The Olympics in South Korea are coming to an end on Sunday. If you got interested in the Korean culture and food, you definitely need to check out these restaurants in Berlin!
Korean food has been taking Berlin by storm - it seems to be the trendy thing to enjoy nowadays - kimchi rolls, bulgogi (grilled meat) with a side order of mandu (dumplings), all washed down with some silky soju (rice liqour). If you do happen to be cool enough to be seen in these dining establishments, you are in "the know" of people who enjoy the gastronomic landscape of the city.
But it's not as if Korean restaurants are new to the scene: Gung Jeon for instance is a staple hang out amongst the Korean community, usually packed with expat or exchange students at lunch (with their secret lunch specials) with well beloved classic dishes which remind them of home - a warm bowl of seafood soup, a hearty plate of egg noodles with black bean sauce. Here, they serve the food straight up, with warm service and a homley atmosphere. It might be slightly intimidating for the non-Korean, as the clientele seems to already be in the know-how. German is hardly to be heard. Here, if you're a non-Korean, you must walk in with a poker face of confidence. "I know exactly what I am doing!"
Ixhthy's is the more grungy cousin of Gung Jeon - an Imbiss run by
three Korean widows, blatantly pushing their Christian faith to every
diner by wallpapering every possible inch with verses from the Bible.
The Bibimbap - a popular dish amongst novices to Korean food - is
exactly how it should be: sizzling hot, spicy to the point where your
tongue hurts, and so delicious and satisfying from the generous serving
of sesame oil and water spinach that you want to cuddle someone for an
hour afterwards.
By Gina Eom
This article originally appeared in Vol. 04 - Issue 3 - Brain Stimulation
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| via Wikimedia Commons |
Korean food has been taking Berlin by storm - it seems to be the trendy thing to enjoy nowadays - kimchi rolls, bulgogi (grilled meat) with a side order of mandu (dumplings), all washed down with some silky soju (rice liqour). If you do happen to be cool enough to be seen in these dining establishments, you are in "the know" of people who enjoy the gastronomic landscape of the city.
But it's not as if Korean restaurants are new to the scene: Gung Jeon for instance is a staple hang out amongst the Korean community, usually packed with expat or exchange students at lunch (with their secret lunch specials) with well beloved classic dishes which remind them of home - a warm bowl of seafood soup, a hearty plate of egg noodles with black bean sauce. Here, they serve the food straight up, with warm service and a homley atmosphere. It might be slightly intimidating for the non-Korean, as the clientele seems to already be in the know-how. German is hardly to be heard. Here, if you're a non-Korean, you must walk in with a poker face of confidence. "I know exactly what I am doing!"
Gung Jeon
Kurfürstendamm 134
10711 Berlin
+49 30 89541892 http://www.gungjeon.de/
Kurfürstendamm 134
10711 Berlin
+49 30 89541892 http://www.gungjeon.de/
The new kids on the block take on a more sleek angle. Stylized décor, red lipsticked clientele with asymmetrical haircuts and an unseemly snooty gaze. This is the new Korean food scene in town. A well beloved establishment among this crowd of hipster joints is Kimchi Princess in Kreuzberg. Unmistakable Korean cookery is at work (I checked: the kitchen IS staffed with Korean cooks though I could have told you without having peeked), while the service staff is more international. The owner is half Korean himself, born in Germany. In a dimly lit high-ceilinged space with cool simple décor and red lighting, this is indeed the place to be nowadays. Just don't even think about walking in without having made a reservation first, and be aware that service on weekends can be slow from the many orders from packed tables. Kimchi Princess offers Korean food on steroids: delicious, sexy, young and hip.Ixhthy
Pallasstrasse 21
10781 Berlin
+49 30 81474769
Kimchi Princess
Skalitzer Str. 36
10999 Berlin, Germany
+49 163 4580203
By Gina Eom
This article originally appeared in Vol. 04 - Issue 3 - Brain Stimulation
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