Amedama on the Go Go

Hijacked - and then on to Noma, Copenhagen

2007-06-29T12:23:35+01:00

Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry for the prolonged absence. A funny thing has happened to me over the fifth and sixth months of my pregnancy, my head and heart have been hijacked. It suddenly occurred to me how little I knew about babies and that there was this huge lexicon, really a new language that experienced mothers were now throwing my way - attachment parenting, parent directed parenting, co sleeping, bisphenol A, fetal alcohol syndrome, perineal massage, hypnobirthing, bradley method, strep B, mastitis, nuchal translucency screening, etc. And all the new choices to make - which baby monitor, where to give birth, what to do about work, childcare and on and on.

I could go on for pages about all the issues and new things there are for a new mom to think through but I'll just leave you with this last one, apparently, its very important for a woman to have a strategy as to how she's going to use the toilet after giving birth.

I don't mean to make pregnancy sound daunting and stress inducing (although sometimes it is). Its actually much more exciting and fun than any of the minor troubles and frustrations that come along. Feeling this little thing inside of you kick, grabbing your partner's hand so he can put it on your bump and feel it too - that experience alone more than makes up for any negatives.

So baby has hijacked my time in the last two months leaving very little time to blog... and oh, there has been a lot to blog. I still haven't told you about cruising through the backwaters of Kerala on a private houseboat, and we've been to Dubai and Chicago in the meantime. Not to mention a few really good meals in London. And at some point I need to put up a list of some of the best baby clothes shopping I've found on the internet (really hard to stop myself, baby clothes are hard to resist).

However, the thing that forced my hand here is something that I can't bring myself to not blog. We were in Copenhagen last weekend and had a stunning meal at a restaurant called Noma.

Noma has been showing up in the press quite a bit in the past year. Its still relatively not well known on an international level but I don't think its going to remain that way for very long. They received their 2nd star from Michelin and they truly deserve it.

The restaurant is extremely well thought out. Passionate about the provenance and culture of Denmark, the manifesto sings clearly through everything from the food to the decor all the way through to the excellent but not overbearing or overly formal service.

Our party of 9 ordered Egly-Ouriet Grand Cru Brut Tradition NV to kick off the evening and with it came:

Crisps - chicken skin, potato, fish skin, porridge, smelt and fried shrimp sticks. Very moreish and an exciting beginning to our meal. Do you remember my post from earlier this year at the Sportsman? They begin their meal in a similar but totally different way. Each of these restaurants has a very good sense of their identities and the same dish comes out completely differently. Each is in tune with their individual esthetic and the fact that one is in Denmark and a fine dining restaurant and the other a gastropub in England.

Next they served us two types of bread - manitoba and spelt, in a heavy felt "envelope" tied closed with leather strings. I covet these bread holders, in fact, I'd like several of them (I might have to talk my mother in law into making some on her sewing machine). Perfect for keeping bread/muffins warm in. My picture of this is really atrocious so I won't torture you with it but the fresh baked warm bread was delicious along with the butter and pork fat spreads that came with it. The butter was whipped to airiness with Icelandic Skyr cheese and the pork fat was unctuous with a distinct nuttiness.

The second amuse was a milk skin dish with celery, radish, cucumber, and bread sticks.

Milk skin is very remniscent of yuba skin (tofu skin) dishes but with a completely different flavour. Super milky, refreshing and light. The veg was also very light, no flavours to overwhelm the milkiness which might have easily happened if the leek or radish had been too sharp. And very good texture balance on all their dishes. They've juxtaposed that silky milk skin with the crunchy stick made from white beer to give complexity.

And then onto the "proper" menu.

Raw scallops and frozen buttermilk, Green strawberies and toasted rye

Paired with 2005 Steinmassl Riesling from Fred Loimer

Notice something different from the description and my dish?

My scallop is cooked. Another one of the fun things to think through when you are pregnant is that just about anything fun to eat is banned. Raw fish is a no no despite the fact that my Japanese mother insists that she ate sashimi and sushi all through her pregnancy and we came out fine. There is a small risk of listeria and I haven't wanted to chance it. My scallop was perfect, I can't imagine it was any better raw.

That subtle hit of tartness that the green strawberries gives the dish is a great complement. Copenhagen is the first place I've seen this used and it goes really well with seafood.

