Tag Archives: Orkide

Orkide – Thai food in Sonderborg

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While living in London we were spoilt by a very good and very cheap Thai restaurant just round the corner from where we lived (check out Spicy Basil if you are in the area!). So I have been putting off visiting the local Thai place as I knew I had high expectations. However, when an occasion came up we decided to give it a go.

Atmosphere

On the day we visited there was no one at the restuarant, though a guy did join us later on. This is, possibly, understandable, as we were looking for dinner around 4:30 pm – not exactly Danish dinner time! Since we had good weather, we opted for sitting outside. If you do like we did, do go check out the inside!

Service

The person serving us, possibly the owner, was very friendly and open to giving suggestions. It was really service with a smile. However, considering that we were the only people in the restaurant, the food did take a bit long to appear.

Food

Between us we had the spring roll starters, a pad thai for me and a beef curry for Michael. I would probably opt for something else instead of the spring rolls. The pastry was absolutely lovely – crispy, flaky, thin – but I was less impressed with the filling. I felt that there was too much filling for the pastry, and would have probably expected a bit more vegetables in there. The consistency of the filling was quite uniform (as though everything was made into a mince). This might be the right way of doing it, but it is not what I have had before. They were perfectly edible, but would be willing to try something else.

On to the main dishes. The first thing that you notice is that the portions are huge. They looked nice and colourful, which is also nice with the eyes being the first to eat and all that. My pad thai was good, though not as spicy as I am used to. However, considering the different neighbourhoods of this restaurant to the more ethnically diverse London one, I was expecting this. The curry was very good, however, and spicy – just as we like it!

Red beef curry at Restaurant Orkidé in Sønderborg

Overall

Don’t go if you are in too much of a hurry. The starter was a bit of a miss for me, but the mains were good. This meal, including drinks, came to around 400 DKK. And if visiting, don’t forget to check out the inside (and the toilets are not too shabby either!).

Enjoying the food at Restaurant Orkidé in Sønderborg

Stroll along Sonderborg Havn

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Sonderborg Havn (Harbour) is a major feature of the town of Sonderborg. It comes alive especially in the summer months when the weather entices the people in town to enjoy the relaxed atmosphere along the water. If you are looking for something more than some relaxation, this is a bit of what you can see along the water.

Sonderborg Castle

Sonderborg castle is the dominating feature of the south end of Sonderborg Harbour. It has been around since the 12th, protecting Jutland from attacks from the south. A visit to the castle is a good way of learning a bit more about the history of the area (though not all displays are translated into English). (#2/99 of Things to do in Sonderborg)

Fru Jensen

Every afternoon you can buy fish straight off the Fru Jensen fishing boat moored besides Sonderborg slot. (#5/99 of Things to do in Sonderborg).

The Legend of King Christian’s Table

The legend goes that while Christian the 2nd was imprisoned in the castle, he continuously walked round a table dragging a finger around its edge. Over time, a groove to form in the table top as a result of the constant rubbing along the edge. Although the story is simply a legend, you can see a statue called “The Myth” representing this along the harbour.

Ringrider Track

The ringrider tradition is a popular tradition in southern Jutland. You can see an old ringrider track at the side of Sonderborg castle.

Ringrider Monument

With Sonderborg having the biggest ringrider festival in Denmark, it is apt that a monument to this tradition is placed in such a central location.

Old Castle Wall

If you looked at the models of the castle in the first display cases in Sonderborg Castle you may have noticed that the castle was originally on an island, surrounded by thick walls with towers at the corners. You can still see remnants of a tower here, as well as bits and pieces of the wall on the other side.

Der Butt im Griff

The “Flounder in control” is a sculpture by 1999 Nobel Prize recipient in Literature, Gunter Grass. This 2.3m high bronze sculpture was opened in 2004. The same sculpture can also be seen in Lubeck and Dusseldorf.

Restaurants

There are 5 restaurants just across from the harbour where you can savour a wide variety of food, from Argentinian and Asian to Danish, fish and beef.

Ice-Cream Kiosk

Having walked this far around the harbour you deserve a treat. And what better place to get it than at the ice-cream kiosk just on the water front. If ice-cream is not your thing you can also get a beer and relax on the benches and tables right next to the kiosk.

Train Tracks

Nowadays, the train stops at Alsion, on the Jutland side of Sonderborg. However, the train used to cross the King Christian bridge from Jutland onto Als. Evidence can still be seen close to the harbour, where there are still remnants of the train tracks left embedded in the road.