Foodie Berlin: Lemon Leaf Indochine cuisine in Friedrichshain

If I want a genuine Indochinese menu, it is very easy to find a good restaurant in France, but till now never was desperate enough to have a look at the German offer. I did not see too many restaurants with such an offer either. When one week ago I finished some meetings in Friedrichshain and was left with a bit more time for myself and seen the Lemon Leef inviting menu, I decided - after another tour of the streets around and some deep thinking about what I really want to eat - to give it a try. 

There are outside tables the type you will find in any beergarden, the best place to observe the coming and going in Friedrichshain, but the indoors is decorated pleasantly, with many colours and colourful umbrellas. Everything looks clean, with the toilets modestely clean. If you are on your own, you can find some newspapers and reviews to fill your time while waiting. As each of the dishes is prepared in the wok, the guests are warned to be ready to wait a bit longer. 

However, take this mention as a sample of good Asian politeness, as I did not feel that I had to wait more than 15 minutes, and the drinks are usually brought within minutes. My drinking choice for a hot day was Mekong River, home made ice tea with fresh limes and brown sugar and as requested, many ice cubes: slightly aromated and refreshing enough to make me forget about my usual choice of Vietnamese coffee with sweetened condensed milk.  

Not a bit soup fan, but this time, really wanted something completely different and ordered Canh Khoai Mon: taro coconut milk with chilli, celery, zucchini, leak, coriander and roasted peanuts. Served and preferably eaten hot, it is unexpectedly sweet, with some spicey balances brought by the chilli and beautified by the coriander smell and aromas. After more spoons, you will discover how spicey it can be. Indochinese cuisine summarizes the Laos and Cambodian food, which usually keeps up with the rich vegetable menu of the Vietnamese, to which many spices are added. 

I got to know the real strength of spices in my next meal: Phad Indochne. A rice noodles dish, with eggs, curry, Cambodian green onions, tofu, chillies, pak choi, soy bean sprouts, paprika, carrots and cashew nuts. It loooks as an innocent combination but it hot, hot hot. That hot that you may really lose any sense of other specific taste. The solution is just give your full attention to the sprouts and eat them in bunches as a balance to the sauce and chilli. 

The meals do have meat as well, but can be prepared with tofu as well. The prices are moderate and the menu rich enough to give a second try.

Foodie Berlin: Sawwadi Thai

Kantstrasse has so many Thai and Asian-inspired restaurants, that it is a big challenge to find the proper time for tasting it. The diversity allows choices, meaning that one can ponder the reasons for spending - or not - time in a specific place. As the next days were very warm, either the air conditioning - don't expect too many findings in this respect - or a discrete outdoor space were important in convincing me to order my meal there. In addition, as I am before long weeks of travel, I preferred a moderate to low-cost menus. Let it be Sawwadi then. It is situated in the middle of Kantstrasse, close to Savigny platz, at no. 134. The decorations are at the limit of kitsch - the 3D Chinese landscapes, that you can purchase in industrial quantities from the Vietnamese market, for instance -, with minimal investment in the furniture and other interior design details. 

As one of my secret plans for the year is to improve my knowledge on cocktails - especially non-alcoholic ones - I hurried up to order Bongo - pineapple, orange juice, coconut, lemon and a lot of ice, plus a slice cantaloupe hanging up as an acrobat on the side. First quality: a lot of ice. The mixture was good too, with the coconut balancing the otherwise high concentration of sugar.  

The service was really fast and welcoming, although taking a final decision about my order took me some time. The restaurant is offering a variety of fish-based products - Thai and Vietnamese kitchen - , but, as usual, I wanted rather to try something more veggie. My Kat Pat Riu with tofu was generous, but unfortunately the taste of fried oil was predominant. Out of the three types of sauce I was brought - chilli, sour-sweet and soy - I chose the second one, which was enough spicy to request another icy cocktail. The tofu and veggies added - pepper, scallion, corn - to the rice did bring some specific taste, but not strong enough to balance the overwhelming oil. 

As a one time experience, it was not that bad, but most probably, the next time I am around, I would rather go taste some other dishes.  