The next course was a musk ox dish that is one of Noma's signature dishes.
Musk Ox Tartar and wood sorrel, Creamed tarragon and juniper
Unfortunately, this dish was also a no no for me (no raw meat when pregnant) and my picture of Mr M's dish is horrible. I should have dragged it over in front of me to take the shot but I barely got the chance to snap the picture before he picked up his fork and went at it. By all reports around the table this dish is delicious. Delicate and soft in texture great pairing of herbs. I don't know if he'll get around to blogging Noma but Howard over on londonfood has an absolutely stunning picture of this dish.

Instead of this dish, I got

Pretty isn't it? Under those shards of vegetables are hiding delicious duck tongues.

Asparagus and hops Fiddlehead ferns and smoked egg

paired with 2005 Sylvaner 'Zellberg-l'hermitage', Julien Meyer, Alsace

Wonderfully smokey egg with perfectly oozing yolk. I snapped the shot just before the server poured the light and lovely cheese "jus" that came with the dish.

Langoustines and "dust" of thyme, Redcurrant wine and chickweed

The langoustines are from the Faroe islands and I'd be hard pressed to say that I've ever had better. Perfectly cooked. The maltodextrose powder gave the dish a savoury rich quality without the heaviness that butter or cream would have done. All in line with everything at the restaurant being clean tasting with very little fat or oil used.

Salad roots and stem of cauliflower, Snails and Jacobsens dried ham

And this... look at their plating. I've been battling the snails in my flower garden for the last month and this... this was almost too realistic for me. But I got over it. The veg emulsion was delicious (one of the diners at the table declared this his favourite dish just for the emulsion) but the snails themselves didn't taste much of anything.

Grilled shoulder of Lamb, Wild herbs and fjord vegetables

wine pairing - 2003 Saumur Cabernet Franc, Clos Rougeard

Nice sous vide lamb finished on the grill. At this point, the three gentlemen at the end of the table (Mr. M included) were looking around vulture like at the rest of the table to see if anyone was leaving anything on their plate for them to swipe.

Garden sorrel and glazed sheeps milk yougurt, Anise and rapeseed oil
paired with 2006 Grüner Veltliner Eiswein, Nigl, Kremstal (Pregnant women are only allowed a glass of wine or so a week. Instead of having a glass of wine, I took a teeny tiny taste of each of Mr. M's wine pairing. This wine is delicious.)

The evening we ate at Noma was the night after the summer solstice. When we got this dessert it must have been close to 11:00 and the light was just beginning to fail me. This is the last shot I was able to get without the pictures being too dark.

The sorrel granite didn't have that citrusy hit I thought it would. This was just powerfully and grassy green in flavour but I liked the dessert. Light, clean, and refreshing.

Sweet peas and mint, Honey from Frederiksberg and woodsorrel

This dish was the highlight of the dinner for me. All the dishes at Noma are of a high standard but this one managed to climb one octave higher. Those peas were poppingly fresh and the "pea globule" bursts open in your mouth distilling what tasted like the essence of peas. Wonderful texture, honey gave it just the right sweetness. I thought this dish was absolutely delightful.

Rhubarb and beet, Meringue and rose hips
2006 Malvasia di Casorzo d'Asti 'Molignano',Bricco Mondalino, Piemonte (A sparkling red. Really lovely. This is the perfect wine for a picnic.)

It was just too dark to get a good shot of the pink dessert that came next. Delicious creamy rhubarb sorbet... but I thought the beet ice was a mistake. Beetroot is just too overpowering for a dish like this. If you took some of the ice with the meringue and the sorbet... all I tasted was beet. I ended up eating each component as separately as I could.

Coffees, house blended camomile tea, and after dinner drinks for some. Along with

Terrible picture but I loved these. These are Noma's take on a traditional Danish sweet - flødebolle. Thin chocolate shell that began melting the second you picked it up filled with the lightest of beetroot creams. I barely tasted that beetroot its added almost for the beautiful pink colour alone.

Noma is a destination restaurant, I can't wait to see what they do in a different season. The staff were wonderful, the food delcious, interesting, and clean. If you are anywhere near Copenhagen, I'd highly recommend it.

We're off to the Cote d'azur tomorrow and two more restaurants that I have high expectations for. Not to mention the Shiseido Spa and the stunning beauty of the French Riviera. I'll be back with reports and photos of that soon!

