WHEN we hear about German’s Restaurant, we instantly think about soup. I should say it’s the best soup in town. I visited German’s New location in the Giftland Mall intending to enjoy a delicious soup. Sometimes I forget the variety of dishes they offer. The lasagna commanded my attention as I glanced at the display case. I looked at everything else but my eyes went back to the lasagna. This meal stood out like the most beautiful and confident woman that fills a room with her presence and everything else fades when she is around. The dish was talking to me without saying a word, so that was my choice, with potato and egg salad. We eat with our eyes first. Hence, presentation is important for restaurants. She did not disappoint because it was one of the best lasagnas I have eaten. I was telling this to my friend Raquel who agrees with me and maybe many of you reading this column. The salad was also delicious. I sat in the food court observing as patrons bought from this new location. I must congratulate Clinton and Hubert Urling (Junior) on this new expansion and for the consistency in the standard of their food. Having a vision is one of the most important elements in charting our courses and this vision manifested 62 years ago. As a young child growing up in Bartica, I first heard the name mentioned by family members who visited the city.
German’s Restaurant began in a modest, small shop in the Tiger Bay, Georgetown neighbourhood in 1960 by its founder Hubert “German” Urling. Urling had created flavourful and unique recipes for local Guyanese dishes, which he learnt from his grandmother who is of Chinese and Guyanese heritage. However, his legendary cowheel soups created a buzz and became very popular with the working class crowd in the area. Fast forward six decades later, the restaurant still has the reputation for the best Guyanese creole dishes anywhere to be found in the world.
“Our soups are made from scratch daily using recipes developed over 60 years ago by founder Hubert “German’ Urling in his Tiger Bay, Georgetown kitchen. German’s soups use fresh local ingredients and natural meats and produce that are never stored but are purchased daily to ensure the freshest and yummiest soups anywhere in the world. Additionally, we use only the highest quality ingredients to ensure our soups are always tasty, creamy and thick,” the brother proudly shared.
German’s is one of the oldest restaurants in Guyana and has been in existence for over 62 years with its flagship store located at 8 New Market Street, Georgetown.
The company has a rich culinary history of serving Guyanese cuisine and is well-known for its unique soups.
It is one of the few indigenous companies to have ventured overseas with the opening of a branch at 410 Utica Avenue, Brooklyn, New York, in the United States in 2018. The Brooklyn operation is located in an area that is heavily populated with Guyanese and Caribbean nationals living in New York. The company has done a lot to raise the profile of Guyanese cuisine, which is often overlooked overseas in favour of Jamaican and Trinidadian dishes. “German’s has a history and unique products which have caught the attention of both the Guyanese diaspora and people of non-Guyanese background and persuasion living in NY to notice and patronise the establishment and by extension expose the culinary traditions of Guyana to a wider audience in New York,” says co-owner Clinton Urling.
The restaurant has managed to thrive in its new environment and has received attention from the mainstream and culinary NY media, including the New York Times, New York Magazine, ABC Television News, Eater, Gotham Magazine, to name a few. All Guyanese should be proud of this accomplishment because I am not aware of any local restaurant brand that has accomplished this. Another special feature also is that it was accomplished by a single family and they are only now getting started according to Clinton Urling.
“We are looking at a location in New Amsterdam, Vreed-en-hoop looks promising, somewhere along the East Bank and highway. All those are potential sites for our location, but no firm commitment. In New York, we are looking to expand to Liberty Avenue at some point in Little Guyana, in Queens. We also plan to build a corporate headquarter that will include a state-of-the-art sophisticated, very modern kitchen to house all these expansion plans that we have, we are looking to do more, getting into the catering business also.
That kitchen will be larger, with modern equipment so that we can do faster production of meals and also meet some of these new opportunities that are being presented. Right now, we are seeing an economic expansion happening, lots of commercial activities opening up new areas of consumers and that’s one of the reasons we are at Giftland. When you go to Giftland and see the foot traffic Roy Beepat and the Giftland team have created there. It’s nothing short of phenomenal,” Urling said.
One of the things I admire about Clinton is the way he values his staff and his desire to see them do well. During the time when people were letting staff go, he thought about their livelihood because their families depended on it. We need more companies to care about their employees and community well-being as we continue to celebrate this beautiful journey called life BEYOND THE RUNWAY.
