Carlsberg brewery, Copenhagen

This is the sign you see as you arrive to Copenhagen Airport which states that, according to the World Happiness Report 2013, Denmark is the world's happiest nation, therefore we should toast with a Carlsberg! (and since we're there, visit this historic brewery...)

Copenhagen Street Food

You know I love all things Danish: design, food, beer, mentality, etc. So when I heard about this place selling all kinds of street food, I knew I had to visit and I was sure I was going to love it but, there were a couple of hiccups that made it less great for me.

Tung Po, Hong Kong

Excellent seafood in a joyous atmosphere in another Bourdain-featured restaurant in Hong Kong

Have you ever entered a restaurant with such a happy atmosphere that made you smile? Even if you had to drink your beer from a tiny pot and the floor cracked under your feet from the water/trash where you were stepping on? All this while drooling over the dishes as they kept coming out of the kitchens? If not, then you probably haven't been to Tung Po.

Mustafa's kebab, worth the wait!

What's Berlin's typical dish? Eisbein? Currywurst? No, you're wrong, it's kebab!

We all know (if you don't, then pretend you know) that Berlin's Turkish community is a very large one and it introduced this typical Turkish dish -with some variants to suit European taste- to the point that it's now a 2.5 billion Euros business in Germany alone. 

Call it kebab, gyros or tacos al pastor, I'm a big fan of vertical roasting street food. So almost everywhere I go, I'm in for it. Up to now, the best kebab I had ever tasted was (forgive me, Istanbul) in Copenhagen, in the tiny Shawarma Grill House on Strøget. Until Berlin...

Last time I was in Berlin, I focused on the touristy things to do and just had schweinshaxe and sausages to eat, but this time I did my research. After a 90% of the blogs, forums, websites, etc. I lurked on told me that Mustafa's Gemüse Kebap was the place to go for the best kebab in town (and, presumably, the world) I decided to give it a shot.

Everyone talked about the one-hour queues in the cold or rain to get a kebab but I thought they were exagerating, I mean, who waits in line for that long? We did! and not for one but almost two hours! At some point I even thought that maybe it was all a big hoax and the kebab was not even that good but it was just famous (as other tourist traps or over-rated restaurants) but I'm so glad we waited!

the queue

Here's how it went: we were in Berlin with a group of other 7 friends and we arrived at Mustafa's street stand in Kreuzberg on a luckily-not-rainy Saturday afternoon, hungry and a bit tired after all the sightseeing. When we saw the 50 people queue we thought twice (the other option was the equally famous Currywurst place - Curry 36 - in the same block which had the same queue length) but still decided to give it a shot. After some minutes some of us went in the neighboring bar to use the bathroom... and came back with a cold beer. This was the begining of a fun afternoon, the bar people told us that we could go in and eat our kebab inside (as long as we were drinking), so we took turns and while a part of us were in the line, the other part would stay in the bar having a beer, watching the soccer game and keeping the table. After almost 2 hours and several beers the kebab finally arrived. And it was amazing!

Mustafa's kebab is made from chicken (opposed to Copenhagen's Shawarma Grill lamb), it has 3 different sauces, salad, peppers, onion, feta cheese, lemon juice and other ingredients which combined give it the greatest of flavors.

 A dürüm was enough for 1 hungry medium-sized person but, since you're there and you've made it through the hour long queue, perhaps you should consider ordering a second one to share, just in case. I would definitely queue here again for a delicious kebab, but I would go with a group so we could take turns between the line and the bar, and I would check the weather forecast before going, it surely wouldn't be funny to queue under the rain.

Mustafa's Gemüse Kebap (their website is cool)

Mehringdamm, 32 (just outside the Ubahn station of Mehringdamm)

Kreuzberg, Berlin

Vogt's Bier Express (the bar which let us eat in)

Mehringdamm 32/34 - 10961 Berlin

http://www.vogts-bierexpress.de/

Note: for some months there was another Mustafa stand in Mitte (more precisely, by Monbijou park on Oranienburger Strasse) but unfortunately it has closed so the only place you should queue at is this one in Kreuzberg.

