Vietnamese in Berlin: Saigon Green
Food Mary Scherpe Food Mary Scherpe

Vietnamese in Berlin: Saigon Green

Just as I thought I did my fair share of Kantstraßen-exploring and covered all things worthwhile, I discover something so exciting, I couldn't stop talking about it for days. I think I found the best Vietnamese food in Berlin, I repeated to my friends over and over again. But it's true, I had the best Vietnamese lunch in Berlin ever.And yes, I've been to Dong Xuan Center and ate at numerous restaurants there. But none of them was as fresh and flavorful as the Súp Rau I had at Saigon Green.

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Chinese in Berlin: Do De Li
Food Florian Duijsens Food Florian Duijsens

Chinese in Berlin: Do De Li

My childhood Chinese restaurant was on a corner a long walk or a short car ride away. My parents usually found the time to cook, but on very rare and special occasions we'd get Chinese take-out. Its different flavors—sweet, spicy, umami—bewitched me and encouraged me to demand we go to Chinese restaurants for my birthdays. Soon we found a place that was better than that corner place, instead overlooking a bus station in the center of town. Up the stairs from its tiny shop front were dark and cozy tables, and the meals were enormous and hearty.Though Do De Li here on Kantstrasse is much smaller, and lacks the glamorous view of a bus station, it did bring me right back to that childhood comfort zone, spooning up hot-and-sour soup like liquid nostalgia.

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Fine Dining in Berlin: Glass
Food Florian Duijsens Food Florian Duijsens

Fine Dining in Berlin: Glass

Glass is closed, Gal Ben Moshe opened a new place called Prism.When It comes to dining I prefer to be completely submissive; just bring me what you recommend, tell me in which order to dig in, what wine to drink alongside, whether your desserts are even worth it. I'll just sit there and start smiling. It also ensures that chefs can serve what they want, what they deem is in season, what they found on the market that morning, what they believe are excellent contrasting or accompanying flavors; it's like watching a great television series in exact order.

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Noodles in Berlin: Lon-Men's Noodle House
Food Florian Duijsens Food Florian Duijsens

Noodles in Berlin: Lon-Men's Noodle House

First off, don't trust your iPhone to just lead you straight to Lon Men, as it has a Googlegänger some 20 minutes further south, a Chinese restaurant that smelled great but definitely was not the place I was supposed to meet the Wednesday Chef for lunch. By the time I'd rushed my way back up to Kantstrasse (and how could I possible have thought this lovely little Taiwanese treasure would be anywhere else but amidst Berlin's street of Asian delights; see Aroma and Dao), she had already made headway into a disappointing noodle soup and some surprising off-menu dumplings in chili sauce.

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Food in Berlin: Dao
Food Florian Duijsens Food Florian Duijsens

Food in Berlin: Dao

At the risk of telling you something you already know, Dao serves authentic Thai cuisine and is, according to authorities both well-informed and not-, the best Thai restaurant in town. All the reason you need to take a trip to Charlottenburg.

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Food in Berlin: Aroma
Food Florian Duijsens Food Florian Duijsens

Food in Berlin: Aroma

It was the only sunny table in the almost empty restaurant, the winter sun tentatively highlighting a 'Reserviert' sign, yet a quick question-mark smile and I had taken a seat, basking in the light and leafing through Aroma's extensive menu.

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Shop in Berlin: Chelsea Farmer's Club
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Shop in Berlin: Chelsea Farmer's Club

It's that time of the year again: Fashion Week! On this joyous occasion we went to Charlottenburg to discuss classic menswear with someone who should know: Christoph Tophinke, the mastermind behind the "Chelsea Farmer's Club“.
We met him in their tiny store on Bleibtreustraße, a cosy venue which they'll soon exchange for a bigger space on the parallel Schlüterstraße 50. The new store will be a kind of living room for those who prefer to spend their Saturdays sipping fine drinks and enjoying sophisticated chatter. As long as it's not about "fashion“, that is, because there's so much more to the world than clothes. We tried, at least, discussing political dresscodes, stuffy Hamburg, and the crucial difference between socks and stockings...

PS. We'll stay in Mitte for Fashion Week – check our Facebook page for regular updates!

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