Trishna

2007-04-26T11:32:09+01:00

We almost missed out on this restaurant. Trishna's is famous in Mumbai for its pepper garlic King Crab. It also happens to be a place frequented by the who's who list of Mumbai elite. For a city with a population as large as Mumbai there is a very insular upper class society. They shop at the same stores and frequent the same restaurants (go to the same schools, have their hair done in the same salons, take tea at the same hotels, etc). Walk into Indigo and it will seem as if everyone knows each other, this is because they do.

I kept hearing that Trishna's had sufferred from this kind of attention. A victim of its own fame and popularity with Mumbai's jetset. Foodie friends told me to go elsewhere for my seafood fix but I was either there on a night when the kitchen was very on or Trishna's is sufferring from reverse snobbery. The seafood is of excellent quality and their preparation of it is very special. I think you'd be hard pressed to find the dishes here prepared at this level anywhere else in the world, which makes it a must visit if you are in Mumbai.

I'd never had pomfret before but its served quite frequently in Mumbai. The whitefish is meaty yet the texture is light and fluffy. A wonderful fish and Trishna's has very fresh pomfret and will do many preparations of it.

The waiter recommended the Hyderabadi Pomfret and we agreed. I'm happy we did. The fish is blackened - barbecued with black pepper and absolutely delicious.

But Trishna's signature dish is that garlic pepper crab. King crab doused in butter and liberal amounts of garlic, what's not to like? I have a special place in my heart (and stomach) for crab but this is not to say that I'm not picky when it comes to crab. Trishna's King Crab quality is excellent. Here, take a look at the meat coming out of the claw and judge for yourself:

The servers will be happy to completely shell the crab for you but for me, shelling the crab is part of the enjoyment. I want to be able to feel the cracking and anticipate the satisfaction of extracting the meat.

And of course you need a bread to round out your dinner. They do a wonderful rumali roti (handkerchief bread) that went perfectly. No need for any more richness or butter or flavouring for the bread, the buttery crab is quite enough and the plain almost glutinous quality of the flat bread went perfectly.

Trishna's - Birla Mansion, Sai Baba Marg (next to Commerce House), Kala Ghoda, Fort, Colaba. telephone: 022/2270-3213, 022/2270-3214

Trishna's is not easy to find. Have your concierge mark it on a map to show your taxi driver. Reservations are very necessary.

Swati Snacks

2007-04-25T12:09:15+01:00

When in Mumbai you'll definitely want to try the famous street food. Unfortunately, as a tourist you should also be justifiably wary of trying the street food. There's an amazing night market in back of the Taj Mahal but unless you've been living in Mumbai for several months and have acclimitased your stomach, I wouldn't advise eating there. Instead, go to Swati Snacks.

Swati Snacks is a small restaurant with gleaming stainless steel tables and a big glass window into the also gleamingly stainless steel kitchen. The emphasis is on cleanliness and delicious chaat. Here you can gorge away without worrying about the dehli belly (or in this case mumbai belly) that might incapacitate you after-wards.

Swati Snacks was easily one of my best meals in Mumbai. This is a place you should not miss. In fact, go more than once, preferably with a large group of people so you can try everything on the menu. Because when it comes to chaat (street snacks) the textural complexity and explosive flavours, who can resist?

Bhel Puri, tangy, spicy from tamarind sauce and chillies as well as red onions. This had further textural contrasts of puffed rice and some deep fried crunchy noodles, there might have been a bit of potato, lots of coriander, and a lemony hit and it was definitely delicious.

And this, Dahi Batata Puri was just incredible. You pop one of these in your mouth, crunch down and receive an explosion of tangy, spicy, salty, sweet from the tamarind, chillies and yogurt on the potato and chickpea mix. It defies description and is ever so addictive.

There is also a Gujarati dish on the menu called paan ki

Delicious, steamed sour batter rice crepes.

Swati Snacks is also famous for their hand churned ice creams but I had to stop myself. We had only stopped at Swati Snacks literally for a snack. We had dinner plans in a few hours...

There are normally long lines in front of Swati Snacks, especially at lunch time. But if you go at dinner or just as they open for lunch, you can avoid the waiting. In any case, its extremely well organized. They'll take your name and give you a number which you simply wait to come up.

