"Bircher Muesli is my most favorite Swiss breakfast dish"
In this new series, New Town Zurich asks expats living in Zurich about their experiences and challenges since they moved here. Today's interviewee is Meghna from India, who lived in Houston, Texas before moving to Switzerland and has now been in Zurich for over 8 years. We wanted to know what food challenges Meghna faced when settling in Zurich.
New Town: Meghna, you lived in the United States before moving to Zurich. When it comes to food, is your taste still Indian or is it more American, or has it even become a little Swiss in the time you have been living here? And do you have a favourite Swiss dish?
Meghna: I enjoy trying all kinds of cuisines and my tastes have evolved over time from living in and traveling to various places. Zurich offers a wide variety of restaurant choices. I love Zurich for the quality of the food (fresh produce) and choices of restaurants too. I love ethnic food of all kinds – Ethiopian, Japanese, Malaysian, Thai. Bircher Muesli is my most favorite Swiss breakfast dish! I miss it dearly when I am outside Switzerland. I also enjoy Raclette with friends on a cold winter evening. I enjoy all kinds of salads during the summer and eating outdoors on summer evenings in Zurich.
New Town: What do you think about the food options in Zurich? And what are your personal favourite eateries in town and why?
Meghna: Food options are great in Zurich. Some of my favorite restaurants are as follows. Hiltl/Tibits: This is where I go almost every week. Every big city should have Hiltl! Bebek: Amazing mix of Lebanese and Turkish food. Ambience is great too. Samurai: Traditional Japanese food.Malaysian: My Kitchen in Oerlikon – small restaurant with some of the most delicious Malaysian dishes. Ban Song Thai: The best Thai curry in town.
"Every big city should have Hiltl!"
New Town: To cook a real Indian dish, can you get all the ingredients you need at Coop and Migros or do you have to go to an Indian food shop? Was it difficult in your first few months here to find what you need?
Meghna: You can find a few ingredients in Coop, but not all. You can certainly manage to cook basic Indian food using ingredients from Coop. Indian cuisine is quite vast and varied as each part of the country has their own cuisine and specialty which makes it hard to find all ingredients in one shop. I do not cook that often unless I have friends or family visiting.
"You can certainly manage to cook basic Indian food using ingredients from Coop."
New Town: To finish this interview, what should Coop and Migros add to their shelves for your own personal food tastes?
Meghna: Fresh tender coconut, Indian Alphonso Mangoes, Okra, White Pumpkin, Acai Powder, Kombucha, Spirulina, Chlorella, Maca Powder would be nice!