Travel Nibbles: 'Thai Inside' Review

Hey Nibblers!

       Kelly and I had many cravings while we were on our European adventure. One of those cravings was Thai food. At home, Thai food is usually something that we indulge in when we want an easy, delicious lunch or dinner and is so accessible in Sydney. It has been really hard to satisfy our cravings for the fact that we don't stay in a city long enough to explore or have the time to find places we want. We basically go to whatever we can walk to that is relatively close to where we're staying so we don't lose our way. You know, girls not being able to read maps or something? No, but seriously, it's dark at 5pm in Europe and when we can hardly see street names or have phone internet data for a GPS, we try and stick close to home. So when we were searching on 'Tripadvisor' for good and found a 4.5/5 rating for 'Thai Inside', we just had to!

'Thai Inside' Review
Where: Dircksenstrasse 37, 10178 Berlin, Mitte                           Website: http://www.thai-inside.de/index_english.html#

Source: http://www.city-rausch.de/bilder-berlin/thai-inside.jpg

         This was our last dinner in Berlin. We were trying to keep ourselves busy all night because we booked ourselves a 12am train to Paris. Yes, a midnight, overnight train so we tried to kill as much time as possible. Upon entering 'Thai Inside,' it was bustling with people. They had clean, authentic Thai pieces and they even had a free coat service which was amazing. Service was friendly and again, there was no problem with communication. Also, the lighting in there was a bit yellow and I only have an old point and shoot so, it's not top notch pictures unfortunately.
        Anyway it was almost 830pm at this stage so we were both pretty hungry. For starters, we ordered the 'Prince' Mixed Platter Entree which consisted of 'Gai Sate' which is grilled marinated chicken with spicy peanut sauce, 'Thai Inside Rolls' which are spring rolls filled with glass noodles, chicken hash and taro potatoes served with a spicy tamarind sauce and 'Giau Thod' which is a deep-fried stuffed pastry with ground prawn/ chicken meat served with a sweet and sour sauce.
        I loved the presentation of their 'Prince' Platter. It was neat and decorated with perfect cucumber flowers. It felt like we were in a tropical place in the middle of winter. Their sauce portions were generous and components were standard. The 'Gai Sate' was perfectly grilled and I liked the dense peanut sauce that went with it. It was sweeter than what I've had but it did have more of a spicy kick that other places lacked which balance it out well. The 'Thai Inside Rolls' were crispy, steaming hot but there was nothing stand out about it. I did love the spicy tamarind sauce that went along with the spring rolls. The 'Giau Thod' was soggy. Didn't have the same crisp that the spring rolls had which was a shame and I felt it lacked in the flavour department as well. However, at €7.20 ($10.20 AUD approx.) it's a not too bad for a party of two.

'Prince' Platter

        For the mains, we both went for out typical / favourite Thai dishes. I opted for 'Phad Thai' which had fried rice noodles with tofu, king prawns, peanuts, scrambled eggs, bean sprouts, lime juice and tamarind sauce. Kelly on the other hand, ordered the 'Pad Si-Iu' which consisted of fried wide rice noodles with chicken, scrambled eggs and leafy vegetables served in a soy sauce.
        Again, the presentation of both dishes were really eye-catching. The 'Phad Thai' had two radish flowers to decorate while the 'Pad Si-Iu' had the cucumber flower which was just as perfect as the one we had on our entree platter. Portions for both looked quite small but once we dug in and mixed everything together, it was the usual generous portions. Let's just say we were both pretty stuffed by the end of the night. In terms of taste for the 'Phad Thai,' it had good texture. The crunchy bean sprouts paired with the saucy noodles and fried bits of tofu was a good combination. However, I found that it was just too sweet. While it was delicious to start off with, it was too sweet towards the end. It would have been nice to have a chilli kick or salt to even it out. Priced at €13.80 ($19.50 AUD approx.) I feel was not worth what it was.

'Phad Thai'

        Kelly's 'Pad Si-Iu' was lathered in sauce which is good. It was a definite change to the sweetness of mine but lacked that smoky flavour that a typical 'Pad Si-Iu' would usually have. Other than that, I think it was a good dish and worth the €8.60 ($12 AUD approx.) price.

Getting my hand shake = blurred picture. 'Pad Si-Iu'

       To accompany our meal, Kelly ordered a 'Mocito' which had white rum, lime juice, brown sugar and fresh mint in its mix. It was served in a ginormous wine glass and had such an amazing rich green colour. Taste was fresh and great, fun presentation. If fit in well with the meal. We ordered these drinks at the start and for some reason, I was craving cold icy drinks. I know it was freezing cold outisde but my taste buds were not having those hot drinks so, I ordered the 'Cocos Dream.' This looked amazing. I could totally picture myself on an island, sipping on my coconut milk, pineapple juice, sweet cream and chocolate syrup drink. It looked amazing but as soon as I sipped it, it was diabetes in a glass. It's great if you love sweets and love coconut but oh man, it was like drinking coconut cream. Mind you, I finished that bad boy but if you were to ask me if I would order it again I would probably go for a fresher drink to balance out the dishes we had.