248 Karai Estate, Tardeo Road, opposite Bhatia Hospital

Mumbai

91-22/249-209-94

Taj Mahal Palace

2007-04-24T12:55:31+01:00

India is not an easy place to travel in. It's hot, noisy, the traffic is unbelievable, and the constant stream of people wanting to guide you, trick you, sell something, or beg money is unrelenting. But on the other hand, India has some of the most beautiful hotels I've ever had the pleasure to stay at. It's a good thing too, because when travelling in India you need an oasis where you can recharge, rest, and relax in order to get ready to go out and once again face the challenges of India's cities.

Our first few nights in Mumbai, we stayed at the Taj Mahal Palace. The hotel is a tourist destination in and of itself. Situated right beside the Gateway of India, the hotel is an architectural treasure dating back to 1903.

The hotel is opulent, yet elegant, managing to avoid the excesses of hotels in the middle east such as the Emirates Palace. And should you stay here, you'll be very grateful for the marble clad walls. Coming back into my room from walking the dusty, grimy, sweltering streets of Mumbai, I was tempted to lay down on the pristine white coolness of the marble floors in my room. Instead, I relished the relief it offered to my bare feet and then went to take a shower in the marble bathroom.

And then went downstairs to relax by the pool

The Taj hotel group in general have some of the most stunning properties in India and this one is no exception. Even if you aren't staying in the hotel, the lobby is a great place to take a break and do some excellent people watching.

We stayed in the Heritage wing of the hotel which has excellent views of the Gateway of India and has some absolutely gorgeous rooms.

The very inviting bed -

And the seaside window with a great view of the Gate of India where you can have a drink or eat some fruit as you relax in peace watching the hordes of people go by.

Alas, my one criticism of the hotel is that even these walls couldn't totally keep out the noise of Mumbai. Early in the morning you'll begin to hear the honking and general noise that is the city of Mumbai. However, I still think you'd be hard pressed to find a better hotel in this frenetic city.

The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower
Apollo Bunder
Mumbai 400 001
India
Tel No. : (91-22) 6665 3366
Fax No : (91-22) 66650323 /24

Alphonso Mango

2007-04-23T16:01:57+01:00

I apologize again for going MIA but I have a good excuse. I've been in India and have lots to tell you about. Specifically, I've been in Mumbai (Bombay) and Kerala. I kept asking friends before I left if I'd be there in time to taste the famed Alphonso Mango and I kept hearing conflicting reports. Mumbaikars now living in London were telling me "No, it's too early", and others saying, "Yes, and bring me back a box!"

So, it was one of the first things I looked into once I got to Mumbai. Mr. M and I instructed our driver (This is the best way to get around Mumbai, you hire a driver for the day. Ours cost about £28 for the whole day. A bargain when you think of all the hassle they save you from and the fact that their cars are air conditioned, an essential for Mumbai) to take us to Crawford Market (Mumbai's large fruit and veg market where they will rip you off because you aren't a local but this isn't such a hardship when the prices will still be a quarter of what the product would cost you at home).

Upon arriving at Crawford Market Alphonso Mangoes were everywhere.

Boxes of unripe ones were being packed into crates of straw and bought by wholesalers and savvy households who will buy these at a cheaper price then wait for peak ripeness before unpacking and enjoying. Then, also stalls upon stalls hawking mangoes at their peak to be eaten that day and also ones best to be eaten the next day or day after. I wouldn't know how to judge that kind of perfect ripeness but the gentleman at Vilas Dhoble fruit stand at Crawford is famous for it.

He sold me six, two to be eaten immediately, two for the day after, and two for our third day in Mumbai. I excitedly carried my purchase back (along with some freshly ground spice mixes from one of the Crawford Market spice stalls. Apparently, saffron powder is good for both joints and pregnant women and fenugreek helps women who have just given birth with lactation. I happen to be pregnant and the ayurvedic knowledge in the spice seller poured out for my benefit. He was happy to share the information as it benefited his sales!).

Later that evening, in a family tradition (my dad's side of the family is from Hawaii and grows mangoes in their gardens) I drew myself a bath and got in to peel the mango. If you are going to enjoy the mango by yourself, this is a great way to do it. A) the mango juice that runs down your chin and down your arms won't get all over your clothes, B) you don't have to mind about the mess you can easily wash yourself off C) and lastly, mango juice is actually good for your skin. So you get a spa treatment as well as enjoy your mango. I simply let the silky peels drop into the water (I had brought a serrated peeler with me from London in anticipation of doing this) and then took my first bite. Alphonso Mangoes are a deep yellow orange colour and the flesh is sorbet smooth, not fibrous at all. Sweet, intense mango flavour with tart accents. Tremendously juicy... and oh so lovely. This is a great mango.

