Restaurant Review Bleibergs

Update: Bleibergs is now permanently closed (June 2024).

On a sunny June evening we went to Berlins oldest running kosher restaurant - Bleibergs. A dairy restaurant that serves traditional dairy dishes like breakfast, pizza and pasta, Israeli foods like hummus and falafel and also a large choice of vegetarian and vegan dishes based on tofu.

Maybe the biggest advantage is the possibility to sit outside:

Bleibergs also has several tables on the sidewalk, surrounded by some greenery.

We decided to try a mixture of German and Israeli cuisine: Oriental plate with various salads, salmon sandwich and homemade lemonade. Dessert was coffee and cake. The prices let you feel the kosher surcharge but stay reasonable.

The time waiting for the food is best spent talking with Manuela, the owner. You will learn a lot about the history of the Berlin Jewish community and the ups and downs of kosher life in Berlin.

Bleibergs also offer take away and catering services which are often used by visiting tourists and traveling groups. They can also bring a kosher breakfast to hotels in Berlin or deliver ready-to-eat food packages for all the Shabbat meals.

The restaurant is kosher le mehadrin under the supervision of Rabbi Ehrenberg.

Salmon sandwich and oriental plate with homemade lemonade

Restaurant Review Eivgi's Orientalische Hausmannskost

The small kosher restaurant at Belziger Straße 75 opposite Rathaus Schöneberg is a hidden gem in Berlin. The name explains what you get: "Orientalische Hausmannskost" means oriental home style cooking. It does not advertise the fact that it is kosher.

Shalom Eivgi in front of his restaurant

We went there on a Sunday afternoon to find the place very pleasant. Quiet atmosphere and light decoration. Not empty but with enough space for a large family. Everything looks nice and tidy, even though the entire restaurant is just one small room with 4 tables and an open kitchen.

The restaurant is kosher meaty under the supervision of Rabbi Z.E. Alonie (as of January 2023).

The menu is not too long and consists of different falafel and salad combinations. If you ask then you also get a nice choice of meat dishes with chicken or beef. There are also fish balls, shakshouka and other oriental foods.

Our family ordered almost everything that is available: Schnitzel with rice or salad, chicken marinated steak (pargiot), meat balls, falafel with hummus and pita.

Marinated chicken steak and mixed salads

Falafel & hummus plate with mixed salads

Schnitzel & salad

That is when the special treat starts: You can actually watch how Shalom Eivgi, proprietor and chef, starts to cook everything fresh. All dishes are really home made. The hummus follows the famous Abu Gosh recipe.

Watch how your schnitzel is made

We did not have to wait long and everything was served together.

The food itself was extremely delicious and left everybody pleasantly filled and satisfied. Just like at home, one could say.

We paid 64€ for 5 people with 5 dishes and drinks and felt that we got a lot of value in return. The restaurant also offers deliveries and catering and is open Sun-Thu 12-19 and Fri 12-15/17 (winter/summer).

Restaurant Review Hummus and Friends

Update August 2016: The restaurant stopped to be under kosher supervision, the proprietor told me that they will get a new kosher supervision in the future. Please check yourself - Schlomo.

Amidst the first snow of the season we visited Hummus and Friends, a kosher parve restaurant in Berlin Mitte. It does not advertise the fact that it is kosher but markets itself as a vegan restaurant.

Location

It is located on Oranienburger Straße, just next door to the museum and synagogue. The restaurant has 12 tables and seats about 70. On a Tuesday evening at 19:00 the restaurant was half full. The music was just a bit too loud for a quiet conversation, but I am also very sensitive about background music.

05.01.2016 when we where there

Daytime view 24.01.2016

The furniture consists of basic wooden tables and chairs providing a warm and pleasant atmosphere. On the mezzanine there is also a sofa and several arm chairs around a low table.

View from the door into the restaurant. Mezzanine level is in the back.

The staff is very friendly and speaks many different languages. We tried German, English, Hebrew and Russion but suspect that others would also work.

Food

Hummus is indeed the main dish of the place, you can get it in all kind of variations. Besides hummus there are also salads and tapas on the menu as well as a different soup every day. A few dishes like cauliflower are served warm. All in all the choice is smaller than in other restaurants and very much focused on Hummus.

Our table with most of what we ordered

The bill was very acceptable.

We tried the soup, quinoa & zuchini and obviously a large portion of hummus (Hummus & Friends Special) with an egg, Ful, onion, petrosilia, tahina and sauce.

The hummus was amazing! If you like hummus - as we do - then just the hummus makes it worth to come.

The other dishes where also very pleasant. Together with a shared soup for starters and a brownie for dessert we had a pleasant supper that left us satisfied but not heavy.

The pita was freshly made, nice and fluffy.

The mint tea was also very nicely done with lots of fresh mint leaves and honey.

Kosher

Beeing entirely without dairy or meaty products probably makes kashrut easier for the restaurant. However, you really have to know about the place because there is no כשר sign visible. The menu mentions that all dishes are prepared kosher. If you look around then you will find the kosher certificate and an explanation about Shabbat opening hanging on the wall:

The Hebrew text explains how it can be kosher and still operate on Shabbat.

The restaurant informed me that the pita is המוציא.

Come Again

All in all we had a very pleasant evening and will be happy to come again.

Wasserkessel für Schabbat

Schabbat ohne heißes Wasser macht überhaupt keinen Spaß, doch welcher Wasserkocher (Mei Cham, Shabbat Urn ...) ist auch wirklich koscher für Schabbat?

