A Taste of Deutschland

Dreikönigsstraße 6 69117 Heidelberg

The roast beef comes in a stew, bold and rich, accompanied by sautéed onions, softened bell peppers, and broken down tomatoes.  The dish is served in a beautiful black clay pot, kept warm by a lone flickering candle in a small compartment underneath.  Next comes the injera, a spongy flatbread used to soak up the concentrated flavor of the spiced stew.  On top of the crepe like dough are tiny bits of lettuce, cucumbers, and a scoop of couscous.  It’s the Kulwa Berai and the combination of meat and flatbread creates quite a unique flavor profile in itself. 

Entering the restaurant, you don’t exactly feel like you are in an African restaurant.  Sure, there are miniature drums on the walls, wooden elephants and giraffes piled up on one another, large wooden spoke wheels decorating the room, and traditional African tunes playing from the speakers.  But other than that, the place still seems German.  A bright side, though, is the fully equipped bar.

The menu at Kilimanjaro is not as massive as its namesake.  The names of the dishes are traditional Eritrean, so you will have to rely on the descriptions in German to understand the contents of the entrées.  This may be difficult if you don’t know the language; however the waiters are fully capable of speaking English and are more than happy to assist you in making your selection.

Appetizers are a mixed bag here, some of them are appetizing, some are plain ordinary.  Sambusa – filled dumplings with ground beef and seasoned with various spices – is a simple dish with amazing flavor and texture.  Essentially, these dumplings are like deep-fried triangular shaped wontons packed with a delightful amount of ground meat.  The Sambusa is delicate – fluffy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. The added spices give these bad boys a unique kick to them.  The only thing missing, however, is some dipping sauce to give it another dimension. 

Kilimanjaros – a large mound of minced meat, diced potatoes, and onions, encased in bread crumbs – are a disappointment.  An appetizer carrying the name of the restaurant should be a specialty; however it’s merely lacking flavor.  This dish is reminiscent of corned beef hash, though the contents aren’t browned as one would normally like.  Each appetizer comes with a small portion of salad consisting of green lettuce, sliced cucumber, diced tomatoes, and finely chopped parsley.  The dressing does not overpower the vegetables resulting in a nice palate cleanser.

The main courses are, in general, better than their precursors.  The Kulwa Berai, priced at 8,90 €, is a flavorful stew similar to a curry.  The small chunks of beef, stewing in the vegetable mixture, absorb a lot of deep flavor.  The addition of the injera flatbread gives you the opportunity to add a different texture to the meal.  Alone, the injera has a plain doughy taste.  The only negative about this dish is the consistency of the meat – the pieces are chewy and the presence of small bones in the stew is irritating.  However, despite the fact that the beef could have been cooked longer, the dish is more than satisfying and tasty. 

If you are looking for an exotic culinary adventure, but don’t have the time nor means to travel to a distant land, look no further than Kilimanjaro.  No, not Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.  Kilimanjaro restaurant here in Heidelberg!  It is quite an experience.

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Summary:

Located near the banks of the Neckar River, Kilimanjaro is an African restaurant specializing in traditional Eritrean and East African cuisine.  Prices are reasonable.

Overall – 4 stars

• Sambusa (Gefüllte Teigtaschen mit Hackfleisch oder Kartoffeln, 3 Stück) – 4.5/5
• Kilimanjaros (Kartoffel-Zwiebel-Hackfleischrolle in Paniermehl umhüllt) – 3/5
• Kulwa Berai (Gebratenes Rindfleisch mit Zwiebeln, Peperoni, Tomaten und Gewürzbutter) – 4/5
• Service – 5/5

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