Showing posts with label berlin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label berlin. Show all posts

Saturday, December 6, 2014

Once in a while, I like to go out.

. . . okay, let's face it, if I were made of money, I would go out way more often than I should, but of course my money tree died and my million dollar inheritance ran out (I bought a piece of the moon to prepare myself for the move when zombies eventually come a-knockin' on my door).

Due to these circumstances, I cook very often at home. However, on the rare occasion I sit in a cafe and order a meal, I like to go to a place with good food and plenty of things to stare at. Enter Goodies Cafe in Friedrichshain, Berlin.



Goodies is a place I discovered through a popular market chain called Veganz (they sell Goodies' prepared food) here in Berlin. After trying out a few of the cold dishes, I decided to visit the main store and see what else they had to offer. Naturally I was drawn to the large menu, baked goods, and fresh smoothies and juices.






The decor is quite simple but the graphic art on the walls and coffee cups make the place more personable. I admit the chairs and tables don't look so inviting but I suppose this place caters more to those "on the go".





They have wraps that change monthly as well as staple wraps, bagel sandwiches, cold noodle salads, soups, etc. The people behind the counter also speak English if German is not your forte (I think they get quite a few tourists here). It was quite busy around the time my friend and I went so counter service can seem a bit rushed. Never the less, the food is yummy and there's plenty to choose from. I think it's a great place for starting vegans/vegetarians or just someone who likes to mix it up once in a while.

Goodies
Warschauer Straße 69
10243 Berlin

Goodies Cafe in Berlin

Monday, October 20, 2014

I always dread rain more than any other type of weather. There's just something about rain that makes me tired and unmotivated to get out of bed. Not to mention taking photos when you want natural lighting is one frustrating task.

There are many fun activities that I find are reserved for those days. Going to the movies, taking a sports class, walking around the mall, and of course, a good ole museum visit. I LOVE museums but I rarely go to them in Berlin. Maybe it's knowing that I have to shell out full admission now that I'm not a student. Or perhaps finding a partner in crime on a weekday afternoon is just difficult. Luckily my friend Marinka from Finland was in town so we decided to head to the Pergamon to gaze at ancient artifacts.



The rug collection was so pretty! I love textile everything!





After leaving the museum, Marinka wanted to do a headstand so I caught one of her warming up between columns.



Finally, my remedy for rainy day sadness is always soup! If you're going to roll around on your bed like a panda, you might as well be waiting on soup to cook! This is my fail-safe recipe because it is so stinkin' easy and good for you.



Carrot Ginger Soup
Serves 4

4 big carrots washed, peeled, and cut into 1 cm rounds
2 medium sized (or 4 small) potatoes, peeled and diced
1 medium sized onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger
1 tbsp olive oil
2 1/2 cups of water (enough to cover vegetables when cooking)
3 tbsp non-dairy creamer (optional)
parsley for garnish (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Place a soup pot* on the stove over high heat. Once heated, put in oil, garlic, and onions and toss until the onions are translucent. Add the carrots, potatoes, and ginger and toss for an extra minute. Pour the water into the pot and wiggle the vegetables around until everything is immersed in water. Cover the pot and let the water come to a boil before reducing the soup down to low heat. Let it cook for 15-20 minutes.
Pierce a fork into the carrots and potatoes to make sure they are tender. Take an immersion blender and puree to liking (I prefer mind a bit chunky). At this point, you can add the creamer and mix it in with a spoon. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or parsley flakes. Serve with noodles if desired.

*The soup pot should be big enough to hold all vegetables and the water needed but not too wide that the water spreads out and is not enough to cover the vegetables.

Rainy Day at the Pergamon and Carrot Ginger Soup Recipe

Monday, August 11, 2014

Tassenkuchen Cafe is an organic American style cafe not far from the Seestrasse station in Wedding, Berlin. My friend Lisa was the one who introduced me to the place after telling me about their pancake brunch on the weekends. Since then I've been back on several occasions with friends, trying to decide which baked goodie to get next and chatting over a nice cup of fair trade coffee.




Veggie Burger (left) and Cob T Sandwich (right)





I would highly recommend the scones if you drop by! I've tried a fair amount of the baked goods here and the scones are definitely one of my favorites. I also quite like the cinnamon buns.
They also have special offerings on different days, and they seem to take requests for gluten free or vegan goods in advance (a huge plus!)




The decor is great--clean and pleasant with touches of color. The place is also very kid friendly. Sometimes it can be a bit loud because of the capacity (and if there are multiple kids playing in the back room) but I never felt that it was really that overwhelming. They also offer free WiFi, if you're looking to get some work done.

Anyway, if you're ever in Wedding and are in search for a twee cafe, this one's got you covered (especially since twee cafes are not that common in Wedding). Hope you liked it and ciao for now!


TassenKuchen Cafe
Malplaquetstraße 33
13347 Berlin

TassenKuchen Cafe

Thursday, April 24, 2014

I have a bad habit of sleeping late, waking up early, and then just powering through the day and sleeping late again. Please excuse me if I start writing gibberish because my brain is rusting. Now onto content (what a horrible introduction)!


I recently went to see the Russian Ravens play in Mitte. I'm not just saying this because I know the band members (okay, Oli is totally the drummer) but seriously, they are great! I definitely had moments of Explosions in the Sky feels the first time around. The only set back is I have no idea what they're saying because the lyrics are all in Russian.

