Agata Reul – Host with a star

After the success of “Agata’s”, she was ready to try something different: Another restaurant with a different focus. In “Reul’s” at Kirchfeldstraße 59 in Düsseldorf – Agata wanted to combine the best of regional Mediterranean, Asian and Polish cuisine. Very good food for the more modest wallet. The chef at “Reul’s” – Takuji Matsunaga – was on board with that idea and that’s how an outstanding menu was born, including Reul’s fish soup and veal tartar with pickled egg yolk, spring onions, capers, sardines and smoked paprika, or creations such as Red Label salmon with potato crust, ratatouille, carrot and ginger purée and wasabi foam. And there is also beetroot soup that is reminiscent of the unmistakable Polish soup “Barszcz Czerwony”. But it is only reminiscent, because here it is served to you from a stylish Chinese pot, along with strips of roast beef, an egg poached for 40 minutes and potato purée.

Agata Reul’s strength is undoubtedly her cosmopolitan outlook. She is of the opinion that, as in life, almost all directions can be combined in the kitchen, that you can always learn from each other when you approach the things with commitment and openness.

She also has a good feel for the employees she brings on board. Her teams are international, multicultural and perfectly attuned with each other. Agata is keen to point out that she is also part of these teams. She says that her restaurant can only be as good as the teams. She does not shy away from any kind of work in her restaurants and is hands on in all operations. She often stands in the kitchen and serves if one of the staff is missing. But that does not stop her from having at least a quick chat to each guest, greeting them in person or saying goodbye to them.

Agata Reul still has a lot of plans and visions. She will shortly consolidate her previous restaurant concepts and, as in her real life, will merge “Agata’s” “Reul’s” in one location. She is already trying to get her second Michelin star. She is also going on the move and following the trend for kitchens on wheels: She has a foodtruck at Düsseldorf airport. She cooks with her famous chef and creates wonderful, small lunchtime meals on the spot that are already being described as “street food creations”. Within the context of her campaign “Agata’s goes Foodtruck” she wants to venture outside and reach those people who have not previously had the opportunity, the time or the possibility to visit her restaurants. She is not scared of approaching people and is already thinking, thanks to how well this one has been received, of setting up other foodtruck sites.

She has remained humble despite her success. She says that, if it should ever come to it, she would also be happy to cook in a market wagon. This is because what matters to her in her professional life is that people truly enjoy the flavour.

Roma Stacherska-Jung, May 2018

Agata Reul’s website: http://agatas.de/cms/