Its time again to recount the culinary adventures that I've shared with friends. Going to places alone is not really my plate of food, so I like to do it with friends!
okay, with which one should I start? Perhaps the Mustafa's at Mehringsdamm U Bahn stop. This is one of the very well known Doener places in Berlin. I was out with a friend drinking craft Beer at Hopfenreich, about which I have talked about in the last post. Actually, after this, we went to an Irish Pub, next to the Friedrichstadt Palast: if I am not too mistaken, its called Oscar Wilde. Mmmhmm, how very appropriate! Anyway, after that we went to Mehringsdamm. I had the chicken gemeuse Kebab: it was certainly the best that I have had in Berlin. But I wonder if it is worth all the hype it gets. I mean, there are like hour long lines for this every day. But just our sweet luck, we went there at quarter to two, and therefore only had to queue about 15 minutes. In the freezing weather, however, I have to admit, the waiting wasn't that nice.
In the later weeks, I was told that there exists another branch of Mustafa's in Friedrishain, close to the Kaisers' at Warschauer Strasse S-Bahn.
Well, so much for Kebabs. Let's move on. There is the exotic "Chutnify" that cannot not be mentioned, a paradise for authentic and modern South Indian food --- namely Idlis and Dosas. All my friends were delighted to be at this place. While they served traditional dosas, they also had dishes, which I would call modern, like when the filling of the Dosa is made of keema, or minced meat. It is a small place, so if you plan to go there in the evening with more than four people make sure to reserve a table.
The next stop would probably be a Turkish, which was the weekend when Jyoti visited me. We went to the Doyum Grill and Restaurant near Kottbuser Tor. While I will not tell you what it was like (hey, you have to try it out yourself!), you can read more praises here. If you go here, try the Adana Kebab. This is the only one I've had here, as per the recommendation in the blog, and am willing to come here week after week to try the meat that is charcoal grilled on the outside, and yet sufficiently juicy and succulent inside.
Then there are two places at Potsdamer Platz that I've tried. The one inside the Sony Center, which is more a kind of a multi-cuisine place. With Jyoti around, we tried the flammkuchen. It was quite okay I think, not particularly memorable but better than many other places I've had Flammkuches at. The restaurant was fancy, but the prices were actually quite decent. The other place was the Amlas, the Indian restaurant, again close to Potsdamer Platz, where we went to after watching a Berlinale movie and to celebrate Miguel's birthday. Again, I think the Indian lived up to its average spicy food, but it was lacking the extra bit that made up the elegance of Chutnify.
The next one which deserves a special mention is the Restaurant Serrano. Located to the west to the Tiergarten, close to Wilmersdorf and Charlottenberg, this serves Peruvian cuisine. The food was good, but rather expensive. I had a dish which was corn-fed chicken breast with a yellow chili sauce, walnut and parmesan cheese and blue potatoes, and was really delightful. This was one of this upper class restaurants where you can take your dates to impress them, the food is expensive, but good, the quantity is measured, but enough that it will just fill you, but maybe a bit more wouldn't have hurt. And the Peruvian beer (which unfortunately came bottled, not brewed there directly) had an interesting sweet sour taste. Given that I am very dangerously into foods with a sweetish taste, I consumed two big helpings of the beer. Oops!
Rounding up the food discussion, I must mention the brunch places. The first one we tried the Datcha. Lots of people already praise this place, so I need not give you an additional link. The brunch, however, is particularly renowned! Suffices to say that we went there on a winter's noon for brunch, and I had to wait for almost half an hour for a place for two. So better go in advance, also given the fact that you cannot reserve for the brunches. The food is really worth it, all kinds of fresh salads with delicious cheese, fish, meat, veggies, filled papricas. Maybe also a Russian tea to settle your stomach. The brunch is help-yourself, and one can stay till 4pm, eat as much as you like, and the food is always replaced and very fresh. A comparable brunch place is the Schiller Cafe. The food is again very fresh with a wide variety, and they had the most delicious Berliners (Pfannkuchen) that I've ever had. Try this, it is highly recommended! And if it's not enough, they have a burger shop next doors, which I've heard is also quite good.
Among the couple of Bars, that I can recommend, here goes the list. Definitely try out the Djungel, if you haven't. This is in Neukoelln, somewhere close to the Weserstrasse. The interior decor is quite striking, but as you'd expect: in a jungle. Unfortunately I never got to enjoy the ambience too much. Another one nearby is the Silverfuture, another pretty cool place with the hip (not hippy) atmosphere where you can see people of all age groups, and also LGBT. Going all the way up to the north Prenzlauer Berg, there is Cafe November, not too far from Chutnify. It is a cool place, a bit on the quieter side, and while the lentil soup looked appetizing there, someone complained that it was a bit cold. Then there is Dogma Bar, not far away. This is bit more flashy bar, with more youngish people, nicely and trendily dressed. Perhaps not unlike the one on Kastanienallee, but then Prenzlauer Berg is sufficiently gentrified. A club across the corner is Horns and Hooves, on Danziger Str. and it is quite an interesting place to be (even though it means paying an 8 euro entrance fee), with a bar, a dance floor, a magic show, and sometimes live concerts. Another lively place is the Mon Plasir, on the Pappelallee, which makes fairly decent long drinks (all around 4 or 4.50 euros). Ah yes, they even have sand on the floor trying to mimicking the Bahamas.