I shared the rest of my booty with Mr. M over the next few days and I was told by other Mumbaikars that I was lucky to be in Mumbai to catch the beginning of the Alphonso season but the mangoes only get better as the weather gets hotter and their peak of sweetness would be in May. So, if you're going to India over the next month, don't miss buying as many as you can eat.

KaDeWe

2007-03-26T12:01:08+01:00

KaDeWe (Kaufhaus des Westens or Department Store of the West) is a Berlin Institution. One of their biggest and best department stores, you can browse for makeup, accessories, clothing, household goods, and books. But far and away the best reason for a visit to KaDeWe is to wander around its massive food floor.

KaDeWe's food floor belongs in a category that marks it as one of the best department store food halls in the world (this is Germany's version of London's Harrods or Paris's Bon Marche). The selection is vast and they have a range of products from various countries around the world that makes KaDeWe unique.

This happens to be a small sample of their American candy bar section, they have versions of Kitkat that I've never seen in America (banana, strawberry, or dark chocolate flavour anyone?)

Their chocolate area is vast in and of itself. You can find a Valrhona counter, Godiva and twenty other upscale brands along with a dozen more unusual ones. I always stock up on Dolfin chocolate bars. I like the unusual flavour combinations and the balance of the spicing (masala chocolate anyone?)

There is also a wall full of chocolate bars incorporating every possible dried fruit/nut/spice/tea/etc conceivable in both milk or dark chocolate and several different cacao percentages. These are some of the best bars I've ever tried for quantity and quality of the "added ingredient". For example, the almond bar has one whole almond per tiny square that you break off and the coffee bean bar, is chock full o beans.

And a pic of the wall

This kind of attention to quality of stock continues in just about every category, whether you want

Beer of every variety from countries all over the world or

Eggs. Duck, Quail, or how about Ostrich ones?

The list is endless - spices, charcuterie, fruit, if you're into food you could lose yourself here for hours.

And then pick up some wonderful breads and pastries to go along with your other purchases to go have a picnic in the square just outside.

Eating Berlin

2007-03-20T15:32:21+00:00

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!

Fischers Fritz

2007-03-15T13:19:17+00:00

Berlin is not a great food city, its just not. Although, I'd love to be convinced otherwise and I keep trying to convince myself that somewhere in the city there is a restaurant that will knock my socks off. I haven't found it yet.

This time around we went to Fischers Fritz which is a one star (we heard rumours that they were hoping for two this year but they didn't get it) seafood restaurant. I walked out with very mixed feelings.

Fischers Fritz is located in the Regent Hotel right on Charlottenstrasse, great location. The dining room is over the top opulence, its the way the Regent hotel rolls.

I'm always pleased to see children and babies welcomed at fine dining restaurants. As long as the kids are behaved, why not? Its great education for them, especially when the staff are welcoming towards them. But I found it a little bizarre that framed in the archway as your first glimpse into the restaurant at a table right in the front where no one could miss it, was a table of three, well, four if you include the baby (maybe three months old) in a bassinet on the floor with the mother sitting on the floor with it. As I said, no problems with the kid being there, the baby was relatively well behaved and even the occasional crying didn't bother me. But why seat them there? Why not put them in a corner or somewhere a bit more discreet? Simply seemed jarring to the image of this opulent room where you are coming for a very fine meal when you're greeted by a baby kicking and gurgling away and its mother sprawled out on the floor next to it.

Never mind.

Here are the cheese crisps served with your apertif. Nothing tremendously special.

And the lovely amuse, sashimi of turbot on a bed of lentils and grains. A creative take on sushi.

Now, this is an area where Germany can really shine. Their bread, the multigrain and their dark loaves can be phenomenal. But I wasn't so bowled over with this, it was good, no better.

Our next amuse was lovely but I'm embarassed to say, unmemorable. I didn't take notes (I rarely take notes. I'm so much more intent on just enjoying my food and usually the photos are reminder enough) during this dinner and am now at a loss as to what this was. I only remember enjoying it.

Mr M's scallop starter - Chou Frise Et St Jacques, Raviolo of Lardo stuffed with truffled cale roasted scallops and white foam of Chinese garlic. Huge scallops as you can see, good flavour and perfectly cooked.

