New Orleans Haus

While I was waiting for friends to arrive at Schönefeld Airport recently and paging through an EXBERLINER(Berlin in English) magazine, I noticed an article about a new Cajun restaurant, boldly named New Orleans Haus and located in Kreuzberg. Having lived in southeast Louisiana for 12 years until relocating to Berlin in 2008 you might imagine that my taste buds began to feel hopeful. At the same time I have found that many attempts to prepare this cuisine a long way from the source have not produced stellar results. I am not a chef but my guess is that this has much to do with availability of the original recipe's ingredients. The article assured the reader that Berlin finally had the real deal and I suddenly felt a sense of urgency to take a chance.

We arrived at the New Orleans Haus for a late lunch around 1:30 PM. The neighborhood looked a little funky but some really good food can be found in similar neighborhoods in the city of our restaurant's name. I think it is safe to say that one could actually draw significant parallels between post-Reunification Berlin and post-Katrina New Orleans. They certainly both have a vibrant Bohemian lifestyle. Our waitress showed us to a table near the bar. She told us that they had only been open for 4 weeks and that the owner and chef had somehow landed in Berlin after Katrina and decided to open a restaurant. A tall cold draft of Pilsner Urquell was a good start. My wife ordered a bowl of Chicken and Andouille Gumbo with cornbread. I ordered a cup of the same gumbo and Crawfish Etouffee. The gumbo alone was worth the trip. The sausage was wonderful. The traditional dish had the signature dark roux base with fresh okra and a nice blend of spice that provided the slow flavorful burn that I remembered. The sweet cornbread was a great match to the gumbo. The Crawfish Etouffee was also tasty, evidenced by the empty plate in front of me. Dessert was out of the question today. We were very content.

The New Orleans Haus menu also includes Red Beans and Rice with or without Andouille, Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya, and Shrimp Creole. They also had a Macaroni and Cheese Cake with a three-cheese sauce. Last but not least they have homemade lemon bars and dark chocolate brownies for dessert. I think we have good reason for a return trip. Oh, I took a large carry-out gumbo home with me for our resident chef and son-in-law...a method to my madness. The city of Berlin is really starting to strut it's stuff now. Let the good times roll!

My youngest step-daughter (she calls me big daddy) is having a birthday and has invited the family to dinner at Restaurant Züri in Wilmersdorf. I am taking the liberty to assume, after having reviewed the website menu, that there is a connection between the Swiss specialties found there and the city of Zürich, Switzerland. In any event, the exact origin of the cuisine is not as important as enjoying a nice meal with family on a festive occasion. Fortunately our gang in Berlin has always excelled in this area.

The restaurant is small but cozy and upon arrival we were escorted to our table for six while the fire from a kitchen grill flickered through a window on the rear wall. Our waiter initially spoke German, as one might expect, but quickly changed to American English when it was time for me to order. It turns out that he studied at a university in the US and apparently saw me coming a mile away. I guess Arnold doesn't fool anybody either, assuming that there is anybody left in America who doesn't already know who he is. Our waiter had already informed all of us what wines were being served by the glass and I asked him which white was the most full-bodied. His answer was the Lindeman's Bin 65 Chardonnay from Australia, which was a very pleasant blend of citrus and oak, and turned out to be the least expensive on the list. I felt like I had struck gold because I had tried a few Chardonnays since our return, and so far, had only found those of the soft, delicate variety...ask for what you want. My empty stomach was calling to me and I ordered a small Feldsalat (Valerianella) with a light dressing that had a nice flavor. I was feeling pretty good about the evening so far.

For the main I ordered Züri Röschti which was the famous Swiss hash brown potatoes with bacon, onion, spinach and cheese, with a sunny-side-up fried egg on top. This may not be for those who are watching their cholesterol but it sure was good. For a moment I thought it was 2 AM at a high-end 24x7 breakfast establishment back across the Atlantic. Others ordered Züri Geschnätzltes mit Röschti which was the hash browns with veal strips covered by a creamy white-wine mushroom sauce. Our son-in-law ordered a variation of this with fillet steak and a glass of Merlot. Our grandson ordered a bowl full of braised chicken wings which put a smile on his face. The table was quiet and one by one the plates emptied.

Of course, this is a birthday celebration and we must have some dessert. We decided on three orders of Schokokuchen for the table which appeared to be a chocolate brownie with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. The difference was that the brownie was actually lighter and apparently made with some bitter chocolate as well that blended very nicely with the fruit and cream.

Big daddy wants to thank the baby girl for a very enjoyable evening at Restaurant Züri. I believe the Swiss kitchen is represented well in Berlin. Our waiter was very friendly and dedicated to helping us have a good experience. The total bill with tax was €160.60. Last but not least, I have found a new Chardonnay that is available on this continent.

Brasserie de France

In the early 1990's I worked in Kaiserslautern, Germany and became fond of eating lunch at a French bistro not too far from my office. They always had good specials such as Coc au Vin or Alsation Tarte flambee (Flammkuchen in Germany) with a good quality glass of house red or white. I had heard much about the diversity of restaurants in my new home and decided to put Berlin to the test. There are certainly many opportunities for French cuisine in this city, but I was looking for something a little less extravagant than the majority where my wife and I could order a lunch special or a la carte. After searching the internet and making a couple of phone calls I found a place in Berlin-Wedding named Brasserie de France that seemed to fit the bill.

It turns out that the bistro is attached and affiliated with a French cultural center name Centre Francais de Berlin with hotel, cinema, etc. There is a parking lot right off Müllerstraße for the hotel that can be used free of charge by bistro customers as well. Upon entering we noticed that the place was half full and we made our way to an open table for two. A waiter promptly greeted us and gave us two menus. They had a special of the day but my wife and I both decided to order a la carte. For starters I went with lobster cream soup and my wife decided on frog legs in a buttery garlic sauce. The fresh bread and soup tasted good with a glass of Cotes du Rhone. My wife, who grew up in the German state of Rhineland Pfalz very near the French border, seemed to be thoroughly enjoying a dish that she had not had in some time. After dipping a piece of bread in the sauce I understood why. The French are very proud of their culinary accomplishments and culture, as well they should be. By the time we finished the first course to include a basket of bread we were not sure how we would eat what was still to come.

My wife's blood sausage and the Quiche Lorraine were meals in themselves. We know now that ordering just one of the items would be sufficient on most occasions, but it was still so good. I actually almost finished my quiche, leaving only the crust behind. After my wife reluctantly gave up on her blood sausage I did my best (I'm such a trooper) to help out. Our waiter came back and asked if we would like dessert, letting us know at the same time that he thought he already knew the answer to his question.

I now have more reason to believe that you can find what you are looking for in Berlin. I know that every meal will not be something worth writing about, but Berlin seems to have a way of motivating you to keep looking and tasting. This is fun.