Die Frage scheint gar nicht so einfach zu sein, wie es an der Oberfläche aussieht. Ein Weg um auf Nummer Sicher zu gehen ist daher ein Gerät, bei dem konstruktionsbedingt nach dem ersten Aufkochen kein weiteres Kochen mehr möglich ist. Praktischerweise trifft dies auf Perkolatorkaffeemaschinen zu (siehe dort für eine Erklärung der funktionsweise).

Ein in Deutschland leicht erhältliches Modell sind die Rundfilter-Kaffeemaschinen von Bartscher:

Rundfilter-Kaffeemaschine Bartscher Regina 90

Es gibt sie als kleine Ausführung für 40 Tassen und als große Ausführung für 90 Tassen. Für die Kaschrut hilfreich sind vor allem auch die Explosionszeichnung und der elektrische Schaltplan auf der Herstellerwebseite, wo auch Ersatzteile bestellt werden können.

Im häuslichen Gebrauch hat sich bei uns die Maschine schon bewiesen, einziger Nachteil könnte die nicht ganz so hohe Wassertemperatur sein. Das Wasser wird nicht kurz vor dem Kochen gehalten sondern etwas darunter.

Bezugsquellen sind Amazon und Metro.

Parve Eis "Swedish Glace"

Es ist sehr lecker!

 Als wir dieses Eis zuerst probiert haben, haben wir nicht geglaubt, dass ein Sojaeis "cholesterinfrei", "laktosefrei", "glutenfrei", "ohne Ei" überhaupt schmecken kann.

Es ist aber sehr lecker und schmeckt allen sehr gut. Unsere Kinder lieben am meisten die Sorte Schokolade, Erwachsenen gefällt die Sorte Himbeere meist besser.

Dieses Eis gehört zum Sortiment im Kaufland und ist auch im koscheren Regal im "Nah und Gut" in der Günzelstrasse zu finden (im Gefrierschrank).

Das K mit LBD ist das Koshersymbol vom London Beth Din, auf deren Produktsuche-Webseite sich auch der Hersteller von Swedish Glace, Ingman Glass, wiederfindet.

Barbecuesauce

Es ist nicht vorstellbar in unserm Haus ein Fleisch-Gericht ohne Barbecuesauce zu kochen. Sogar unsere Kinder mögen gerne ihren süßlich-würzigen Geschmack.

Koshere Barbecuesauce

Wir haben diese Sauce vor vielen Jahren in der METRO entdeckt. Sie ist auch im KaDeWe in der "USA" Ecke zu finden, und ab und zu im koscheren Regal im "Nah und Gut" in der Günzelstrasse.

Unser Lieblingsgericht ist Hühnchen mit Barbecuesauce
Zutaten:

• Hühnchen für die ganze Familie mit Gästen (ich nehme Hühnerschenkel oder zerlege ein ganzes Huhn - es ist dann billiger)
• ½ Tasse Barbecuesauce (wenn Sie es schärfer lieben, dann auch mehr)
• ½  bis  1 Tasse süßen Kidduschwein oder trockenen Wein mit 3 EL Honig
• beliebig Gewürze

Zubereitung:

Das Huhn in einen großen Brattopf legen, von möglichst allen Seiten mit Barbecuesauce beschmieren (ich benutze einen Pinsel), würzen und mit Wein begießen. Danach möglichst 12 Stunden im Kühlschrank marinieren, möglichst 1-2 mal wenden. Danach in den Ofen stellen und bei 180°C  1 Stunde zugedeckt backen, danach ½ Stunde weiter offen backen. Bei größeren Mengen (ca. 2 Hühner) eventuell die Backzeit um eine weitere ½ Stunde verlängern.

Variation Rippen mit Barbecuesauce
Statt Hühnchen kann man auch Rippen von Rind oder Kalb nehmen. Ich nehme etwas mehr Barbecuesauce für die Rippen, dann aber z.B. 500 gr passierte Tomaten statt Wein (ergibt etwas saureren Geschmack), oder auch mit Wein und/oder Honig. Wenn Ketchup statt passierte Tomaten benutzen wird, dann ergibt es mehr süßen Geschmack.

Guten Appetit!

Bread baking mixtures

Küchenmeister Bread baking mixtures

Product: Bread Baking mixtures (only add water) and flour
Hechsher: Kosher Mehadrin by Rav Hod-Hochwald, Check out the kosher certificate amongst all certificates.

Brand: Küchenmeister
Producer: Friessinger Mühle
Other products: Wheat flour, Rye flour, Corn starch, Potate starch
Where to buy: Rewe, some Edeka, any Metro super market (registration required)

Kosher bread is one of the most important grocery items. While there are few options in Berlin to buy kosher bread, baking your own is by far the most affordable and also most kosher solution.

With the help of an automated bread machine and bread baking mixtures the effort to bake bread can be reduced to a few minutes (examples are for a 750gr bread)

1. Add 350ml luke-warm water
2. Add 500gr bread baking mixture
3. Set bread maker to standard program (about 3 hours)
4. Wait 3 hours
5. Remove perfect bread:

Our self-made bread

If you don't like the simple standard shape you can also use the bread maker to only mix, knead and raise the dough and then bake it in the oven in your desired shape, for example as Challah (see there for our bread maker Challah recipe).