Location: Prince Restaurant

Some of you may know the popular and very hip Berlin-Mitte restaurant "Transit".
Now this is an offshoot that I perefer because of: super-comfy sofas and lounging
areas, more space, and a wonderful interior design and atmosphere. 

The first time I've been there (surely not the last time) we ordered for the first
round of small asian style tapas: papaya salad, fried prawns with wasabi mayonnaise,
summer and spring rolls and super crispy sweet-potato fries with chili mayonnaise.
(See pictures above).

Extremely delighted and almost sated, we ordererd mixed dumplings and buttercrab
with sour apple salad and basil sauce.  Thus I am not sure if the dumplings were
handmade, they were perfectly steamed and full of flavor. As for the buttercrab, it was
something new for me, very soft inside and crunchy-cripy outside. I was a little bit
disappointed by the almost bland taste, luckily the basil sauce and very fresh
and juicy sour-apple salad topped it off.

Oh and by the way, another important detail: the staff and service was delightful and decent!

Enjoy.

http://prince-restaurant.com/

Location: Restaurant Auguste by Gael Orieux

 Again, it was a proof that eating in a Michelin Star restaurant is so relaxing, 

as service is so welcoming and attentive, and you can order everything 

from the menu, and can be sure it tastes good. No, wait good is not appropriate

 - call it taste-joy-explosion in your mouth.

We enjoyed a 3-course lunch menu at "Auguste" by Gael Orieux,

 near Eiffel Tower in Paris. (This is the moment you are allowed 

to squeak "How romantic!!") Yes it was a nice day and even a bit romantic. 

But this was not our priority. We just liked to enjoy the best of Paris - sights, 

atmosphere and of course exceptional good food.

I can only recomman the very small "Auguste", as the dishes are 

elaborate but not sophisticated. Delicate tastes, nothing over spiced, 

made with love and passion.This was my menu:

 

Duck fois gras with pineapple chutney and pickled onions#:

 it was delicious, nevertheless I don't seem to be a big fois gras fan.

Juicy veal filet with chard, potatoes and plum sauce: so simple but so good. 

Fresh herbs and perfect timing make this dish an unforgettable joy.

Cassis sorbet, chestnut cream and meringue "mushrooms":

light, delicious and thoughtful. The sour cassis sorbet went very well 

with the creamy and sweet chestnut and the crunchy meringue.

http://www.restaurantauguste.fr/#/ACCUEIL

Location: "Der Kretaner" eating greek & chic

First of all: Happy new year! 

As I am working now, I am so sorry that I can not post more these weeks. 

I am diving into food business and am not able to tell you about it right away. 

Resolution #3 ( 1 and 2 are eating healthy, sports, etc. you know...) writing more 

regular and often in this blog. 

So to continue, I found a chic greek restaurant in Berlin Zehlendorf: 

Whats so interesting about it? 99% of the greek restaurants here in town are 

more rustic, family style with loud music, free ouzo, singing waiters and large 

helping. Please don't get me wrong - I love them being like this! It brings 

happiness, fun and great food for little money. But I also enjoy feeling special, 

being served decently and smaller helping combined with a little bit more 

refinement concerning the food. 

See this plate with skewer (juicy meat) homemade tzaziki and oven-roasted 

potatoes with rosemary. Nothing special. But made with diligence and attentively 

served in an elegant ambiance. Prices are slightly higher compared to other 

greek restaurants, since you will also find authentic rarely served and fresh 

made appetizers like fried feta cheese with honey or beetroot salad with garlic 

-  both delicious. 

Be curious and try something new & authentic (not necessarily Gyros), 

as you will not be disappointed! More informations: http://www.derkretaner.de/

Location: The Kiez Eats Blog names the best pâtisseries in Berlin!

A Post always desired and finally existing:

http://kiezeats.kitchensurfing.com/post/66080407619/die-besten-patisserien-in-berlin

Location: La Maison du Chocolat in Potsdam

It was the last warm day of fall, so we made a trip to Potsdam, 

a little, old city near Berlin, the capital of Brandenburg. 

Sights to visit: castle and park "Sans Soucis", Brandernburger Straße, the dutch neigborhood. 

To drink a delicious, creamy hot chocolate take a seat in the beautiful Maison du Chocolat. 

But if you got a little bit more hungry - don't hesitate to order one of the wonderful 

salads or snacks. Everything is fresh, regional and seasonal. The menu is changing regularly, 

so it's always exciting to go there. Buy some cake or pralines for you dear ones at home and 

finish your meal with the signature dessert: the chocolate quartett 

( I love the chocolate creme brûlée )

Bloodpudding on sauerkraut bread and beet salad

Chocolate quartett: ice cream, mousse, mini cake and creme brûlée

http://www.schokoladenhaus-potsdam.de/

Best of New York - Part 2

Hi there! 

