Cafe Selen’s breakfast burger includes a warm scrambled egg patty, leafy greens, pink pickled onions and a spicy vegan mayo, inside a brioche bun. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
Some customers at Kaiserslautern’s Cafe Selen probably don’t realize they’re at a new restaurant.
It’s in the same spot as the once-popular Cafe Susann, which closed in January. But much remains the same, including the vintage-looking coffee machine at the bar and the giant Swiss cheese plant growing in the front window. Even the menu is unchanged.
I stopped by one recent afternoon to find out whether the quality of the food is the same, too.
A full house for lunch at Cafe Selen in Kaiserslautern on March 26, 2024. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
Cafe Susann, which opened downtown seven years ago, quickly became a hot spot for those who enjoy vegetarian brunch options, coffees and cakes.
It was announced at the start of the year that Elif Selen would take over the restaurant with her mother and aunt, continuing the vegetarian brunch theme.
The trio introduced a lunch special, which changes during the week and is not on the normal menu. Former options include a breakfast burrito and plates of pasta. Otherwise, the menu consists of four dishes established under Cafe Susann.
The vegan-friendly french toast uses a mixture of banana and coconut milk as a substitute for eggs. Three slices of whole-grain bread peek out from under a dollop of homemade lemon cream.
Although the dish resembles a dessert, it’s much less sweet than traditional french toast covered in maple syrup.
The French toast at Cafe Selen sits in a tangy blueberry sauce and is topped with homemade lemon cream. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
The bread has a mild sweetness and tastes like an elephant ear. It blends well with the slight zest of the cream and the tangier, runny blueberry sauce. The light texture and subtle flavors are offset by a sprinkling of caramelized walnuts.
This is a tasty and fun dish that didn’t disappoint. However, it may not be a filling meal for some, especially those used to larger, American-size portions.
The breakfast burger is a popular dish at Cafe Selen, and it’s also my favorite. It consists of a warm scrambled egg patty, leafy greens, pink pickled onions and a spicy vegan mayo, all inside a brioche bun.
The bun is extremely soft and almost dissolves in the mouth, complementing the light, fresh filling. It comes with a small salad. The vegan mayo — made with vegetable oil, soy milk, paprika and cayenne pepper — is the dominant flavor of the burger although the spice level is mild.
It’s satisfying and a little messy, owing to the soft texture and uneven shape of the eggs. My napkin was stained orange from the mayo, which I kept wiping from my fingers. Next time I order the breakfast burger, I might use a fork and knife.
Cafe Selen’s Ayurvedic millet porridge is made with coconut milk, cinnamon and cardamom and is suitable for vegans and those intolerant to gluten. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
Cafe Selen’s Ayurvedic millet porridge is made with coconut milk, cinnamon and cardamom and is suitable for vegans and those intolerant to gluten.
The dish is topped with compote and seasonal fruit; my bowl had slices of apple and pear. Oranges and grapes were also included, which mixed well with the gooey millet. The modest serving was packed with flavor and relatively filling for its size.
Although I can’t fault the preparation or the taste of this dish, I could probably whip up something similar at home with relative ease.
The fourth daily offering, the Classico, was included in a recent Stars and Stripes review of standout healthy dishes in Kaiserslautern. Cafe Selen prepares it just as Cafe Susann did.
It consists of homemade baked beans and bread, a boiled egg, red beet salad, pickled onions and whipped ricotta cream with olive oil. The ricotta can be substituted for hummus.
The dish is full of subtle flavors, the standout one being the rustic tomato taste of the beans.
All the dishes are available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. or until the restaurant runs out, with vegan and gluten-free substitutions possible. Employees said the restaurant is particularly busy on warm days, when customers like to sit outside.
For patrons who want just a snack, assorted homemade cakes and coffees are also available.
Luckily for regulars, Cafe Selen provides the quality and laid-back ambiance that Cafe Susann became known for. All that continuity can make the differences, such as the new name painted on the front window, so subtle that they escape notice.
Cafe Selen, in downtown Kaiserslautern, is similar in most ways to Cafe Susann, which closed in the same spot in January. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
Cafe Selen
Address: Osterstrasse 7, Kaiserslautern, Germany
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; closed Mondays
Prices: French toast, 9.50 euros; breakfast burger, 11.30 euros; Ayurvedic millet porridge, 8.70 euros; the Classico, 12 euros
Information: 0631 37330162
