Café Leopold

Review

A new Leopold

Photo: Heribert Corn They made up their minds very quickly, says Tie Yang. They, the "Gyoza Brothers", a circle of friends of children of Asian emigrants, who opened Ra'mien together in 2002 and thus created a stage for a scene that had previously been invisible in Vienna: the well-integrated, ambitious second-generation Asians, who were able to combine community, inexpensive trendy gastronomy and partying here. After the temporary closure of Café Leopold, several prominent names were being discussed as the new operators. And it was somewhat surprising that the Ra'mien people, who had already had a bad experience with Café Dschungel in the Museumsquartier, were awarded the contract. But they made something of it. The turnover-generating "Wasserbar" in the main courtyard of the MQ opened back in May, followed by the café in the museum two weeks ago: the winter garden, which was always difficult to play in, became a simple terrace, the pompous coffee house lamps were replaced by three large lighting elements by Jun Yang, the lounge furniture gave way to simple canteen seating typical of Ra'mien, the extra room with a view of the kitchen was given red wallpaper and Chinese lanterns like those already hanging in the ShanghaiTan. And it is no longer run as a club, the Leopold is now all about gastronomy, explains Tie Yang. The Gyoza Brothers have it relatively easy in this sector, it has to be said, because nothing new has happened in the entire Museumsquartier for a very long time, the trend is very much towards "bourgeois-conservative", contemporary food is limited to the various street food festivals in front of the museum (okay, but then there are only and exclusively burgers ...).
The new Leopold menu therefore offers what is currently best in Asian restaurants, i.e. rolls with lots of avocado, gyoza, curry, sushi and bowls, so far, so unspectacular. However, there is also a monthly menu, which is fun. It includes things like ebi-katsu, deep-fried little balls of supposedly "crab meat", which are actually surimi, but no matter, they're tasty, salty, hot, quick and cheap (€ 7.60). The seaweed salad is good, green and fresh, and the karaage - pieces of chicken drumstick marinated in five Chinese spices and deep-fried hot again - is not afraid of cheapness. The portion is huge, crispy, spicy, fun and doesn't want to be more than it is: street food (€ 5.80). The grilled gilthead bream "Thai style" is much less successful: four pieces of deep-fried, non-grilled fillets with ribbon noodles in coconut sauce - neither particularly good and certainly not Thai style (€ 15.80). Anyway, the simpler the better, it's relatively easy to find something good here.
Summary: Finally something new in the Museumsquartier: Café Leopold, which has always been a bit random in culinary terms, has become a trendy Asian restaurant. Café Leopold 7th, Museumspl. 1/Leopold Museum Tel. 01/522 23 91 daily 10am-2pm cafeleopold.wien

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