Let's have a quick start with the second part of my favorites in New York. 

Look, be inspired and check out, if you can!

1. First To Do: A Hot Dog on the street! This was the first of a lot. 

Served fresh and hot with sauerkraut, onions, ketchup and mustard, it's a great lunch 

snack for 2-3$ (Attention: Tourist locations like Times Square charge 5$!)

2. Hot Pot Stickers from  a food truck near Staten Island Ferry station downtown.

Here: Korean style pulled pork.  Attention: Delicious, but veeery hot! (5 pieces 3,50$)

3. Three-cheese fries and Burger at "Burger Burger"

Just awesome! Crowded at lunchtime between 1 and 2 pm.. 

one of the best burgers I've ever tried! 

http://www.burgerburgerny.com/burger_burger_ny/Burger_Burger_ny.html

4. Red Velvet Dessert Cup from Whole Foods:

Layers of red velvet cake pieces and cream cheese, 

topped with fresh strawberries. Heaven!

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/

5. Oyster Barney in New York at Grand Central Station.

Sorry I have no food pic! I had a great, spicy gazpacho with shredded lobster and 

fired oysters wit peachbutter. Delicious, nice service, even when crowded and 

beautiful atmosphere - imagine a french fish restaurant in Marseilles 

http://www.oysterbarny.com/

6. One and only: Magnolia Bakery - went there 3 times in 10 days!

You see their famous cupcakes: chocolate vanilla and lemon. We tried a red velvet 

Mini-Cheesecake and the Smores Cake too - fantastic, sweet, just yummy! 

Plus, the shops look so cute! I bought the pale blue eco tote bag as a souvenier.. 

I'll be back!

http://www.magnoliabakery.com/

7. Japanese mochi boutique on Madison Avenue - please, just go there!

Wonderful minimalsitic and chic store for traditional mochis and other japanese sweets. 

We tried two different little rice cakes - mine was filled with red bean paste, wrapped in 

a salty (!) cherry tree leaf and topped with a cherry blossom. 

Delicate, exceptional and sweet - the new maccarons?

http://www.kitchoan.com/

8. Joe's Shanghai - best dumplings (TRY!!!) & best chinese food!

Try the Szechuan Style Ribs, chicken and shrimps in plum sauce and the wonton & cabbage brooth. 

Chic in Midtown, authentic in Chinatown - both are great! 

http://www.joeshanghairestaurants.com/kill_dumpling_eng.html

9. Pork chop at Moma Café on the 2nd floor. 

Great food for a museum restaurant!

http://www.moma.org/visit/plan/eating#cafe2

10. Dreesen's Donuts in Easthampton NY

The very best. Period.

(I heard R. De Niro likes them glazed...)

http://www.dreesens.com/

Bon appetit!

Best of New York - Part 1

Hi! I'm back, finally. 

I have been in beautiful New York for the first time. 

Twelwe awesome days exploring the big apple - and it's culinary treasures. 

There were so many treasures I want to share with you,

 that I decided to give you an outline of my absolute favorites. 

This is a list of the best locations and things I suggest to check out when you are in NY. 

Let's start - this is part one - the second is following soon!

1. Awesome, fresh Lobster Roll at Red Hook Lobster booth

every Saturday 'til 3pm at Smorgasburg Food Market in Williamsburg

http://www.smorgasburg.com/

 

 2. Brisket Sandwich from Mighty Quinns Barbeque
(also on Saturdays at Smorgasburg Market)
Brisket is smoked, marinated and slowly baked beef...delicious!

http://www.mightyquinnsbbq.com/index.html

3. Mexican Popsicles - here: Cucumber & Lime - sooooo refreshing!
La Newyorkina Mexican Ice & Sweets
http://lanewyorkina.com/Home.html

4. Marie Belle - the BEST creamy, italian hot chocolate & patisserie

Also teas, chocolates and a cute parisian atmosphere - Go there!

https://www.mariebelle.com/ 

5. BUY one regional farmer tomato from an organic store!

Very expensive but THE BEST. I ate italian, south french, romanian, greek 

and spanish tomatos. I swear, this one was better!

6. Bubba Gump's

shrimps, shrimps and shrimps - my favorite: fried Coconut Shrimps

http://www.bubbagump.com/

Cheers!

