Being
the biggest South Asian community in Berlin, Vietnamese accounts for 1,16% of
Berlin population with more than 20,000 people (Based on Federal Republic of
Germany office’s statistics on foreigners). Among those, there are a number of
Vietnamese residents who have lived in Germany since the German Democratic
Republic exists. Thus, it’d be no surprise when Vietnamese gastronomy is quite
popular in Berlin with many restaurants that are highly evaluated for good food
at a reasonable price.
In
its travel section, The Guardian (UK version) once nominated Miss Saigon
restaurant as one of the ten best budget eats in Berlin. Resided on the
Skalitzer street of Kreuzberg – one of the most well known areas of Berlin with
a huge Asian community, Miss Saigon is always the top selection for anyone who
is seeking for Vietnamese signature dishes such as Pho, Spring rolls, Beef rice
noodle, vegetarian dishes, along with milk tea, coconut and avocado smoothies.
Moreover, don’t matter how crowded it may get, Miss Saigon won’t keep their
customers waiting too long. The main dishes are only at €6.
Miss
Saigon has received many positive reviews on TripAdvisor. For instance, Sabrina
Gritzmacher - “Miss Saigon is my most favorite restaurant in Berlin. Containing
no MSG, the dishes are prepared meticulously from fresh ingredients. There are
plenty vegetable and vegetarian dishes as well. Pho is exceptionally delicious
(amazing soup base)! Super welcoming services!”, Bridey McHahon – “The food is
delightful with the unbelievable Vietnamese-rich flavors. At a reasonable
price, you cannot leave the restaurant with a half full stomach. Definitely
come back!”, Andrew Foley – “The soup dishes are tasty. Choosing spring rolls
as the appetizer was a right decision. Delicious!”, Katherine Lim – “What an
authentic Vietnamese restaurant! Service needs to be improved while the food is
on point!”, etc.
On
the other hand, The Thrillist gastronomy website has nominated the “Cô Cô Bánh
Mì Berlin” restaurant (The sign is written in Vietnamese) located at the
Rosenthaler square area as one of the best spots for cheap eats in Berlin.
Before, “Cô Cô Bánh Mì” was born; it had been hard for Berlin people to imagine
how a Saigon sandwich would have tasted like. Nowadays, this restaurant has
become the locals and tourists’ preferred resting point to relish the special
Vietnamese sandwich during lunchtime on a beautiful day. The baguette is fully
stuffed with pork or BBQ chicken, cucumber slices, carrots, pickles and mints
along with a bit of chilly sauce and mayonnaise.
Besides,
Vietnamese sandwich, this restaurant also offers rice and salad dishes.
However, the most favorite dish is still chicken BBQ and pâté sandwich. On a
warm day, you can either choose to sit in the garden zone or the street view
area where you can enjoy the bustling scenes of the street. After finishing
your meal, you can visit nearby art galleries and shopping stores.
Another
popular Vietnamese restaurant is “Banh Xeo Sai Gon” bistro on Greifwalder
street that belongs to the Mitte District of Berlin. Basically, you can find
“banh xeo” in any Vietnamese restaurants and the ones at Dong Xuan market in
Berlin. In fact, nowhere can beat “Banh Xeo Sai Gon”. This is where diners can
find the representative of Vietnamese traditional dishes in Berlin. According
to Food Stories, “Banh Xeo Sai Gon” is recognized as one of the best Vietnamese
restaurants in Berlin.
“Bánh
Xeo Sai Gon” has a very ordinary appearance. However, the place is always
packed with Vietnamese German. The menu is presented fully in Vietnamese, which
is not a problem since locals and tourists are always served nicely.
Especially, there is one woman who never takes her eyes of the guests and
always be ready to explain guests how the food can be eaten. However, just a
few people know that she is actually the owner cum main chef of the restaurant.
From Da Nang originally, she has brought with her the excellent Banh Xeo recipe
along with pho, noodle, seafood, etc. “formula” to open a restaurant in
Germany. Vegetarians are also left positive feedbacks after visiting.
When
mentioning about vegetarian restaurants in Berlin, you cannot miss Sai Gon Xanh
(Saigon Green) restaurant, which is located on Kant street, Charlottenburg
district. This restaurant has been rated 4.5/5 on TripAdvisor and has the
ranking of 38/7,972 branded restaurant in the city. On Stil in Berlin website,
Mary Scherpe shares, “I think I have found the best Vietnamese dish in Berlin
(at Saigon Green) and repeat this with my friends. Honestly, I have experienced
the best Vietnamese lunch ever in Berlin. I have visited the Vietnamese Dong
Xuan market and tried several restaurants there; however, nowhere has the fresh
and flavored vegies soup like Saigon Green does.”
Mary
Scherpe also notes that there are plenty Chinese, Thai, Japanese restaurants in
Berlin. After knowing Saigon Green through Luisa Weiss’s food blog – “The
Wednesday Chef”, it has become Mary’s most favorite restaurant. Although there
is a limitation in food choice but the drink list is varied with several types
such as fruit juice, sugarcane juice, green tea, ginger tea, mint, hibiscus
drink, etc. When having lunch at Saigon Green, Mary Scherpe chose tofu and
vegies spring rolls for appetizer (price of 3.5 euros). The Saigon rolls were
served with an amazing dipping sauce. The dish was so good that Mary had to
order an extra one!
According
to Mary Scherpe, the most memorable dish at Saigon Green was the vegies soup
(€7). Fresh vegies were cooked with tofu in a delicious soup. “I was too into
the dish and I hope it would never end. The dish is a mixture of broccoli,
zucchini, carrot, rice noodle, mints, and the tasty soup base.” In the
afternoon, Saigon Green’s menu has lotus root salad, duck BBQ with black sauce
serving with pancack or meat stuffed bun and many other dishes. They also have
Thai mango sticky rice for dessert. “I love Saigon Green and can’t wait to be
back!” said Mary Scherpe.
Writer: Luu Huong/ Doanh nhan Cuoi tuan
Translator: Thu Pham