HINGS
LE 9 – ASIAN RESTAURANT GENEVA
by Chene Koscielny
As the sun starts making more of an appearance, we’re delighted to discover a big and lovely new outside terrace overlooking the river Rhône – part of the latest Asian restaurant in Geneva called Le 9.
The inside of the restaurant at Halles de l’le might be minuscule but the huge windows, high ceilings and magnificent terrace more than makes up for the lack of space inside. If you like Asian food – this is a great new addition to Geneva’s food options.
THE CONCEPT
Mélissa, originally from France, is head chef and owner. She learned how to cook Asian specialities during her travels and while working for an Asian restaurant in France. Although she is best known for her sushi – she worked at Lola’s Food Garage in Geneva – she wanted to offer a choice of different Asian cuisines from one menu. There are only a few dishes to choose from, but rest assured that whatever you order will taste authentically Asian.
STRAIGHT FROM THE STREETS OF TOKYO
We started with delicious Japanese gyozas – dumplings with chicken in this case, some edamame beans to nibble on and a seaweed salad (more of an acquired
taste). This was followed by Mélissa’s current most popular and trademark dish – the yakisoba – a very taste, exquisitely flavoured Japanese stir fry dish of wheat flour noodles with chicken. This may as well have come straight off the streets in Tokyo. A generous portion costs CHF20.
Also on the menu, are the plump white steamed Taiwanese Bao buns, served with beef, prawns, chicken or vegetarian, which have been taking Geneva by storm lately. Here expect to pay from CHF8.50 for your Gua Bao bun.
An impressive looking Vietnamese sandwich served cold and called Banh mi is also on offer – although we didn’t taste this one during our visit – it is on our list of things to try! Price: CHF11.50.
Some of the meals are available as take-aways.
THE ATMOSPHERE
The greenery and natural decoration with bamboo touches give an almost tropical bar feeling – with modern high tables and bar stools. The big windows and high ceilings provide ample natural light and a feeling of space despite the tiny interior. The sparkling of the sun on the Rhône is irresistible. It’s a great spot to sit and watch the world go by.
WHEN
Le 9 is not open during evenings or weekends, but Mélissa hopes this will change soon and she plans to serve a variety of cocktails during the summer months.
From Monday to Friday from 11 h to 15 h
WHERE
Place de l’Ile 1
1204 Genève
MORE INFO
077 974 16 53
