Rei is a little darker, a little more intimate, a little louder — and yet designed with the same signature style that makes Buya Ramen one of the most popular ramen spots. In March 2025, Sascha Brand’s team opened the next chapter with Rei, a bar and izakaya in front of Buya’s premises on Reichenberger Straße. Japanese-inspired, with a focus on comfort food, exceptional drinks, and live performances. The team includes Gennaro De Simone, previously at Soho House London, who is responsible for the exciting cocktail menu. Sake specialist Yuuki Itoh (who some may remember from Sake 36) carefully curates the sake menu and accompanies tastings and events. Luis Velasco, who worked at Buya, is doing his magic in the kitchen. Rei feels like a secret sanctuary: where a Späti used to be, there is now a space with warm textures, an analog sound system, and subdued lighting. A setting with plenty to discover, starting with the window fronts, covered in graffiti and posters. The modular interior, which can be used to separate individual rooms, tables, and events, creates a new look every evening. In culinary terms, Rei is deeply rooted in Japanese street food culture, reinterpreted with local ingredients and an international twist.

The menu is designed for sharing — Karaage Chicken, King Prawns, Pork & Tofu Gyoza, Sticky Ribs, Green-Fired Beef, Charred Cabbage, and Aonori Fries. Vegetarian and vegan dishes such as Tofu Karaage or Celeriac Bites are not alternatives, they’re main protagonists. Music isn’t a backdrop, but another protagonist. In the future, there’ll be changing DJs playing vinyl on Fridays and Saturdays, on Wednesdays there will be “naked jazz” live sessions, on Thursdays occasional acoustic live concerts, and every fortnight on a Sunday, tango dancing.

Text: Robyn Steffen / Photos: Sonni Frej

Rei Bar, Reichenberger Str.36, 10999 Berlin–Kreuzberg; map

@reibar.berlin

It was one of those rainy winter evenings when I first walked past the glass front of Lo Fūfu. The window was foggy from the rain — only a shadowy scene could be seen behind it, like something out of a movie: a chef in motion, concentrated, almost dramatic. In the middle of bustling Charlottenburg, where Asian markets, designer stores and international restaurants share the street, find a kitchen that unites Japanese craftsmanship and Italian light-heartedness. It’s all in the name: “Lo” as the Italian article and “Fūfu” as the Japanese word for couples. Influences from both cultures are interpreted as a multi-course menu in omakase style and served almost as if in a personal conversation. At the heart of the restaurant is a long stainless steel counter, where chef Amodio Iezza prepares his dishes right in front of the guests. Iezza refines, he asks, he prepares. For those who prefer a more intimate setting, there are small seating areas for two under soft lighting. The menu features what the team lovingly calls “Omakase Italiano” (highly recommended!), and you can combine individual courses as you wish at any time. They are accompanied by sake, wine and classic cocktails.

Lo Fūfu’s Italian interpretation of the traditional omakase combines eight courses based on four types of fish — sometimes with potato foam, soft egg yolk and bottarga, sometimes with tagliolini and truffle, lemon and parsley. Every single plate delights and surprises — and the similarities between the two cuisines speak for themselves: the fresh seafood, the high-quality meat, and the love of regional and seasonal produce. With room for 26 guests, a visit to Lo Fūfu is intimate yet interactive. As I leave, I take another look through the small glass windows, now even steamier than they were a few hours earlier. I now know what’s hidden behind them, and I can only say it remains just as enchanting as the view from the street hints.

Text & Photos: Robyn Steffen

Lo Fūfu, Kantstr.144, 10623 Berlin–Charlottenburg; map

@lofufu.berlin