This post is also available in: 
Deutsch 
Français
La Pazarienne, newcomer in Esch-sur-Alzette, invites you in discovering or rediscovering pastries and other treats from the Balkans. Coming soon to Differdange as well!”
It is a little treasure trove of delicacies from the Balkans that opened its doors on the 1st of March in Esch-sur-Alzette. With more than 10,000 Luxembourgish residents, not to mention their descendants, the community from ex-Yugoslavia is, even without including the bordering countries, one of the most significant in the country. It seemed only natural for it to have its own little corner of deliciousness, a gourmet break to remind them of the sweets of childhood.
Welcome to Novi Pazar
It’s a done deal in Esch: La Pazarienne has arrived. Pushing open the door of the shop with shimmering spring colours at the bottom of the Alzette road, you arrive in Novi Pazar, a small city in the south of Serbia, near Kosovo and Montenegro. Here, specialties from Albania, Turkey, Serbia jostle for space. Baklava, also in a cheesecake version, Tri Lece, Burek (a spiral-shaped bread with fillings) plain, with cherries or Nutella, savory Burek (also called Pita depending on the region) with cheese, potatoes, spinach or meat, and the house specialty, Mantije with meat, are already delighting the first customers. Following on, another store is due to open in May, on Rue Michel Rodange in Differdange.
Childhood Memories
At the head of this halal Balkan pastry shop is entrepreneur Baki Husovic. The man, who has already opened many places in the Grand Duchy, recently arrived in Esch-sur-Alzette, coming from the north of the country with his family. “I’ve always had a passion for gastronomy,” he explains, gazing nostalgically at the large picture of Novi Pazar in the tea room, where he used to eat his Bureks as a child.
A Family History
“Here, we make everything homemade. Many recipes are from my mom. She and my sisters sometimes come and help out at the shop,” Baki Husovic explains, proud and satisfied. Open “from Monday to Sunday inclusive, except for Wednesdays, from 10 am to 8 pm,” La Pazarienne invites you to sit in pretty, brightly colored velvet seats to discover or rediscover the famous Mantije, small squares of pastry filled with minced meat, to be eaten with or without yogurt sauce. “It’s a question that divides the region,” laughs the owner. At Kachen, we loved it with yogurt… It’s up to you to try!
La Pazarienne
Open every day except Wednesday, from 10 am to 8 pm.
151, rue de l’Alzette
4011 Esch-sur-Alzette
lapazarienne.lu
Instagram @lapazarienne