A good place to go with your friends
I am from a place where it is cheaper to eat out at a restaurant than to cook at home, especially for university students. So, when I started living in Rostock, I was shocked by how much I could save by cooking at home. This made me just want to stay home and cook for myself. However, one day, my friend invited me to dinner somewhere. She took me to JAZ, a place near Steintor. Since Rostock gets very dark in the evening, the way to the restaurant was dark. I felt like I was in a remote place. The place also didn’t look like a place to have dinner. It was full of people and noisy. Then, my friend told me that the food was not ready so we had to wait. While we were waiting, even more people came in until there weren’t any more places to sit. I was not able to keep track of time, but soon the food was served.
Although I keep saying the place is a restaurant, it is actually more like a kitchen. The place is usually used for other purposes, like a bar, and turns into a restaurant every Wednesday evening. The customers line up in front of the serving counter, pay their money, get their food, take a spoon, fork and a knife, and go back to their seats. Also, you are not given many choices. All you can choose from is whether you eat the food or not. Only three dishes are served: a salad, a main dish, and a dessert. Every time you want to have the next dish, you have to wait and line up. When you are finished, a place to wash your dishes is provided, so you have to wash up before you leave.
Yes, it is quite an inconvenient place. The location is a bit remote, only opens on Wednesdays, you don’t get to choose what you want to have, you need to wait and line up to get the food, and you even have to wash your dishes. Since you have to wait until the next component of the menu is ready, it takes a long time to finish the whole meal. However, when you hear the price, you understand why you have to do all these things. THREE Euros. That’s all you need to pay for a salad, a main dish, and a dessert. It is way healthier and more delicious than McDonald’s, and even cheaper.
When I was there for the first time I had a salad, fish with mashed potato, and a piece of chocolate cake. The next time, I had a salad with a piece of bread, vegetable stew, and rice pudding. I was very satisfied with both meals that I had. The vegetables were fresh, salad dressings also went well with the salad, and the dessert was sweet. I was very full after I had finished all the food.
Overall, I really enjoyed going to the kitchen and having dinner there. The food is incredibly cheap and delicious. Although it was noisy, I didn’t find it so difficult to talk with my friends. Actually, the place isn’t always noisy or crowded. It’s a question of luck. The next time I went there, it was emptier and quieter. I would give the place 7 out of 10. Although I had to wait, line up, and even clean the dishes, I loved the food and the price. I would definitely recommend this place for everyone to try out.
Bohyun Youn
The Rostock Review 