Please note: This article was first published on The Vegan Tourist and last updated July 18, 2016.
Kochkiste is a small vegetarian bistro in the city of Mödling, which is located in the state of Lower Austria. It’s a five minute walk from the city’s train station to the bistro, and it takes about 20 minutes by train to get there from Vienna, Austria’s capital.
Kochkiste offers a so-called Mittagstisch: one kind of soup and one entrée are prepared each day (Monday – Friday) as daily specials. Most days, both the soup (3.60 Euros) and entrée (small: 6.50 Euros, large: 8.20 Euros) are either vegan or can be veganized. You can also order small (5.10 Euros) or large (8.20 Euros) mixed salads from a salad buffet.
The daily specials typically consist of grains (couscous, bulgur, polenta, etc.), rice or potatoes, and veggies. I ordered a slice of “Polenta Pizza,” which was one of the daily specials that day. Polenta was used instead of pizza dough, and a creamy soy-based sauce was used as a topping instead of cheese. The vegetables were either stewed or boiled and seasoned with oregano, which was a disappointment. I do like mildly seasoned food, but the Polenta Pizza was a bit too bland even for my taste. Roasted or grilled vegetables would have made a huge difference, and more herbs and spices would have improved the dish as well.
In addition to the daily specials, you can order three or four other dishes from a standard menu, which are always available. Kochkiste offers organic – but not necessarily vegan – beer and wine, you can also order unfiltered (and therefore vegan) organic fruit juices.
The food wasn’t bad, but I wasn’t impressed either. My friend, who ordered veggie patties from the standard menu, did enjoy her food. I have to go back some time, and give Kochkiste another try.
Inside the bistro, there are only a couple of high tables and bar stools for seating. But Kochkiste has a Schanigarten, an outdoor seating area, during the summer, where you can sit and eat your food. Please note that there are no customer bathrooms, and you can only pay with cash.
Address Kochkiste: Hauptstraße 30, 2340 Mödling
Opening Hours: Mondays – Fridays 11:00 AM – 6:30 PM (closed Saturdays, Sundays, and on public holidays).
Phone: +43-(0)699-1842 1020
Email: office@kochkiste.at
Website: http://www.kochkiste.at/
Facebook: http://de-de.facebook.com/pages/Kochkiste/371021602577