Eating Tibetan

Where else can you make a tour of the cuisines of the world in only a couple of hours? In Berlin, where everything is new, diverse and cheap. One week ago, I was looking for a clean and creative place to eat after a couple of hours of walking. On Rykestrasse, there are so many options that at the end of the day, someone so hard to be convinced about the qualities of the food can easily give up and return home hungry. Very often, I stop at a restaurant, have a look at the menu, ponder the options and go forth. This happened this time too, when I first wanted to have some Japanese sushi, but unhappy with the menu, went on till I saw a cute Tibetan restaurant and decided to stay. 

My limited culinary imagination associated Tibetan cuisine with strict vegan/vegetarian meals, but in this case, the cuisine is mixed - Indian/Tibetan and some meat-based meals are also possible. The prices are acceptable, the service is very kind and fast, with a lot of good advices.

The restaurant was recently opened, by the lady who served us and gave us explanations about the specific cuisine offered and her husband, who is cooking. One may find a lot of Indian influences in the menu, especially the bread and the icecream. During the summer time, it is a pity to do not eat at a table outdoor, but for the winter, the interior decorated in traditional style can be a good choice. Before your meal arrives, you can read some of the guides and reviews displayed at the entrance.

The food was simple and delicious. Not too oily, with a lot of fresh vegetables, some of them to be found only in Asia (like some very tasty mushrooms). We also received a bowl of rice, that added even more taste to the whole combination. The vegetable balls had some sauce, a little bit too tasty but interesting. The mango lassies are recommended as well, but I rather wanted something fresh with an almost neutral taste, as the Schweppes - the only non-Tibetan drink I wanted to have. At the end of the 2-course meal, even if I was full - the veggies can give you too the feeling of satiety - I could not resist to have a saffron coconut Indian sorbet. I was a bit disappointed as it was too sweet for my taste - 'you can feel the sugar' said the other food tester at the table - and without any trace of the saffron that I know. But it was cold so I did not fully dislike it. 

Would I return here? Not sure as unless is close to the most wonderful eating place in the world or the easiest one to go when nothing to eat in the fridge. It is too far away and I would be curious to test many other new and interesting restaurants around. However, I fully recommend it to anyone looking for a good meal in the area. Maybe I will come back one day to find out more secrets of the Tibetan cuisine.