Berlin Days Teil 1 - Food Coma á la Julian

Wenn Ihr ab und zu mal bei So-Sue vorbeischaut, habt ihr unseren neuen Fashion-Liebling Julian Daynov bestimmt schon kennengelernt – als Trend Scout, Einkäufer und Portfolio Consultant reist er unter anderem für den US-Giganten Saks Fifth Avenue durch die Weltgeschichte und ist ständig auf der Suche nach neuen Brands und Design-Inspirationen.

Obwohl er eigentlich den größten Teil seiner Zeit im Flieger verbringt, hat er es sich in unserer pulsierenden Hauptstadt gemütlich gemacht, liebt seine neue Home Base und nennt sie oft "The New York of Europe". Unsere Sue hatte ein Full-Day-Date mit Julian in Berlin und hat sich mit Ihm durch seine Lieblings-Lokale vollgefressen, ist seine allerliebsten Stores durchlaufen und ist mit ihm seine Every-Day-Routen in Berlin gewalkt. Knapp vor dem Date, haben wir erfahren, dass Julian nie die Zeit dazu hat selber zu kochen und daher bereits alle Food Tempel Berlins ausprobiert hat und mittlerweile von so dem einen oder anderen Foodora-Booten auf der Straße gegrüßt wird – für uns Grund genug sicher zu sein, dass diese Hot-Spots den Start unserer Bikini-Diät um ein Wochenende verschiebt.

Und Action: Teil 1 - Food Coma á la Julian(im zweiten Teil, der pünktlich zum nächsten Wochenende kommt, drehen wir eine Runde durch die Shopping Spots von Julian)

Oh, you know what, guys, to me food itself doesn't mean anything at all, if it is being served in a crappy, dirty place, with awful cutlery and in ugly dishes. There are a lot of foodies, who would go anywhere to try anything, be it even prepared in a garage or outside on the busiest junction somewhere in New Delhi, well, no, that's not me...

I am a bit of a perfectionist in terms of esthetics and believe that only beautiful eats are healthy and delicious, so all of the spots I will be taking you out to are exactly like this and on top, have nice and friendly staff.

Although Berlin and the area where I live and usually stroll around offer a constantly changing selection of plenty tasty spots for breakfast, lunch or dinner, I somehow tend to be very loyal to my favorites and keep on finding my way there again and again and order nearly the same dishes all over. Sort of boring, i know, but to me it delivers a piece of consistency in my anyhow too dynamic daily life and rhythm.

The Klub Kitchen 
Ever since it opened about a year ago, I can't get enough of the fresh and juicy dishes these guys serve. I love their Sultan Eggs, the Green Bowl they make and the Asparagus Pasta they serve. I could eat there three times a day, honestly. On top of that, it is really sleek, so well designed and styled up by an architect who's blog and work I have been following for a while now and truly adore –  Angie Ziehmann of PINK ACTION. I actually discovered the place through her portfolio i saw online and got addicted ever since.

I am not at all a morning person, so i usually need a true kick-start to get my head into working mode. I love a quick stop at Betty'n Caty for an avocado toast or a croissant or Five Elephant Coffee and Cake both right on the other side of my street or often get a juice at Super Foods and Organic Liquids (Weinbergsweg 23) or take a healthy bowl and a jouce at Daluma.

Most often though, you can find me eating breakfast at the Soho House after a yoga or pilates class – it is my happy place in Berlin and somehow turned into an extended living room of mine. It is just one block away from home and is always cozy, comfy, delicious and i see all the friendly people i love being surrounded by.

For lunch or a casual after-work dinner, i very often go to the Chen Che Tea-House (Rosenthamer Str. 13) – an authentic Vietnamese restaurant, beautifully decorated and smelling like heaven. Besides their teas and all the house-drinks they mix for you, they serve the most delicious rice bowls you can think of, prepared in clay pots, always with fresh veggies on top. My fave is the Jasmine Rice Bowl i usually order with tofu and semi-fried rolls on the side. Yummie! And – they have a totally charming back-yard, but only open in summer – perfect for those long and warm Berlin nights.

Some additional lunch-break places i love going to in-between meetings are Mädchenitaliener (Alter Schönhauser Str. 12) or also Rose Garden (Alte Schönhauser Str. 61) – super tasty, very casual, no-frills, just cool and beautifully designed with amazing daily offers on salads, bowls, soups and pasta to choose from: all organic, all awesome, all fresh.

When i am up for a proper Italian meal in a rather classy than casual atmosphere, i always go to Cecconi's (Torstr. 1)  to me, the ultimate temple of pasta, pizza and various desserts. I very often go there not only with my friends, but also with clients and hold business lunches or dinners there. Award deserving service, always cute waiters and the host-ladies are to die for. A ultimate Top of the tops.

