DOTORI — THE ANJU BAR WHERE KOREAN TAPAS MEET NATURAL WINES, CASUAL AMBIENCE INCLUDED

The Korean Anju Bar Dotori is one of my latest favorites, not only because the wine and food are great, but also because Chi and Dax are the most welcoming hosts around. You may already know Chi from Personal Chef Berlin catering and her kimchi workshops, Dax from the supper clubs and pop-ups the two have been hosting together since last year. Far from crowded restaurant corners, past a music bar that promises the best of punk and rock in Weißensee, you probably only come this way purposefully. Dax stands at the blue counter and pours us natural wine and soju – Chi brings filled plates from the kitchen, because: “In Korea, you don’t drink without anju on the table!”. Anju are small dishes that you share with friends and family at the table alongside your drinks – similar to tapas. Korean pancakes with kimchi and scallions, Dotori Jelly, a traditional jelly made from acorn flour, along with sides like kimchi, roasted seaweed and a bowl of rice – at Dotori, the two have put together a “menu for two” of their anju favorites.

In addition, there are other dishes depending on the season: Dakgalbi, Korean Fried Chicken, Gimbap – the list goes on. And then there’s this insanely great wine list: here, wine doesn’t just taste mineral or dry, but is also “fun & glouglou,” “uplifting,” or just “really spectacular.” For non-wine drinkers, there’s also craft beer and lemonades. And of course: lots of soju. Dotori feels new, familiar, open and light. It’s the little things – as is often the case – that make this place so special: the wine list with its fun yet fitting descriptions, the two tipsy acorns on the menu that give you an inkling of how the evening might end, and the interior design you’ll want in your own home. If you’re looking for an alternative to your usual aperitivo evenings – far from crowded restaurant corners – then I highly recommend Dotori.

Text & Photos: Robyn Steffen

Dotori, Gustav-Adolf-Str.159, 13086 Berlin–Weißensee; map
Thur–Sat 17h30–23h

@dotori.berlin

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Events, Restaurants

EMBER — A COUNTRYSIDE CULINARY EXPERIENCE AT GUT & BÖSEL

Organic farm Gut und Bösel is all about scrutinizing and rethinking agriculture, particularly cattle farming. What does regenerative agriculture mean and how can it be successfully implemented for the good of nature? Farmer Benedikt Bösel and his team explore these questions in their practices. But we don’t just want to hear about it, we want to experience it. It’s possible to read all about multifunctional agriculture, healthy soils, environmentally-conscious farming and forest conversion, but it’s also important to experience, learn and understand it first-hand. That’s why the Gut und Bösel team regularly invite visitors for farm tours and selected events. Meanwhile, the Berlin trio behind Ember have been redefining the concept of BBQ since 2020, settling on a rooftop terrace restaurant in Kreuzberg for the summer season. Seats to dine there aren’t easy to come by, so it’s fortunate that Gut und Bösel have enlisted Ember to join them for a special treat.

A perfect pairing, since Benedikt breeds what must be the happiest cattle in Brandenburg on his 3,000 hectares of land. Vegetarian guests will also want for nothing – this is peak harvest season, after all. The summer vegetables come directly from the neighboring vegetable farm Ackerpulco, and the Ember team will skillfully grill them to perfection. Ember and Gut und Bösel promise a long dinner table directly on the meadows where the cattle graze. An intoxicating sunset that will blend into the color palette of your wine. It promises to be a convivial night far away from the city, where Head Chef Tobias Beck promises to delight your palate with the taste of fire and embers.

Text: Laura Iriondo / Photos: Dinah Hoffmann, Ember & Gut & Bösel

Ember x Gut & Bösel Farm Dinner, Schlossstr.32, 15518 Briesen (Mark); map
26.08.2023, 18h. You can reserve your place here.

@gutundboesel
@ember_ofc

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Restaurants

AERBIL — FRIENDLY SPOT FOR KURDISH-IRAQI DISHES MADE FRESH

Brückenstrasse in Mitte is a special place. Loud, busy and fabulously dirty, this street between KitKat and the Chinese Embassy packs in the maximum number of snack bars until turning into something of a no-man’s land as you go towards Alexanderplatz. It’s amidst the busyness that you’ll find this insider tip: Erbil. Sharing its name with the capital of the autonomous region of Kurdistan in Iraq, this restaurant serves – that’s right – Iraqi-Kurdish cuisine. How does it taste? In short: really, really nice. It’s nourishing, warm and aromatic. Erbil’s speciality is home-baked tandoori bread, flat slabs of wheat dough that come fresh from the oven. They’re served either with dips or as a wrap. The sandwich version (laffa) comes with makali (fried vegetables) and lots of fresh herbs or lamb – both are tasty. Those who prefer to avoid wheat can try the bryani, a golden rice dish with sultanas and salad. Add to it a sauce of your choice (I recommend Tapsi – tomato and aubergine) or, if desired, lamb. The latter is tender and comes in just the right amount. If you eat in, you can treat yourself to a vegetable soup on the house –an example of the warmth of the people who run the restaurant. This friendliness makes up for the waiting times you can encounter – a consequence of the freshly prepared dishes and the crowds, especially at lunchtime. The separate lunch menu is well worth sampling.

