151 Tasting Berlin: The third day, still Mitte. I move slightly and I reach the Torstraße, the large artery and bridge connecting the island to Prenzlauer Berg, the realm of radical chic sobriety and bio mothers. No, here the traditional Berlin cuisine does not dominate the local scene; rather, it is a small niche, and certainly it doesn't represent its spirit. “Taste” in Berlin means something else, it can mean tapping into the kitchens around the world, witnessing genetic mutations that adapt the species to its new habitat, its hybridization. When Berlin was split into two, and the Eastern side became part of the Communist bloc, those people who shared the political colour and who brought with them their own traditions began to flow in from Asian countries. Long before other European capitals, Berlin started eating Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean as an everyday thing and for everyone. The fall of the Wall resulted in the collision of two continental plates, and modern migrations have done the rest by moving other cults into town, first of all vegetarianism and veganism. Perhaps no city in the world has such a concentration of temples dedicated to these religions. One of the latest is Ryong, at number 59 of Torstraße, where the Vietnamese cuisine firmly rooted in the city is strictly Veg, and the chef lightly crosses Western and Southeast Asian tastes such as the “Bao buns” reinventing the function of burgers and wrapping a crust of chocolate or tempura beet; the sense in question is highly satisfied here. Move on from the “Foggy Dew” - a soup of noodles, coconut milk, marinated and grilled bamboo where the presence of miso and nori betrays the influence of Japanese cuisine - to the “Rich Christmas Burger,” combining the ingredients of Christmas, pickles, apple, coriander, avocado and teriyaki sauce on the same plate and, despite the abominable combination, is one of the biggest surprises on the menu. The experimentation does not stop with the food, but is let loose in the selection of drinks including complex formulas like “Eyes” – an artisan ginger lemonade, with chia seeds and pandanus leaves – and “Orange Summer”, a happy combination of Thai tea, orange juice and rice milk. senses and the City
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