My incredible salad - Salade Venetienne Et Homard - Seasonal salad Venetian style with Bretonian lobster, sardines and black truffle. Absolutely delicious, great textures, wonderful flavour, and the generous tumble of black truffles was so fragrant, I smelled the dish coming toward me long before the choreographed service placed it in front of me.

Okay, up front, I need to apologise for this terrible picture. In between starter and main course, I took a picture of Mr M. For which I took the macro setting off my camera and then when I snapped this pic, I totally forgot that I took the macro off and was befuddled as to why I couldn't get it into focus. I finally gave up. However, this was a good dish. Chevreuil Et Chanterelles -

Saddle of Brandenburg venison with purée of chestnuts chanterelles and sauce Rouennaise. Tender, good flavour to the venison and what you can't see hiding under the tuille is a gorgeous mound of chanterelles.

And this (also taken without the macro on). Lovely. St. Pierre et Cacao de Chuau - Filet of John Dory poached in nutbutter and braised vegetables with Pancetta chilled cream of Chuau cacao and coffee flavoured olive-oil . The coffee and cocoa flavours went really well with the John Dory

Pre dessert, berry compote with yoghurt.

Fruit de la passion et coriandre - Blanc manger of greek joghurt and passion fruit, crushed ice of coriander and red chili-pepper . This was merely interesting rather than delicious

This is the coriander ice. Couldn't eat more than a few bites of this. As I said, interesting not delicious.

And the petit fours that finished the meal off.

The meal had its hits and misses but this is still a solid one star meal. However, it was boring. Other than my lobster salad, there is nothing here that I would return to eat twice, and that brings me to my other major criticism. That lobster salad alone cost 40 euros... which maybe that one dish is justified in charging however, the other dishes are just as outrageously priced and didn't come anywhere near merit. Our meal (and I wasn't drinking, Mr M had three glasses of wine with the meal) came to £190 (that's close to $380 at the exchange rate right now).

I don't mind paying that kind of money for a meal but the meal must justify the price tag. Boring, one star food does not justify that sort of price tag.

So I remain unconvinced, Berlin just isn't a great food city.

Fischers Fritz -

Charlottenstraße 49
10117 Berlin-Mitte
Deutschland

Tel. +49 (0) 30-20 33 63 63

Ku Damm 101 vs Marriott

2007-03-14T14:45:40+00:00

One of the nicest things about Berlin is how affordable the city is compared to most other cities in Europe. Even for a visitor the hotels are very reasonably priced. You can go for dirt cheap budget stays all the way up the scale to the Adalon or Hotel de Rome, or even the Schlosshotel vier Jahreszeiten.

I usually go midmarket, I like comfort, I like amenities, a gym and/or pool is nice, and if they have a spa that's a plus for me. Also, for a short city stay, I don't like to break the bank.

This time around we decided to stay at Ku damm 101. I didn't really do much research. I had read a couple of recommendations of it as a design hotel and then did a cursory glance at tripadvisor and Ku damm's website and we booked.

I was initially impressed as we walked through the public spaces. Minimalistic with a quirky sense of humour. The public spaces are nicely laid out.

Although, I would not have described this as a design hotel. It looked more like a budget hotel with the better designed pieces from IKEA as furnishings.

It wasn't until we started walking down the corridor to our room that I started to worry. The floor throughout the upper levels is uncarpeted and made of a material that I like to refer to as easymop. Slightly glossy, very hard, and oh so horrifically noisy. I was trying to be quiet (it was late) but every step echoed down the corridor and I think I could even hear the rubber wheels of my suitcase reverberating. This wasn't helped by the fact that there is nothing on the walls to help absorb this sound either. I was suspicious but I had no idea just how well I'd be able to hear everyone else walk down the hallway while I was in my room trying to sleep. I'd find out later.

Then the room itself. I don't mind sparse, I don't mind minimalistic, on the contrary, I rather like it. But the rooms at Ku Damm aren't just these things they are also cold and despite their efforts to be stylish, the quality of the materials are cheap. It rather reminded me of dorm rooms.

The door to our room next to the cheap plastic wardrobe.

The tv set. The screen of which was almost the same size as this image of the tv.

