Phoenix in Herrenberg
2025 has been a year full of joy: I've had so many amazing sessions that left me feeling energized and fulfilled, and I've been steadily chipping away at my "to-do" list personally and professionally.
One of the things I've missed dearly is making time to explore and share the places and things that bring me joy so that others could also experience them. It's what I did when we lived in Japan, before I began Hyla Melloy Photography, and what I would like to resume here in Germany.
A new restaurant, Phoenix, opened in my town of Herrenberg not that long ago and after enjoying two visits there last week, I knew I had to share with my fellow foodies.
But first, two caveats:
1. I generally don't bring my camera to restaurants, so my food photos are typically cellphone photos.
2. I sometimes get really excited and take a bite (or several) before remembering to take photos. This happened twice. I’ll let you figure out which dishes were my “whoops I forgot to take a pic” moments.
So with that in mind, here’s my personal review of what is currently my favorite Chinese restaurant in Herrenberg, Germany.
Phoenix specializes in Sichuan & Hunan cuisine. Their menu is huge, and so far I’ve enjoyed everything we’ve ordered. What I really love about the food at Phoenix is that it’s carefully and thoughtfully seasoned. The flavors are well balanced and subtle, without being bland or greasy. Some reviewers have pointed out that their portion sizes are small, and I can see where they might be coming from. For me, I think the portion sizes are fine - enough to have a full meal without feeling bloated. During each of my visit I shared an appetizer, two entrée, and a rice or noodle dish with a friend. This seems to be just the right amount of food for two people to share, with no leftovers.
From my first visit with a friend: steamed pork dumplings, stir-fried green beans, friend chicken with sesame (I think it’s listed as “crunchy chicken” on the menu), and beef fried rice. All delicious. The chicken dish is sweet (exactly what you would expect from sesame chicken) but with the right amount of sweetness for my preference. The green beans do have a bit of a kick, but also delicious.
On my second visit, with “research” as the perfect excuse, I shared the following with another friend: stir-fried duck (it’s the one with the four peppers on the menu and worth the pain if you can handle the spiciness), steamed dumplings in chili sauce (sooo, sooo good), and pork ribs with fried garlic (oh, that mound of perfectly fried garlic is the stuff dreams are made of), and rice noodle with chicken. Everything was delicious.
If you are interested in checking out this restaurant, here are a few things that I recommend keeping in mind.
First: you have to order your rice and noodle dishes separately. Look for this page in the menu. It’s one of the few pages that does not have English translation, but basically you choose your noodles or rice and then decide how you want it cooked. I’ve had fried rice with beef and fried rice noodle with chicken - both were good.
Second: If you enjoy spicy food you can probably handle items marked with four peppers. If you do not enjoy spicy dishes, then I recommend sticking with two peppers or below. I grew up in Thailand and the duck stir-fry we ordered, listed with four peppers, was at a doable-but-slightly-painful level of spiciness for me, if that helps.
This is what their menu looks like - I especially love that there are pictures!
Third: I recommend coming with the expectation that this is a sit down meal that will take about an hour or more which, if you are from the US and new to dining out in Germany, might seem really long but is fairly normal. Similarly - the service is friendly but towards the end of your meal, you most likely will need to flag down your server if you would like to order anything else or for the bill.
Fourth: It is on an expensive side if you’re used to going to buffets or fast food Asian places. Expect to pay around €20-30 per person. Yes, even at lunch.
Fifth: For those sensitive to noise, it looks like there is an area set up for live music. Please check their website (linked below) to plan your visit.
Overall? I really enjoyed spending time with friends at this restaurant and will gladly go back with friends or for a date night. My seven year old is a hit or miss when it comes to long meals these days, so maybe I’ll try it once at lunch time when they aren’t as busy to see how it goes.
For sure though: I recommend ordering family style and share - because trust me, you’re going to want to try more than one dish! Oh - and during the month of May, you might be greeted with a serving of steamed sticky rice that you dip in sugar. It’s in celebration of the Dragon Boat Festival. We really enjoyed it, along with the salted peanuts and picked radish.
Useful Info
Up-to-date info and specials: their website
Google info and reviews: Phoenix
I prefer to park here because it is just a short walk, there are usually parking spots, and it’s free.
Method of payment: cash or credit card (but not American Express)
Language: one server does speak English but she’s not always there; however, they have all been super friendly and helpful.
Level of kid friendliness: I can’t tell you :) I haven’t brought my youngest (7) here yet but I would imagine that if your child can sit through an hour-ish long dinner in a restaurant, they would probably be ok. The restaurant is huge and certain tables look like they would have room for a stroller.