diner en blanc and a salad for june

The only but hopefully not the last picnic of this summer turned out to be magnificent! Thanks to dear friends who kindly organized a table for a bigger round (which basically was the only challenging part of this dining flashmob), we could join the third Diner en Blanc in Berlin (a coverage of the previous dinner found here). The road below the renovated railroad between U Station Eberswalder Str. and Schönhauser Allee served as a perfect roofed location on a partly rainy day. The white dress code and the candle light during twilight ensured a festive look as far as the eye could see.

I brought the salad that I devour throughout the month of June: a dish to celebrate the beginning of summer and to anticipate the glorious fruits and veggies that are about to follow from then on.

Strawberry and asparagus salad with shallots and raspberry vinaigrette: works with either white or green asparagus. No herbs needed. When taking white asparagus I like to add green leaves.

 
The moral of the table pic: disposable dishes and Tupperware are THE mood killers at picnics. Cut flowers and candles are THE warrant for a beautiful outdoor dining experience. Find some style ideas here.    

Sea Menu @ Metti Una Sera A Cena, Italian Supper Club in Prenzlauer Berg

At the beginning of this month I attended a supper club for the first time: metti una sera e cena ("place one night a dinner".... ???) hosted by two Italian artists, Marco and Chiara, in the Bötzow neighbourhood.

I first heard of a private supper club a couple of years ago but without knowing such a term. In the Swiss town of Neuchâtel some friends were invited by a college colleague who threw a five-courses menu and only asked his guests for an allowance. Hearing about that i felt pity that there wasn't such a thing in my city... only to find out much later that the real underground dinners have been always taking place, simply i had not been invited to any. Now i take comfort in the fact that in order to attend one of these days' supper clubs, you don't need an invite ;). though officially you still do...

The supper clubs we are talking about today are no more secret: you get their addresses in city magazines, nationwide newspapers or social media. And they are so numerous that one can lose track of them.

The attraction is less the underground element (after all, nothing is wrong about restaurant licenses, right? ) but the prospect of an alternative dining experience when passionate private cooks perform for a bigger crowd of guests without seeking commercial intentions at first place.

Our evening at Metti was wonderful!

They host 12 people for each dinner that takes place twice a month in the hosts' studio. The improvised setting contributed to a cozy and charming atmosphere while the menu was exquisite:

1. Warm scallops salad with potatoes, fish coulis and sepia ink bread
2. Homemade ravioli with Gorgonzola and walnuts, shallot sauce
3. Homemade onion and olive oil ice cream, smoked swordfish
4. Cod with almonds gratin, pear and onion cream. Purple potato chips
5. Tiramisu

I loved courses 2, 3, and 5: sure, you can never go wrong with handmade ravioli and good cheese but at least I can never get tired of that stuff... besides, it was the first savory ice cream I ever had (being totally behind food fashion) which was exciting. Finally the Tiramisu had nothing in common with the dessert that you know - just look at the saffron threads!

Courses 1 and 4 tasted a tad too neutral but still they made up well balanced, lovely composed dishes.

Each plate was picturesque and despite of the modern interpretation of the dishes it all tasted authentic Italian.

See some pictures here as mine all failed.

When the hosts finally joined us for a chat after the last course at around 1 a.m. (after having rushed five hours in the kitchen), that was even a touching moment.

These cheerful couple put so much efforts into a dinner to make a memorable evening for their unknown guests. One can only guess: from designing a menu, to starting with preparations days before, procuring the ingredients, cooking a whole day and cleaning up the day after.

Do we ever put so much efforts when inviting friends in real life? Not really. In so far that was a heart-warming, revealing experience. You don't have to cook elaborate dishes for a happy gathering but for sure, the more love and efforts you put into an invite, the happier you will make your guests. It is simple as that.

Thank you Chiara and Marco for the dinner - wish you much joy and happy encounters in the future!

Metti Una Sera a Cena, Italian supper club in Prenzlauer Berg.
Book the next dinners via their blog.
The suggested donation depends on the menu: around 55 euro per person, including aperitif, wine pairings and coffee.

Millefeuille @ Albrechts Patisserie, Prenzlauer Berg

In terms of refined bread, especially crispy white bread and sourdough bread, this city is a desert. Maybe somewhere within the vast city borders there is a skilled artisan baker still waiting to shoot to fame but at least in the nine years that I have kept looking for him, we haven't come across.

But in terms of pastry, even french pastry, I have all my heart desires at any time within a minute's walk - hooray! My favorite supplier is Albrechts in Rykestr. Since its pastry chef started her business there, its goodies have been reliable special treats and though being a customer for years, I still feel excitement whenever I enter this place.

The list of pastries varies a lot according to the season and the quality of the ingredients is superb. They also deliver individual wedding cakes. For any first-time guests I recommend the glorious millefeuille!

Albrechts Patisserie, Rykestr. 39. Everyday until 7 pm.

There are two other cafés in Schöneberg and Charlottenburg.


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1. Beautiful Rykestreet with view of the television tower.

2. Spoilt for choice.

3. Pretty interior & exterior.

4. How to transport the beauties safely on a bike: use the bike-lock to fix the paper box. This way you don't have to crawl at a snail's pace :)

5. You see? Everything arrived safe and sound after a 1-2 km ride.

6. Hate to say this but if ever one can buy happiness, this would be pretty much it for me :)

Jajangmyeon @ Juki, Prenzlauer Berg

There is a new Korean BBQ bar in Lychener Straße where I tried Jajangmyeon. Jajangmyeon is what Koreans refer to as Chinese cuisine but it isn't. Let's say it's a Chinese Korean dish with a fast-food-image. Kids and adults alike love these sticky wheat noodles with salty black bean sauce but are not allowed to eat them as often as they would like to (I don't know exactly why).

The banchans were so so but the noodles were good. Like the other Korean restaurants that opened in Prenzlauer Berg during the past years I think Juki lacks a concept of interior design.

Not that this is what really counts but I prefer the authentic no-design-at-all Korean restaurant (there are plenty of this type in Frankfurt am Main btw) to an half-hearted attempt.

Juki BBQ and Soju Bar
Lychener Str. 13.
Open from 4 pm.
Closed on Mondays.