Restaurant FACIL
Baguette, Rye Bread, Butter, Sea Salt
Corn Custard, Oyster Mushroom, Jalapeno, Radish
Soup of Beelitz Asparagus, Raspberry, Miso, Egg Yolk
Calf’s Head and Tripe, Bean, Salted Lemon, Bamberger Hornchen, Coconut
Leg of Guinea Fowl, Artichoke, Courgette, Cashew
Pear Sorbet, Crumble
Raspberry, Lemon Cream, Thyme, Sunflower Seeds, Basil Ice Cream
Coconut, Bergamot, Mango / Chocolate, Caramel
Awarded 2 Michelin Stars FACIL Restaurant at Potsdamer Platz in The Mandala Hotel Berlin has been under the toque of Chef Michael Kempf for 19 years, its location on the 5th floor with an open air patio creating something of a sanctuary from the concrete and traffic outside.
Not the sort of place one stumbles upon, elegant surroundings including glass panels and fountains befitting upscale clientele, FACIL offers lunch and dinner Monday through Friday, the daytime a la carte menu an extraordinary bargain beginning at €28 plus twenty more for each additional plate.
Trained in Germany but not limited to region, both Ingredients and ideas casting a global net, service is gracious and accommodating beginning with housemade Bread plus a daily Amuse of creamy Corn concealing Mushrooms, Peppers and Seeds.
Opting for four-courses, though in reality seven accounting for extras, Chef Kempf’s seasonal Soup presents White Asparagus as silky Veloute poured tableside atop Vegetable Curls, Raspberries and cured bits of Egg.
Technique-driven with traditional flavors reinterpreted, Headcheese and Tripe converted from a rustic Stew into something refined by Lemon and Coconut plus crispy Potatoes, Guinea Fowl comes as a roasted Roulade without Bones alongside Vegetables and Nuts lightly cooked to highlight their natural taste and texture.
At this point turning things over to Thomas Yoshida, repeat winner of “Patissier of the Year” by Gault & Millau, Pear Sorbet bridged the gap to something of a Summer Mille-Feuille featuring eight layers ranging from Ganache to Tuile next to fragrant Basil Ice Cream.
Wrapping with Mignardises, Coconut with Bergamot and Mango alongside Caramel cloaked in Cacao, the modest bill of €95 may just be one of the best Michelin 2* deals in Europe when taking into account setting, service, Ingredients and cooking.
www.facil.de/de