Transit, Thai & Indonesian small bites, Mitte
July 4, 2011 5 Comments
After the whole Toca Rouge thing (the thing being that I liked it, not so much) I hesitated to try Transit. They listed their menu in a similarly queer fashion. Names like; ‘almost nude’ (summer roll) and ‘undress me’ (chicken and prawns in pandan leaves) made me assume that the two were sister restaurants. Then I heard a friend whose taste buds I trust recommend it to another friend and reconsidered.My husband and I have since been twice. We had a good laugh when the drinks arrived on our last visit and we speculated what the choices said about the individual who ordered them:
Big German guy ordered a…beer = no comment.
Not so big Norwegian guy ordered a…green tea = on a self-improvement mission.
Me, ordered a…black bubble tea = letting lose the inner child.
My husband ordered…a Lotus Berry; coconut, pineapple, lime and raspberry alcohol free cocktail with two straws, a pineapple slice, paper umbrella and plastic monkey. (Well, not the last two but you get the idea). = extremely confident with his masculinity so can order flamboyant drinks and drink with his rather squat pinky finger extended.
Drinks aside. The food is not bad at all and at €3 a dish, it’s very affordable although the dishes are tiny. You can order 3 dishes, maybe a side of rice and leave feeling happily satiated. Their ‘signature’ dish, if you will, is duck in pajamas, a few slivers of (dryish) duck, some cucumber and the whole lot drenched (erring on over sauced) in Hoisin sauce. You no doubt gather from my parenthesis that things are not necessarily perfect but I would say, they are good enough. Which for me is saying a lot! There are a couple of curries, some ‘heavy on the fish sauce’ salads and a few vegetarian bites.
Variety, small plates, punchy exotic (not for me but for Berlin) flavours is where Transit get’s it right. If this place were in London, NYC or Paris, I probably would go there once and forget about it but seeing as it’s here, it get’s pushed high up the list of places (maybe just place) where I can get a smelly fish sauce hit.
The restaurant is loud and clinky with uncomfortable bench seating and girls with PDA’s taking down orders which are delivered from the slick brushed aluminum kitchen. Outside they have a terrace which is reason enough to visit Transit, especially as we are were having such a gorgeous summer in Berlin.
Transit
Rosenthaler straße 68
10119 Mitte
T. 030 247 816 45
Transit (I have not eaten here)
Sonntagstraße 28
10245 Friedrichshain
T. 030 269 484 15
went to this place about 2 weeks ago almost by accident. only thing i would take issue with is the ‘small terrace’… did you peer round the corner? Terrace goes on and on with a much more loungey feel. Not sure if food is served on that bit or it did occur to us that it’s part of the hotel on the corner (Amano?)
No I didn’t, will take out the small.
I saw a flyer today that Hotel Amano is doing a summer Korean BBQ thing in their garden from 6pm to 10pm. Seems interesting. No info on their website unfortunately.
I have absolutely the same opinion about Transit - it’s totally okay, which makes it good for Berlin’s quick asian restaurants - I’d always prefer it to DuDu or the sandwich place thing across the street. Just the atmosphere is hard to stand.. so noisy..
You know, I’ve been meaning to try DuDu, it’s in my Louis Vuitton Guide to Berlin (not sure about the logoed bags but I love their guides). It’s on Torstrasse but I’ve walked up and down that street a lot and never seen it. Going soon for sure.
Did you find it weird at all that the Bubble Tea was served in a plastic cup? Maybe it’s because the huge straw would look out of place in a glass?