Kon Tiki – the best tripe soup in Romania

I discovered Kon Tiki while I was a university student in Sibiu and ever since, I always recommend it and return happily there, even if I’m now back in my hometown, some 150 km away. I must thank my local classmates for taking me there for the first time. I had no idea there was such a restaurant just a few minutes away from where I was living.

This restaurant is well-known for its traditional tripe soup. You can see people queueing up because they can’t find a vacant table, but they are happy to wait for a delicious meal. Because of the small number of tables, you may find yourself sharing one with a stranger, but locals are really nice and most of them even wish you enjoy your meal. My family and I really enjoy this place as it is pretty nice and quiet, so we go there to eat every time we are in Sibiu.

The moment you step in, you are welcomed by the wonderful smell of traditional Romanian food, with the most prominent being that of its iconic soup.

As a curiosity, you can even see locals come and buy to-go soup for home or work. If you decide to do that as well, don’t keep it too much. They recommend eating it the same day, as it may spoil because of the cream and fat in it.

Kon Tiki’s décor is really plain. It looks like an ordinary neighborhood restaurant in a simple house away from the city’s busy historic center (it’s a 15 min walk). Some would even say it looks like an old, communist restaurant, though they now have modern furniture. But the staff is great: very polite, always smiling and been working there for ages (I have known most of them for 10 years already).

Apart from the soup, they also serve other traditional dishes, like polenta with cream and cheese (mamaliga in Romanian), pork or beef soup, goulash, and fresh home-baked bread. For desert, you must try the papanasi (a sweet dough with cream and jam – usually blackberry). Portions are big, so if you are not very hungry, you may have the surprise of being too full for desert after eating a soup.

Soup tips:  most Romanian soups are thick, packed with vegetables, meat or heavy cream, so keep this in mind when choosing your meal. We do have clear and lighter soups, but they are fewer. We usually eat them with pickled peppers and bread, so one of these soups may be enough for most of the day if you don’t usually eat much.

Prices are really affordable here and have not changed much over time (only to keep up with price changes for ingredients, I suppose).

The only day to not go there is on Saturday, because the restaurant is always closed.

Why the name Kon Tiki in Transilvania?

According to a legend, Kon Tiki was an great priest and Sun king of white people in Inca legends, who left the huge ruins on the shores of lake Titicaca. The expedition for finding these ruins was, of course, called Kon Tiki, lead by captain (surprise!) Kon Tiki. An ordinary Kon Tiki day began with the cook preparing their delicious meals, just like in the modern-day restaurant. Nobody knows the connection between Incas and a Romanian city but well, we still enjoy it a lot.

The legend has a discreet sign placed just above the entrance door. It is not very bright, so be careful not to miss it.

There is also a small hotel and a more modern restaurant just next door, where you can also enjoy their delicious meals, but if you seek a genuine Kon Tiki experience, the old restaurant is the place to be.

I am Laura Candea from Brasov, Romania. I am a historic reenactor of ancient and medieval ages in modern-day Romania. I also love to travel and discover new people and places. I also enjoy dancing and spinning fire and creating great shows alone, or with friends.

About Author:
I am Laura Candea from Brasov, Romania. I am a historic reenactor of ancient and medieval ages in modern-day Romania. I also love to travel and discover new people and places. I also enjoy dancing and spinning fire and creating great shows alone, or with friends.