Asia & Co in Essen

We picked up so we can't rate the ambience.

Change from 5 to 2 stars in 05/2025 It used to be always very tasty, now the wrong food was given several times and yesterday there was no double meat like before (which I ordered and paid for) the other food was a curry which was absolutely tasteless. The food has been very inconsistent lately, but it has never been as bad as yesterday. The portions were the same size as before. The friendliness of the new team leaves a lot to be desired - the previous owners were always very nice and friendly. When you order another dish you get looked at stupidly.

A majority of the customers seem to be Han or other East Asians - that's usually a sign of authenticity and I think that if you're socialized accordingly, you'll enjoy the restaurant a lot more. Of course, it's good to find a food that's less adapted to European palates and to be able to enjoy it without having to travel long-distance, but it makes it seem completely different strange than when you're traveling anyway. It starts with the fact that the rooms are very cluttered and a bit mixed up. You are then shown to the table and there is basically just the standard dish: Chinese fondue, so to speak, but as a flat rate for two hours. A gas burner is set up and you choose the ingredients for the brew. Afterwards you can help yourself to a buffet. The way you put it together, for the first time there are components for a kind of dip (e.g. made from different oils, coriander, garlic, ginger, chili), which you mix together and then a wide variety of things that you can sink into the hotpot. Meat is offered frozen in rolls, but there are also all sorts of vegetables, fish and things like pig brains and chicken stomachs. In addition, there are fewer ready-made dishes that you can grab from the gastro tub like you would from the standard all-you-can-eat Asian restaurant. But the real experience should be cooking the raw ingredients in the broth and then fishing them out in time. It seemed like most of the ingredients weren't meant to stick to the dips, so it tasted a bit bland. The meat comes out of the pot like a wet newspaper. The situation with drinks is unconventional - you can simply take them and, for example, put a bottle on the table, everything is included in the price. The soft drinks are more from the discounter's cheap range, which I've never seen in the catering industry before. It's stupid that there doesn't seem to be anything sugar-free, apart from beer. I think the concept needs to be better explained to new customers, but unfortunately it was a bit difficult to understand how to use it. But it's good to have done it

We went to brunch with the family today… They were very cozy hours with very tasty food and drinks of the best quality. The staff was very friendly and attentive. My little grandson was also happy and had a great time. Value for money 5 stars! We would love to come back.

Has a certain flavor. Everything very fresh and tasteful...