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Rutz: Saving (one of) the Absolute Best for Last

January 11, 2021

Before leaving Berlin, I had a series of dining experiences that are just too good not to share. After much struggle with moving a server to a different wifi network, I finally regained access to photos from those unforgettable evenings. So here are! Yes, I am the absolute queen of awful timing with this post falling within the extended lockdown in Berlin. However, I’m hoping this will keep people inspired and look forward to the reopening of restaurants in the city once things are much better. So let’s kick things off with Rutz – Marco Müller‘s three-Michelin star restaurant.

The announcement of the restaurant’s third star came right before the first Berlin lockdown. Such a shame, one might think. And it was, mostly for us who love amazing food. For Chef Müller, however, it only made the well-deserved hype bigger. Once lockdown was lifted, the seats were once again full all the way up to the second lockdown towards the end of 2020. I was there when it was announced. Quite heartbreaking for the dining scene which was starting to pick up at that point but the people understood its necessity. Frankly, the feeling of luck that I had while being there that night doubled. Especially since I was days away from leaving Berlin.

“Isn’t it fitting that Rutz gets to be the last restaurant you’ll visit during your posting in Berlin?” my friend Ute asked over our dinner. She did, after all, had to endure my constant chatter of wanting to go to Rutz and writing about it afterward. Variations of ‘Yes, finally!’ and ‘Saving the best for last’ were exchanged with a goofy smile plastered on my face the whole evening. It was probably the wine but I digress.

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in Beauty, Berlin, Berlin What to Do, Berlin Where to Go, Expat Life, Skincare

Getting a Facial at Club Olympus, Grand Hyatt Berlin

November 29, 2019

The past couple of months have been quite hectic, to say the least. I went back to Youtube, I took on new roles, and I accepted more freelance work. It’s been rewarding but I’m not gonna lie – it really did a number on my stress levels. So, despite my skin getting better over the summer, I experienced breakouts and hives anew. At some points, I was rather dehydrated and was running on little sleep that it started showing on my skin. So an invitation to the Grand Hyatt Berlin‘s Club Olympus was much more than welcome.

It’s hardly my first time coming to the Grand Hyatt here in Berlin. Having covered the Berlinale before for Forbes and Rappler, I’ve spent some time in the hotel doing press registrations and attending press conferences. So the hotel really does have a special place in my heart.  I met Wes Anderson and Tilda Swinton in their premises for the first time and those instances definitely make it to my list of memorable times in Berlin.

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Almost Diplomatic - Layla - Berlin - Meir Adoni - Restaurants - Israeli Food - Mediterranean - Germany - Diplomat's Wife
in Berlin, Berlin Food, Berlin Where to Go, Expat Life

Layla: Meir Adoni’s Irresistible Lady in Berlin

May 31, 2019

Meir Adoni is a name almost any foodie will recognise – especially those who have a penchant for Middle Eastern food. The Israeli chef has quite the curriculum vitae, with successful restaurants in Israel and New York. His latest venture landed him in Berlin in late 2018. Barely half a year after its opening, Layla has taken up sizable and permanent-looking space in the city’s ever-fickle food scene. Another Berlin institution for the bon vivant that we could all be thankful for, if you ask me.

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It was a Friday night and Layla was packed. Berliners of every shape, size, and race gathered to enjoy the food. The crowd was also peppered with tourists looking for a meal that can be one of the highlights of their trip. My friend Lesley and I ended up sitting beside a man from Israel who went to Layla for dinner after his hotel’s receptionist raved about it.

He was in Berlin to visit his son who decided to live here and pursue his DJing career. (Of course, he’s a DJ. This is Berlin.) He abandoned his father for the night as he was playing a show. But the father got the better part of the bargain. He found Meir Adoni himself was in town and was making his meal that night. This city never fails to surprise its guests.

Adoni is not in town all the time. He has several restaurants to tend to, after all. But when he’s around, he’s in the kitchen to bond and make food with his team who all trained under him. This doesn’t stop him from connecting with the people who come to try the food. He would smile and chat with practically everyone who would pass by the open kitchen.

Almost Diplomatic - Layla - Berlin - Meir Adoni - Restaurants - Israeli Food - Mediterranean - Germany - Diplomat's Wife

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in Berlin, Berlin Food, Berlin Where to Go, Expat Life

Golvet: Berlin’s Come-As-You-Are Michelin-Star Restaurant

April 16, 2019

As a walking contradiction myself, I felt pretty much at home the moment I stepped into Golvet. The restaurant, headed by Michelin-star chef Björn Swanson, is filled with it. From the name which means ‘ground’ in Swedish when the restaurant is actually on the top floor of a building, to the menu, and down to the chef who’s basically an American-Berliner with a Swedish name.

Rules, after all, are made to be tweaked to accommodate change and progress. (Don’t break them entirely, people. You don’t want anarchy.) I am, however, getting ahead of myself.

