Berlin's Flying Dumplings

This is just an excuse to put up some nice food photos that I took for Andreas Wegmann who is the brains behind Flying Dumplings Berlin (aka The House of the Flying Dumplings) part of the new food phenomenon to recently hit Berlin in the shape of a food truck that travels around the city serving (in this case) delicious Chinese dumplings to all-comers. You may find it at a foodie market, a street festival, an open-air 'pub' with music and art thrown in, or just somewhere in your local neighbourhood.

Andreas is one of the two best chefs I know personally (the other being Tim Freathy whose great new venture in the UK I will write about soon). He is simply a stickler for the best ingredients and authenticity; a food lover who has travelled extensively - not completely led by food exactly - but that would certainly be a very important element of his trip. He's made his way around the world picking up tips and tastes along the way. 

I rapidly agree to any invitation to eat at his house, in his garden or at the new 'food truck'. The flavours are fantastic plus I always learn something new about ingredients, a cooking technique, other chefs, amazing cook books I should probably already know about, or something else. He shares his knowledge passionately and generously.

Today's salad was rice noodles and Thai vegetable with peanuts, tomorrow it might be marinated steamed edamame with Sichuan pickles

His 'mobile restaurant' is his way of sharing his delight in food with anyone who wants to taste fresh, top-notch ingredients, prepared, cooked and served in this mobile restaurant.

You may have to queue, but the wait is worth it. The dumplings (or Jiaozi) are freshly steamed to order and served with a delicious crispy Asian salad, perfectly dressed with tangy lime and a number of secret ingredients! At the moment, Andreas is serving a salad of marinated, steamed edamame with Sichuan pickles. I have only tasted the lovely vegetarian version, but there are also traditional pork dumplings for meat eaters and coming soon there will also be chicken, lemon grass and Thai basil with a chilli, peanut satay sauce. The little van has beautiful Chinese posters inside to add to the feel of if not exactly being transported to China, then certainly bringing a touch and taste of it to Berlin.

If you want to know where you can find the truck, go to Flying Dumplings Berlin on Facebook and 'like' and you'll receive info about where the van can be found next (or leave your email address here to go on the mailing list).

Dip those dumplings!

What's my style?

Very good question, if I say so myself. Well, this is something I'm exploring in both my interior design course and personally, as I'm going to be moving into a new flat next year and let's just say, 'it needs some work'. I definitely like modern; I definitely like vintage, so I guess the nearest I can get is 'modern vintage' which just about covers it for now, at least, with a touch of (the other) Bauhaus and some mid-century modern thrown in for good measure.

I used to be a regular flickr user - see breakfast with Bowhaus, but I kinda stopped photographing my breakfast quite time ago (and hence lost a bit of weight too!). However, I was very inspired and learnt so much from the people I 'met' on flickr, so I hope that some from that lovely network of people might find their way to read this blog too. I'd love to reconnect with them  and share knowledge, wisdom (theirs, I mean!) and ideas, as well as images, useful links and who knows what else might emerge. 

My new flat - a one-bedroom in Berlin, Prenzlauer Berg - is a rather compact 55 sq m consisting of bedroom, living room, kitchen, bathroom and balcony (which is possibly a bit too close to the Greek restaurant downstairs, but that remains to be seen, or should I say, heard!). The flat needs a new kitchen and bathroom (it's only got a really manky shower at the moment and I am a bath kinda girl) and I'd like to strip the walls of the rather nasty woodchip paper (assuming the walls don't come down with it!) as well as the floor of the cheap laminate. I have been assured that there are nice old wooden floors underneath, but I wouldn't bet on it. I don't have access to it at the moment as it is still rented out, but I hope should be able to get started in November. Until then, I'd like to try to use this blog to brainstorm ideas to help me create a comfortable, colourful, cosy home and use it as a kind of diary for the before, during and after.

So here are a couple of images from the corners of the flat where I live now to give you an initial idea of my style

Arabia vase from e-bay (back left)

 Corner of my kitchen

 Shelves with paintings by Carlos Silva

I want to put things here which I already have, like or which inspire me. I hope that I'll be getting ideas and feedback from my lovely friends out there once I work out how to tell people about this blog, and if anyone reads it.

Well, if this works, it would have been easier than I imagined (I decided not to wait til I got the perfect photos, but to 'just get on with it' as my friend Odette would say)....so here's to the future of my Bowhaus' Blog! 

Special thanks are due to Nina for loads of tips, support and her mammoth email. I'd actually love for her to move to Berlin and help me with my new flat, but unfortunately she'll undoubtedly be staying with her partner and daughter in Holland!

Let me know what you think; tips, feedback and ideas are all very welcome!!