Since i have a lot of these business lunches and dinners, i adapt the place to my clients or meeting partners and go to The Grand (Hirtenstrasse 4) or Mani (Torstrasse 136)  or Neni (Budapester Strasse, on top of the 25h hotel), since one can have a nice chat there and it isn't too loud, plus - they all have a great bar right next door, so no need to get cabs and change locations for drinks after dinner. As a lot of my international guests are up for some authentic German food, but I sort of don't like the authentic atmosphere of traditional German restaurants, i bring them to Borchardt (Französische Strasse – it's like a German machine: you can always rely on what they do and expect perfection in service and a cool atmosphere.

Couple of weeks ago, i added another pick to my German-cuisine-inspired spots, which don't look dark and woody at all: Tucholsky's (Torstr. 189 ) being very well designed and serving a well enriched range of classic German stuff with a modern twist. Really good and suitable for dinner-talks. Der Goldene Hahn (Pückler Strasse 20)

I barely ever commute to Kreuzberg, but this one i discovered couple of weeks ago and went there a couple of times already. Very tasty, very urban, just about right lighting, robust and industrial with really tasty food.

Pappa e Ciccia (Schwedter Str. 18) – you know how all of us have a casual Italian place round the corner, where they always go to (almost in homewear and slippers) once the fridge is empty and no one wants to sort out the kitchen after cooking? Well, mine is a true volcano of tastiness – i am hooked and love every dish they serve! All fresh, all organic, all woow!

The other place I love going, when there are just ice cubes and wine in the fridge, is Lokal – (Linienstrasse 160) – unpretentious, plain, simple and homely and with food just like at yourgrandmas place, oh well, but at a grandmother, who has been helping out at a fusion-cuisine restaurant.

Dudu (Torstr. 134) - by now, i guess, exactly as many of those cool people coming to Berlin frequently know the Dudu already, as they would know Berghain or the Mauerpark Karaoke spots: it became one of the city's icons. It is ZERO a new thing, but surely in my Eternal Top 10. Food, modest seating, great music, nice art, lovely people around and their food always to the point.

Another one i like these days is Roy & Pris (Weinbergsweg 8A), where you can order fusion Chinese pre-set menus or a la carte and can try things you have never even thought you would like tasting. On top of all, the interior is lovely and truly cosmopitan, big-city-like. 

I somehow never go West, but if I do, the reason is always, simply always a long breakfast meal at Benedict (Uhlandstr. 49) – so much of my top place to be lately. You know how most cafés have menus by hours (8-11 or 12-14) or days when they refuse to serve you eggs or pancakes after 11 AM or only on Sundays? I mean – WTF, right?! Well, not here! This is just the place you can have breakfast all day, every day and even 24/7 - isn't this amazing? It reminds me so much of New York and those diners, but hey, this one here has been done soooo much better and classier over here!

On top of all uber-delicious dishes, it has simply great service and a variety to make the most certain decision maker puzzle around on which tasty set to order first.

My hint – take your time and eat yourself through the carte, starting with any style of the eggs they do, add a bagel and don't skip on their sweets to round up your perfect breakfast experience. Their pancakes are heaven, their Brownies are life-changing, their bread is like biting into a cloud! If you are into drinks alongside your food, go ahead, a whole lot to choose from.

If i have already dragged my East-Side skinny ass to West Berlin, i always make a stop at Oliv (Potsdamer Str. 91) as it is next to the two suns i always gravitate around: the Acne Shop and the Murkudis store. l also lately go to Provocateur quite often – (Brandenburgische Str. 21) this is a newly opened hotel with a fabulous bar, just the way you want it to be. It's like in those episodes of Mad Men – sober colors, velvet furniture, classic glassware, everything. I love hanging out on the sofas and chatting with friends after dinner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As said, I often hear about a lot of great new places popping up in Neuköln and Kreuzberg, but honestly, i am far solazy to drive over just for breakfast or so. When i hang out with friends there, we sometimes go to Roamers (Pannierstrasse 64) or Hallmann & Klee (Böhmische Str. 13) or Sweethearts (Mittelweg 50) or Chica (Friedelstrasse 34), where the food is equal to art and a gallery visit. Oh, and just recently i started going to Fes: Turkish BBQ (Hasenheide 58) in Kreuzberg with tasty meze and authentic Orient dishes, but honestly, most of the time I am around Mitte anyways.

Roamers

Na also, was essenstechnisch sind wir ja wohl ganz gut bedient, jedoch brauchen wir Fashionistas auch etwas Food für die Seele / Garderobe... Wir präsentieren Euch demnächst die Shopping Tipps von Julian und zeigen seine Lieblings-Stores in der Stadt.

Bald also mehr Inspiration von Berlin und Julian Daynov auf SoSUE! 

 

 

Die mit einem * markierten Felder sind Pflichtfelder.

Ich habe die Datenschutzbestimmungen zur Kenntnis genommen.