Chancellor Angela Merkel recently declared that Germany’s experiment with multiculturalism had “utterly failed.” Perhaps, but in our recent experience in Berlin, the city’s multicultural landscape made eating there a treasure.
During our time in Berlin we lived near Kottbusser Tor in the Kreuzberg neighborhood, smack in middle of what our visiting friends deemed “little Turkey.” Food was fresh, accessible, brimming with flavor and typically served by folks who took pride in their cuisine, interest in us as human beings, and great pleasure in serving up an experience.
So here’s our top ten cheap eats in Berlin. Many Turkish, some German, one Asian. Mind you, this list reflects not only what is inexpensive, but more importantly what is high-quality.
1. Gel Gör Inegöl Köfteci
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Filed Under: Food, Germany by: Daniel Noll
38 Comments | 29 October 2010
How do you like our wild pig?
–- A cook in Tuscany’s Maremma region pauses to ask us one of life’s burning questions.
When we think of Italy, we think of vineyard orchards populated by wild boars, happy cows and people who talk with their hands and sound like they’re yelling at each other all the time even though they are really just talking about how great the tagliatelle is.
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- Panorama of the Week: Pienza, Tuscany — A UNESCO Site Worth Getting Married In
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- Life Lessons from A Tuscan Wedding
- Panorama of the Week: The Makings of a Great Brunello di Montalcino
- From Hilltowns to Harvest: Tuscany in Autumn
- Accommodation Italy: Participating vs. Spectating
- Maremma: Hidden Tuscany (an Audio Slideshow)
Filed Under: Europe, Food, Italy by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
21 Comments | 15 October 2010
When we poked around Buenos Aires earlier this year, our food quests were focused not only on understanding Argentine cuisine but also seeking out various ethnic cuisines that we hadn’t encountered much while traveling the Andes and Paraguay. A couple of times a week, we’d head out with a restaurant recommendation, a gigantic map of the city, and scribbled notes as to our bus route.
We often got lost. We always ate. And we discovered something.
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Filed Under: Argentina, Food, South America by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
53 Comments | 30 August 2010
When I think about my first contact with the concept of Argentine cuisine, I recall a discussion twelve years ago with an unassuming foodie friend in San Francisco.
“I bet the food in Argentina is great!” I offered with blind optimism as visions of gauchos stepping to a tango beat danced in my head. Argentina seemed so damn far away; therefore the food must be exotic and varied.
My food-wise friend brushed off my enthusiasm without skipping a beat, “Yeah, if the only thing you like is steak and wine.”
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Filed Under: Argentina, Food, South America by: Daniel Noll
70 Comments | 18 August 2010
I feel sorry for the Colombians. They only have three types of peppers.
– A pepperista — surrounded by 40 different pepper varieties at the Mistura Peruvian food festival — sheds unintended humorous light on one of the many advantages of Peruvian cuisine.
Peruvian cuisine has attained a certain hipness over the last decade. So when we put out a call to our network for Peruvian food suggestions prior to our visit to Lima, we were surprised when the net response amounted to “ceviche and pisco sours.”
For sure those are requisite tastes, but the Peruvian food scene offers so much more. Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Food, Peru, South America by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
58 Comments | 11 January 2010
Filed Under: Central America, Food by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
20 Comments | 11 September 2009
Singapore, an unexpected stop on our Southeast Asian itinerary thanks to a cheap flight from there to India. Our culinary expectations for this small city-state were low, particularly in the wake of our street food experiences in Thailand and Malaysia. Yet in the three days before our flight to India, it seemed like all we did was eat.
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Filed Under: Food, Singapore, Southeast Asia by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
10 Comments | 3 May 2009
You know, the Chinese are funny people: so long as their eyes are open, they are looking for food.
– an ethnic Chinese Malaysian man sizes up the Malaysian appetite for street food
Truth is, this quote applies to just about everyone in Malaysia. And why not? Like many of its neighbors in Southeast Asia, Malaysia is home to the holy trinity of street food enjoyment: availability, quality and price.
From stink bean squid sambal to giant prawns in huge buckets of satay sauce, Malaysia delivers an experience of culinary and cultural diversity. Here’s a wee taste of the wide-ranging (Malay, Chinese, Indian and Indonesian) bites you might find.
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Filed Under: Food, Malaysia by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
23 Comments | 29 March 2009
“If you were stranded on a desert island and could choose only one cuisine for the rest of your days, which would it be?”
Have you ever considered this? The thought of choosing just one cuisine for the rest of our days makes us break out in sweats.
But change that question to: “What’s your favorite place for street food?”
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Filed Under: Food, Photography, Thailand by: Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott
12 Comments | 8 March 2009
I remember my first taste of what was supposed to be Burmese food at a restaurant in San Francisco. There was none of the coconut milk and fragrance of Thai curries and the spice palette didn’t inspire like it did in Indian cuisine.
Underwhelming, I thought.
However, during our visit to Burma (Myanmar), we quickly appreciated Burmese cuisine for the beauty of what it is: an Asian cuisine fused from Southeast Asian, Chinese and Indian influences.
Armed with that perspective, we found Burmese food a pleasure. Street food was varied, accessible and inexpensive. Restaurants were similarly enjoyable. And we were even invited for a few home-cooked meals. Continue Reading »
Filed Under: Burma (Myanmar), Food by: Daniel Noll
36 Comments | 4 February 2009