Location: Tim Raue

A great birthday present - thank you all again!

As promised I will report you now about the 4-course lunch at Tim Raue in Berlin Kreuzberg. 

Entering the clean and welcoming interior, 

we were ushered to a table by a very friendly waitress. 

The lunch began with a variety of appetizers: 

reddish with asian mustard, steamed pork-belly with szechuan pepper, 

asparagus-melon salad and curry seasoned cashews - all of them great and mouthwatering!

You could choose four different courses from a menu, 

means you combine main dishes, entrees and desserts how you like it best. 

I started with ikarimi salmon (Cold fish slaughtering system) on vanilla-grafruit sauce. Try this fantastic quality fish! 

Then continued with extraordinary fried dim-sam, filled with sobrasada (spanish sausage) 

on fresh pear and topped with some acacia honey. 

It was one of my favorites: crispy, hearty, combining so many flavors to a culinary experience.

The third course were tender zander cheekies with melon and peas.

Followed by lobster with tamarind and tomatoes. Soft and absolutely delicious!

My companion had: 

Steamed dim-sam with duck filling

Pigling with szechuan pepper and tangerine sauce

Beef steak with watermelon and  pomegranate

As I choose no desert, I was very happy to finish the lunch with a sweet amuse-gueule: 

a little ice lolly with strawberry sorbet covered with white chocolate and matcha green 

tea powder and and woodland strawberrys.

Resume: A wonderful lunch near historic Checkpoint Charlie with great food, 

great service in a relaxing asian-inspired atmosphere.

For more information: 

http://www.tim-raue.com/index.php?task=restaurant&section=aktuelles&lang=en

Coming soon: 4-course lunch at Tim Raue

2-Star Guide Michelin restaurant in Berlin...

Location: Bake House in Prague

First of all, sorry that I have been away for such a long time. 

I was occupied 24/7 with a freelance job that comes now and finally to it's end. 

Now I have a lot to catch up with you. New locations, recipes and a whole 

bunch of inspiring ideas dealing with food.

For today, i'd like to present you the Bake Shop in Prague. 

An ideal place for relaxing on a  sight-seeing trip or for a very long and cosy afternoon 

with a friend, indulging in wonderful bakery and patisserie. They offer a great 

range of breads, cakes, tartes, cupcakes and hearty pastry. Freshly made  and presented 

in a retro environment, flooded with daylight. 

http://www.bakeshop.cz/en/contact.html

Location: VAU

Entrée: wild hog in puffy pastry & chestnut cappucchino

Dessert: soufflé & sorbet of sour cream with blue elder coulis

Finally and thank to the lovely agency members of BBDO Berlin (advertising) 

where I made a 6-month intern, I was able to eat in a One-Michelin Star Restaurant. 

VAU in Berlin (Gendarmenmarkt) by Kolja Kleeberg. I took my boyfriend to share 

this event for lunch on our two-and-a-half year jubilee and it 

was - who would doubt it - fantastic!

Now for the most important facts:

Amuse gueule: 

Piglings cheek with canola mayonnaise

Entrée: (as in picture)

wild hog in puffy pastry & chestnut cappucchino (for me)

Medium deer filet on parsley-pearl barley (for him)

Main course: 

Crispy char (heavenly) with apple and parsnip (for me)

Duck breast (so soft!) with sweet potato mesh and wild mushrooms

Dessert: (as in picture & for both):

Soufflé & sorbet of sour cream with blue elder coulis

Some of you may think that this is a quite traditional and ordinary menue for 

a Michelin-Star restaurant,but I have to remark that it was only 

the lunchtime à la carte, that is usually not that exceptional. 

We could have had afford a dinner too, but only with one course 

- so we decided that diversity is more interesting for us than flamboyance. 

Conclusion: The interior could have been not so 90's, but it's nice and welcoming.

Service was vey good and not sniffy, food was perfekt.

http://www.vau-berlin.de/

Location: Restaurant Weiss

One of the best restaurants in Berlin!

Small, a bit more expensive and a huge amount of quality food.

You will sit in a minimalistic decorated room with soft light, white tables, black chairs and fresh flowers. 

It seems that nothing wants to attract your attention from the good food.

The cook is Swabian (South Germany) creative and ambitious, his wife serves the food, 

suggests a wine and is very descreet. 

Now for the touted food:

We had a 4 course menue containing

• Soup of green salad with house-smoked salmon

(I usually don't like salad soup, but this one was so perfectly seasoned!)

