On the first evening of May, I found myself in Wedding, at UUU to be precise. Yuhang Wu and Jonas Borchers welcome a couple of regular guests and me at the door — a wall of tiles appears behind a long curtain, and another room with a U-shaped table opens up around the corner. The UUU is a special place: modern, elegant, understated and intimate. Eight guests at one table, a fixed eight-course menu accompanied by tea have been on offer since September 2020. But, as we know, May brings new arrivals — even at UUU. But only temporarily — only in May! “Those who live in the mountains eat the mountains; those who live by the sea eat the sea,” they say in China. With the new “Eat the Sea” menu, chef Yuhang introduces you to the culinary diversity of China’s 14,000-kilometer coastline for one month. The usual menu takes a break, but you can choose freely from the May menu — which changes depending on the available catch and is designed to share. Steamed oysters with Shenyang dip, scallops on glass noodles with fermented chili and garlic, wood mackerel dumplings, roasted potatoes with mint and green asparagus. As usual, the menu offers the perfect mix of reinterpreted classics and unique combinations, which seamlessly tie together in Yuhang’s dishes.
Comfort food such as dumplings and glass noodles are refined without being pretentious and, if you grew up with Asian cuisine, that’s exactly what you want: simple and honest dishes. Incidentally, the honesty and simplicity run through the entire experience. Despite the intimate atmosphere (which, let’s be honest, can sometimes be more off-putting than inviting), I feel comfortable all evening. The regulars laugh heartily at my endless enthusiasm and Jonas, who calmly explains the menu, makes recommendations while being anything but intrusive. During the pop-up, Jonas serves cold-brewed Chinese teas as always, but (only in May) long drinks with or without alcohol are on the menu. And then there are the Wowi desserts, which have dug their way very, very deep into my heart. The first time you bite into the sweet potato mille-feuille and the rhubarb tart with lemongrass cream and soft soy meringue, you’ll wonder why you didn’t try them sooner.
Text: Robyn Steffen / Photos: Robyn Steffen & UUU
UUU, Sprengelstr.15, 13353 Berlin–Wedding; map
@uuuberlin