Text: Hilka Dirks / Photos: Rebecca Schatz

Erbil, Brückenstr.2, 10179 Berlin–Mitte; map
Daily 11–23h

@erbilfreshfood

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Restaurants

ADOT KITCHEN — DIVERSE ETHIOPIAN CUISINE JUST BEHIND HERMANNPLATZ

“Adot” means mother in Gurage, the language spoken by a southern Ethiopian tribe. The meaning extends beyond a sense of a biological mother: it is a homage to all the women who were significant in raising us. A “mother”, therefore, can be a friend, an aunt, a sister or a daughter to someone. It’s fitting that Adot Kitchen, the restaurant run by Rahel Teklehaymanot and Eskinder Mamo, takes on this name. The space is hospitable, with a warm and welcoming atmosphere akin to a loving home. This Ethiopian restaurant occupies the first level of arts and culture center Oyoun and extends onto the back terrace, providing plenty of seating for warmer days. Adot started as a pop-up and grew into a full restaurant in June 2023. Every dish on the brunch menu has something special worth mentioning, so it’s hard here to be succinct.

A key highlight is the injera breads. As one of the few places that uses pure teff flour, Adot’s breads are flavorful, soft, sour and gluten-free. Using the bread and your hands, you can sample the likes of spicy scrambled egg or delicious and smooth Ful (fava bean stew). The honey wine is sweet and refreshing, and can be enjoyed in alcoholic or non-alcoholic versions. A must-try is the coffee – Adot uses their own arabica single origin beans and, while you can order your usual cappuccino or flat white, they’re best enjoyed in a traditional-style coffee ceremony. Here, they come served in a round, clay coffee pot called a “Jebena”, next to aromatic whirls of burning frankincense. While the traditional ceremony usually takes hours (and starts over again as more friends and family arrive) you can enjoy it as part of your brunch. During our visit, we were tempted not to leave after our meal – the space is roomy with plenty of seating and, after such a tender dining experience, anything feels as though it might disturb the welcoming feeling of this second home.

Text & Photos: Savannah van der Niet

Adot Kitchen, Lucy-Lameck-Str. 32, 12049 Berlin–Neukölln; map
Tue–Sun 10–22h

@adotkitchen

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Restaurants

ITA — LATIN AMERICAN FUSION WITH BISTRO FLAIR

Once in a while, you eat a dish that you can’t get out of your head. For a few weeks now, we’ve been entranced by one of the starters at Ita: the tlayuda. This pizza-like dish from the Mexican state of Oaxaca is a large, crispy corn tortilla topped with coriander cream, peas and summer vegetables. It’s a perfect snack to share on an August evening, and you’ll find yourself ordering a second one because it’s just so good. That said, at this cool, charming restaurant run by Micaela and Javier (of Remi and Bar Normal fame) every dish is good. The pair opened the Helmholtzplatz bistro in June 2023 and it became an instant classic. The décor is tasteful, the atmosphere warm and the dishes among the best in Berlin. The menu is Latin American-inspired, but blended with influences from other countries. There’s chicken in black mole and aguachile but also wonderful, freshly baked bread with miso butter. Dishes are cooked in a stone oven and employ regional, seasonal ingredients.

Then there’s the natural wine, a topic on which Micaela is happy to advise. The drinks menu includes favorites from her private collection as well as bottles from wine importers like Material. The name Ita is short for “itacate”, the Spanish word for food or provisions. It makes sense, since these are dishes you’ll want to eat today and tomorrow. This idea of being provided for reflects not just the food, but the atmosphere of the restaurant. You feel like you are in good hands, looked after by staff who seem at home. In a way, Ita is a bit like being in a living room. One which you share with your best friends and where there’s only one task: enjoying yourself.

Text: Laura Storfner & Robyn Steffen / Photos: Robyn Steffen

Ita, Lettestr.9, 10437 Berlin–Prenzlauer Berg; map
Thu–Mon 18–23h30

@ita.bistro

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Language

DOTORI — THE ANJU BAR WHERE KOREAN TAPAS MEET NATURAL WINES, CASUAL AMBIENCE INCLUDED

EMBER — A COUNTRYSIDE CULINARY EXPERIENCE AT GUT & BÖSEL

AERBIL — FRIENDLY SPOT FOR KURDISH-IRAQI DISHES MADE FRESH

ADOT KITCHEN — DIVERSE ETHIOPIAN CUISINE JUST BEHIND HERMANNPLATZ

ITA — LATIN AMERICAN FUSION WITH BISTRO FLAIR