HAPPINESS IN KOREAN — WALNUT COOKIES, MATCHA CHEESECAKE AND COFFEE AT LIA PPANG

When Lia Hong came to Berlin from her home country of Korea in 2014, the only thing she brought with her were pastry cutters so she could recreate her favorite Korean desserts. First she baked just for friends and then for hungry passers-by from her food bike at the Kulturbrauerei market. Then, at the beginning of 2021, she took the next step and opened her own cafe in Prenzlauer Berg. Lia Ppang provides homesick Koreans and anyone else with a sweet tooth with traditional snacks and teas using recipes based on Lia’s childhood memories. The Hodoo Guaja cookies are particularly popular: these little energy bombs consist of walnut biscuits filled with red bean paste and not only taste of walnuts, but look like them too. Other highlights include the highly photogenic green tea cheesecake – which comes garnished with dried jujube slices and red currants – and the homemade strawberry milk finished with slivers of almond. An ode to Korean coffee culture, these treats are served in a self-designed interior that combines recycled elements, (mis)matched retro chairs and Asian knick-knacks. Add to this some strong coffee and Lia Ppang has all the ingredients needed to make it a go-to snack stop.

Text: Alison Musch / Photos: Arundhati Shenoy

Lia Ppang, Choriner Str.45, 10435 Berlin–Prenzlauer Berg; map
Wed–Sat 12–18h & Sun 12–16h

@lia.ppang.cake

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Cafes

AUTOGRILL — RECREATING LEGENDARY ITALIAN REST STOP SNACKS IN BERLIN

If you’ve done it, you’ll treasure the memory: those summer road trips heading south for a long-awaited holiday in Italy. Those familiar will know that the vacation vibes would begin well before arriving at your final destination thanks to Autogrill, the well-known Italian service station where a rest stop meant a delicious snack of grilled paninis. Back to Berlin and the present day, and a pair of service station snack fans have set out to recreate the experience. Studio Aperitivo’s Sören Zuppke and Clara Higham-Stoianova of Sipsberlin are opening their very own Autogrill at Wilhelm Hallen this summer. Think of it as a homage to those carefree summers with friends, family and good food. Over five Sundays, the grill will be serving up a menu of Italian snacks and drinks courtesy of five young guest chefs, who will bring grilled paninis in all their variations alongside natural wines. Things kick off this Sunday (22.05.2022) with food from Daeng Khamlao (The Panda Noodle) and drinks from Lisbon’s Ladidadi Wines. On 05.06. Oliver Lomeli (Chambre Noir) will bring Parisian flavors accompanied by bottles from Glow Glow Wines (Nahe) and Brand Bros (Pfalz). Oh, and Vadim Ursus and his team from Otto will also be there. Worth a pit stop? We think so.

Text: Milena Kalojanov / Photos: Conrad Bauer

Autogrill at Wilhelm Hallen, Kopenhagener Str.60–72, 13407 Berlin–Prenzlauer Berg; map
Every Sunday (22.05–19.06.2022) from 12h

@autogrillberlin
@wilhelmhallen

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Cafes

CROQUE MADAMES, MIMOSAS AND HOT BUTTER BUNS — FRENCH-AMERICAN BRUNCH WITH SUNNY VIBES AT OEUF BERLIN

Some readers might recognize Oeuf: its sunny interior was previously occupied by the now-closed Mirage Bistro. In April 2022, the location was brought back to life as a brunch spot run by best friends Damien, Geo and Millien. The cafe radiates good energy, with a bright yellow interior and laid-back menu of French-American breakfast classics. You can pick go-to options like the creamy Croque Madame or make it more personal by building your own breakfast. Options include everything from a brioche base with eggs and crispy bacon to shallot jam to top it all off. For those who like their brunch boozy, there is a killer drinks list including a house Bloody Mary for a fiery mid-morning kick. Reserve a table now and spend your Sunday morning (hopefully) soaking up the rays on the terrace with a hot buttered bun and mimosa in hand.

