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Le Duc Salon

Visiting the pop-up restaurant “Le Duc Salon”

On a cold Saturday in January, a few people gather in front of an old building in Berlin. We smile a little nervously at each other and wait anxiously to get in. When a young man compares the names of those present again with his list, things finally get started. We walk single file into an apartment via a backyard and a narrow stairwell. Or rather in a very long hallway with rough plastered walls, bare pipes and old building doors with patina. The tension rises - and suddenly we are standing in a huge, light-flooded old building apartment with a historic fireplace, stylish mid-century furniture, cool designer lamps, a steel kitchen island and high bay windows. The winter sun shines invitingly on the tables set for eighteen guests.

At the celebrity chef The Duc Ngo

We have a lunch menu in “Le Duc Salon“ booked, the pop-up restaurant from The Duc Ngo. There have been regular food events in this Berlin apartment since 2022. The Duc Ngo is known in the Berlin gastronomy scene for its always new and exciting restaurant concepts. He is now also known throughout Germany as a guest and judge on various cooking shows. 

25 years ago, as a self-taught chef, he opened his first sushi restaurant on Kantstrasse in Berlin-Charlottenburg. He now runs eighteen restaurants across Europe whose kitchen concepts range from a Vietnamese-French brasserie (Madame Ngo) to Korean street food (NgoKimPak) to Japanese-South American fine dining (893). He always combines different styles and cuisine cultures in a modern way and hits the nerve of the city. 

In “Le Duc Salon”, The Duc Ngo can spontaneously offer new menus with a seasonal product focus such as seafood or ramen, as well as favorite topics such as Indochina cuisine. In addition, he is closer to his guests in the open kitchen. Unfortunately he is not there in person today as he is on a culinary trip, but he is adequately represented by his friendly team.

Ramen soup

It's steaming in the open kitchen and the chefs are working hand in hand in a focused manner. And everyone is allowed to explicitly look into the pots and ask questions. Today there is a vegan ramen soup, a vegetable entrée and a seasonal dessert in keeping with Veganuary. Ramen is a Japanese noodle soup made from strong broth, noodles and various toppings. In Japan, ramen is served in special restaurants called ramen-ya. There are said to be over 5000 such ramen restaurants in Tokyo alone. The Duc Ngo started his career with Japanese cuisine and has focused a lot on the country and its unique cuisine. 

The light, fresh starter immediately makes you want more. And the steaming ramen soup is already fragrant in front of us. Today the vegan broth (dashi) consists of kombu seaweed and miso tare (seasoning sauce), plus there are handmade noodles, a fresh tofu wonton (dumpling), cashew butter, sesame oil, seaweed strips, fried oyster mushrooms and spring onions. The soup is mild and at the same time multi-layered. The classic umami develops more and more the longer you eat the soup. Everyone enjoys sipping their bowls and at the tables you can talk to the other guests about the food. 

The delicious green tea is refilled sufficiently and tastes great with all three courses. Of course there is also a small, fine wine list with Riesling from the Rheingau or Japanese beer. The absolutely relaxed atmosphere is crowned by a perfectly balanced dessert. A refreshing, vegan dairy dish covered with an airy chestnut cream.  

The friendly, calm service is very attentive. We are smoothly guided through the three delicious courses in an hour and a half before we are washed back onto the road happy and full. What a special meal and what a beautiful event. Absolutely book early, because the few seats in the salon are very popular. 

vegan dairy dish

You can find more restaurants with a green mission here. You can have another vegan diner here

© Photos: Christian Exler

Geraldine works as a freelance writer for Good Travel and has just completed training as a sustainability manager. After twenty exciting years in film, she now devotes herself full-time to her other passions - travel, food and design.

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