The word “delight” is a very strong term. If a restaurant chooses to use that powerful word in its name, it had better live up to heightened expectations.

Luckily, Oriental Delight Cafe in Kaiserslautern does exactly that.

More than a few of the assorted pastries, baked goods and other delicacies offered at the new downtown Kaiserslautern eatery meet this reporter’s definition of the word, and the range of options available means just about anyone should be able to find something sufficiently delightful.

Start with the classic baklava, which comes in several varieties, including pistachio and walnuts. The sticky pastry is inherently sweet, but the version at Oriental Delight Cafe avoids the excess that makes some baklava recipes unpalatable. The result is a subtle, smooth, satisfying treat that doesn’t drown its other flavors in sugar.

The inviting glass case at Oriental Delight Cafe holds several options similar to the ubiquitous baklava, including the substantial walnut rolls and pistachio rolls, the creamy sobiyet and, perhaps most interesting, the nightingale nest, a collection of tightly wrapped crispy noodles cradling small pistachios meant to represent tiny bird eggs.

A look further down the menu presents alternatives, such as sesame cookies and shortbread biscuits, that nicely balance the cafe’s sweeter specialties. One unexpected highlight was the kombe cookie, a delicious pastry stuffed with dates that struck this diner as a very upscale Fig Newton.

While this spread was amply delightful, Oriental Delight Cafe had a final treat. As my wife and I prepared to settle the affordable bill, the friendly young man at the counter presented a magnificent, freshly baked pastry stuffed with a spicy sausage known as sujuk, and, after my wife declined the meat-based option, rushed to the back and returned with a cheesy meat-free version of the same.

The remarkable customer service capped a delightful visit to Oriental Delight Cafe and helped earn the eatery a premium spot on our list of local favorites. As we left, we were offered a brochure advertising a weekend breakfast buffet, ensuring it won’t be long at all before we make that return visit.

broome.gregory@stripes.com Twitter: @broomestripes

Location: Eisenbahnstrasse 22 in downtown Kaiserslautern.

Hours: Open Monday to Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; and Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Food: Primarily Turkish pastries and breakfast items, along with a selection of coffee, tea and soft drinks.

Costs: Small pastries run from under one euro to 1.50 euros; more substantial options go up to 5.99 euros. Nothing exceeds two euros on an extensive drink menu. A weekend breakfast buffet, running from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, costs 9.99 euros per person.

Information: Search for Oriental Delight Cafe on Facebook for more details.

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