Suksan
Where? Suksan (Schoneberg, Berlin, Germany) Map Menu
When? Monday July 10, 2017
Who? Theo
Food Style? Thai
I've just been to KaWeDe, a department store with a massive gourmet food section, as a very last ditch effort to get my Black Forest gateau. That adventure is for another story.
Nearby is a Thai place which Yelp rates very highly, and I'm tired and slightly sad about everything so I give it a go. I'm relieved to see a good mix of ethnicities inside, which is often the metric I use to determine if an Asian restaurant has any standard.
Mains
Gaeng kiew wahn ped - crispy fried duck with red curry in coconut milk, sweet basil, aubergine, young pepper, paprika and bamboo
A good sized portion of fried duck arrives, coated with a delicious looking red curry and tons of vegetables underneath. I think the meat slices are too small, and that it shouldn't be deep fried, but the flavour is there and it even has a bit of spice. Not bad overall!
Posted by Jeremy at 11:23am on Thursday July 27, 2017 :: 0 comments :: 
Acht and Dreissig
Where? Acht and Dreissig (Mitte, Berlin, Germany) Map Menu
When? Sunday July 9, 2017
Who? Theo
Food Style? Upmarket German
I'm still feeling the effects of the massive dessert I had more than 7 hours ago, so dinner is quite late, at almost 9pm. Theo and I are a bit indecisive at the moment, but there is one thing on the menu that makes this a goer - Black Forest gateau! I'm not too hungry so I go for two starters and then I'll finish with the dessert.
Entree #1
Veal liver "Berlin style" with apple, onion and mashed potatoes
The veal liver is absolutely amazing. Incredible set of flavours, every ingredient working together to highlight the main protein. The crunch of the fried onion, the sweetness of the apple, the creaminess of the potato and finally that wonderful bite of the liver - an inspired and well executed dish. And for the bonus round, there's enough sauce to soak up with some of that classic German bread.
Entree #2
Pork knuckle with mashed peas and sauerkraut
The pork knuckle on the other hand is definitely the weaker dish. I'm not a fan of the sprinkled bits of crackling - I want a huge slab of that to crunch in my teeth. The pea purée is lacking a bit of flavour too, I've had better mushy peas in the UK, which is saying something. It's not awful, just not as amazing as the veal liver.
I'm looking forward to my Schwartzwalderkirsche. Imagine my utter disappointment when the waitress comes over to tell me it's sold out. I have a minor freak out. I don't know what to do. I end up getting the apple crumble. I'm still so gutted.
Dessert #1
Apple crumble with sour cream ice cream and vanilla foam
The crumble arrives. It looks like it's been dropped from a metre up onto this wooden board. It's nice though, and the candied apple slice is really good with the ice cream. It just isn't Black Forest cake. I will have to try somewhere else :(
The Returning:
I'm back for my Black Forest cake. I have run around the entirety of Berlin looking for one to no avail and since I know this restaurant has it on the menu, I try again. I have a sinking feeling that it will be like last night's dessert: dropped from one metre onto the board.
Dessert #2
Black Forest cake with cherry, mascarpone and chocolate biscuit
I'm not wrong. My heart drops to the floor and smashes into tiny little pieces, just like the ingredients on the board in front of me. It tastes okay but it's still not cake.
Theo and I leave. I'm not angry, just disappointed.
Posted by Jeremy at 11:15am on Thursday July 27, 2017 :: 0 comments ::
Caffe e Gelato
Where? Caffe e Gelato (Mitte, Berlin, Germany) Map Menu
When? Sunday July 9, 2017
Who? Theo
Food Style? Massive Desserts
It's a pretty wet day in Berlin, so Theo and I are wandering around Potsdamer Platz Arkaden, a shopping mall in town. We've stumbled across a dessert place with very impressive-looking sweets, so why the hell not. In my time here in Germany, I have yet to have the famous Schwartzwalderkirschetorte - Black Forest cake! This place isn't serving one, but it's serving something close enough, so that will do.
Dessert
AmaCroc - black cherry ice cream, chocolate ice cream, black cherries, whipped cream, cherry sauce, chocolate decoration and almond brittle
Oh my goodness. It's massive. The ice cream is overflowing with delicious cherry sauce and the dark chocolate balances it perfectly. I love the almond brittle, it gives the dessert some texture. However, there is far too much and I'm tapping out just under halfway. Oh boy. Tu meke!
Posted by Jeremy at 11:06am on Thursday July 27, 2017 :: 0 comments ::
Haxnbauer
Where? Haxnbauer (Altstadt-Lehel, Munich, Germany) Map Menu
When? Friday July 7, 2017
Who? Theo
Food Style? Bavarian
I can't leave Munich without trying the Bavarian speciality - pork knuckle! A Google search for the best pork knuckle comes up with this restaurant, quite near where we currently are. They have an impressive display of the most delicious looking pork out front, rotating on the rotisserie with a very appetising crispy skin.
