Story and photos by Dr. Michael Lim The Travelling Gourmet TM

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All food photos are of real food with no photoshop

The intrepid and inspiring Travelling Gourmet TM goes to East Berlin where…

MOST people wanted to flee from…

before 1989 and the fall of the infamous Berlin Wall, known “affectionately” by the natives as “Die Mauer” (the wall). Das ist Galgenhumor, Ha! Ha! Just a short drive from the luxurious Grand Hyatt Berlin found me in ueber-modern Andel’s Hotel…This used to be in the totalitarian DDR (Deutsche Demokratik Republik) or East Germany. Just 3.4 km from Alexanderplatz, the Andel’s 60 meter high tower presides over Landsberger Allee. No officers of the “beloved” notorious Ministerium von Staatssicherheit, better known as the STASI, followed me as I made for the restaurant on the very top floor of the hotel…

Splendid Sky Kitchen! 

An eclectic and cheerful decor plus a panoramic view of Berlin, Germany’s capital, gives the discerning gourmet an amazing ambience. I was looking forward to trying the cuisine because the restaurant has been awarded 1 Michelin Star!

BERLIN, the city of the Baer (Bear)!

Let the feast begin…

Bubbly Louis Roederer Champagne served in a Stoelzle flute set the stage for a fabulous meal. Then talented Chef de Cuisine Alexander Koppe began serving his Degustation Menu. A soup piqued my gourmet instincts…it was presented in a crystal clear thermal insulated Bodum glass from Sweden usually used to serve Vodka. Nothing mundane…it was Asian Corn Soup spiked with aromatic Asian Spices like cumin and cinnamon. On the side King Crab on Asian spicy Ratatouille of mixed Summer Vegetables Brunoise.

I must also mention the wonderful selection of freshly baked breads in the bread basket…Kaese Brotchen (Cheese Roll), Salted Butter and Chives Brioche, Bacon Pretzel and of course, Roggen Brot (Rye bread) which I love.

Man does not live by bread alone…nicht wahr!

Lappkraut

Followed by a brilliant dish of  tasty Lappkraut ( a small fish) with ueber-crispy Fried Potatoes and Chives. matched with a pleasing white wine…a fragrant 2014 Riesling from the Wachau region of Austria. The extensive Wine List features many excellent Austrian wines.

Oh mein Gott! A Spicy and super-colourful Chicory Salad of naturally sweet and crunchy Lobster with Marinated Fennel with Quennelles of Lemon and Fennel Ice Cream, garnished with cute Pea Sprouts…Pine Nuts and sexy Paprika Creme complete this  gourmet’s delight!

Oh mein Gott! Erlesen! 🙂

With every dish my taste buds became more Excited…I crunched into an ueber crispy Spring Roll filled with flavoursome minced Quail. It came with a juicy Quail Breast, sweet Baby Garden Peas, Chanterelle Mushrooms, Espuma and Spargel (white asparagus) Paysanne. The Quail meat was so tender and moist it was to kill for.

Lovely garlic aromas assailed my nostrils…White and Black Garlic Mousse with Tomato rolled in Chinese Cabbage appeared. There was also the most marvellous Roasted Pork with a super duper caramelized CRUNCHY crust made with Panko breadcrumbs. The sound of the crunch reverberated in my head I bit into it. Heavenly! It was well matched with a balanced fleshy Pinot Noir that was not over-oaked.

Surf & Turf!

Pike Fish and Beef Short Rib..with slinky, creamy caramelized cabbage Mousse. The beef was so yummie it melted in my mouth instantly and released its wonderfully intense Umami flavours to pleasure my eager tastebuds!

Beetroot, shocking orange Carrot Sorbet and exotic Kaffir Lime Leaf Yoghurt served with flair in a Japanese bowl serves to cleanse your palate before…

Nachtisch…

Is German for Dessert! Unpretentious but incredibly good was…Elderflower and Strawberry Mousse Cubes with Holy Basil Ice Cream laced with Cheesecake Creme and Paysanne chunks of Cheesecake. The piece de resistance is the flavoursome Strawberry Sauce encased in a Reverse Spherification Dome that explodes like an M67 grenade in your mouth! Erlesen! (super-delicious in German)

As I savoured all the innovative yet unpretentious fabulous food and delightful wines…my eyes feasted on the impressive skyline of Berlin, the German capital. Now vibrant and ueber-modern after the terrible destruction of World War 2

I went to give my best compliments to the Chef in his kitchen. “Wie findest du das Essen?(How do you like the food)” Chef Alexander asked in German.

“Es war erlesen!”, was my reply. It means “excellent and most delicious” in German. Macho Chef Alexander Koppe is a talented, humble and skilful Chef, unlike poseurs like Gordon Ramsay and unhygienic Jamie Oliver.

The Travelling Gourmet TM and Chef Alexander Koppe

Coffee, tea or me…

The Italians like to end the meal with a nice cup of forte (strong) Espresso coffee. I do too! Good coffee must be like a beautiful and warm woman…hot, strong, mysterious and keeps you up the whole night…A steaming hot Espresso with Vanilla Sugar arrived…together with Migardises and Petit fours like…Snickers Peanut Praline, tart and tangy Passion Fruit Gelee and exquisite Smokey Chocolate Praline with Bacon inside! Das Leben ohne Suessigkeit ist langweilig! (Life without sweetness is boring) Guten Appetit! Enjoy! 🙂

The Travelling Gourmet TM highly recommends Sky Kitchen for an amazing gastronomic experience when you are in Berlin! This is contemporary cutting-edge German cuisine at its best! 🙂

Sky Kitchen Restaurant

1 Michelin Star

Andel’s Hotel

Top Floor

Landsberger Allee 106

10369 Berlin

Germany Bundes Republik Deutschland

Tel:  ‏‎0203 564 4407‎

Hours: Mon and Sun 6pm to 2am

Tue to Sat 6pm to 11pm

Closed on Wed

Ich leibe den Wein…