🍽️ Local's Choice Restaurant in Cologne

🔎 After searching online for many restaurants, I found that either the sauerkraut was too mushy, the pork knuckles were poorly cooked, or the service needed improvement. These were the painful lessons learned after ordering three big pork knuckles. 💪 I had made up my mind never to eat pork knuckles again and was looking for a delicious German spaetzle with cheese, but since this is usually a dish eaten in winter, not every restaurant has it in the fall. Fortunately, a local foodie recommended a place, and we found it right at the first spot in the old market square. We thought it was a touristy restaurant, but it turned out to be the best of our trip. 🍖 The pork knuckles were clearly roasted, not the lazy method of stewing and then deep-frying. The sauerkraut had just the right texture, not mushy at all. The beef cheek was incredibly fragrant, and in the end, we even soaked up the sauce with bread. 🧀 As for the spaetzle, it was nothing like our worries about being too greasy or indigestible. It was similar to Chinese hand-rolled noodles, with the cheese perfectly matched to add flavor without being overwhelming. 🍺 The beer was also one of the best we had on this trip, refreshingly sweet and crisp. The dessert wine after the meal was also good. The key is, after this meal, I didn't have that unbearable thirst (which I usually get after eating something with too many seasonings). 👍 In short, give it a try, and definitely order the beef cheek and spaetzle. #spaetzle #GermanPorkKnuckle #Cologne #CologneCuisine