Next to the solid wooden table are large plants that climb almost to the ceiling. Sunlight shines into the restaurant from the seats directly at the window front. The wicker chairs, the light wood of the counter and the many flower pots create a calm atmosphere in which to relax. Ingo Hofmann, who runs the Noams Deli in the Glockenbach district with his wife Maria Niggel, speaks of a harmony that the place should radiate. Niggel and Hofmann believe in the power of nature, they love vegetarian cuisine – and the guests feel that.
The couple have always cooked a lot together. Maria Niggel comes from the nutritional sciences, Ingo Hofmann’s approach is spiritual. Cooking is an art and inspiration for her, with the goal of keeping the body healthy and being able to live a long, happy life, he says.
Shortly before the outbreak of the corona pandemic, the two opened their first deli in Giessen. In the meantime, they have given the restaurant in Hesse into the hands of regular customers. They moved to Munich, home of Niggel, and opened a second place to stay here a year ago. The name Noams is Hebrew and means pleasant and peaceful. Exactly what should be created with the Deli.
What and how is being cooked in the kitchen can be observed from the seats in the café.
(Photo: Friedrich Bungert)
In the open kitchen, visible from almost every seat, fresh ingredients are used for cooking and baking. The dishes are plant-based, and there are no fish or eggs in the recipes, just a few dairy products. The operators use legumes, whole grains, herbs, spices and lots of vegetables. “We combine a lot in order to be able to respond to guests’ intolerances,” says Hofmann. In the kitchen, onions and garlic are not used at all: “These very tasty and intense plants can create an imbalance in people, just like coffee, alcohol, too much salt and sugar.”
At Noams Deli we not only care about people’s health, but also about the environment as much as possible. Food is served in cardboard or cornstarch wrappers for takeaway, but guests are welcome to bring their own bowl. Sometimes a dish runs out during the course of the day – and that is what is desired; because “We don’t think it’s cool to waste food,” says Hofmann.
What is there and how much does it cost?
The offers change daily. The menu includes different types of oatmeal (each 6.90 euros), sometimes cashew-blackberry, sometimes chocolate and sometimes plum-cinnamon. There are also stews such as the Noams stew with yellow dal, tomatoes, peppers and their own spice mix (9.50 euros). Bowls cost 10.50 euros, the rice noodle bowl with pomegranate seeds, lettuce, cucumber, carrot, mint, cashews and sesame dressing is popular, says Hofmann.
Colorful bowls, which can be put together in a variety of ways, are often ordered.
(Photo: Friedrich Bungert)
A special feature is the sweet potato bread, which is served with a spread and topping for 5.90 euros. It can be eaten sweet with a raspberry cream, but also savory with avocado or hummus. If you’re feeling peckish, there are different types of banana bread (3.50 euros) – the slightly tart chocolate banana bread, for example, goes well with the sweet spread of raspberry cream with pomegranate seeds.
There is something unusual about the drinks: green coffee (3.90 euros), which is alkaline, says Hofmann, is therefore gentle on the stomach, without sugar and develops its caffeine effect very slowly, “every cup is good for you”. The deli also sells sugar-free cocoa, homemade lassi, coconut coffee and fresh tea for EUR 3.90 each.
Who do you meet there?
The restaurant doesn’t open until 11 a.m., and it gets busier from midday. The clientele is a diverse mix: young families with prams sit at the wooden table, students with laptops have found a quiet corner and couples take a coffee to go.
The restaurant should be a place of peace and harmony with daylight and lots of plants.
(Photo: Friedrich Bungert)
In the meantime, guests can even have the dishes sent home in the online shop. The food is not preserved or frozen. As soon as an order was placed, they would start cooking at the deli the next day, says Hofmann. The food is then chilled to refrigerator temperature, packed in a cardboard box and then shipped.
Noam’s DeliHolzstraße 19, 80469 Munich, opening hours: Monday to Friday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m