Foodie Berlin: Eating Indian at Aarna Devi

I love Indian restaurants because of the great variety of vegetarian dishes but also because if the spices are well mixed together the result is hard to compare to any other cuisine. Diversity is the spice of life and with this generous motto in mind I paid a very fast visit to Aarna Devi restaurant, just at the corner on Bayrische strasse 12, in Wilmersdorf. It is situated 10 minutes away from the U-Bahn Konstanzerstrasse or 20 minutes by foot from Oliver Square. 

My visit occurred on a Friday, and besides me, there was only one other table taken. The decorations are rather modest, with a minimal investment in the furniture. A serious inconvenient, especially if you stay near the counter is the smell of the kitchen that you will carry on on your hair and clothes for the rest of the day. And one more complain and I go straight to the topic: the waiting time was too long for apparently such an uneventful day. My order was taken 15 minutes upon arrival and was ready 20 minutes later that unique moment. I can accept the waiting time for the food - I'm not visiting a fast food, I know - but taking the orders can be more faster, I suppose.

The monotony of the Indian music made me less impatient. When I started to taste the food, I felt even better.

My first order was khumi pakora - champignons pané - accompanied by three different sauces and a fresh salad. A very good soft combination.

The next meal: yogi biryani: a combination of Indian rice, peas, curry, cashews, parsley, almonds and small pieces of carrots. Rich taste, pleasant and healthy combination. Once in a while, I am very happy with my choice. A small fresh salad - cabbage and tomatoes - accompanied the mix.

The price was acceptable compared to the usual standards in West Berlin. If in the mood for some Indian food, will probably be tempted to pay another visit - especially after I was told that it is possible to prepare some fish pakora for me, if I really insist - but maybe will have some a thick book to keep me company while waiting. 

Turkish sweet treasures at Confiserie Orientale

One Sunday afternoon, I was in Mitte looking for a place to drink a good coffee while waiting for a delayed appointment and discovered Confiserie orientale. Unfortunately, it was shortly before the closing time and couldn't have my treat. Left the place jealous of the guy who was waiting for his carefully packed boxes of lokoum (Turkish delight) and promised to come back as soon as possible.

Three days after, I'd found an opportunity to return and offered myself, not only a delicious yet very strong cardamom coffee, but also a pear tart with almonds and pistachio on the top - very fruity, with a fine dough that you hardly notice - and a tahini little cookie - that tastes like halva and may go well with a cup of tea. Except the lokoum that is brought directly from Turkey, all the other delicious treats are freshly prepared on the spot. 

Confiserie Orientale, or Cemilzade in Turkish, was opened in Mitte in 2005, as the one and only Europe-wide representative of the century old confiserie from Istanbul, where is currently running. Its creator was the multi-talented Udi Cemil Bey, singer and poet and talented cake lover and maker, which opened its sweet shop first in Cairo, at the end of the 19th century. After his death, the sons moved the business in Istanbul, where is currently run by representatives of the same family. 

The decorations, designed by the Berlin-based Claudia Medrow, are integrating the old history - through old pictures hanging on the walls - into the eclectic pace of the city, especially the dynamic and non-conformist ambiance from Mitte. 

At the counter, a lot of sweet temptations, and while having a look at the fresh cakes, I wonder how many centuries I will need to prepare such perfect pieces of confect. While chatting at the counter, I find out why I enjoyed the tarte and the cookie without feeling overloaded by sugar: all the ingredients are natural. 

The prices are acceptable, and the service is more than friendly.  

Besides the coffee and the equally traditional tea, the customer can also discover the less known Turkish wine, made in Cappadocia, with colourful labels inviting you to jump in the first plane to see the famous balloons. 

The space is relatively small - around 10 places -, with outside places during the summer time, but quiet enough to host a variety of guest: from students on a reading break, to mothers with small children and some curious bloggers. 

As long as I will continue living here, I know that in the center of Berlin, there is always a corner of the European Istanbul that will always call me back.

