#005: Seafood but no sea. Oyster-craving: how can that be?
Hi foodies,
Eating something that reminds you of home is like saying hi with a close hug to the person you like and smelling that cologne you love. It makes you smile from the inside. It takes you places. Doesn’t it?
I grew up on an island in the South of Brazil where the basis of our diet was seafood. Probably in the same way that most Italians grew up eating pasta and porchetta, some French eating delicious bread and cheese, and some English delicious pies, my family ate oysters, crabs, mussels, and tainha fish (with loads of deep-fried banana on the side). And no, it wasn't a fancy lifestyle. To this day, you can still go to my hometown and order a dozen fresh oysters (from the local oyster guy) for 2EUR (total). Yeap. We order it via WhatsApp and the minimum count my grandma and my mom follow is a dozen per head for the family lunch. It's a tradition.
After 5+ years living in Berlin, people still ask me ‘'what do you miss the most” which is then followed by that classic comment “It must be such a cultural shock for you. Germany and Brazil are so different”. Well, what I miss the most is 1) my family and 2) the sea and what comes with it.
I was lucky enough to grow up by the sea and to be able to look at it every single day for 27 years. Every day. Before moving to São Paulo and then to Berlin. But… funny enough if you invite me to go to the beach chances are I won't come. My love for the sea doesn't exactly come with the beach and the summer lifestyle (though we have 42+ beaches in Florianópolis). It's just a different thing. I'm happy just by looking at it (and I'm more of a goth, you know that) and by appreciating the delicious delicacies of an island.
If I had to name one favourite food - above all - the answer would have to be oysters, followed by any kind of seafood (rollmops included, sehr Deutsch indeed). And to everyone who wasn't born in Florianópolis - and raised in Saco dos Limões (a.k.a. lemon bag) - this answer will come off quite pedantic given that this is, unfortunately, a fancy choice for those living in Europe. The thing is: eating oysters takes me places, it transports me back to Ribeirão da Ilha and Caieira da Barra do Sul, back to when I was just a little kid. And I don't have words to explain how that makes me feel. So whenever I have the slight opportunity (and this, of course, means having the privilege of money left in my pocket - we are in Europe after all) I go out for seafood in Berlin. It will never give me what I'm looking for precisely but it will give me something. And sometimes that's all I need. I'm grateful for that.
Who is Hangry Lola and what's the scoop? I'm an impatient Taurus unleashing my passion for tasty treats through my words and experiences in Berlin. Here are some quick thoughts on drinks and food with no fancy-schmancy criteria, just pure goodness. I'm not a chef or a culinary connoisseur, much less a writer. I'm your friendly neighbor, a food orgy enthusiast, and a hedonistic soul, diving headfirst into any gastronomic adventure. Think of this as my delicious diary, a (very personal) therapy session paired with fresh cocktails and tasty snacks.
Fish no.1
… and suppin’ with my Berlin-based Manezinho friends.
Manezinho is what we call people born in Floripa. And I'm lucky to have friends who I've known for many, many years now living in Berlin. So every now and then when we are crazy homesick we get together for a ‘seafood extravaganza’ - our very own not official supper club. Our go-to place is the Vietnamese supermarket Fish no.1 (next to Centro Italia) where you can get fresh products and good Asian ingredients if you are feeling creative. We usually keep it simple as we like our oysters fresh, with a bit of lemon juice, and our prawns grilled with a little bit of garlic. We all appreciate the pure taste of the sea I guess. It's the heart speaking.
When we go there it is simply impossible not to visit Centro Italia. So we've developed this habit of getting bread, burrata, and anchovies to eat with grated tomato and garlic (very pa amb tomàquet). This is usually the starter plate before we dig into the wonderful world of oysters and prawns, dance to Jorge Ben Jor, and speak with a heavy Manezinho accent. To drink, we follow Maryna's recommendations for good and affordable boliccini. We are complete.
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6915fee5-7f73-424b-8ad4-851190743dfb.heic)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F93027e54-eab1-403a-9b05-226557f976b1.heic)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5ff9c88d-8007-4cc2-bc7b-0817520b29e9.heic)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F88bc5ae1-1c5c-44e8-b0a3-20a9586a2c75.heic)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff68d8a1e-d8a7-42e1-b871-6383b80e8b75.heic)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F69b52022-3a3d-45ba-b201-96353fde7b86.heic)
La Côte
I've been to La Côte twice and it's always been a great experience. I love the food, the drinks (Dry Martini 10/10), the service. I've mentioned this a couple of times already but I don't mind saying it again: their oysters are one of the best in town if not the best. From their sourdough to panipuri to octopus all dishes are simply delicious and super fresh which makes me want to go there on a sunny day. Book a table to sit outside, order a nice cocktail, and enjoy their tasteful recipes. Cheers!
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffbbf18f6-a37a-41d0-b7fd-0968a859d12a_3024x4032.jpeg)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1b16beda-0453-4951-9f1a-bedae71e375c_3024x4032.jpeg)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F35bf610b-6c80-4fa3-9a1c-23eedd8d2158_3024x4032.jpeg)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe1f22bfc-04a6-410c-b55a-ac0faa92b6f8_3024x4032.heic)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F60bf88d3-5c41-4fc4-a861-bf455fdc8d31_3024x4032.heic)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2d00fcc5-acb2-4331-a9f3-d7b9b130273d_3024x4032.heic)
893 Ryotei
It's been over a year since I went to 893 Ryotei but I couldn't write about seafood in Berlin without mentioning it, especially since they still serve most of the same dishes to date.
This is the only restaurant from Duc Ngo I've ever been to - Cocolo and Madame Ngo are still on my ‘to-go’ list but although I cannot wait to check those out I'm sure it will be hard to beat 893. The space itself is not my vibe and it feels a bit too posh as I would want it to be but besides that everything was just perfect. The menu is Nikkei - Japanese combined with Peruvian elements - and I could not wish for a better duo. If you ever have the chance to visit Peru and taste the best ceviche and leche de tigre from the source, please go.
Amongst the restaurant's highlights are the sashimi taquitos (could one possibly think of a better combination?!). We had the one with butterfish, jalapeño, truffle, rosemary, olive oil, truffle mayonnaise, and sea salt. Madre de Dios! Si, si, si. Amazing. Here's what was also amazing: chef's choice sashimi moriawase, miso Cod, grilled octopus, green tea ice cream, mandarine sorbet served with chicory (controversial I know, but great), and their selection of sake. I bet you're thinking “Say no more”. So if you have the chance, go check it out.
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd9297999-5904-4279-8bd9-aa72cfcd7f79_3024x4032.jpeg)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F370bc91f-8286-4bcf-8111-182669dee74f.heic)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F06c48d29-fd5b-41b6-b2e4-abacad0fcf18.heic)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb3e5d206-fbb0-496f-9563-e22701907b2b.heic)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F61ba4950-2c48-45b1-b03a-69d0a83bcb5e.heic)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1955e465-aafa-4e03-86b3-664e8e6e88cd_3024x4032.heic)
Por hoje é tudo. I haven't made plans or reservations for the following weeks but I think the next edition will be about tips from Rome/Lazio where I went two weeks ago and had that Italian food orgy we all love.
You should hear from me again in 15 days - always on a Sunday evening.
Saúde! From Berlin com amor,
Lola