Sanny & Michi is a very small restaurant. An information poster on the wall claims that it can accommodate 30 persons, but that must include Sanny and Michi (and the cook, if there is one). Moreover, the other people must be significantly smaller than I. It’s not that I felt claustrophobic or in any way uncomfortable, but it was weird to realize that my body was occupying a significant fraction of the restaurant’s overall space.
It must have been because of the restaurant’s size that I was not particularly surprised by the small portion. S&M serves goose legs only (the menu makes it clear), and the one I got obviously had not come from a giant goose. Actually, it could have been a dwarf among geese, or nearly so.
Of course, the size does not matter if the quality is good (a lie – it does matter), and the Gansl of Yppenplatz did not disappoint in that respect. It was clearly cooked with expertise, love and certain creativity: I found some rosemary in the sauce, and something (honey?) must have been rubbed into the skin, because it tasted slightly sweet. The meat had the right goosy texture and was very pleasant to eat, apart from the lack of salt (easily fixable) and certain dryness, most likely caused by a longish gap between roasting and warming up. Had the goose been less dry, I would have happily awarded it an additional point.
The red cabbage was absolutely fine, tasting exactly how I like it (crunchy, spicy and not excessively sour or sweet), but the potato dumplings were flavorless and wobbly, which Austrians seem to appreciate while I despise. Nevertheless, all the small deficiencies were easily compensated by super-friendly service, which culminated in the free post-dinner schnapps. In many ways (including the restaurant’s size), Sanny & Michi is similar to Rudi’s Beisl, which is considered one of the best places to eat goose in Vienna. However, while Rudy’s has a slightly arrogant, bohemian atmosphere, Sanny & Michi is absolutely down to earth and authentic. I would add that its goose is just as good.
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