[Germany: Berlin] 1* Ernst Restaurant

October 20, 2019

[Germany: Berlin] 1* Ernst Restaurant

Rating: ❤❤❤❤3/4 (4.75/5)

"Are we at the right place?" - we asked ourselves when the taxi dropped us off in front of a nondescript building. Only upon closer inspection did we notice a doorbell on the side of a wall with the word “Ernst” on it. Thus was the beginning of one of my most memorable meal of this year at Ernst - a 12 seat counter restaurant by the talented Dylan Watson-Brawn. Only 26 years old, the Canadian chef got his start working at Ryugin in Tokyo and his time at the kaiseki restaurant would end up shaping his cooking philosophy. Although he uses dashi and miso, the cuisine is not Japanese at all but rather a creative interpretation of the freshest and best ingredients from the restaurant’s close niche of suppliers. The menu at Ernst changes everyday depending on the produce and usually diners will be served around 30 small plates of food. Since ours was a late summer menu with a lot of vegetables, it ended up being a whopping 46 courses! While that may sound intimidating, time flew by quickly and at the end of the meal, we found ourselves chatting with the chef and feeling like we were hanging out at his house - in a way it felt like a supper club which was how the restaurant started off in the first place.

All 46 courses of our meal were prepared and plated right in front of us - an impressive feat considering the size of the kitchen. The food came out at a rapid (but not overwhelming) pace and we were regaled with stories about the farmers and producers of each ingredient. The dishes may seem simple at first glance but it’s all about elevating and extracting the purest flavors from the produce. Admittedly not every plate was impressive but then you will also get dishes that are just borderline genius - it’s definitely one of those restaurants you have to visit at different times of the year to truly discover its potential. No wonder it was awarded 1 Michelin Star in 2019 and OAD's Best New Restaurant in 2018.