Mikkeler beer

As you might remember from this post, some months ago we tasted a delicious beer with a hint of elderflower in Torvehallerne market in Copenhagen. So this time, it was only a matter of finding the brewery's Vesterbro bar.

Snapshots of Düsseldorf

if you remember my last year's trip to Cologne then you remember my discovery of Kölsch bier, the fresh and drinkable beer typical from Cologne. Well, there's a bit of rivalry between Cologne and Düsseldorf to see who has the best beer and, please D'dorfers, don't be mad at me, but as a girl, not-beer drinker, I prefer Cologne's kölsch... Altbier, the beer from Düsseldorf is a bit too strong for my uneducated beer taste (hey, I warned you, you know I love the girly Belgian cherry beer), but that didn't stop me from tasting the Frankenheimer Alt, which is sold at the characteristic Zum Schiffchen brewery and the Schlussen Alt, served at Zum Schlussen brewery, both in the Altstadt.

As you may have read, Düsseldorf is also called the largest bar in the world because of its hundreds of bars. Well, I might be getting old but it's such a mess! I wasn't expecting this mass of beer drinkers all over the old town! I didn't enjoy the over-crowded breweries, but I did enjoy the hearty, big portions of the food (German breweries are the only places that succeed in making me leave something on my plate) and the market we found on the Rhein promenade.

Anyhow, here are some pictures of Dusseldorf, its Media harbor new buildings (some by Frank Gehry, my architect crush), monuments and the beautiful views we enjoyed. Can't wait to go back!

Gehry buidings in Media Harbor (Rhein tower in the back)

Media Harbor

My favorite

Love the forms

Traditional buildings facing the Rhein

Rhein promenade

in case the dogs get thirsty :)

Seems like a Pöggeler statue, right?

lovely to find Leopardi's quotes here

D'dorf's town hall

Cartwheelers' Fountain

The river Düssel, which gave the city its name

City Monument

Königsallee or "Kö", the shopping street

Düsseldorf skyline

Smørrebrød

If you have been to Copenhagen (or to any place in Denmark) then you must know what Smørrebrød is. If not, you should really reconsider your traveler skills... For those of you who don't know, smørrebrød is an open sandwich made with rye bread (rugbrød) and butter (smør), typical from Denmark.

Rye bread is typical in Scandinavia, it is dark and heavy and you can usually find it already sliced. Butter is spread in the bread and then a topping is added.

Toppings can be of various ingredients, the most common and traditional are: pickled herring, shrimp and egg, cured salmon, liver paté, roast beef and remoulade, chicken salad and many more.

What's in Antwerp?

As you have probably read here, my visit to Antwerp came as a surprise. So a couple of years ago when we went back, I already knew where I was :) and what I wanted to see and taste.
A visit to Antwerp must include the following sights:

- Our Lady's Cathedral: It is so beautiful, in gothic style, it was finished in 1521 and it contains some masterpieces by native painter Peter Paul Rubens. I heard a story about how the south tower is smaller than the north one because they ran out of funds to finish it and they decided not to invest any more on it so it never got its south tower completed. There's also another cute story about a boy and his dog, Nello and Patrasche (very famous in Japan), Nello was very poor (with very bad luck, according to all the sad things that happened to him) and had no place to stay, he goes to the cathedral of Antwerp to see Rubens' triptych, The Elevation of the Cross, but he doesn't have enough money to enter. On the night of Christmas Eve, he and Patrasche find the door to the church open. The next morning, they are found frozen to death in front of the triptych.

- Central Station: This is one of the most beautiful train stations in the world. Originally from 1905, it has undergone a massive reconstruction in the 1998-2007 period and it has a very particular architectural style.

