Umami Berlin

Umami is not only the fifth taste (besides sweet, sour, salty and bitter), but also a restaurant in Berlin. It has got two locations, one in Knaackstraße in Prenzlauerberg and one in Bergmannstraße in Kreuzberg.

As you probably already noticed, I love the Asian cuisine. In the case of Umami, I can take that to the point since they themselves speak of Asian and then get a little more precise by talking about Indo-Chinese. But you should not nail down Umami, because here tradition and modernity are skilfully combined.

The Food

This connection of old and new you can clearly see in the burger on the next picture. The roll or bun, as it is called, was a classic Bao bun. It is reminiscent of a Germknödel or Hefeklos – a yeast dumpling known in Austria and Germany – and the preparation is quite similar. The further use of this Bao bun in form of the “Umami” burger is quite modern.

I find the menu of Umami very interesting, anyway. Each page has a “regular” and a “vegetarian” column and on the opposite page the whole thing is repeated in English. So all none German speaking people out there don’t have to worry. The regular column features fish and seafood, chicken and beef dishes.

In the vegetarian column, virtually all dishes are vegan. A lot of seitan and tofu gets used here. What both columns have in common are the Asian herbs and spices and the delicious sauces. Many dishes are prepared in the wok and are therefore particularly fresh and crisp.

Drinks

In addition to the usual carbonated softdrinks and juices, there are a few noteworthy features. There is Tiger draft beer available and bottled Saigon beer, which is made from rice. Seasonally also fresh coconut is offered. The selected teas and the Vietnamese mocha are the perfect companions for a relaxing time in the tea lounge with the cushions and low tables that both Umami restaurants are offering (see picture further down below).

The smoothie, lemonade and iced tea creations provide for refreshment and possibly a vitamin kick. But the bar is also well equipped and keeps some nice cocktails in stock.

The Design

When styling the Umami restaurants nothing was left to chance in my opinion. In sum, this makes up a nice short trip to Southeast Asia. The restaurant in Prenzlauerberg is a bit bigger and has a lot of space outside as well. It is located directly opposite the water tower.

Lounge area. Shoes off and take a seat on the pillows at the low tables.

Let’s start with the interior design. Everything is in dark wood here. The tables and benches are made of heavy wood, the bar, the room dividers and much of the wall decoration are also made of wood. Rustic shutters which are used in various places have caught my eye right away.

The lighting is very subdued and spreads a warm light, which contributes significantly to the coziness of the otherwise more open spaces. Typical Asian lampshades are used for this purpose. Finally, the design even continues into the toilets (see photo).

That’s not all yet. Even the dishes are styled in “Umami”. If you look closely at the plates in the pictures at the top, you will notice that they are branded. In addition to the logo in the middle of the plates, you will also find rows of letters arranged above each other on two sides of the plates, which make up “Umami”.

The bridge to the food and drinks finally is built by the Umami flag, which holds together the Buddah burger in one of the pictures above.