Schmalznudel Café Frischhut, Munich

When I travel, I love to check out regional variations on a theme, like, the classic donut.  Ok, perhaps not quite a donut, but Schmalznudel Café Frischhut serves up a pretty close German equivalent (and no, I'm not just talking about Berliners!)

Setting

Schmalznudel Café Frischhut is fairly easy to find, just half a block down from the Viktualienmarkt.  I get the impression it is always busy.  When I first arrived, there was a line down the sidewalk just for the takeout window.  It moves quickly though, every person processed in mere seconds.

Items can be purchased for takeout at the register, or table service is available out front, in a garden out back, or inside.  Most people seem to get their items to go, so they can stroll through the nearby market.

Oh, cash only, be prepared.

Fresh Dough.

You can see how freshly made everything is, this is an active bakery before your eyes.  Dough was set to rise in the window, ready to be fried off soon ...

Freshly prepared.

Here are the signature schmalznudel doing their thing ...

Indoor Seating.

The cafe actually has a reasonable amount of seating, mostly small tables, and lovely rustic decor inside.

Back Patio.

There is also a sunny back patio.

Both seating areas have full table service.

The Baked Goods

Schmalznudel Café Frischhut makes exactly 5 items (plus coffee), all of which are on display in the window in front.  All cost exactly the same: 2.40.  All are very fresh.

Rohrnudeln - 2 kinds (with or without stewed plum).

The bakery makes two kinds of rohrnudeln.

These buns are sold individually, sorta like brioche with a slightly sugary exterior.  Available plain or with stewed plum inside.

Krapfen & Stritzerl.

The next two treats are the krapfen (basically a Berliner, filled with apricot jam) and a stritzerl which looked like a plain fried dough stick.

And then, their signature item.

Schmalznudel. 2.40.

I opted to get the signature item, schamlznudel.  Once I ordered, I was offered sugar or not, much like the donut shop (Muriel's) in my hometown.  Of course I opted for sugar, and my fresh item was coated in it before being handed over.

It was ... fine.  Fresh fried dough.  Yes sugar.  But really, I didn't quite understand the appeal.  It was quite greasy (particularly the thin center) and the dough didn't really have any flavor to it.  Sugar was nice, but, a bit plain.  Cinnamon sugar I could see working better?  I had some tiramisu cream with me that I dunked it in, and I suspect spreading some jam or Bavarian cream on would jazz it up, but as it was, it was just fairly plain.  Fine, but boring?  Basically, less good than state fair fried dough/funnel cake, less good than a donut.

I wouldn't really want another.  My bag, and everything I touched for an hour after, was covered in grease. ***.

Rohrnudeln - with stewed plum. 2.40.

My companion selected the one with stewed plum, and we traded chunks of our treats.

It was basically as I expected - fresh, lofty, brioche, which is fine, but a bit boring.  The lightly caramelized exterior was nice.

I didn't see this as a real dessert, but could make for a nice morning bun.

Rohrnudeln: inside.

Inside it did have a whole plum, super soft and cooked down.  Slightly sweet, slightly tart, slightly jammy, very different from things we have in the US.

Overall, interesting, and as I said, maybe something I'd want at 8am alongside a coffee, but didn't seem dessert appropriate at 1pm.  It was quite fresh though.

***.