Currywurst

Five out of five. That’s how many days we had currywurst during our stay in Berlin. One might think that we’d be tired of it by now but, truth be told, we were craving currywurst again a few days ago. It’s not something you tire of that easily. It’s essentially a pork sausage that is steamed and fried, and is then bathed in curry ketchup, and topped with more curry powder (a special German preparation of curry powder, of course). A potato side of some sort is the most common accompaniment. Mentioned below are our top three currywurst picks.

Our first encounter with currywurst came at the hugely popular Nante-Eck restaurant which prides itself in serving authentic local food. One bite in and it was obvious why they took pride in their food. The currywurst was banger, and the potato salad that accompanied it was absolutely delish. The memory of that dish teases my salivary glands.

On day three, we had our daily dose at Eleven Bar on Potsdamer Platz. Another very good rendition of the beloved currywurst – what’s more, the fries were crisp, lightly salted and on point, too.

Finally, there was Curry 61 on Alexanderplatz that served up another good currywurst and excellent fries. The place offers a stand-and-eat quick-fix (quite literally “fast food”) that leaves you with a very happy belly.

Potato Salad

I love a good German potato salad (and always look for it when we go for Hilton Colombo’s lunch/dinner buffet – they do a good job). What makes German potato salad special is that the potato is tossed in a vinaigrette, rather than in a mayo mix. And then you have a bit of cucumber, herbs, and/or the likes.

There were two VERY good potato salads that we had in Berlin. The first was the potato salad that accompanied the currywurst at Nante-Eck (scroll up). It was absolutely delightful. Refreshing, yet mouth-wateringly flavourful.

The second was a potato salad that Novotel Berlin Mitte had at their breakfast buffet on our first morning there. I went for seconds, and I’m glad I did because that lovely dish was a no-show on the subsequent mornings that we had breakfast at the hotel. < insert sad emoji >

Berlin Döner

While the origin of the doner kebab lies in Turkey, Berlin has its own version that is just as popular – the Berlin döner. This usually comes in the form of strips of marinated meat folded into a pocket of flat bread with a salad of lettuce, tomato, onion, cucumber, cabbage, etc.

Our local guide Seth directed us towards Pergamon Döner Kebap, a corner shop under an overhead train path, within close proximity to the Palace of Tears. It’s a spot that we might otherwise have overlooked, but subsequently were glad to have got acquainted with. The chicken döner was everything to love, from the marination on the meat, to the toasted sesame bread, to the fresh salad and the soothingly delicious sauce. It was so much more than we anticipated, in terms of taste.

I’d also like to give a shout out to Pergamon’s falafel here, because they were perfection. Crunchy on the outside, soft and green on the inside, with two varieties of tahini dips that were finger-licking good. It was wonderful to be able to enjoy such a good falafel after a very long time – unexpectedly, in Germany!

Königsberger Klopse

Traditionally, Königsberger Klopse (alternatively known as Sossklopse – meatballs in sauce) is a minced pork meatball that is supposed to be served in a white sauce with capers. However, while they refer to it as a typical German dish on their menu, the dish that Spreeblick Restaurant & Café served up came with a savoury gravy. Perhaps this was a variant of the Königsberger klopse, or their version of it. Either way, the minced pork cutlet itself seemed to be what we expected, and it tasted good. On a side note, the food and ambience of the place – right by the Spree River and next to the monument of St. George, the Dragon Slayer – were great, and worth the visit.

Brezel

The much-loved knotted bread that we commonly refer to as ‘pretzel’ is more commonly referred to as ‘brezel’ in Germany. Believed to have originated in Southern Germany in the Middle Ages, it remains a popular – and symbolic, even – item of food in the country, and is widely enjoyed in different forms around the globe. It seemed apt to snack on one of these salted breads before leaving. Below is the brezel I enjoyed at Berlin’s Brandenburg airport prior to our departure.

Berliner Weisse Grün

Berliner Weisse Grün, or Weisse Waldmeister, refers to the green (grün) version of Berliner Weisse, which is a light-coloured (hence ‘weisse’ which translates to ‘white’), sour wheat beer with a typical ABV of around 3.5%. The green version gets its colour from the addition of waldmeister (woodruff), a flowering herb whose aromatic sweetness neutralizes the sourness of the beer. It’s rather refreshing when served chilled and, of course, adds a nice pop of colour to the table!