I'm sold.
I'm torn between getting the half knuckle or the set menu but in the end, I got the set. I also have a beer in my hand, or more accurately, a shandy. It's the least I could do while in Germany.
Entree
Organic radish with chive bread
The first course is quite literally, radish and bread. There's some chives but no dressing or sauce or anything, and it tastes exactly like what radish and bread are supposed to taste like. I'm not going to finish this. Yuck.
Mains
Slices of pork knuckle with sauerkraut and mashed potato
The pork knuckle slices come out. I go straight for the first slice. What a beautiful smell! What soft, succulent meat! What perfect crunchy skin! It's music to my ears as I happily bite into it. The potato is smooth and creamy and is soaking up all that delicious sauce. The fried shallots give it that crunch, very reminiscent of the crackling. This is definitely the best dish I've had in Germany.
Dessert
Apple fritters flambéed with Grand Marnier, with vanilla ice cream
The apple fritters arrive and the waitress pours some Grand Marnier over them and sets it alight. When the flame goes out, I dig in. The apple still has a bit of texture, which I like, and it's coated with cinnamon sugar so very much like an apple doughnut. The alcohol has a lovely bitter finish to take the edge off the sugar and ice cream.
An excellent meal, apart from the radish salad. Service was pretty fast too!
Posted by Jeremy at 11:01am on Thursday July 27, 2017 :: 0 comments ::
Vegelangelo
Where? Vegelangelo (Altstadt-Lehel, Munich, Germany) Map Menu
When? Friday July 7, 2017
Who? Theo
Food Style? Eclectic Vegan/Vegetarian
I felt so bad for Theo's terrible meal last night that I vowed to make it up to him. I called in some help from back home and found a vegetarian restaurant in Munich. On Fridays and Saturdays they only serve a three course meal; on other days, it's regular a la carte. It just so happens that my three choices are all vegan too, so +1 to non-cruelty. The dishes are an eclectic mix of cuisines from all around the world: Spanish, Japanese, Indian and Italian.
Also, there are two non functional pianos in this restaurant for no particular reason. It's triggering me slightly.
Entree
Sushi, wakame, tomato appetisers
I have here an interesting assortment of entrees. I skip the pickled ginger, I'm not really a fan of it in general. The sushi is missing the rice vinegar but it's not unpleasant, but the wakame salad is delicious, especially with the sprinkling of sesame seeds. The two tomato appetisers are odd, the first is a kind of cold jelly with balsamic reduction, the second is a salsa of some sort. They're not bursting with flavour like the wakame, but they're edible at least.
Mains
Selection of Indian curries with rice and poppadom
I can't remember the last time I had Indian food. It was probably in January when I was in Malaysia. The curry here is good though, lots of spices and flavour, and delicious with the poppadom. My favourite is the orange one, which has potato, carrot and peanut. I'm even impressed with the rice, it has that familiar basmati smell and has a bit of cardamom salt sprinkled over the top.
Dessert
Limoncello creme with apricot and ginger nut
Oooh wow. The limoncello creme is spot on, absolutely delicious and reminiscent of good times in Italy's Amalfi Coast. The apricot and ginger nut go perfectly with it, adding sweetness and crunch respectively.
Theo says "it's good", which is rare, so I'll take that as a win.
Posted by Jeremy at 10:53am on Thursday July 27, 2017 :: 0 comments ::
Tattenbach
Where? Tattenbach (Altstadt-Lehel, Munich, Germany) Map Menu
When? Wednesday July 5, 2017
Who? Theo
Food Style? Bavarian
Just a stone's throw away from our accommodation, Tattenbach provides some classic Bavarian cuisine, heavily based around beer. It's quite busy when we arrive, but we manage to snag a table outside by the entrance. Poor Theo is limited again with the choices on this menu, and I genuinely feel bad for him.
Mains
Roasted Bavarian pork shoulder with homemade beer gravy, potato and bread dumplings, and sauerkraut salad
The pork is super tasty and there is plenty of that dark rich beer sauce to go around, it's like I'm drinking a stout. The crackling is superb, it almost makes me tear up. The salad is the perfect balance for this meal, light and crunchy, and well dressed. The balls of potato and bread dumpling are perfect for soaking up that sauce, but they are a bit too large and quite starchy; I eat about half of them each and then leave them.
A solid start to my Germany fooding adventures - hearty, meaty, lots of carbs and lots of beer. Unfortunately for Theo, he ended up with Yet Another Round of Cheesy Dumplings.
Posted by Jeremy at 10:43am on Thursday July 27, 2017 :: 0 comments ::