But the worst was the bed itself. It looked fine. Low to the ground, bare white linens. However, when we climbed in I realized two things. While the bed was a real double, the sheets and blankets were not. They used two single sized bedsheets and duvet to cover the double bed. This annoyed me, if you are travelling as a couple you most likely want to snuggle under the same covers, not lay in the same bed under two separate sets of bedding. I can only think that this was done to cut costs (so much easier and cheaper to order single sets in bulk than deal with having to manage orders and inventory of bedding for your double beds also).

But that wasn't the worst thing about the bed. The bed was rock hard. The floor might have been less uncomfortable.

We also discovered that there was no minibar in the room (I drink a lot of water. If we've arrived in a city too late to hit a convenience store, then I usually raid the minibar of all its water). Then found that there is also no room service. I'd just have to go thirsty.

The bathroom had a little cubicle of a shower with scratchy towels and these ridiculous packets of shower gel that became impossible to open when your hands are wet.

The next morning as Mr M and I awoke to the noises in the corridor he asked me if I wanted to switch hotels. He called over to the Marriott where we had stayed before and yes they had room.

Its not that the hotel was horrific. Its fine if that is what you are expecting and paying for. But Ku damm 101 is in the same price bracket as the Marriott and many other mid level hotels in Berlin. We paid 113 euros a night at Ku damm. We've paid that rate at the Marriott in the past and at the last minute on this occasion we were able to book a room there for 129 euros. But the difference in quality of hotel is huge. Ku Damm 101 shouldn't be marketed at the same level, it's a budget hotel and it's IKEA esque furnishings ought to be reflected in IKEA esque prices. It's not.

Marriott is not the most extravagant hotel but it is very nice. Comfy, quiet, elegant if corporate style, and all the amenities you expect from a mid level hotel. Great service, king size bed, full bath, mini bar, room service, spa services, gym, etc. Good hotel at a good price.

Very comfortable bed under one lovely set of King size bedding.

I was even more pleased that we moved after Mr. M came down with a cold and we each took a long nap in that fluffy bed every afternoon that we were in Berlin.

Marriott Berlin Website

Strolling Berlin

2007-03-13T12:24:52+00:00

(Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church)

What I like best about Berlin is that its such a laid back kind of hip city. Unlike the maniacal pace of London, New York, or Tokyo, even unlike the buzzy city of Paris, Berlin manages to be a chilled out city that is still on the cutting edge.

One of my favourite things to do when I'm there is to walk around. The architecture is excellent and the artwork you stumble onto is also brilliant. Not to mention the excellent people watching in the evenings on Oranienburgstrasse.

There are some magnificent government buildings along the river and if its a nice day out and you like architecture, this area makes a great place to wander around.

This area is very close to the Reichstag which really shouldn't be missed. A great building that fuses old Berlin and new.

Just a warning though, arrive early or be prepared to get in line.

Are you looking at these pictures wondering what I think represents new Berlin in this magnificent architecture? It's on the inside -

This is Norman Foster's reconstruction (1990's) of the Reichstag dome. You can walk the spiral all the way to the top for beautiful views. Its almost as good as just looking at the dome itself.

(closeup of the mirrored "funnel" supporting the interior of the dome)

There are still remnants of the wall standing and every once in a while as you are out exploring Berlin, you'll be pleasantly surprised by a portion here or there (although, I highly discourage you from trying to walk along where the wall used to be... long and boring). I love these reminders of where the division was, not just for the history but for the artwork on them. Berlin has some magnificent graffiti.

Not all of the wall has been painted over. There's quite a bit of it that looks as it would have when it separated East from West. This particular bit of the wall wedges the borderlines directly through an old cemetary. It drives home how randomly the city was divided in two.

A really enjoyable film that helps bring to life what it was like to live behind the walls and then some of the aspects of life after it came down is Goodbye Lenin. Its a great film and even better to watch if you're planning to visit Berlin soon. See the trailer here.

Oranienburgstrasse is best explored at night when you can get a drink at one of the numerous bars and cafes that line the street. There you can sit and watch the nightlife that evolves on the street in front of you.

The area is very funky

Potsdammer Platz is another area with great architecture.

I'm torn as to whether its better to view this area in the day or in the night as its lit up so beautifully after sunset.

There's this building just on one of the sides at Sony Center where they've kept some of the facade to the original building. In order to integrate it with the new structures, they've glassed it in and light the facade in changing colours.

And the Sony Dome.

One more photo, simply because no pictorial of Berlin would be complete without an image of Fernsehturm

More to come on sleeping, eating, shopping, and seeing in Berlin...