Berlin Travel Diary | District Mot Review

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District Mot | Vietnamese Street Food | Rosenthalerplatz – Berlin, Germany | Website

Of course the first thing any self-respecting foodie will do when they get off a plane is go in search of food. So it made sense for the second instalment of my Berlin Travel Diary to be a restaurant review. We headed down the street to one of V.A‘s favourite lunch spots – District Mot. District Môt labels itself as Saigon street food. In fact this is Vietnamese food with a slight fusion twist. I had a Vietnamese coffee (the best kind of coffee), and we ordered the Banh Trang Bun Thit Nuong (DIY summer rolls with noodles, chicken and salad, which you wrap in rice paper), and a Bao Burger to share.

The Bao Burger, oh the Bao Burger. Where do I begin? A succulent patty encased inside a steamed boa bun, and topped with mango, herbs and chilli sauce. This is no ordinary burger. I could have easily eaten one of these by myself. However that doesn’t mean I wasn’t happy to share, especially when it meant I could follow it with several summer rolls. One of my favourite things about Vietnamese food is how light it is, and Summer Rolls are a perfect example of this. The clean, fresh flavours of DM’s offering were exactly what I wanted. Of course light food means more room for pudding. I can’t say I’ve had a Vietnamese dessert before, so when V.A ordered Thao Pho Nuoc Doung (silk tofu with a ginger syrup), I was eager to try something new. I love both tofu and ginger, so this is the perfect kind of pudding for me. I even nibbled on the ginger root, something I realised is probably a little odd…but I adore the fiery kick.

We paid €12 (around £8.50) each, with soft drinks. As a Londoner, this is amazing value. I was told that this is one of the more expensive street food restaurants in Berlin, but I would happily pay this again and again. V.A had waxed lyrical about District Mot and I can honestly say that I now share her sentiments entirely. If you’re ever in Berlin, make sure you stop by – you won’t regret it!

 

You can check out the rest of my Berlin Travel Diary series here.

Berlin Travel Diary | Let Me Take Your Bags

berlin-germany-travel-diary-mani-hotel-amano-bloomzy-1Mani Hotel, Torstraße 136, 10119 Berlin, Germany

Let’s start from the beginning. Having never travelled to Germany I had always wanted to visit Berlin. So when V.A suggested a holiday in the capital – with her as my tour guide – I could hardly say no…could I? They say good friends should never travel together, but we were confident that we wouldn’t be screeching at each other by the end of the holiday. So we packed our bags and hopped on a plane to the home of curry wurst.

The Mani Hotel had kindly offered to put us up for our first night in the city, and after a relatively short train journey from the airport, we dropped off our bags and freshened up. The hotel is located in Rosenthaler Platz, Mitte, which just so happened to be the area we had marked down for its variety of restaurants and shops. We explored the area a little (something I’ll go into more detail on in the next post), and it did not let us down. Later we caught up with a friend (and a heavy rain shower) before rushing back to the hotel for dinner.

I don’t usually “do” food at hotels. I prefer to explore the restaurants nearby, but we could hardly say no when the Mani so graciously offered us a dinner and breakfast package. After a 2am startwe were running on only 3 hours sleep, and the idea of only having to take a lift back to our cozy bed was glorious. Luckily for us the food at the Mani hotel is not an afterthought to a room, instead it elegantly compliments your stay. The sharing plates for dinner were a modern fusion of French and Arabic cuisines. However it was the breakfast buffet (which non hotel guests can have for only €15) that excited me most. It was like letting a child loose in a sweet store. The food here is prepared with fresh, seasonal ingredients, and presented beautifully. If I were to visit Berlin again I would definitely visit the Mani hotel and restaurant. In fact I’m considering catching another flight back asap just for those breakfast meatballs!

You can check out the rest of my Berlin Travel Diary series here.

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Travel: Hay-on-Wye – The Town of Books

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Hay-on-Wye, Powys, Wales

Remember all the fairytales you read as a child? The ones of magical villages whose alleyways were lined with bookstores, and curiosity shops filled with trinkets and oddities. What if I told you all of that was real, and you could re-discover it as an adult? All you have to do is go to Wales. Yes, this town really does exist, and it’s called Hay-on-Wye – The Town of Books.

You would think that such a fantastical introduction would make for a pretty boring visit. That certainly wasn’t the case when I headed to this lively town last weekend. I found myself running away from everyone, eager to get lost in the small alleys. Ducking my head into antiques stores and galleries. Rummaging through dusty books and maps in a bookstore straight out of Harry Potter. It’s not everyday that you reclaim that special wonderment you felt as a child. That’s why my trip to Hay-on-Wye felt so wonderful. I actually can’t stop talking about it to people. I know that my photos and words can’t do it justice, so I can only hope that you will be inspired and visit the town for yourself. Your inner child will thank you.

You can find out more at Visit Wales.

Travel Photo Diary: A Belated Slice of Heaven

A few days ago I realised that I never finished my Chamonix travel diary which made me equal parts nostalgic and annoyed (with myself; because I should have done it 4 months ago). So I decided to dust off the photos and finally put them up. If anything they’ll offer a sweet reminder of what’s to come when Britain finally decides to end it’s childish fight with the sun – flowers, clear skies and light, glorious light!

Travel Diary: A Weekend in Norfolk

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Being from Norwich, I never quite understood why Londoners would take long weekends in Norfolk, or retire to my home county. However after moving to London myself, it has become somewhat of a getaway. I find myself enjoying long walks along the coast/through woodlands with my family and our dog. Being able to enjoy life’s little gifts is something I’m beginning to cherish more and more. Maybe this is what growing up is like? Whatever the reason I am so grateful that I have somewhere that means so much to me.

Chamonix Travel Diary: Part 7

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As a little treat Ben took my up La Flégère, one of his old snowboarding haunts. I’d been reading about how picturesque it was, and I was sad that I’d missed a photo tour by a local photographer, so he decided we’d recreate our own photo walk. During ski season this is a well frequented spot, however in Summer it becomes a haven for wildlife and flowers. Walking around the mountain lakes and looking out into the distance at Mer de Glace was spectacular. I didn’t put my camera down once. A lot of the flowers were beginning to wither, but we got some pretty lovely photos anyway. Although it was the lake with a mountain view that really took my breath away. It reminded me of just how beautiful Chamonix really is, and how lucky I am to have experienced it.

Chamonix Travel Diary: Part 6

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It’s been just over two weeks since we returned from Chamonix, and already I’m craving French food and long walks in the mountains. My nostalgia got me thinking; what better way to remedy my withdrawal symptoms than with a blog post? I have yet to publish the photo diaries from my last few days in France, so now seemed as good a time as any.

A walk alongside the river to La Praz is perfect for a mild day in Chamonix. We headed back via train and wound up in our favourite omelette restaurant…yes an entire restaurant dedicated to omelettes. Afterwards we went for another walk around the outskirts of town, and to the mountainerring/crystal museum. Unfortunately it seemed as though we chose the worst time to leave as we were greeted with torrential rain. So we ran through town, ducking and hiding under canopies before deciding that cake and hot chocolate were in store. After only a few minutes of nibbling on a Mont Blanc we had already forgotten about our wet clothes and the impending walk back to the apartment.