Also, I've been experimenting in the kitchen a lot more.


I bought these soy pellets to test out. You just soak them in water or broth and they become a sort of meat substitute. I'm really used to eating fake meat so it's not out of the norm for me but for any meat eaters out there, don't expect this to taste like what you're used to.

I also have been doing a lot of baking.


Gluten Free, vegan, and sugar free is really tricky if you don't have the right ingredients. In fact, I still don't have the right ingredients (much harder to find arrowroot powder or xantham gum here casually).

I did manage to create an edible sad brick!


Tada! It even has glue on top. Okay, it wasn't half bad (I just need to work on texture). But seriously, doesn't it look tragic?

Finally on Easter (or rather the night before), I went to a huge fire near Oli's house.




It's actually a practice here in Germany to have Easter fires. There are many in the more suburban parts of Berlin and Brandenburg, and they have little shows and play schlager music (it's the music you imagine drunk German people dance to). Definitely a cozy way to spend a brisk evening.


I stick out like a sore thumb.

What did you guys do for Easter?

The Last Few Days

Saturday, March 22, 2014

As you guys read in my last update, I've been working and working out a lot. I decided to reward myself and go out to a highly rated Chinese food restaurant with Oli last Wednesday. I don't know if it was the heightened expectation I had from the glowing reviews on Yelp, but in short, it was quite an average experience.


Green White Pool

Toca Rouge is a trendy Asian fusion restaurant on Torstrasse in Mitte. We happened upon it on a weekday evening and boy, was it packed. We're talking elbow to elbow, I-know-every-detail-of-your-date-last-night-neighbor packed. We grabbed a seat right under a suspended bicycle and commenced ordering.


Yasming Dynasty

Service is aight. As a waitress in a centrally located restaurant, I get it. Busy days mean busting your ass and not a lot of time for anything else. There was slight confusion at one point where the beer Oli ordered went to the table next to us, but I wouldn't consider that a biggie. I do wish they smiled just a bit more but now I'm just nitpicking.


Mao's Darling


Sticky Orange Love Pudding

Let's get down to what really matters: the food. This is where the whole experience just lay flat on the ground. The menu itself sounded amazing. The name of every dish was like the title of an Asian parody movie and the descriptions made my mouth water. However, the food itself did not deliver.

Appetizer/Soup: Bland and salty.
Entrees: My pork was too chewy and unnecessarily fatty. The goji berries didn't really enhance the flavor either. The best part of it was the mango salsa. Oli's dish was also average. His fish almost had no flavor while the sauce was too salty. It could've been more balanced.
Dessert: It tasted really good but was gone in seconds due to the fact that they put two small rice cakes in a little puddle of sauce. The upside is that I know where to get these dumplings to recreate at home.



I'm not saying this is a bad place. It's just not the place of my dreams. I also take into consideration that maybe the dishes we chose were not their better ones. If I do go back someday, I'll definitely try something else.

And use the bathroom again because this:



Disco lights and a hip hop playlist should become a mandatory thing while taking care of business.

Toca Rouge
Torstraße 195, 10115 Berlin

Toca Rouge Restaurant Review

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Once in a while, I like going to fancy places where the napkins are cloth and there's actually someone who will take your coat and hang it up in a guest closet. When I actually enter the place however, I look down at my tattered boots and wonder if I really belong there.

Osmanya restaurant is a Turkish restaurant located in Moabit, Berlin that fulfills the best of both worlds. It's got the decor of a princess dining room but prices suited for a pauper (okay, a middle class Berliner).




My friend Anne Louise and I went, later joined by the two girls from Frankfurt I mentioned in this post and Oli!


Anne Louise and I!


The menu.

The prices for entrees range from 9-20 euros or you can make a meal from appetizers for about 5 euros each.


Anne Louise and I ordered the same dish (I believe this cost 10.50!)


Oli got lamb, which was a few euros more.

The food was very fresh and tasty and the portions are definitely enough to make you full. Even the appetizers were a pretty good size. They also have interesting drinks I never heard of (who knew Turkish lemonade tastes like Flintstones vitamins?)




Group shot!

Overall, I would recommend going to this restaurant. The service was very accommodating and our server answered any questions we had (although we went on a quiet weekday so not sure what it would be like when it's busy). It also seems they have an outdoor patio for when it's warm enough to sit outside.

Osmanya Restaurant
Birkenstraße 17, 10559 Berlin

Osmanya Restaurant

Sunday, January 12, 2014

Recently 2 of my flat-mate's friends from Frankfurt came to visit Berlin! We stopped by an Irish pub called Killkenny (uhhh, South Park anyone?) right inside the Hackescher Markt train station. Now most people don't know that I love Irish pubs. I think I would much rather go to an Irish pub than a fancy bar. It's no frills, the bartenders are relaxed, and it's a great place to go with a group. Not to mention I have fond memories getting tipsy over pints of beer in good company. Anyway, here are some shots of that night!

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The sisters who came to visit. They were both super sweet!

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Oli and I!

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Cheese!

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Okay, so I got a cocktail. Apparently it's the house specialty cocktail. Why is maracuja juice amazing?

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And finally the decor.

There was also a live performance happening in the other room. I got really excited when she started to sing Nora Jones! Upon leaving, we also chatted with a friendly Finnish guy outside. Overall, a very comfortable evening.

Irish Pub in Berlin: Killkenny

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