Heinemann, even betrayal is just !

I was contemplating where to post this one, here or in my experience blogs and finally decided that, its food and it belongs here! I would have never know about Heinemann. Even after 3 years in dear old Mülheim and weekends after weekends in romantic old Düsseldorf, I could have never discovered this gateway to bliss. Thanks to Tez and his policy on the "local" brands. Heinemann is a konditorei (cake shop) in the ever effervescent Alt Stadt, just opposite to the Shadow Arkaden. My first visit there was on a Saturday afternoon and thankfully on an empty stomach. I have never smelled divinity before and now I know I can, but only in Heinemann. The entire place is like a freshly baked cake. Did I say cake?! Well, its the basic lingo everyone knows. But its just not a cake, but pastries, souffles, tortes, truffles, ruffles and many unheard but worth dying for items. I tasted the champagne torte. The softest cake, with the softest cream, with the softest layer of chocolate and lased with strong champagne. I could not pick and hold the cake without crumpling it. Fingers just slide into it and it melts in the mouth and before you realize, you are either holding the second piece or left yearning for more. Why to people refer to food as finger smacking or lip smacking? one would realise it just after you have had a mouthful. I could not stop talking about this marvel for days and weeks.

I was traveling back with Paprika from Aachen. He had to receive his friends from the Düsseldorf airport at 1.45 PM. The train was nearing Benrath, 10 minutes away from Düsseldorf when I chose to tell him about Heinemann. Paprika stopped me just after the description and told me that I have to take him there now. His train to the airport was at 2.07PM, we were scheduled to reach Düsseldorf at 1.28 PM and the flight lands at 1.45PM. It was the first time for his friends to Germany and it was essential that he was there to receive them. I told him that it would take at least 10 minutes with the metro to get to the cake shop and he would for sure miss the train and keep his friends waiting. Your description has already made me crave for the cake and I am ready to make my friends wait in an unknown country for an unknown period of time for an unknown taste. So, just take me there!  I reasoned with him and promised him that I would get the cake for him the next time. He agreed but was unhappy.

When the train pulled into the station, I make a quick move and dragged him out to the metro. Well, the truth is that I couldn't resist the thought of not going to Heinemann and it was anyway his friends. Luckily the metro came in the next minute and we reached the stop in 3 minutes and ran to the shop and made the purchase and ran back to the metro and back to the main station already at 1.52 PM. He had to catch his train in the next few minutes and mine was in the next 5 minutes. All the rush lay forgotten when I bit into the pastry. Time didn't exist at all. Every swallow down was taking place at its own pace and it pacing up just to catch the next train seemed unimportant. We didn't realise that the entire population in the station was staring at us, two Indian guys relishing a piece of heaven with their faces covered in cream! Who cares, its Heinemann! Fortunately we made it to our respective trains.

The flight was nearly an hour late and my train started 30 minutes later. It was like Heinemann wanted us to relish the cake more peacefully! But every sweat and every rush we had was totally worth it!

And dear Iyengar bakery, you will always be my favourite :-)