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Useful website for Swiss menus

As part of my research for a trip i check out the websites for restaurants in the area. I learn a lot about the foods available, prices and non-english translation of menu words. Sometimes in Switzerland it's easy if they have the menu in 3-4 different languages.

Today I stumbled on a website called smood.ch that has takeout menus for restaurants in about a dozen different Swiss cities. It's (sort of ) in multiple languages including english. Some was in English and some I still.needed Google translate. It seems to be a sort of grub hub or uber eats where you can order for delivery. Since its take out its heavy on burgers, pizza, thai, etc. But I found it useful for research.

This isn't spam. I'm just another curious traveler. Can't wait to travel and put it to good use.

Posted by
7976 posts

This could be handy, both for planning before leaving for Switzerland, and while there. Besides the Burger Kings and Subways, there are some other offerings. On a whim, I clicked on Bern, and found an Indian place with a varied menu. Mains appear to be in the 28CHF price range. No tea as a possible drink, but Coke is, as well as bottled water.

Here’s their description of one of the appetizers, with “PEPPY” spice, but what the heck is a Cat Godfather Aloo? Chat is French for cat, so this is Cat Potato? OK but what’s with the Godfather part?

Aloo Chat - Indischer Take Away
Aloo Chat
Potato with PEPPY Spice, crispy capsicum and sesame seeds. This gives the Cat Godfather Aloo the ultimate aroma that makes up flavors and this snack.
CHF 9.50

Posted by
3159 posts

This is great!! Thanks for the info. I just took a quick peek at the website and saw lots of listings for Lucerne.

I’m just in the process now of rescheduling my Switzerland trip for the third time. This time for September. I figure if we reschedule enough times we’ll eventually be able to go. 😊

Posted by
911 posts

Translations often crack me up. Once when researching a Budapest restaurant an appetizer came out as "a selection of cats". Turned out it was cold cuts. On smood I was looking at what the Migros grocery store take out restaurant had and chicken wings were "ailerons de poulet" which I think is quite lovely.

Carrie, we're hoping our Switzerland trip resked from last year happens as well. Not til end of Aug/Sep so trying to stay positive. I also use trip advisor for restaurants then go to their website if they have one. Lucerne's train station - like many others - also has take out and a vegetarian cafeteria.

Posted by
14786 posts

I love mis-translated menu items.

Here is a favorite clip from the Graham Norton Show - with Stanley Tucci laughing so hard he's crying, lol.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkbHGH-NnkU

Ailerons de poulet is certainly a lot more upscale than chicken wings, lol! Wonder about the chat/cat/ick.

Posted by
911 posts

Hilarious video Pam. Love that Stanley Tucci was a guest. We are really enjoying his CNN series on Italian food.

Posted by
7976 posts

So what would the German/French/Romansch speaking Swiss think if they went to a bar in the USA that advertised Buffalo Wings? They might also be dubious about ears of corn.

Posted by
7976 posts

Pam, I’m still wiping my eyes dry from that video, as well! The “Cow Something” made me imagine that a visitor to an American farm might be intrigued by cow pies - maybe thinking they were some savory treat.

Posted by
14786 posts

I'm glad that made you guys laugh! I loved it when they asked Stanley "What wine goes with that?".

And yes, the "cow something" was funny.

Having "strawberries with scum" for dessert tonight.

Posted by
911 posts

Discovered something about smood last night. If you change the delivery/order time to the next day, a different list of restaurants comes up. Seems if you say "as soon as possible" you only get those currently open which given our time difference could be fewer.

Posted by
3961 posts

Thanks Pam for sharing the clip from the Graham Norton Show. I can’t stop laughing! Tucci was hysterical.

This discussion reminded me of a menu board in front of a restaurant in Korcula. It said:
Breakfast 0830-1230
SIMPLE
VIAGRA
FRIED EGGS
CRISPY BACON
OMELET
SWEET DISHES
WELCOME ❤️
The name of the restaurant was Cupido. lol

Posted by
6542 posts

Cyn, you're right about "ears of corn." I've always puzzled over "fish fingers." "Chicken fingers" could, of course, be the individual digits from chicken feet, but the ones I've seen in restaurants don't look like that's what they are.

By the way, I have occasionally put chicken or turkey feet in the stock pot, and they come out looking like babies' hands. Creepy.

Posted by
911 posts

Last night I was scrolling thru the coop.ch website which is the site used to order groceries from coop stores in Switzerland. In the protein section a sub-category was "Insects". I thought it was a mistranslation. Turns out no, it was for burger patties made from insects. Hard pass on that one.

Posted by
14786 posts

"Turns out no, it was for burger patties made from insects. Hard pass on that one."

Oh word! Hard pass from me also!!

Posted by
33911 posts

It is recognised that insects are an excellent source of high quality protein. Very inexpensive, large quantities of protein - not engineered or made in a lab - can be grown in a very small amount of space.

Don't be surprised if these foods play a larger part of your diet in the years going forward. The Swiss Coop are just ahead of the curve...

Posted by
6542 posts

Nigel, all true, but Pam is vegan. I figure we've ingested enough fruit flies that dive into our wine glasses, as well as gnats, ants, and those little worms that infest the peaches in my peach tree, that I can't shudder at the thought of eating insects.

Posted by
911 posts

Still a hard pass for me. I can live with knowing the FDA has standards for how many bug parts are okay in a food factory and still not willingly eat an insect burger.

Posted by
14786 posts

Yes, Jane's right...vegan here. I'm sure I've ingested aphids and other bugs, particularly from the farmers market produce but would not want to eat a bug pattie even if I were still an omnivore.

Posted by
7976 posts

What would be a humane way to slaughter bugs that were intended for burger patties, maybe a Cricket bat?

Posted by
6542 posts

Cyn, I suspect that would result in cricket paté, rather than patty.

Posted by
8997 posts

Occasionally, at our local farmers markets, you'll see a vendor with a sign offering "vegetarian corn". Corn worms being particularly common and unappetizing when you come across one.

Posted by
14786 posts

Hahaha Stan! I had one farmer at the market I stopped buying from because he wouldn't allow you to pull back the shuck and take a look!

I'm trying to decide if cricket pate would be more appetizing than something made with actual liver....

Posted by
911 posts

A friend recently gave me a package of vegan marshmallows and I'm like "whut!" . Who knew.

Posted by
7976 posts

Jane and Pam, regarding cricket paté, what about foie grasshopper?

And cj-traveler, wow - add vegan chocolate and graham crackers and you’ve got vegan s’mores. Or, maybe those would be - less of’s.