Vietnamese Gastronomy in Berlin

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