Toca Rouge, Chinese Fusion Food, Mitte
February 3, 2011 4 Comments
Here is something I love about Berlin: I often bump into people I know. I lived in London a total of 13 years and I can count the number of times I’ve heard my name being called out in a crowd on one hand. On the other hand, I’ve only lived here since July and it happens a lot. I love that! I get to live in a capital city, with great architecture and bicycle paths but really it’s just a village.
Here is something I hate: the Asian food.
They often have nice enough interiors, the service is decent but the food is so average and bland my mind boggles. Usually there is a protein, with a side of vegetables in either a too sweet sauce or a soy sauce and then a carb. Cooking by numbers, not from your heart, does not make for good eating.
Oh and those little chilies they like to put next to the dishes? You know one chilli for hot, three chillies for really hot? Are they trying to taunt me with those? I actually got warned, warned at Toca Rouge when I ordered something that had three chillies - I told the waitress “bring it on” only to be served another insipid sweet sauce. Grrrr….
On the plus side, I like the dark interior with strategically placed spot lights that make part of your table luminous and it’s nice that the service is friendly. The titles of the dishes are good for a few laughs “Deep Throat Avocado”, “Miami Dice”, or “Stop Making Sense”. And it’s cheap, with mains below the €10 mark. But you should know my thoughts on this one, cheap isn’t better, it’s just cheaper. I would be happy to pay another €5 if it meant that my pork loin had not been grilled to the point that it resembled the sole of my shoe!
Toca Rouge
Torstraße 194, 10115 Berlin
+49 173 6131556
Posts by other bloggers on Toca Rouge (in English)
Travelettes Backpacking in Heels: http://www.travelettes.net/restaurants-we-like-toca-rouge-berlin/
Without Adam: http://evewithoutadam.net/franziska-taffelt/berlin/toca-rouge
I kind of like Toca Rouge - although the veggie options are limited. It’s certainly nothing special food-wise but the general vibe of the place is somehow quite pleasing. But if I want really good Chinese food in Berlin, there’s only one choice as far as I’m concerned, Ming Dynastie. Amazing food - as good as any Chinese I’ve had in London. And if you want hot, the Szechuan dishes nearly blew my companions head off (it was meaty so I avoided the streaming eyes!). I urge you to go there - in fact I want to go there right now…
I agree with you, I like the vibe at Toca Rouge (and service, like I said) but not the food.
Two of my friends from Hong Kong have told me to go to Ming Dynasties so I it’s on my list, going soon, looking forward to the head explosion! : )
I can’t believe you like the names of the dishes….can’t stand when restaurants do that, unless its a themed place. Deep throat avocado sounds as enticing as, well deep throating anything!!!
Still don’t think I’ve eaten good Chinese food outside of China except at Hakasan…Its those thick gloupy sauces…..although yet to really explore Chinatown here.
Yeah but there is also Royal China for Dim Sum and China Town. I am sure there must be some really good Chinese food in New York.