- Zoo: I visited it 13 years ago but I remember I liked it a lot, it is one of the oldest in the world.
- City hall and Great Market Square (Grote Markt): nice square with typical flemish buildings, in the center there's a statue of the roman soldier Silvius Brabo that gives the name to the city: Antwerpen means hand throwing, in the statue, Brabo is throwing the hand of the giant he killed to free the bridge over the river Scheldt.

- Het Steen (The Stone): this fortification is Antwerp's oldest building. It was used to control the access to the river Scheldt, then it was a prison and now it hosts a museum.

taken from this website

- Shops: Antwerp is also hometown to the Antwerp Six, 6 fashion designers famous worldwide: Ann Demeulemeester, Dries van Noten, Dirk Bikkembergs, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dirk van Saene and Marina Yee.
- Port: Antwerp is one of Europe's most important ports so a walk to see it must be on every sights list.


Things to eat/drink:
Mussels: In Antwerp -and throughout Belgium- mussels are served in the shell and in pots of 1.3 kg per portion. The 'Mosselen Nature' are served with a delicious white mustard dip sauce. The season used to begin in September until April (the tradition said that mussels are good in all the months that have the letter R in them). Nowadays you can get mussels almost all year round, although during the summer they may be hard to find and probably imported.

Cherry Beer: We asked a local friend which was the best place to drink beer in Antwerp. He told us to go to Den Engel. I did my research and when we got there we were a bit shocked... it was a tiny bar filled with smoke and old people, we ordered our beer (I always get cherry beer in Belgium, that's girly but delicious) and sat, by the time our draught beers arrived we had already made a friend among the locals. That was nice, and maybe the atmosphere of the place made our beers even more delicious. Later on the trip we found out the actual Den Engel that our friend was talking bout, it is a big lively bar with outdoor seating right in Grote Markt. The beer was also good over there but it was missing the bohemian atmosphere of the 'old' Den Engel.
The 'Old' Den Engel is on Sint-Jacobsmarkt 87, between the center and the train station.
The 'New' Den Engel is on Grote Markt 3. It is a nice place to have a beer while sightseeing though.

Cherry beer at the 'new' Den Engel

We stayed at the Hilton, right in the center. nice hotel with excellent location and delicious buffet breakfast in the winter garden. Definitely the place to stay in Antwerp.

Eataly: Paradise

A couple of years ago, on a cold winter evening in Turin we discovered paradise, well, foodies' paradise. 

It's called Eataly and you have probably heard from its branches in New York, Japan and several locations around Italy.

Eataly is a supermarket for quality foods, wine and beer. It brings together farmers, fishermen, butchers, bakers, beermakers, winemakers and cheesemakers who produce quality products.

Eataly Lingotto

Überlin

"...I know, I know that this is changing
we walk the streets to feel the ground
I'm chasing through Berlin..." 
(fragment of Uberlin - R.E.M.)

Oh, such a pity that R.E.M. are not together anymore!
Anyhow, this song was playing loud in my head in our last year's trip to Berlin, and also in the radio (I'm not completely nuts).

Brandenburg gate

Berlin had always been one of the places I wanted to see,  so when the opportunity came I was good to go.
After 20 years of the fall of the Berlin Wall, you almost can't imagine that this city was once divided and that both sides were so different. Still, when we found the brick line that marks the places where the wall once stood, and we crossed this line, we couldn't help to feel a bit overwhelmed by the historical meaning; I mean, we were able to do what just 20 years back was forbidden, to go from East to West Berlin.

There are still remnants of the Wall standing in a few places around town (near Potsdamer Platz, Checkpoint Charlie and Freedom Park), and sadly, next to them you will find the worst of sourvenirs: people dressed in 'communist' uniforms who put a stamp on your passport for money, or people in soviet uniforms at the Checkpoint Charlie who pose for your photos (it is almost as sad as the chubby gladiators in front of the Colisseum in Rome).

remnant of the Wall

 One of the most touching monuments I've ever seen is in Berlin, not far from the Reichstag and it's famous Norman-Foster-designed Dome, the Holocaust Memorial, which is "a tribute to the murdered Jews of Europe", consisting of 2.711 blocks of concrete of different heights; the feeling when you walk around them is of a deep sadness, but it's such a beautiful modern monument.