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in Berlin, Berlin What to Do, Berlin Where to Go, Expat Life

Cherry Blossoms in Berlin: The Best Places to See Them & Get Your Hanami On

April 10, 2019

There’s nothing quite like spring in Berlin. I always feel it coming like I’m some sort of early warning device. My hands start to develop red spots and my throat gets scratchy. Pollen, like the White Walkers in Game of Thrones, tend to creep up on you like that. Before you know it, they’re in full-attack mode and you’re sneezing like there’s no tomorrow, stifling that curse word you want to direct at nature. But you stop yourself completely, knowing that this season has its pros. Number one on my list? The cherry blossoms in Berlin.

“It’s like a unicorn threw up all over Berlin,” I found myself telling my husband last spring. “I love it!”

Call me basic but pink everywhere is definitely my cup of tea. From wet, grey, gloomy winter, Berlin comes of out of its closet (intended), leaving its black, puff jacket behind to reveal itself dressed in the prettiest pastel shade. Pink goes with everything and taking pictures around the city is just made a lot more fun. Just don’t forget to take your anti-histamines.

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in Berlin, Berlin Tips, Berlin What to Do, Berlin Where to Go, Expat Life

Relax in the City: SpaSphere (Berlin)

October 3, 2018

I’m a city girl through and through. People who know me personally can attest to that. I just love the hustle and bustle – the excitement and energy a big city generates. However, I won’t deny that it can get pretty taxing sometimes. The excitement and physical strain of daily living can actually wear you down. Living in Berlin for over a year now, I find that even though this city is not as busy as Manila or Kuala Lumpur, the constant moving around that I do (even in awful weather) can still be exhausting. What really saves the day for me, though, is a spot of relaxation within my week – either at home or at a spa. Germany is big on spa culture and I’ve written about it before. This time, I’ll be telling you about another spa that I recently visited that has left a really good impression with me: SpaSphere.

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in Berlin, Berlin Travel, Berlin Where to Go, Expat Life, Germany, Travel

A Tour of Vienna House Andel’s for Berlin Business Travellers

August 30, 2018

I first found myself in Vienna House Andel’s during a Diplommatischer Stammtisch event – a monthly gathering for diplomats and their spouses here in Berlin to help us network and make friends. During the first visit, I noticed that the hotel has so much to offer – especially for those travelling to Berlin for business.

The hotel doesn’t need to make much effort to impress. I say this as someone who comes from Asia where hotels tend to be ginormous and grand. From its sheer size, the modern lobby where there’s an Italian APE converted into a coffee bar, the number of rooms, the quality of the restaurants and the views. If you’re planning on holding a business conference or a trade fair, you can even do it all under one roof.

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in Berlin Travel, Berlin Where to Go, Europe, Germany, Travel

Visiting the Schloss Bellevue with Wilkommen in Berlin

October 10, 2017

I recently wrote about the first event I attended organised by Wilkommen in Berlin (WIB). After that, I was able to attend a couple more before the diplomatic spouse club went on a break for the summer. The break is over and I’m still not done writing about the events before it. No surprise there. As per usual, my plate has become pretty full. One of the said events was a tour of the Schloss Bellevue – the seat of the German president.

When I told my husband about us getting to visit this particular schloss, he pounced on it as another awesome thing about being the diplo-spouse rather than the diplomat. “You get to do the fun stuff while I deal with the stressful bits,” he laughed. Come to think  of it, I get to go on a tour of the palace before he does. Also when he goes, it’s going to be work. But I do the cooking and the laundry at home so I guess we’re even. 😛

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in Berlin, Berlin Travel, Berlin What to Do, Berlin Where to Go, Europe, Germany, Travel

Photo Diary: A Visit to the Schloss Charlottenburg

September 7, 2017

On good, sunny days, we are often out and about enjoying some rare warmth here in Berlin. Those days are running out now. Most of the time, especially now and back in April when we first arrived, it could be quite nippy. On such days, indoor attractions and activities are on the agenda. Schloss Charlottenburg was one of the first on our list so one weekend, we took a short train ride over to this palace just within Berlin.

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in Berlin, Berlin Food, Berlin What to Do, Berlin Where to Go, Europe, Expat Life

What to Eat and Drink at Kulturbrauerei’s Street Food Sundays

June 16, 2017

This piece first appeared on The-Binge.com and is published with permission.

Warm Sundays in Berlin are mostly spent outside, soaking up the sun and taking advantage of the rarity that is warm weather. However, we recently discovered that there’s a way to get some of that much needed Vitamin D while binge-ing on some amazing street food. All you have to do is hop on a train or bike to Kulturbrauerei on a Sunday. There, you’ll find some of the city’s best food trucks all parked in one spot.

Built in the 1800’s, this complex used to be the Schultheiss Brewery. These days, it’s a place fit for East Berlin’s cool crowd. With hip offices, a cinema, and being the ever Instagrammable event space, Kulturbrauerei has become a must-visit destination in Prenzlauer Berg.

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