Text: Kate Foran / Photos: Arundhati Shenoy

Oeuf, Reinickendorfer Str.110, 13347 Berlin–Wedding; map
Tue–Fri 9–18h, Sat & Sun 10–18h

@oeufberlin

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Cafes, Shops

FREA BAKERY — MITTE SPOT FOR SOURDOUGH BREAD, VEGAN CROISSANTS AND SATISFYING BREAKFASTS

The team behind Frea are a busy bunch: following the opening of their restaurant in 2019, the sustainable experts have launched Berlin’s first zero-waste spot for baked goods: Frea Bakery. The Mitte cafe, which opened its doors in April 2022, sticks to the original ethos of founders David Johannes Suchy and Jasmin Martin, namely “Full Taste. Zero Waste”. As with the Torstraße eatery, all products at the bakery are seasonal and (typically) regionally sourced, with no plastic waste produced. Any biodegradable leftovers end up in the in-house composter, with the resulting soily waste sent back to suppliers. For the interior, the team brought together local carpenters and upholsterers and furnished the space with Viennese-style chairs from Ton on Chausseestraße and tables made from recycled oak.

But it’s what they bake in the shop that’s the real pull: there’s fresh sourdough bread, vegan croissants, brioche and chocolate chip cookies, plus an eat-in menu of (hot) dishes for breakfast and lunch. Brekkie highlights include the vegan oat porridge with oat milk, Frea granola, homemade apple-lemon jam, coconut yogurt, apples and tangerines – simply an oatmeal lover’s dream. Back to the pastries for a second: our pick has to be the “Spandauer”, a crispy croissant made with custard that sells faster than, well, hot cakes. So set your alarm, grab a shopping bag and head to Frea to pick up some early-morning treats.

Text: Alison Musch / Photos: Sophie Doering

Frea Bakery, Gartenstr.9, 10115 Berlin–Mitte; map
Wed–Sun 8–15 h

@freabakery

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Cafes, Shops

SPELT AND RYE BAKES FROM MASTER BAKER CHRISTA LUTUM — SOURDOUGH, BIENENSTICH AND EASTER LAMB CAKES

Good bread doesn’t need wheat. At Christa Lutum’s Bakery, the first woman leader of the Berlin bakers’ guild bakes everything from seeded bread and poppy seed croissants to sweet pine nut tartlets using only spelt and rye flour. Spelt in particular contains an abundance of vitamins, minerals and fiber, and is easily digestible. Lutum has been running her own bakery and café on Hindemithplatz in Charlottenburg since 2016. Every day from 8am, you’ll find traditional classics like spelt sourdough, fresh croissants, vegan versions of Berlin Splitterbrötchen plus organic cakes and pastries. The selection includes the award-winning “Hürlimann”, a round spelt loaf with a wonderfully golden-brown crust and soft center, created with (and named after) Swiss master baker Werner Hürlimann. Along with the vegan cassis tart, it’s a real go-to and is ideal for snacks and soups. For Easter, Lutum’s shop is offering classic lamb-shaped Easter bakes (in both white and black) and mini vegan Gugelhupf cakes in two versions: egg liqueur and nougat or lemon. If you can’t make it to Charlottenburg, Lutum also attends three farmers markets: at Thusneldaallee, Wittenbergplatz and Zehlendorf. Strolling around with a fresh pretzel in one hand and a cappuccino in the other – what could be better?

Text: Alison Musch / Photos: Arundhati Shenoy

Christa Lutum Bäckermeisterin, Giesebrechtstr.22, 10629 Berlin–Charlottenburg; map
Tue–Sun 8–18h30

Ökomarkt & Mehr at Thusnelda-Allee; map
Wed 12–19h

Farmers’ market at Wittenbergplatz; map
Thu 10–17h

Zehlendorfer Frische Markt; map
Sat 9–16h

@christa.lutum

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HAPPINESS IN KOREAN — WALNUT COOKIES, MATCHA CHEESECAKE AND COFFEE AT LIA PPANG

AUTOGRILL — RECREATING LEGENDARY ITALIAN REST STOP SNACKS IN BERLIN

CROQUE MADAMES, MIMOSAS AND HOT BUTTER BUNS — FRENCH-AMERICAN BRUNCH WITH SUNNY VIBES AT OEUF BERLIN

FREA BAKERY — MITTE SPOT FOR SOURDOUGH BREAD, VEGAN CROISSANTS AND SATISFYING BREAKFASTS

SPELT AND RYE BAKES FROM MASTER BAKER CHRISTA LUTUM — SOURDOUGH, BIENENSTICH AND EASTER LAMB CAKES