Another impressive monument are the remains of the Gedächniskirche, in Kurfürstendamm (Ku'damm for locals), damaged by the bombings in World War II.

Gedächniskirche

 The area near Alexanderplatz ("Alex" as locals call it - you can't miss it, it's where the TV tower is) and Hackescher Markt, which were part of East Berlin and had a very socialist look in their buildings, is now the hip area for shops and nightclubs.
If you want to stay in this area, the Radisson Blu is the place to stay, It's not far from Alexanderplatz, right by the river. It has a huge acquarium in the center so when you wake up this is your view:

pork knuckle

For a beer and a bite, Brauhaus Lempke in Hackescher Markt is the place. It's a brewery located under the railway, it gets crowded but it's all part of the atmosphere, if you're hungry, the Berlin style pork knuckle is a must.




And if you want a quick bite while you explore the area, there are:
- All in One Kebab (Rosenthalerstrasse 43-45, just off Hachescher Markt) - they say kebab is actually Berlin's typical food, I must say this one is delicious!
- Dolores Mitte - if you feel like a quick burrito, visit Dolores, near Alex, they also have delicious aguas frescas and hearty soups.



For shopping, Münzstrasse in Mitte is the street to visit, a lot of fun and hip shops; otherwise, for larger budgets: KaDeWe in Ku'damm is the spot, it's gourmet section is a foodies paradise!

Wahaca? Sounds good!

Hey there! We spent this weekend in London but I'm not gonna bore you with pics and description about the touristic sights since probably most of you have already been there (if not, turn off your computers right now, ok, but not before booking a ticket to London!). Instead I'll write about Wahaca. What? Wahaca, it is a Mexican food chain with diverse locations in London serving market food or street food, stuff that you would typical find in a Mexican street cart or a market stand.
I must confess that after living in Italy for over 10 years, I have never found a real authentic Mexican restaurant anywhere in Italy so everytime I find the real deal the least I can do is write about it.
Anyhow, after wandering around Soho we found it in Wardour Street, what I would call "Foodie Street" after all the nice restaurants we passed by (and the bakeries like Hummingbird Bakery - one of the hardest things I've ever done was passing by and not stopping for a cupcake!). The place is casual, relaxed with friendly atmosphere, street art in the walls and minimalistic decor; visit the bathrooms downstairs, they are nice! and the tequila bar with foosball tables!

inside Wahaca Soho

 Your menu card is also your place mat and your reference list since when you order your waiter circles your orders in it. The menu has well explained dishes varying from appetizers, salads, main courses, desserts, etc. a great selection of tequilas (please try the Don Julio!) and a not so bad selection of beers. They got me when I saw they had Pacifico beer, my favorite!

Pacifico, best Mexican beer!

So, together with our beers we had an order of guacamole, the Pork Pibil tacos (3), the chicken mole tacos (3) and a big chipotle chicken quesadilla to share. Everything was great, authentic market food, and if a Mexican tells you, then you should believe it!

Pork Pibil tacos

Chicken mole tacos (couldn't resist to eat one before the pic!)

Chipotle chicken quesadilla

 We could have eaten more (and I would have loved to get a glass of horchata water -almond and rice milky drink- !) but we were going to have dinner in a couple of hours so this was just to nibble. The total was around £25 including tip. They don't take reservations so be prepared to wait, it's totally worth it! Oh, and with your check they bring chili seeds so you can plant your own at home, how conveninent!

Wahaca Soho is located in 80 Wardour Street, London. Other locations: Canary Wharf, Covent Garden, Westifield White City, Westfiled Stratford and a street cart that moves around London! Don't forget to check their nice website: www.wahaca.co.uk