Page 17 - Demo

“WHEN THE TIME CAME TO OPEN SÜRHING, PEOPLE TOLD US NOT TO DO GERMAN CUISINE, BUT FOR US, IT WAS ALL OR
NOTHING"
Thomas Sühring
The brothers spoke of being “very humbled ” to have received a Michelin star after being open for just one year and in November of 2019 it was announced that they garnered their second Michelin star, making them one of just four restaurants in the county to receive such an honor. This recognition propelled the restaurant into the spotlight, triggering an in ux of new patrons. “We saw an increase of customers coming in the restaurant since last December and we think that the guide has helped the restaurant to achieve consistency in terms of covers”, Mathias said. When it comes to quality, presentation, and service, consistency is one of Michelin’s most important requirements and their relationship as twins seem to have helped them to achieve their goals. “We have worked together as twins for a long time now and we can say that it had brought us only good things”, they said. As foreign chefs in Thailand, their biggest challenge is communication, as they both struggle with the local language. However, this hasn’t hindered their love for the country. “We are having an amazing time in Thailand and it’s now the country we call home”, shared Mathias.
Surprisingly, the twins don’t have a history of cooking German cuisine professionally. Instead, they’d spent their careers cooking other cuisines. “When we started out, people in Germany weren’t proud of their own heritage”, Thomas explained. “Sausage and sauerkraut weren’t things that were put on a menu. They were seen as poor man’s foods and people weren’t interested in cooking or eating them”, he said. For this reason, the idea of cooking German food was intimidating for the twins.
Thomas shared that even when people asked him to cook it, he felt uncomfortable. “I wasn’t proud of cooking Spätzle, mashed potato with pork knuckle, or anything like that. I was scared to cook German food because of its reputation”, he said.
Their aim was to change people’s perception of German food, showing them that it can be as adventurous and elegant as any other cuisine. “When the time came to open Sürhing, people told us not to do German cuisine, but for us, it was all or nothing”, Thomas said. “We knew it was a unique concept and that nobody had done it before. That’s why we did it. We wanted to go back to our roots and rediscover the foods we grew up with, preparing them in more fun and re ned ways.” Mathias added, “While most other cuisines around the world have been updated over the years, German food has stayed the same. It was time to make it more contemporary and to bring it into today’s world.”
One example of this is ‘labskaus’, a dish consisting of sausage, beetroot, herring, pickled cucumber, topped with a fried egg. This dish dates back to the 17th century, but the brothers have reinvented it with their own modern twist, adding extra touches like marinated beef and delicate garnishes. Another is their lamb dish. Before serving, a knowledgeable sommelier presents a selection of knives in a sleek wooden case, sourced from German knife makers, Nesmuk. Guests are asked to select their weapon of choice from a range of different types of wood handles.
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