Tim Raue — Star Chef in Berlin
The Michelin-starred, entrepreneurial chef Tim Raue offers diners in Berlin die Qual der Wahl — an embarrassment of culinary riches.
His flagship establishment — Tim Raue at 26 Rudi-Dutschke-Strasse — features Raue’s uniquely-developed Asian-fusion cuisine, in which elements of Japanese, Chinese and Thai traditions are inflected with a lovely European accent.
Restaurant Tim Raue, Berlin. Foto: Wolfgang Stahr
Sra Bua — the name means “Lotus Blossom” — offers pan-Asian specialties in an elegant environment within the Hotel Adlon Kempinski.
Yet another Tim Raue restaurant — La Soupe Populaire — located in a former brewery — serves parallel Asian and German menus. Königsberger Klopse — veal meatballs with a creamy caper sauce — not only are a favorite at La Soupe Populaire, but Chef Raue even served them to President Obama and Chancellor Merkel during Obama’s 2013 visit to Berlin. (Note that La Soupe Populaire, currently closed for renovations, is scheduled to re-open at the beginning of 2017).
Raue’s Brasserie Colette — at numbers 5-7 Passauer Strasse — serves up characteristic comfort foods including a Pot-au-Feu Orange, Confit de Canard and Mousse au Chocolat.
(Chocolate Mousse photo by Joerg Lehmann)
Chef Raue graciously took time out of his busy schedule recently to answer a few questions for my readers.
(Ed. — To read about how New York chefs use Australian winter truffles when it’s summer in the Big Apple, go here).
3) How did you decide to name your brasserie “Colette”?
Brasserie Colette is named for a woman who served the most delicious crepes near a beach in France when I was younger. I have a keen sense memory of her wonderful crepe with ice-cream, bananas and salted butter, and serve a version of it in my Brasserie Colette.
4) What can guests expect at your flagship restaurant’s special “Krug” table?
We have a special relationship with Krug champagne, which guests enjoy when they eat at this chef’s table. I offer tasting menus that feature many different dishes not available on our regular menu.
5) Tell us about your signature dish, Peking Duck Interpretation.
This is my personal interpretation of the traditional Peking Duck. I wanted to make sure that individual diners could order this Peking Duck for themselves, and have it include all parts of the duck. I therefore chose to present a crispy-skinned duck filet atop a buckwheat waffle that is filled with leek and apples with five different spices. The accompanying sauce is made from duck feet. The second element of my Peking duck is served in a bowl and features a soup stock made of the bones and served with the duck’s heart, tongue and stomach along with winter melon and bamboo mushrooms.The third plate is a duck liver terrine, served with leek, ginger and crispy duck skin. My Peking Duck Interpretation can be enjoyed with a 1968 Rivesaltes Ambre – a very rich, sweet white wine which goes along perfectly with all three plates.
Tim Raue’s flagship website is here.
To learn more about Tim Raue’s Sra Bua in the Adlon Kempinski, go here.
The website for Brasserie Colette is here.
And here, you can find Tim Raue on Facebook.