Second Trip to Berlin

A brief report on two Berlin discoveries: Indonesian and German.

Two years ago, I went to Berlin and had several wonderful meals. This time, I went back to the same places but also tried some new ones.

The first restaurant is a hangout for the friends with whom I was staying. Mary and Alex go to Good Time several times a week. I mistakenly thought that Indonesian food is riijstaffel, but in fact, that is just a Dutch adaptation of what is truly Indonesian fare. One thing they told me to watch out for: hot food!!

I was not daunted, having had the experience of ordering hot food in Thailand and more recently in L.A. We started with a wonderful spring roll Weisse Roll( Roll in German) stuffed with prawns, pork, herbs and salad. And we also shared Yam Mun Yang which is spicy grilled pork with onions, cucumber, cherry tomatoes and Thai celery salad. This dish came with only one "pepper" (indicating level of hotness) on the menu. My favorite of the appetizers was the Gold and Silberbeutel--fried dumplings with finely ground pork, water chestnuts to dip in a lime-chili sauce dressing.

We shared the main courses as well. Ped Kiemao (three peppers) which is a crispy duck on a bed of chilis, thai basil and mixed eggplants; Api Sapi (five peppers!!!!!)--an extra spicy and hot fried beef filet with chilies, peppercorns and peppers; Nasi Goreng which is the Indonesian version of fried rice, served with grilled chicken on skewers and a nicely marinated salad.

All the food we had was completely new to me and for that reason, quite exciting. It was also very delicious and not at all expensive. Can't wait to go to Java or Bali to try this food up close.

For our German meal, we went to Kayzer Soze--named after the sinister character in The Usual Suspects (great movie in which Kevin Spacey plays Kayzer). I had Bavarian sausages with German potato salad. The sausages are white and made from either veal or pork and herbs. The potato salad is served warm and is dressed with a vinaigrette that is long on vinegar. It is not my favorite food, but I know that I was served a good example.

Mary and I also went to Kadewe which is one of the biggest department stores in Europe. We basically went there for the air conditioning, as Berlin was sweltering when I was there. But we took advantage of the food floor which is vast, having not only restaurants and wine bars, but also many different stands with a variety of foods, most notably sausage. Foreign foods appear as well, and I bought microwave popcorn and Graham Crackers which I have never seen in Paris. I watched the many people who were eating at the different restaurant stands and noted for myself that this would be a great place to get authentic German food at reasonable prices. Next time...