A Sad Time

I can hardly believe the events that are unfolding in Japan. It was this time last year that I was there on a holiday that turned into a tea odyssey. When I was there I remember reading that the notion that "the big one" would come one day was embedded deep in the Japanese psyche - it seems unbelievable that that day has actually come. There isn't much to say but I wanted to let my readers in Japan know that my thoughts are with them and that I hope things can return to some kind of normality for your wonderful country soon.

Review Fraülein Dickes, Prenzlauer Berg

Last month while I was in Berlin I was browsing though my trusty Tip Speisekarte magazine looking for new cake places to try in Berlin. One that caught my eye was Fraülein Dickes as it was not far away up in Prenzlauer Berg; but for some reason there were no details other than the address. I mentally stored it away in my brain thinking I'd check it out next time I was up that way. And then, in one of those weird coincidences, a new blog reader (and fellow blogger), Schlactplatte, happened to mention it was her favourite place for cake. That was it, I didn't need any more encouragement. A short U-Bahn journey later (no cycling thanks to the snow and ice, grrrr) and I was there.

The Ultimate Green Tea

Whist having a Twitter chat with blogging chum Caroline, No recently (gosh aren't we modern and multimedia) I realised it has been quite some time since I wrote a purely tea-based post. I have to admit it, delicious cakes can sometime overshadow the humble cuppa in my posts, but never in reality: cake is massively diminished without a great cup of tea to go with it.

Review: Elbspeciher, Prenzlauer Berg

Realising it's been quite a while since my last post (sorry about that, work & Christmas rather got in the way...) I was determined to try somewhere new for afternoon tea when I met up with Rebecca from The Field Office yesterday. Struggling to find anywhere to fit the bill that was actually open I was ready to give up until I remembered hearing about Elbspeicher. Being a predominantly coffee place it wasn't exactly what I was looking for but I decided to give it a go.

Konditor and Cook - My Saviours

 

Leisurely afternoon teas have sadly been out of the question for me lately, but that doesn't mean I haven't been making the effort to indulge in a quick cuppa and little something sweet. Thank goodness then for Konditor and Cook. From their fantastic mince pies to their tangy Black Gingerbread, their shops shops really are a sight for work-weary eyes. I could write a post on pretty much any one of their cakes (yes I have tried most of them...) but I'm here to tell you about their amazing brownies.

A Dangerous Mug Obsession

 During our recent move Coffee Boy insisted that I get rid of some of my enormous collection of mugs. I was horrified at the suggestion. What? Give away that 25p IKEA mug I bought for work eight years ago? No way! But on arrival at our new house I had to admit that the drinking vessel situation had got a little out of hand.

Review: Barcomi's, Mitte - Revisited

 

You may remember that some time ago I wrote about a rather disappointing cake-away I'd had from Barcomi's in Berlin's Mitte. Well, in the spirit of fairness I decided it was time to go back. As I reported late last year I have been to Barcomi's - both the Mitte & Kreuzberg branch - many times and last Christmas was the first time I'd been anything other than impressed.