Asuka N.
Yelp
For our main dinner in Berlin, we made a reservation at Katz Orange. The entrance is inside a plaza of sorts - similar to what we had encountered at other places - so you have a view of what could almost pass as a smaller church steeple as you walk towards the entrance. It does appear that if the weather cooperates, there might be outdoor seating of some kind as well (on a cold, rainy December night, that definitely was not an option). Once inside, you find a really cozy, fun space - some seating in the front that is more on couches and sofas; a small bar that is centered around a support beam in the building (and lined with all kinds of liquor); and a small dining room in the back that has a little bit of red lighting across the top against black wallpaper. In short - very unique and very Berlin. The only situation I wasn't a fan of was the coat check; while our coats were taken for us, we had to go to the coat racks outside the bathrooms and figure out where they had been put. If we are going to fetch our own coats, we might as well put them there ourselves (which seemed to be what folks were doing when we headed out).
Although the food here is excellent, one has to start with the drinks. There's a number of fine cocktail choices, ranging from things like negronis with a faint hint of peanut (really enjoyable) to a drink like 'Mahalo to India', which can bring a punch but has a nice dash of spices and herbs infused into the beverage as well. For anyone who loves their alcohol, this place surely knows how to showcase it. The food, though...what to say? The French fries are a must; I really enjoyed the thick heartiness that they had, with the duck fat being subtly present in the aftertaste but not hitting you right on. I honestly didn't care for either the ketchup (which was homemade and a bit watery) or the avocado dip, but the fries were great on their own. Both the mussels and the burrata were delicious outright, but I enjoyed that both had a bit more personality than they are typically served with. The lemongrass and coriander gave the mussels and its broth a bit more character, while the Cajun spices and pesto made the burrata quite aromatic. The white beans were also a great touch, as their meatiness was a nice contrast to the creaminess of the cheese. For our main, one must do the slow-cooked meats - no questions about it. Our lamb was insanely flavorful, with each bite being juicy and tender and the meat simply falling apart into strands of deliciousness. The tomato and artichoke are there, but it's the cumin that does a lot of the heavy lifting in terms of providing the rich flavor and faintly spicy tastiness. To finish off, we split the petit fours, which, as I learned when we ate them, didn't simply double four bites but instead added more things to try. I really enjoyed the fruit-based ones (e.g. the macaron, the chocolate with berries in the middle) the best, but all were very good and not too heavy.
You'll love the ambiance as soon as you step inside, but both the food and the drinks are done fantastically at Katz Orange, and it's a spot that is not to be missed when dining in Berlin. I can't wait to come back and have another meal here!