I was immediately struck by the numerous, beautifully arranged tables with prepared, fresh ingredients and recipe boards. The dishes are clearly described with pictures on these boards, the recipes are available as small flyers to take away, and the required amount of ingredients can be filled into small bags directly at each table. In addition, there is a small cafe in the front area with some seats for sitting and eating (hot drinks from €1.90 to €3.50 / small breakfast snacks from €1.50 to €2.90).

You can decide for yourself how much of each ingredient you want to take home and how many servings it will make. The special thing is that absolutely everything you need for the recipe is laid out before you on a small table. The flyer mentioned earlier is included free with your ingredient purchase, so you have a reliable guide at hand for preparing the dish, even in a pinch. Admittedly, the concept of the "Kochhaus" (cooking house) might seem a bit strange and unusual at first, but after a short visit, the advantages quickly became clear to me: saving time, saving money, promoting a more conscious approach to food, and making cooking fun and learning. You save yourself the hassle of running around the aisles, you don't have to go to another supermarket because you couldn't find a specific ingredient for your chosen recipe, you're presented with a remarkably diverse selection of recipes, and you avoid food waste. Even the amount of waste produced is significantly reduced when you buy fresh ingredients through the "Kochhaus," as many of the ingredients are individually prepared and you simply put them directly into your own bag. So, thumbs up for the environment!

Extensive recipe selection – limitless variety

As for the recipes themselves, you can expect both culinary classics and unusual and interesting creations. Whether you're looking for appetizers, soups, salads, pasta dishes, risotto, fish or meat dishes – and of course, desserts – Kochhaus covers the entire spectrum of culinary desires. Currently, for example, you can pick up a delicate garden cress and goat's cheese soup with crispy pumpernickel crostini (for €3.90 per person), a sweet potato and chickpea soup with buttered cashews and oregano cream (for €3.90 per person), or a wild herb salad with roasted artichokes, Parmesan crostini, and tomato relish (for €4.80 per person) to prepare at home. Sounds delicious, doesn't it? The pasta dishes currently on offer include creations with gnocchi, udon noodles, linguine, and more (priced from €3.90 to €5.70 per person). Meat lovers will also find plenty to enjoy, such as chicken saltimbocca, stuffed guinea fowl breast, sirloin steak, or pork tenderloin, each with a variety of interesting side dishes (priced from €6.90 to €9.80 per person). Vegetarians can also rejoice. The selection of vegetarian dishes leaves nothing to be desired. For example, there's currently a delicious Masaman curry with Roseval potatoes, peppers, and crunchy peanuts (€5.70 per person). For dessert, there is caramelized rhubarb on brioche with pistachios and vanilla-mint yogurt, or caramelized quark gratin with orange segments and pomegranate seeds (for €3.90 per person).

The recipes are very simple and explained step-by-step with pictures for each one – even I understood them and managed to follow along. 🙂 Otherwise, there's plenty to discover on the shelves of Kochhaus in Haidhausen. From wine and chocolate to baking tins, cookware and knives, to salts, oils, chips, nuts, snacks, and much more, you'll find everything a foodie's heart desires. I'm personally a huge fan of Kochhaus's own cantuccini (you can see one of them next to the espresso cup) and immediately bought a large bag (for a fair €3.50). Generally speaking, pretty much all the products on offer are special and not available on every other corner in Munich. Main courses start at just under €4 per person, which you should always consider in the context that you really won't be throwing anything away and no ingredients will go bad in your kitchen cupboards. Otherwise, the range includes, for example, old brandies from the traditional Prinz distillery on Lake Constance, wines from the award-winning Austrian winery "Nimmervoll", as well as the "Tivoli" tableware series from Saturnia, which is exclusively available in Munich and is extremely popular.

Cooking classes at Kochhaus Haidhausen – Munich

Also worth mentioning are the cooking classes regularly held at Kochhaus, including the one in Haidhausen. These classes, lasting approximately three to four hours, involve preparing delicious three-course meals, each with a different theme. They can be booked from €75 per person, including wine pairings. Incidentally, they make an ideal gift for almost any woman who enjoys cooking. For example, on March 28th, starting at 7:30 pm, there's a cooking class with the theme "An Oriental Night at Kochhaus." (Be quick to reserve! The classes always fill up fast!) You'll receive plenty of tips, meet new—and enthusiastic—cooking people, and of course, have the opportunity to recreate everything at home using the recipes. I'll be signing up for one soon—partly to "improve my kitchen skills a little." Want to join me? 🙂

Card payments are accepted. We're open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Gift vouchers are also available – a fantastic present, as I've seen from the recipients' reactions on several occasions. You can order them online and choose the voucher amount yourself. And if you can't get enough of the wonderful recipes, Kochhaus sells a book with 80 of their over 400 recipes. They now even offer two volumes ("Simply Cook It Yourself" and "Simply Enjoy It Quickly") of recipes (…yet another great gift idea!).

Quick and easy to reach: The Kochhaus on Weißenburger Straße

I highly recommend checking it out. You can get there in no time by subway, S-Bahn, tram, or bus to Ostbahnhof (East Station), and then it's just a short walk to Kochhaus. Parking can be a bit tricky if you're driving, but it's possible. I'm sure that even if you were planning to eat out that day (you know where to find that 😉), you'll still be tempted to grab a bag filled with fresh ingredients and start cooking. If you're not in the area, you can also have the recipe bags delivered to your door – they come pre-packed for convenience. It couldn't be easier! If you do decide to stop by in person, let me know – I'm going to fill a bag with delicious ingredients, wine, cake, cookies, and much more...

(The evaluation of price/performance ratio, food, service and ambience is omitted in this case.)

I'll be back: Absolutely. Even if I don't want to cook directly, there's a lot to discover at the cooking school.

Place visited: Kochhaus
Address: Three locations in Munich: Haidhausen: Weißenburger Straße 26, Gärtnerplatzviertel: Gärtnerplatz 5, Schwabing: Hohenzollernstraße 74 – Munich
Website: Kochhaus
Website – Kochhaus Haidhausen: Kochhaus

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