The "Engel" will soon fly again

The well-known inn in Walchwil is expected to reopen on November 2nd – with a new tenant and many ideas.

The "Gasthaus Engel" In Walchwil, has been closed since this spring: a fate that has overtaken a number of local restaurants due to the Corona virus. But life will soon be returning to this traditional inn: Kesang Soghatsang, an experienced and renowned restaurateur, is taking over the Walchwil establishment.

The 55-year-old, who was born in Tibet, first came to Graubünden with his parents at a young age, thanks to the help of the International Red Cross – they were the first family to find refuge and a new future in Samedan. Soghatsang grew up in Switzerland, and has been a passionate restaurateur for over 30 years - he has a wide range of experience in 4 and 5-star hotels in Germany and abroad, as well as with catering companies in Switzerland. He also worked at the former Peninsula Hotel in Beijing and the Grand Hotel Bad Ragaz.

The core traditions of the "Engel" will be maintained in the future, he says: "We want to re-package the tradition of the restaurant." With respect to the gastronomy, Soghatsang states that: "Swiss cuisine will, of course, continue to be offered in the future – but we are also right by the lake, so there will also be Mediterranean dishes."

Concept designed according to demand
In any case, he first wants to obtain a feeling for the local demand. "It is certainly an advantage that, based on my experience, I can cover a wide spectrum: from traditional Swiss cuisine to Asian dishes." He is not always willing to make compromises across the board, however: "We don't want Gault Millau points, but there will be no concession with regard to the quality of our products."

Photo 1: The Gasthaus Engel in Walchwil is currently closed.
Photo 2: The new tenant, Kesang Soghatsang

The traditional company is therefore to be preserved, but will also be modernised. "Compared to the past hosts of the "Gasthaus Engel", I’m certainly rather exotic," notes Soghatsang, adding: "My goal for the restaurant is to be able to combine tradition with innovation." He first discovered the "Engel" more or less by chance, and thought that the Walchwil traditional inn was a promising object: you can achieve many things with its large terrace, the restaurant, the bar and the hotel rooms. "We are in the planning phase at the moment, and still have to finally determine the opening hours." In this regard, he also wants to wait and see what the demand will be. And the same applies to the terrace. It’s not yet clear whether, for example, the terrace could be used in the winter months. This would not only be an additional benefit for the guests: the space that would be thereby gained for the restaurant service would also be of huge importance in these times of the pandemic.

The corona virus has presented some very special challenges: social distancing and the respective hygienic measures are severely restricting restaurant operations, which is why many restaurants are likely to come under additional pressure in the coming months. "We didn't plan to offer takeaway initially," says Kesang Soghatsang, "but we could also expand the concept here if this is desired by our customers."

Despite the pandemic-related difficulties that Kesang Soghatsang has to overcome with the reopening of the Gasthaus Engel, which is scheduled for 2 November, he remains confident: "There is certainly potential for new things in Walchwil and in Zug. Taking the different customer segments in Walchwil and the surrounding area into account, you can certainly inspire guests with quality and innovation." Seasonal specialities and regional products will nevertheless not be neglected.: "During this difficult time, there are also opportunities that you have to take advantage of in order to convince the guests with passion and professionalism,” says Soghatsang.