I mentioned previously that I don't think Berlin is a great food city but there are some interesting things that one ought to try while in Berlin.
And Currywurst is probably at the top of that list. Berlin is home to this unique invention. Its basically a hot dog smothered in ketchup and curry powder but it is an obsession in the city and you will see currywurst stands everywhere. The picture above happens to be from Ku damm 195 (at Kurfuerstendamm 195). This place is open 24 hours and you can have your Currywurst with a glass of wine. Its very popular and we've actually queued to eat the stuff. If you really want to understand Currywurst, then you need to click here for the site of "Best of the Wurst" where a Korean American woman goes on a quest to understand Currywurst and Berlin. There is a link on the site where you can watch the film on ifilm.
But there is another type of street food that is even more popular than Currywurst and surprisingly, was also invented in Berlin. Doner Kebab. Despite what I thought, this wasn't born in Turkey or on the streets of Istanbul (although that makes me wonder if Gyro was invented first in Greece and is Doner Kebab just a replica?).
Berliners will tell you that the best place to get a doner kebab is from the man who invented it, he now is the owner of the Hasir restaurant chain where you can have doner kebabs and much more (I'm particularly fond of their turkish pizzas).
There is also the institution of Kaffee & Kuchen, Germany's version of afternoon tea. In my opinion, one of the best places in the city to do this is at Einstein's Cafe
Einstein is just as nice a place for brunch as it is for Kaffee & Kuchen. We often spend quite a bit of time on Sunday here having our midday meal. Brunch is another big institution for Berliners on Sundays and the cafes/restaurants are packed with people meeting friends and family.
On our last visit to Einsteins I had a Farmer's omelette. Nice and fluffy but I was surprised to see that this is chock ful of big chunks of potato which they don't warn you about. I guess its supposed to be implied in the description FARMER'S omelette.
If its nice outside then you should definitely go to Einstein's and ask to be seated in the garden. Very gemutlich.
There are also a few unusual places to have a rest and a drink around the city. One of my favourites is Tadshikische Teestube. Take your shoes off, step up into the cushioned and carpeted teahouse to enjoy Russian tea with all the accoutrements. More info.
There is one place where the food is absolutely delicious and just incredible but its not exactly a restaurant and it deserves a post all of its own. I'll tell you about KaDeWe in my next post!
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