I recently attended a writing course in which the instructor wholeheartedly espoused the merits of capturing the reader's attention with lists à la Buzzfeed. So I've decided to conduct a mini-experiment on the validity of this claim with this post, where I'll introduce 3 of my favourite places to go for a bite around Kotti (Kottbusser Tor).
1. Doyum Grillhaus
One of the biggest dilemmas I have when friends and family come to visit is where to bring them to eat to get a taste of 'authentic' Berlin. Like I've mentioned before in a previous post, when I ask them what exactly they feel like eating, most people go "Uhhh I don't know, German food?". The problem with that is that every single stereotype that outsiders have of Germany are all SOUTH German. For relativity's sake, Berlin is hella North. When I say hella North I mean, it takes at least 5-6 hours to drive from Berlin to Munich, in the South. So whenever this situation happens, I grapple with bringing them to a South German place that doesn't reflect Berlin, or bringing them to a place that sells what many Berliners consider the state dish. I'm talking about the Döner, obviously. Luckily, on this occasion I got to bring around some friends that were completely open to eating something different from the usual Haxe or Wursts.
Now, this group didn't want just any old Döner though, they wanted the good stuff. They wanted authentic, Turkish grill. So naturally, I had to bring them to Doyum Grillhaus in Kotti. When you first get to Kotti, you might be a little skeptical that you could ever find good food here. Don't be fooled by the grey, lifeless, run-down surroundings, Kotti is one of the best places to go for food, if you're not too picky about ambiance. Walk into Doyum and you'll feel as if you'd been transported from lifeless Kotti to Istanbul. The smell of the spiced, grilled meats hits you like a ton of bricks, and walls are lined with colourful, mosaic tiles that instantly brighten up your day. Also, unlike other Kebap places, you actually have proper tables to sit down on.
Most of the choices on the menu are a variations of Adana Kebap, which is outstanding by the way. My personal favourite was the Adana with Aubergines, because one, I love aubergines and two, the aubergines here are just so well-done! The food here is a little bit more expensive than your regular Kebap store, but that's because it isn't your typical Kebap store, it's a proper restaurant.
The service here was pretty good, they were fast and efficient and speak English, so it's a great place to bring your non-German speaking friends if you don't feel like translating their orders for them.
Address: Admiralstraße 36, 10999 Berlin
Opening Hours: Every day, 12pm- 11pm
2. Maroush
I was introduced to Maroush on a drunken (well, okay, for me this means one gin and tonic) night in December after I started dramatically whining about how hungry I was. For once, my whining actually got me somewhere, because we came to Maroush where I had the best Halloumi wrap of my life. I came here a second time, and had the most fucking OUTSTANDING Shawarma wrap. I have no pictures, probably because I'm usually too busy stuffing my face every time I come here. Biters beware, this is not a place to bring big groups of friends because it's tiny. That's okay though, because it means more Halloumi and Shawarma for you. The prices are also pretty damn decent, because you can get most of the food here for around 3-5 euros.
Address: Adalbertstraße 93, 10999 Berlin
Opening Hours: Every day, 11am- 2am
3. Angry Chicken
In contrast to Maroush, I have a lot of photos from Angry Chicken, but they're all pretty bad quality, so here's a few of the tolerable ones that won't give you eye cancer. Angry Chicken is just further down from the Kottbusser Tor U-Bahn station, about 10 minutes away, but the walk is pretty worth it for the Korean fried chicken. Berlin's fried chicken situation is pretty deplorable, so when you're a fried chicken fanatic like me and you find a place besides KFC that does serve it, you go, no matter how far it is.
First of all, can I just say how much I love this wall. It provides endless entertainment while you're waiting for your meal. Similar space situation as Maroush though, it's pretty damn tiny, and the kitchen is open to the dining area so you're probably going to stink of fried food by the end of your meal.
They offer different varieties of chicken, like the Friendly Chicken (for those completely incapable of any spice), the Sexy Chicken ( soy sauce+ garlic combo, not bad, but I'd skip it), the Angry Chicken (cinnamon + sweet chilli, my personal favourite, not very spicy at all) and the So So Angry Chicken (claims to be extra spicy, as of yet, unverified).
You can order the wings individually, or you can go for the better deal which is to get a meal, which consists of 6 x chicken wings, a drink and your choice of sweet potato chips or fries for 8 euros. The first time I went, the guy behind the counter recommended the sweet potato fries to me, which I had no idea was an option at all. The next time I went though, the cashier was completely confused and had no idea what that was, so whether it's actually on the menu or not, or if it was just a one-off item is still a mystery to me. They also have some other things on the menu, like burgers and Bibimbaps, but hey, if you're going make the trip here, go for the chicken. It is their namesake after all, so you know that's got to be good.
Address: Oranienstraße 16, 10999 Berlin
Opening Hours: Every day, 12pm- 10pm
