Borchardt

April 29, 2016April 28, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Berlin can amaze you with the best Vietnamese cuisine – but it can also make you fall in love with German’s national pride. Wiener Schitzel, hello! I’ve never been a fan of this specialty, however the one I ate at Borchardt changed my view on this usually unattractive way of meat serving. The Borchardt looks back on a 150 year long history, being one of the oldest restaurants of the German capital. In the past, it supplied the Kaiser in the Wilhelmine era, went on to survive the Second World War and the city’s division by the Berlin Wall – so there is no possible way that this place could have dissapointed. Although you might think that Bochardt smells with antique, it surprisingly looks quite modern thanks to perfect restoration, while the marble pillars and an original Byzantine-style enthrone give this one-of-a-kind spot a spirit which you won’t find anywhere else in Berlin.

Franzosische Straße 47 / Berlin

Zenkichi Berlin

April 25, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

There is a widespread affiliation that if a restaurant serves Japanese cuisine, then it should have sushi in its menu. However, Zenkichi restaurant in Berlin is an exception, as they call themselves a Japanese brasserie – so, there is a focus on variety of Japanese dishes, which is often missed in other “Japanese” restaurants. Zenkichi experience starts at the very entrance to the place – it’s literally a bamboo maze, and every table is hidden in traditional, slightly lighted mini-rooms, with blinds which are put down by the waitress. In other words, I was quite sure that this is what you feel in this type of place in Japan – intimacy, tranquility, peace. This foreshadowed only the good, and indeed, my intuition was right.

The food, served like art, was unbelievably… I don’t how to describe this level of deliciousness. Their seasonal small plates, which are popular among Tokyoites, are recommended to share, while emphasis is put on Omakase (chef’s tasting menu) – it changes every season to showcase the best fish and vegetables available in the market. During my last visit to Zenkichi, I ordered three dishes – sashimi of fish of the day (salmon, scallop and yellow tail tuna), thinly sliced organic beef tataki served with soy sauce and the one and only hiyashi tsukimi udon – my favourite. This one is quite sophisticated, though – udon noodles in bonito dashi broth, with wakawe seaweed, a soft organic egg (!) and wasabi. Served chilled. Heaven, noting that I’m a number one fan of Japanese pasta!

Drinks are as important as food at Zenkichi, with its rich assortment of rice wine and Japanese whisky. The menu of sake is long, and Zenkichi specializes in junmai, so the pure-rice ones. The free-of-additives sake is initially served cold, however Zenkichi believes that the warmth of the drinker’s hands makes the taste “blossom”, like a cherry tree. Myth? Nope. I totally agree with them, after trying myself.

If you’re in Berlin, and you are obsessed with Japanese cuisine just like me (but want to try something more than sushi, though) – Zenkichi is the place for you. A must, if you ask me!

Johannisstraße 20 / Berlin

Lukullus on Mokotowska

April 24, 2016April 24, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Lukullus is not your average pastry shop. The first Lukullus spot in Warsaw was found in 1946 and since from the very beginning of its existence, the business focused on making cakes only out of natural ingredients. The richness of their sweet manufacture is based on the best quality products, like the Polish butter from Grajewo, Dutch cacao or vanilla Bourbon from Madagascar. Moreover, the delightful cakes from Lukullus are also the feast for the eye – all of them are inspired with Paris’ finest patisseries. Thanks to the skills the Lukullus confectioners learnt at prestigious culinary schools of France (like Le Gordon Bleu or Ecole Gregoire Ferrandi), the cakes coming from this place are one-of-a-kind and simply delicious, without a bit of cliché.

At the moment, Lukullus has four points in Warsaw and I promise myself to visit the recently opened one on Chmielna the next time I’m in Warsaw. But if speaking of my last visit to Mokotowska affiliate, I tasted the “Polish Jungle” – a nutritious mix of passion fruit, chocolate, physalis (the Peruvian berry) and soft cream. I’m literally drooling now, when I’m writing about this little piece of heaven…

Mokotowska 52a / Warsaw

Note the watercolour illustration of “Winter Warsaw” by Tytus Brzozowski, which is printed on every box. I think Lukullus mastered branding to perfection.

Bistrot Giacomo

February 11, 2016February 11, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Bistrot Giacomo is Milan‘s best kept secret if talking of a soigné-mannered bistro / restaurant. The place is fully booked every evening – and not just because of romantically chic interior. The wooden shelves, which are literally heaved up with antique books; the burgundy sofas and cushions; walls with huge, old mirrors; the floors covered with tiles. All of that defines a classical Milanese restaurant where Italians (note: we were the only “tourists” in the restaurant that day) eat their taglione pasta with fried artichokes and pomegranate dressing, beef tartare and home-made buns with dried tomatoes. It’s not only a place where you will feel like an Italian and drool over your meal – it’s also the place, where you are likely to meet somebody from the Milan-based fashion industry. I’ve met with Alessandro Dell’AcQua, the creative director behind N21 and Rochas, the second time in this city – specifically, firstly at his show last autumn, and here!

Via Pasquale Sottocorno 6 / Milan

This cigarette look from Dell’AcQua’s last womenswear outing makes me think of Bistrot Giacomo, somehow…

All photographs of Bistrot Giacomo courtesy of Design & Culture by Ed

Café Marchesi

February 7, 2016July 27, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

Let’s praise Miuccia Prada not only for her reality-subverting fashion at Prada and MiuMiu, famous Prada Marfa installation, mind-blowing creation of FondazionePrada, but also for Cafe Marchesi, the newest addition to the visionnaire’s portfolio. Located on Via Montenapoleone, the chicest street of Milan, Miuccia revived the iconic PaticcerieMarchesi into a must-visit spot of every fashion person who is in hurry for the next show. The roots of PasticceriaMarchesi begin in 1824, when a small pastry shop opened inside an elegant 18th century building. The shop quietly evolved in the 1900s when Angelo Marchesi expanded its services to a coffee bar, early evening cocktails and freshly baked pastries, cakes, cookies and candies. The main, sweet aim of this place is still the same – but after the re-opening in 2015, the industry got crowded in here, seeing the Miuccia-selected pastel green silks as wall tapestries and Wes-Anderson-like colour palette delights. If talking of their goods, I confess – I have never, ever eaten a better marzipan cake with strawberries. Additionally, Marchesi is already a sentimental place for me – it’s the place were I had a love affair with coffee. The Marocchino rules.