If you’re brainstorming new places to eat in Berlin these days, chances are you’ll come up with one name sooner or later: Dashi. Over the last few months, a growing community has gathered around the restaurant on Invalidenstraße, regularly stopping by for lunch – and, more recently, for dinner as well. There are many great reasons why: the juicy, crispy Chicken Katsu Sando, the spicy Szechuan Fries and the creamy Korokke Curry are just a few of the dishes that we, too, keep going back for. We especially recommend the Orzata Lemonade, which is wonderfully refreshing thanks to kaffir lime leaves. But it’s also the ambience that makes Dashi so popular: with the wood-paneled walls, the counter, the table lamps and red stools, it feels almost like something out of a David Lynch or Wong Kar-Wai movie. DASHI is a modern, stylish hybrid of an American diner and a Hong Kong “Cha Chaan Teng” café, but even when it’s busy, it engenders its own warm, laid back atmosphere.
The operators, friends Thao and Thuy, were introduced to the gastronomy industry as children in Potsdam, where their parents ran Asian imbisses. At DASHI, they illustrate what it means to combine one’s roots with one’s creative visions. For example, the two tell us that many of their dishes are inspired by the Japanese concept of Yōshoku, which is an interpretation of Western cuisine through an Asian lens. As Asians who grew up predominantly in the West, they don’t tie their identities directly to a particular geographic location or culture, but find themselves embracing a variety of influences and flavors. From the ingredients to the interior to the way the plates are arranged, Thao, Thuy and their team meld both retro elements that pay homage to their roots and modern touches that reflect their own style. This respect for tradition and history coupled with an eye to exploration and evolution is what makes Dashi so special as a restaurant right in the heart of Berlin.
Text: Laura Storfner / Photos: Anabelle Grundmann
Dashi, Invalidenstr.112, 10115 Berlin–Mitte; map
Tue–Sat 12–21h
@dashidiner
