We’ve first been to Zen when we had an Airbnb in the area and didn’t want to hunt around for a lunch place. We’ve always had a soft spot for udon noodles: Compared to the better known, all-popular ramen they are thicker, more substantial and more “native Japanese”. They come in as many variations as ramen, though.
We tried this shop when we were coming home after a long day out, and were hungry. We found one of our favourite places.
Patisserie Tomo is another “french-japanese” pastry shop, specializing in freshly made dorayaki – these are japanese pancake-like sweets, traditionally filled with adzuki red bean paste. They are also, apparently, Doraemon’s favorite treat.
I got the recommendation for Lon Men’s Noodle House from a colleague, and I half expected another hip asian place, with a brutalist concrete interior and incandescent lighting. It was not.
Tommi’s Burger Joint appears to be another Berlin classic. I never came around to try it, but since I went on a burger spree for The Urban Animals, I tried their Ku’damm branch as well.
This place rightfully belongs to Paris: French department store Galeries Lafayette is one of the few flagship branches outside their french home.