Finally! Last Thursday I visited the Street
Food Market at Markthalle Neun. I love the different Markthallen that are dotted
around Berlin - they remind me of some of my favourite places in London: Smithfield and its surroundings, Spitalfields market on a weekday and early mornings at Borough
market.
Their revival is a brilliant thing. All
those enthusiastic, driven people organising weekly or monthly events and get-togethers,
from the Handmade Supermarket to a distillers' festival, under their roofs.
What's not to like, applaud and support?
I was looking forward to it immensely. My
plan was to have a poke around, take some pictures, discover some young
and upcoming Berlin chefs, too poor to start their own restaurants but with
skills to be raved about. But.
The place was heaving. I couldn't get
through the door - heck I couldn't even see the door - due to the throngs of
smoking, eating, shouting Americans. Yes, Americans. That's not racist is it?
Apart from Americans there were tourists, students and a bunch of hipsters. I
had that niggling feeling of seeing people I know everywhere. It could have
been because everyone looked the same: men with beards, hats and/or funky
geeky glasses (preferably all three at the same time), women in oversized
checked shirts with even geekier glasses. English (dotted with 'it was like, I
don't know...') was the language of choice. Followed by Spanish and Dutch.
Where were the Germans?
The food was varied. English, Korean,
Caribbean, Japanese, German, vegan and Thai. Ice creams and cakes. The usual
suspects were there, just like they were last summer at the outdoor street food
market along the Spree. The buns van, the delicious käsespätzle trailer. I
didn't see anything all too new & upcoming though. Despite best efforts,
this seemed more of a place to make a quick buck selling easy-to-cook food than
a breeding ground for chefs with talent.
(I see it as a metaphor for what's inevitably
happening in Berlin as a whole. Globalisation at work before my own eyes. The
Berlin poor & sexy attitude is making way for the 'could be in any big city
in the world' vibe. It also explains why everyone feels so at home at Street
Food Thursday.)
But they had pies. I love pies. I chose the
beef & chilli filling. Due to lack of space to sit, stand or even move my arms enough to take the pie out of its paper bag, I took it home. It was lovely.
Oh dear, I think I am turning into an old
fart.
Street Food Thursday, Markthalle Neun, Eisenbahnstrasse 42/43
10997 Berlin, 030 577094661, website, Thursdays 5pm-10pm
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