I think I will leave it at that. Hopefully this has enough to keep you running about for a few days at least!
okay, with which one should I start? Perhaps the Mustafa's at Mehringsdamm U Bahn stop. This is one of the very well known Doener places in Berlin. I was out with a friend drinking craft Beer at Hopfenreich, about which I have talked about in the last post. Actually, after this, we went to an Irish Pub, next to the Friedrichstadt Palast: if I am not too mistaken, its called Oscar Wilde. Mmmhmm, how very appropriate! Anyway, after that we went to Mehringsdamm. I had the chicken gemeuse Kebab: it was certainly the best that I have had in Berlin. But I wonder if it is worth all the hype it gets. I mean, there are like hour long lines for this every day. But just our sweet luck, we went there at quarter to two, and therefore only had to queue about 15 minutes. In the freezing weather, however, I have to admit, the waiting wasn't that nice.
In the later weeks, I was told that there exists another branch of Mustafa's in Friedrishain, close to the Kaisers' at Warschauer Strasse S-Bahn.
Well, so much for Kebabs. Let's move on. There is the exotic "Chutnify" that cannot not be mentioned, a paradise for authentic and modern South Indian food --- namely Idlis and Dosas. All my friends were delighted to be at this place. While they served traditional dosas, they also had dishes, which I would call modern, like when the filling of the Dosa is made of keema, or minced meat. It is a small place, so if you plan to go there in the evening with more than four people make sure to reserve a table.
The next stop would probably be a Turkish, which was the weekend when Jyoti visited me. We went to the Doyum Grill and Restaurant near Kottbuser Tor. While I will not tell you what it was like (hey, you have to try it out yourself!), you can read more praises here. If you go here, try the Adana Kebab. This is the only one I've had here, as per the recommendation in the blog, and am willing to come here week after week to try the meat that is charcoal grilled on the outside, and yet sufficiently juicy and succulent inside.
Then there are two places at Potsdamer Platz that I've tried. The one inside the Sony Center, which is more a kind of a multi-cuisine place. With Jyoti around, we tried the flammkuchen. It was quite okay I think, not particularly memorable but better than many other places I've had Flammkuches at. The restaurant was fancy, but the prices were actually quite decent. The other place was the Amlas, the Indian restaurant, again close to Potsdamer Platz, where we went to after watching a Berlinale movie and to celebrate Miguel's birthday. Again, I think the Indian lived up to its average spicy food, but it was lacking the extra bit that made up the elegance of Chutnify.
The next one which deserves a special mention is the Restaurant Serrano. Located to the west to the Tiergarten, close to Wilmersdorf and Charlottenberg, this serves Peruvian cuisine. The food was good, but rather expensive. I had a dish which was corn-fed chicken breast with a yellow chili sauce, walnut and parmesan cheese and blue potatoes, and was really delightful. This was one of this upper class restaurants where you can take your dates to impress them, the food is expensive, but good, the quantity is measured, but enough that it will just fill you, but maybe a bit more wouldn't have hurt. And the Peruvian beer (which unfortunately came bottled, not brewed there directly) had an interesting sweet sour taste. Given that I am very dangerously into foods with a sweetish taste, I consumed two big helpings of the beer. Oops!
Rounding up the food discussion, I must mention the brunch places. The first one we tried the Datcha. Lots of people already praise this place, so I need not give you an additional link. The brunch, however, is particularly renowned! Suffices to say that we went there on a winter's noon for brunch, and I had to wait for almost half an hour for a place for two. So better go in advance, also given the fact that you cannot reserve for the brunches. The food is really worth it, all kinds of fresh salads with delicious cheese, fish, meat, veggies, filled papricas. Maybe also a Russian tea to settle your stomach. The brunch is help-yourself, and one can stay till 4pm, eat as much as you like, and the food is always replaced and very fresh. A comparable brunch place is the Schiller Cafe. The food is again very fresh with a wide variety, and they had the most delicious Berliners (Pfannkuchen) that I've ever had. Try this, it is highly recommended! And if it's not enough, they have a burger shop next doors, which I've heard is also quite good.
Among the couple of Bars, that I can recommend, here goes the list. Definitely try out the Djungel, if you haven't. This is in Neukoelln, somewhere close to the Weserstrasse. The interior decor is quite striking, but as you'd expect: in a jungle. Unfortunately I never got to enjoy the ambience too much. Another one nearby is the Silverfuture, another pretty cool place with the hip (not hippy) atmosphere where you can see people of all age groups, and also LGBT. Going all the way up to the north Prenzlauer Berg, there is Cafe November, not too far from Chutnify. It is a cool place, a bit on the quieter side, and while the lentil soup looked appetizing there, someone complained that it was a bit cold. Then there is Dogma Bar, not far away. This is bit more flashy bar, with more youngish people, nicely and trendily dressed. Perhaps not unlike the one on Kastanienallee, but then Prenzlauer Berg is sufficiently gentrified. A club across the corner is Horns and Hooves, on Danziger Str. and it is quite an interesting place to be (even though it means paying an 8 euro entrance fee), with a bar, a dance floor, a magic show, and sometimes live concerts. Another lively place is the Mon Plasir, on the Pappelallee, which makes fairly decent long drinks (all around 4 or 4.50 euros). Ah yes, they even have sand on the floor trying to mimicking the Bahamas.
I think I will leave it at that. Hopefully this has enough to keep you running about for a few days at least!
