Saturday: Coffee, Cardamom, Turkish traditions and Yakitori
My Berlin adventure kicked off at 10 AM at Common Berlin, where my friends Max and Courtney have planted their new café on Karl-Marx-Straße in Neukölln. Still blissfully ungentrified, this spot served a cardamom bun so good it could give Copenhagen’s best bakeries a run for their money.
Image: Max of Common Berlin
At 12 PM, I missed the screening of “Go – Running for Hearts”, a documentary by Jack Hare following Go Miyazaki’s first ultra-marathon attempt at the Saddles 100 in Voo Store. Inspired by a friend he lost to heart disease, the project aims to raise awareness for heart disease research. But we caught up later, where I had the chance to hear his story one-on-one.
Image: GO! - Running for Hearts Exhibition at Voo Space
By 3 PM, I was at Doyum Grillhaus in Kreuzberg, my obligatory stop for the legendary Ali Nazik, a dish so good it’s practically a Berlin rite of passage. Paired with a cup of Turkish tea, it was a reminder that some traditions never get old.
Image: Doyum Grillhause in Kreuzberg
Image: Dish Ali Nazim at Doyum Grillhause
Dinner was at 9 PM at Stoke Berlin in Mitte, the brainchild of Jeff Claudio and Jessica Tan. This modern wood-fired yakitori spot, six years in the making, is a temple of omakase, bar seating, and killer tunes from their custom H.A.N.D. HiFi speakers. Joined by Sertac Dirik, we devoured chicken skewers and sashimi like it was our last meal.
Image: Sertac Dirik at the entrance of Stoke Berlin
Image: Tsukune and egg yolk Stoke Berlin
Image: Head chef Jeff Claudio of Stoke Berlin
Image: H.A.N.D. Hifi system at Stoke Berlin
Sunday: Brunch and a Grand Finale
At 11 AM, Jessica Tan, my "sister from another mister," led me through a gate into a hidden yard. There, inside a repurposed garage, lay Ari’s Berlin in Kreuzberg, a Peruvian diner run by the brilliant Arianna Plevisani. Brunch was a flavor explosion: pancakes, burgers, and fries so good I’m still dreaming about them.
Image: Arianna of Ari's Berlin
Image: Jessica Tan (Co-founder Stoke Berlin) & the Ari's Berlin Spread!
But the night wasn’t over. At 9 PM, Sertac and Stoke Berlin teamed up for a Mangal-meets-Yakitori collaboration. Eleven dishes later—borek, sarma, chicken Beyti, and a traditional New Year’s pilav, I was utterly spoiled.
Image: Sertak Dirik in the kitchen of Stoke Berlin
Image: Beef Ezme Toast Sertac Dirik Pop-up at Stoke Berlin
Image: The Sertac Dirik Pop-up at Stoke Berlin
The Grand Finale
With a big hug to everyone, I crashed into bed, my taste buds still dancing. 40 hours in Flavourtown, and Berlin had once again proven itself the ultimate playground for the hungry and the curious. Until next time!