'Cocos Dream'  €6.00 ($8.40 AUD approx.)

       All in all, I loved the atmosphere of 'Thai Inside.' While I didn't think the dishes we had were all top standard, my cravings were well satisfied. So, I say if you're in the area, love the good ol' sweet Thai food creations and want to feel fancy, I say go to 'Thai Inside.' For those that like the more savoury versions, I say perhaps this isn't the place. It looked like a great place to catch up with friends and we didn't feel rushed to eat while we were there. So thumbs up to that!

Dinner! Kelly's 'Mocito' in the background.

      Pop a comment below if you wanted to ask for any details about Berlin whether it's attractions, food or transport, I would be happy to answer them for you! If you like your blog subscriptions all in one place and don't want to miss on any posts, I suggest signing up to 'Bloglovin' (It's free). It makes it so easy to see what's happening in the blogging world and makes it painless when you want to access new posts. If you do have an account,  just type in 'Nibble Nation' to subscribe if you fancy it.
     Hope you're all having an amazing week,

Nibble Away,

          Jo x.

Travel Nibbles: 'Rosenburger' Review

Hi Nibblers!

         It's not Tuesday! I should really stop being so delayed. But, better late than never right? No, not really. I blame uni. With just three weeks to go before semester ends and exams start, I'm engaging in assessment after assessment. The good thing about having to studying is being able to procrastibake. So, I've been testing out a couple of recipes out for you all and they should be up on 'Nibble Nation'  as soon as I get to perfecting and re-taking the pictures. Anyway, enough of my life story let's get into this travel review.

'Rosenburger' Review
Where: Brunnenstrasse 196, Mitte 10119     Website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rosenburger/543848369010597 

Image taken by Billy Rosendale: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7326/8881283953_fff08d66e8_z.jpg

             Kelly and I were starving by this point (Still in Berlin) so when we spotted 'Rosenburger,' we were pretty pumped to grab some burgers. The menus were very traveller friendly and offered english translations. 'Rosenburger' is basically a self-serve fast food place that offers a range of burgers which include organic and vegetarian options, hot dogs, burritos accompanied by either a salad, chips or onion rings etc. Unfortunately, I relied too much on technology and didn't write exactly what we ordered down. They don't have a menu anywhere on the interwebs so all I have is a picture of it all. So I'm sorry I can;t delve into more details on each burger butcan only give you an overall idea of how I felt about 'Rosenburger.'

Generous servings

          First off, service was amazing. The guy that took our order was very accompanying and brought our food to the table because they work on a number system and we didn't react when they said the number '4' in German.
          I ordered a normal beef cheeseburger while Kelly opted for a chicken burger with a side of chips and a portion of onion rings to share. Presentation was nothing fancy but, we weren't expecting much so no disappointment there. The chips were delicious. They were steaming hot, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The perfect accompaniment. The onion rings were equally crispy. They used actual onion slices instead of mushy onion pieces that you find else where. I definitely recommend grabbing both sides if you just want to go all out on the sides.
         As for their burgers, they offer great vegetarian options and organic versions if that's your type of thing. From what I remember, food came out pretty quickly and you can basically see the kitchen and chef(s) making your burger to order. The burger tasted fresh, patties were juicy and lathered in their sauces. You could also see all the components of the burger so you can see everything you're eating. Expect a burger that is better than your typical fast food joint but thinner portions than a gourmet burger. They were generous in their sauce content and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The only downside were the burger buns. They weren't steaming hot and weren't soft and fluffy. It was sort of like buying just any ordinary burger buns from your local supermarket.
          All in all, I would definitely go here again. I didn't feel bloated like I usually do when I eat fast-food and found prices relative to what you get at say McDonalds, KFC etc. So, for a meal, I believe for their average meal option, it was about 7 euros which is an equivalent of $10AUD. Hope you enjoyed this quickie of a review. Comment below if you've tried 'Rosenburger' or have any recommendations for places you love in Berlin. I would love to try them the next time I'm there (crossing my fingers for next year.)

Have a lovely week and until next time,

Nibble Away,

Jo x.

P.S. how cute are these Berlin bears? They're everywhere around the city!

Travel Nibbles: Hashi Izakaya Japanese Kitchen

Hey Nibblers!

        I know it's not Tuesday. But, it's been too long and we need to catch up. I need to tell you that I have an addiction. One that sometimes I really think I should seek help for. I can't stop thinking about it. Sometimes I even dream about it. I salivate and drool all over my pillow. Okay, I don't actually paint my pillow with saliva. Maybe a drop or two but, that's besides the point. The point is, I have an addiction to sushi. This week alone I've eaten at my favourite sushi place at the moment, 'Sushi Hotaru' in Sydney's 'The Galeries Victoria' (Click for Review) twice. I would even be willing to go again if time allowed me to. Anyway, I'm telling you this confession because when Kelly and I were half way through our European adventures, we were dying for some sushi and the good ol' Takoyaki.
        We were exploring the streets around our Berlin hostel (The Circus Hostel) when we passed 'Hashi Izakaya Japanese Kitchen.' It was closed but there was a menu placed out. As soon as we spotted Takoyaki, we had a date with Japanese food.

