Yumcha Heroes Manufaktur

October 20, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Why here? The best Chinese dumplings in town. All hand-made, without any preservatives or colorants added. Meal at Yumch is quick and nutritious – a perfect lunch before (or after) an exhausting stroll in the Mitte district.

What to eat? ‘Black beef’ (steamed dumplings with beef, ginger and Szechuan pepper), ‘Pink lamb’ (baked dumplings with lamb, cinnamon and oyster sauce) and stripes of beef with fresh coriander. And of course, a glass of home-made lemonade is a must!

The atmosphere is… crowdy, steamy and filled with beautiful Berliners. Reserve!

Weinbergsweg 8 / Berlin

All photos by Edward Kanarecki

Holiday Cafe

July 23, 2016July 23, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

The amateurs of niche magazines are certainly familiar with the famous Holiday Magazine. In the years 1946-1977 the magazine covered the distant voyages of writers like Truman Capote. It also employed renowned photographers to present their personal perspective on the favourite holiday spots of America’s rich. After a long absence, the magazine was revived in 2014 by Atelier Franck Durand. The Parisian artistic studio gave a new meaning to the cult magazine. Focusing these days to a large extent on fashion, the magazine grew into a small capsule collection of clothes fit for travelling and… to a cafe in the quiet 16th arrondissement of Paris.

Yves Saint Laurent once said that “Fashions fade, style is eternal”. This is definitely true for Holiday Cafe, which doesn’t even try to compete with the most fashionable Parisian places. The interior is quite ordinary, but despite that, or maybe actually because of that, it has its own remarkable style. Slategray tablecloths, an intimate garden with a view on the old buildings, wooden finishings – they were all conceived by Franklin Azzi, an architect who has been working with Durand for many years.

As for the menu, Holiday Cafe focuses on simple French cuisine, adding some sharp Japanese flavours. Daniel de la Falaise, the chef and author of the menu suggests trying his personal version of croque-demoiselle, an updated version of the classic croque-madame. The menu offers quail eggs with fine herbs salad, apple mousse with blueberries and strawberry torte with whiskey from Yamazaki distillery. But there is also a portion of white asparagus served with home-made mayonnaise, the well-known foie gras and a selection of fromages from the French craftsmen. Holiday Cafe accurately describes itself as “an eclectic assemblage of necessary luxuries: simple dishes of the highest quality”. (Note: I wrote this post for Usta Magazyn in Polish. Initial version is here.)

Avenue de Versailles 192 / Paris

This is Paper Store

July 19, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

This is Paper is Warsaw‘s best kept secret. Aesthetically aware and Japanese-minimalism loving, everything about This is Paper feels well-considered, and absolutely individual. Starting with their already cult, extremely durable, vegetable-tanned leather backpacks, and ending on advertising-free, signature magazine issues, this Polish brand found back in 2011 keeps on evolving up to now, being consistently true to their style. A brand, so perfect in its creative strategy, definitely should have a space, where its vision can be experienced by the others – and here it is, the newly opened, flagship store, hidden in Warsaw’s not-that-trendy district and settled on quiet Odolańska street.

When I entered This is Paper’s stationary boutique the first time, I was pleasantly shocked by the oozing peace of those white walls and wooden shelves (holding denim rucksacks, practical transfer bags, loads of plants and niche books). Everything seems to slow down here, and the time flows in the peculiar rhyme of Asa Changs & Junray’s “Hana” track. The sales assistant matches the place’s pace, too, with laid-back, unpretentious attitude. On the left, I’ve spotted the tea-room corner, and I was really surprised, when the ‘This is Paper girl’ suggested trying her favourite taste. “You can’t buy blindly – first try it” – such a hearty and down-to-earth statement to say. In awe, I sipped the delightfully refreshing tea while listening to the story of its origin. Of course, the high-quality green tea comes from Japan, and the owners of This is Paper did their best to find the most organic and pure type. Their taste buds took them to Fukuoka prefecture, were they discovered a small, family business – against mass production, the father-and-son duo care about the tiniest details of proper tea-making process. This is Paper specializes in a wide selection of teas from Fukuoka, but they also import a great brand from Berlin – Paper & Tea.

I discovered This is Paper a few years ago (prove: I’ve written a piece about them here), and when I discovered that they are opening a store, I just couldn’t wait to see it. But it was their Instagram post with ‘matchamisu’, which made me come straight to their place. Except selling tea, This is Paper uses it in a variety of little, home-made desserts, and matcha-modified tiramisu is their latest addition. I tell you, it’s heaven for the eye and for the mouth. Also, you can try out their another specialty – matcha pralines with edible green tea, roasted rice and other flavours.

This is Paper’s store (and design studio located in the back of the retail space) isn’t just a minimally furnished spot in an off-beat part of Polish capital. It’s a totally different view on commerce, which fuses all human senses and creates desire. “Less is more” isn’t a clichee here, but an asset.

Odolańska 6-8 / Warsaw

Zorza Bistro

July 18, 2016July 18, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Zorza Bistro is a perfect example of today’s casual dining place, which attracts you with every detail – and if you don’t go inside right away, you feel really, really guilty. Social media is a dominating factor in today’s gastronomy. The first time I saw this place on Instagram (@zorzabistro), filled with stylish photos of bruschettas and cold soups, I knew I’m writing it down in my Warsaw agenda – and as I love well-executed branding matters, like typography, this was indeed a heaven for me. Visual identity of Zorza was developed by Kaja Gadomska, graphic designer, who decided to create something that would match the classical, yet very contemporary aesthetic of the restaurant. Just like her bold logo design, the interior is kept in a softly art deco manner, with brass tables, marble columns and preserved, stone floors. The cuisine at Zorza is diverse, spanning from roasted artichokes and hot dogs with home-made sausage to meat-stuffed cabbage and coated chicken in Asian sauce. If you’re still unsure whether you need to go to Zorza, then there’s one more, great feaure of this place – you can sit outside, and have a view on Warsaw’s brilliant street style.

Żurawia 6 / Warsaw

Lukullus on Chmielna

July 16, 2016July 16, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

While Paris was all about haute couture, I spent my last week in Warsaw, discovering the city’s most outstanding spots together with my friends. As you might already know (and if you’ve read this one), I’m obsessed with Lukullus, a patisserie which was founded in 1946. The family business survived hard, socialist and early capitalist eras which severely affected Poland and after many years of renovations and rebranding, the brand expanded and opened a number of spots – and the one on Chmielna is Lukullus’ freshest addition. I can honestly say it’s my favourite one. Designed by Jan Strumiłło, acknowledged Polish architect, it fluently fuses the historic past with Warsaw’s modernity. Inspired with the neighbouring cinema Atlantic, Jan aimed to reference the old-school glamour with curvy neon on the entrance. Eclectic tiles match the bold, printed cushions, and a variety of flea-market finds from the 60s work perfectly with elegant, marble coffee-tables. But that’s not it – the ‘eating’ space makes you gasp with its beautifully preserved wooden mural, depicting a rural scene. Of course, describing a Lukullus patisserie can’t be done without mentioning the sweet part. Just like in all other locations, Chmielna offers the house’s classics – donuts filled with home-made jam, vanilla croissants, limoncello meringue or exotic mango cake. And many, many more delights… I need to stop, because I’m already drooling over the memory of those tastes!

Chmielna 32 / Warsaw