Foodie Berlin: Nepalese Everest Restaurant

It seems that most if not all the Nepalese restaurants in Berlin have the name Everest, but this one is relatively new in town. For almost 2 months, I promised myself that I will have a tasting lunch during the happy hour - 4.90 EUR. for a 3-course menu till 4pm, and compared to many restaurants in Berlin, you can also pay by credit card - but inevitably, all my emergencies were taking place during this period of time. 

Resigned to my situation, the last Monday, I took my camera and my notebook and paid a visit to the restaurant decided to finally get into the Nepalese mood. 

It is situated close to both U-Bahn Fehrberlinner Platz and Blissestrasse, on Brandenburgische Str. 71, very close to the Wilmersdorf city hall. Relatively busy during the happy hours - followed half an hour after by some cocktail happy hour - it was almost empty when I visited. 

While I was trying to take a decision about my lunch, I was brought some Indian crunchy bread with some well seasoned spicy sauces. Some of the sauces were really hot!

Generally not a bit fan of soups, I tried to make a change this time and ordered a cream ko jholo veggie soup, with white flour, peas, carrots, soy sauce. It was brought very hot - the order was delivered relatively fast - and had an excellent taste: creamy, very soft and fresh, a bit salty and moderately aromated.  

While waiting for my second meal, I was looking around. I must confess that the ambiance is not the strong point of the restaurant, with a quite modest and cheap looking furniture. The Nepalese carpets on the wall makes a difference though as it does the traditional background music.

But I was mostly there to get some insight about the Nepalese cuisine, and the second meal helped me better. Shahi Paneer was a combination of three different meals: the rice, the Paneer - a neutral taste with the sweet tomato sauce and cashews - plus the fresh salad, without any kind of oil. Brought on the same plate together they bring a lot of energy and satiety. Strongly recommended if you are really hungry! The only regret was that the rice was not hot enough to keep the same temperature 15 minutes after brought.

I was undecided which dessert to try and we were relatively out of time, so rather preferred to call for the bill and get ready for the next stop of the afternoon. Maybe there is a Nepalese art of thought reading because together with the bill I was offered as a house present a small bowl with a perfumed and equally tasty yoghurt with cinnamon. It was my possible first choice when had the first look at the menu! Probably I was offered a second chance to taste something really good and simple. All you need is a pinch of cinnamon added to your plane yoghurt. 

I left the restaurant with a big smile on my face, as I enjoyed some Nepalese hospitality and also a good meal. Maybe the next time will try to make more time to visit the restaurant during the happy hours, just because I am sure there are more tasty secrets in the Everest's kitchen waiting for me.   

Foodie review: Araya Thai

A visit to Araya Thai restaurant was in the cards for over a year. Tonight, after a relatively uneventful 24 hours, I wanted to see something new and after a little walk around Ku'damm, I dared to enter. It was relatively quiet for a Saturday evening - the restaurant is open in the weekend till 23.00 - with only 2 other tables taken. Inside, an intimate experience, not overcharged by decorations, with a quiet pop Thai background music. 

The service was relatively fast, and in less than 10 minutes, my Tao Hoo Phad King (tofu, with champignons and Chinese mushrooms, ginger and carots) was brought, on a hot plate. The rice, delicious and good cooked accompanied the main meal. As drinks, I wanted a green tea.  

The meal was mild, with a good combination of tastes that didn't requested additional salt or pepper. Not spicy at all, with a natural flavour of ginger that was pleasantly surprising and very tonic. The green tea helped the digestion. In the corner of the main plate, a meticulous veggie installation, made under the gracious Thai art standards. One day, will learn how to do it, I promise myself. 

I ate with pleasure and enjoy the tastes but did not feel full so decided that the rambutan compote can be a good happy ending of my late meal. And I was right. It was brought with two icecubes - don't remember when I saw the last time icecubes at a German restaurant - and tasted delicious, although a bit too sweet. 

Compared with the cheap Thai restaurants fro the Eastern side, it cannot be considered very affordable, but adding the good and fast service, the delicious meals and the diversity of the menu, I can say it is a right price (and less than 20 EUR. anyway). It also has take-away service that, as far as I observed, is ready within 15 minutes.