Hashi Izakaya Japanese Kitchen
Where: Rosenthaler Straße 63, Berlin-Mitte Germany, 10119.                           Website: http://www.hashi-kitchen.de/index.html

Image from http://www.architravel.com

        So, what did we order?
'Beef Yaki Udon' (Stir-fried Udon with tender beef, mushrooms & green onions, topped with nori strips) - 6.90 euros (Approx. $10 AUD)
'Veggie Udon Soup' (Udon in fish broth with fresh vegetables, tempura crunch ) - 6.90 euros (Approx. $10AUD)
'Takoyaki' (Deep-fried octopus balls topped with sweet tonkatsu sauce, Bonito flakes & Jap, mayo) - 4.90 euros (Approx. $7.10 AUD) 
'Californian Roll' (Avocado, Surimi, Tobbiko fish roe, Japanese cucumber, Jap. mayonaise) - 5.90 euros (Approx. $8.50 AUD)
'Nagoya Chicken Wings' (Deep fried chicken wings with sweet Nagoya sauce, garlic, sesame) - 4.90 euros (Approx. $7.10 AUD)  
'Sesame Ice Cream' - 2.90 euros (Approx. $4.20 AUD) 

Kelly with all our amazing food

The Verdict?
       Service was great. Food came out quickly and there was no rushing as we ate. Staff were really friendly and I loved the dimly lit rooms and simple candlelight table setting. Their menu had greman, japanaese and english translation which made ordering very travel-friendly. Food presentation on all their dishes were clean, simple and consistent which I liked. The tables were also well spaced and the perfect size for dining. It would be a great place for a good catch-up with friends and even as a date. Did I mention that Kelly and I happened to be there on Valentine's Day? We had an array of couples surrounding us while we ate. We were all sharing the love.
       In terms of food, portions for the udon dishes were generous. Both the 'Beef Yaki Udon' and 'Veggie Udon Soup' were flavoursome and served at a steaming hot temperature. They were not at all salty as I find many soups to be and I did thoroughly enjoy these dishes. I think they're relatively well priced in comparison to Aussie prices so happy days there.
        The 'Takoyaki' was amazingly crisp on the outside and steaming hot on the insides. The filling was not soggy however, I felt it lacked in the sauce compartment though this is my own personal preference. Kelly doesn't love sauce so, I would say it's a thumbs up for her. It's a tad more expensive than most 'Takoyaki' dishes but we had a craving to satisfy and in terms of taste, it was well worth it.
        Then comes the sushi. The 'Californian Roll' was unfortunately a let down. At almost $9 AUD, it was a small portion for what it was worth with little filling. I could hardly taste the fish roe or even the fake crab meat (surimi). While presentation was clean, I wouldn't be ordering this again for lack of flavour.

        The 'Nagoya Chicken Wings' had an amazing crispy outside and the sweet soy sauce  immediately bursts inside your mouth as you bite into the meat. At approximately $7.90AUD, it's more expensive than most places and while it was served fresh, only order this if you usually love the soy soaked chicken wings. I do have to say that most places don't get the balance in sweet and salty balance right but I think, 'Hashi' nails it here.
        To accompany our meal, we both had a freshly made cocktail each. I can't remember the exact names of our cocktails but, they did have really fun names like 'Hello Kitty' & 'Green Ninja.' I remember Kelly picked out a watermelon based vodka infused cocktail for me with mint and it was really refreshing. I can't recall Kelly's but, from memory hers was minty and just as good.
        You must be thinking that we're such hippos for wanting to stuff down some more food but, we couldn't say no to 'Sesame Ice Cream.' This was definitely one of the best sesame ice creams I've ever had in my life. For two scoops, it's well priced. It was pungent with sesame flavour and it is a definite must for 'Hashi.' It was also served with a dollop of cream which I found odd but, scoffed it down anyway because it was just delicious.

         Come to think about it, it is quite funny how much we ate. While we were waiting for our food to digest all we saw around us was couples holding hands, nibbling gracefully on their food with no more than three dishes on their tables. Switch back to Kelly and I, and we had a table full of food with hardly any room for arm space. But, what can you do when you have such an addiction and craving?

Happy travellers! A failed selfie in front of Brandenburg Gate

           Hope you Nibblers enjoyed this review. Comment below if you've have a sushi addiction and where you like to ease your withdrawal symptoms. Sorry it's been so long, uni has me tied down but, I'm so glad to finally be typing something other than an essay for once. Hope you're all having a lovely week.

Nibble Away,

             Jo x.