• Spined loach (white fish) with vanilla sauce and poached chicory

( fish - perfekt, chicory slightly bitter, vanilla sauce - wonderful matching and not sweet)

• Duck brast, homemade tagiatelle and creamy kohlrabi

(the first time i liked the kohlrabi!)

• Dark and white chocolate sorbet

(light, fresh and very intensive)

I love the concept of creative cooking with high-quality regional and seasonal ingredients.

You really taste the difference!

www.restaurantweiss.de

Location: FroYoCake

Primär an die weibliche Bevölkerung: Kein Vermögen für zuckerbombige 
Cupcakes! Gute Auswahl, gute Preise und die passende Qualität dazu.

Klar es ist nicht bio, dafür bunt und auch nicht hip eingerichtet ABER es gibt 
gute, dunkle Heiße Schokolade und gute Cupcakes. Das reicht mir um für 
ganze 5€ einen tollen Nachmittag mit Nachtisch, Getränk und dem neusten 
Tratsch zu verbringen. Außerdem perfekt gelegen am KuDamm für 
einen Zwischenstopp während einer Shopping- oder Shigtseeing Tour.

Kurfürstendamm 21 

10719 Berlin

Mo bis Sa 10.00h - 21.30h

Sonntag und Feiertage 13.00h bis 18.00h

http://www.froyocake.com/


AKTUALISIERUNG NOVEMBER: FroYoCake hat leider geschlossen :( sehr schade.

Location International: M.O.M.O.

MOMO - Unser Lieblingsrestaurant in Lido di Josolo

(via Ugo Foscolo n.61 Lido di Jesolo (Venezia) Italy)

und ein inspirierendes Konzept für die, die sich beim Anblick einer vielversprechenden 

Speisekarte nur schwer entscheiden können: Das MOMO by Don Claudio serviert zahlreiche 

kalte und warme Gerichte in Miniportion zu niedrigen Preisen, sodass man gerne statt 

der üblichen zwei bis drei aufeinander folgenden Gänge, nach Lust und Laune bis 

zum Sattwerden die Karte durchprobiert. 

Beispiele: Fischröllchen mit Pistaziencreme #2,  

Jacobsmuschelravioli mit Pangrattato (Semmelbröselbutter) #3 

oder Mini Crêpes mit Ricotta-Spargel Füllung (ohne Abbildung). 

Alle für ca. 4-6€. Viel Bio und viel Mühe vom Chefkoch in einem wirklich - den Ausdruck 

benutze ich sonst selten - entzückenden Ambiente. 

Location: Esszett in Lichterfelde

Entgegen meiner Erfahrungen, gibt es auch im äußeren Berlin

tolle Restaurants, die sichnicht nur auf eine Klientel ab 60
spezialisiert. Das Esszett am Ostpreußen Damm, nur 6 Laufminuten
vom S-Bhf Osdorfer Straße entfernt wird vermutlich auf Grund seiner
Lage etwas stiefmütterlich behandelt. Zu unrecht! Es fehlt an Gästen
und mit Gutscheincoupons wird versucht mehr Kundschaft anzulocken.
Was normalerweise nicht so ein gutes Zeichen ist - schließlich muss 

ein gutes Restaurant keine Kunden anlocken. So hat es oft seine Gründe,
warum man nach einem Essen mit Gutschein nicht wieder kommt.
Ich werde aber wieder ins Esszett gehen. Wir hatten ein 4-Gänge Menü
mit je zwei Auswahlmöglichkeiten für die Suppe und den Hauptgang.
 
 

1. Amuse Geule: Baguette mit 3 hausgemachten Tomaten Dips (Salsa, Chutney und Pesto)

2. Gemischter Salat mit hausgemachtem Dressing

3. Senfcremesuppe mit Balsamicocreme und Milchschaum (Spur zu säuerlich - sonst sehr gut!)

 / Rinder Consommée mit Gemüsejulienne (Spur zu salzig - kräftig im geschmack und ohne Maggi)


4. Maishähnchenbrust mit Rosmarinkartoffeln und Tomaten-Lauch Gemüse (Toller Geschmack, evtl. eine Minuter früher aus der Pfanne nehmen)

5. Dessertvariation: Mousse au Chocolat, Vanille Schaum, Pfefferkirschen, Mangoparfait, Blutorangensorbet

Alles gut zubereitet, und nur scharf an der perfektion vorbeigeschrammt - dennoch natürlich einen Besuch wert! Außerdem toller, netter Service und spannende à la Carte Gerichte. Es sieht genau so aus wie man sich ein Restaurant für ein Candle Light Dinner vorstellt.
Rettet den gastronimischen berliner Süden!