Slim Pickings

‘LONG queues No.135 – the queue for the loo at Sehnsucht, the world’s first restaurant exclusively for anorexics and bulimics.

”I think I might have had a Pirate’s Eye too many”

Yes, it’s no joke – the Times says the 50-seater restaurant opened in central Berlin yesterday with a mission to try to persuade anorexics that eating itself gives pleasure.

The chef – 22-year-old Claudia – has herself been anorexic for the past five years, the waitresses all suffer from eating disorders and the owner, Katja Eichbaum, was herself an anorexic for many years.

”When I went through therapy, we were forced to sit at tables and were not allowed to leave until we had eaten,” Frau Eichbaum recalls.

”There were terrible scenes. The girls would break into tears and some would rather choke than swallow.”

Accordingly, the dishes are named to disguise the fact that they are food.

A rack of lamb is Heisshunger (Ravenous Hunger), a cappuccino crème dessert is Soul, while onion soup is called Crying Girl and fish fingers and fried egg is known as Pirate’s Eye.

It is a tactic that restaurant chains in Britain like Harvester and Berni Inn might want to consider…’

Posted: 1st, December 2004 | In: Uncategorized Comment | TrackBack | Permalink