Shopping for labels, shopping for love
Manolo and Louis Vetements, it’s all I’m thinking of.
Vetements X Manolo Blahnik, seen at The Store in Berlin.
Manolo and Vetements
Berlin
Marubi Ramen in Berlin
First of all, I have never been to Japan, so I don’t know how the real, real ramen soup tastes. I’ve watched The Ramen Girl (a sophisticated comedy about a woman searching for direction in her life through training to be a ramen chef under a tyrannical ramen master, mind you) and I realise that Europeans have a very wide and imaginative view on ramen’s taste. But I think that Berlin’s Marubi is a spot, where the authentic ramen might be served. Prepared in four ways (beef, pork, shrimp or vegetarian), their warm bowl of Japanese goodness tastes simply delicious. Located in Mitte, the place seems to be out of the local fuss – no fancy interior, no big media appearance. Just ramen. And a equally great selection of dim-sum and gyoza dumplings.
SONY DSC
SONY DSC
SONY DSC
SONY DSC
SONY DSC
GmbH
Who? Serhat Isik, Benjamin Alexander Huseby and their intriguing collaborators.
Where? Looking at the clothes, there’s only one guess – Berlin, of course.
What? According to the designers behind this off-beat label, “in German, GmbH means a company of financial limited liability, which is the German equivalent to ‘ltd.’ or ‘Inc.’ – the most common standard legal form of any German company. We didn’t really want to use our own names; as we don’t want the main focus to be on us. And it also reflects or design process. GmbH is so neutral it can mean anything and nothing at the same time.”
Why? GmbH origins from the German capital’s famous clubbing culture, but also, the diversity of this city. The clothes are not only modelled by the designers’ friends – Serhat and Benjamin are inspired by the way they dress, both for everyday and a night-out. What’s interesting, majority of the label’s one-of-a-kind products is made of deadstock materials. Over-sized jackets, PVC pants and technical fabric t-shirts are just a few of the essentials GmbH produces and sells.
No, you aren’t wrong – one of the models starring in GmbH’s new season look-book is Stefano Pilati.
New Year’s Berliner
We are three days into 2017 and it feels like a perfect time for sharing New Year’s resolutions. But this blog isn’t about everyday tips for existence, so I honestly don’t want to write about the unreal new me. I guess reading about losing weight and taking self-care moments is inspirational only during those first free (okay, four) days of the year, so I think additional trashing of the internet with this type of vagueness is a waste of time. I’m entering 2017 with hopes, and I hope this year won’t be so turbulent as the last one – both on global scale and in my personal life. But 2017 is also the year of the rooster: so we should all expect big changes coming, for good and bad.
Right, I’m stopping here with all this reflectiveness. I’ve spent my New Year’s Eve in one of the most beautiful (in every meaning of this word) cities in the entire world – Berlin. Although nearly everything was closed and I just had to spend those few hours on wireless spa lounging, I’ve checked out a few of my Berliner favourites. The Store, which sells everything from Vetements to vintage Interview magazines, always strikes me with its incredible retail concept. For lunch, I tried out the neighboring Cecconi’s: an Italian restaurant kept in a typically ‘SoHO’ style interior. A lot of big-city fuss, dozens of stylish people, yet the food seemed plain (I ate their classical pizza, and beef carpaccio, which had far too much of mayonnaise on it). The next day took me to Qua Phe, a Mitte district mecca. I was 100% sure I won’t be dissapointed. Delicious pork buns, spicy salad, traditional Vietnamese coffee and ginger mochi. I can brunch here literally everyday.
The Store – Torstraße 1 / Cecconi’s – Torstraße 1 / Qua Phe – Max-Bee-Straße 37
The Store
The Store
The Store
In Mitte
Patrick Hellmann Schlosshotel
Patrick Hellmann Schlosshotel
Patrick Hellmann Schlosshotel
Patrick Hellmann Schlosshotel
Qua Phe
Qua Phe
Qua Phe
Qua Phe
Qua Phe
All photos by Edward Kanarecki
Panama in Berlin
Why here? Everything about Panama makes it the hottest restaurant of the moment, or even… a cult place. Hidden on Potsdamer Straße (a stone throw from Andreas Murkudis), the two-story space has been designed by Karoline Butzert and Nora Witzigmann. It breathes with contemporary art, and the artistic contributions, like Julius von Bismarck’s photographs or bone-shaped neon by Kerim Seiler, lets you feel like in an art gallery.
What to eat? The idea behind Panama’s menu is to share your food with others. That’s why it’s recommended to order about 5 different dishes per person, to discover the restaurant’s unique cuisine. From German saltwater shrimp with blueberries to potato from fire served with Iberico ham and herring, Panama offers a wide range of varying tastes and ingredient compositions. Don’t forget to try ‘Panama’ empanadas with sesame ponzu!
The atmosphere is… somewhere between extraordinary and casual. Although it’s a perfect spot for an evening with friends, every visit to Panama ends up as an experience. Panama is never empty, and you must be truly lucky if you catch a table at seven, without booking in advance.
Potsdamer Straße 91 / Berlin
Some photos are by Edward Kanarecki, others via the restaurant’s site.
Design & Culture by Ed 