Living Berlin: Chén Chè Teahouse

Chen Ché Teahouse Berlin

Leah, my friend from Frankfurt, surprised me with a call few weeks ago, she said: "Sis, I'll be with Ali (husband) and Mahmoud (brother in-law) in Berlin tomorrow and we'll stay for three days. Kailangan mag kita ta!" (We need to see!)". 

I haven't seen Leah since I left Frankfurt to live and work in Berlin two and a half years ago. We always missed each other when I visited my family in Frankfurt over the weekend. One time she was in the Philippines, the other time out of town or had worked the late shift. Howsoever I was just happy she managed to visit Berlin now but unfortunately came during a very busy week when I had to stay late in the office. So I suggested to meet them at Hakescher Markt in Berlin-Mitte to have dinner which is not far from my office.

If you're a tourist in Berlin, you'll never get wrong going to "Mitte". Be it for sight seeing, for shopping, for dinner, a coffee or simply because of the so called "Mitte-Publikum" (Mitte audience). Why? Because "Mitte ist chic"! It is also Berlin's place to see and to be seen. Compared with "Ku'damm (Kurfürstendamm), the main and huge shopping mile in Berlin, Mitte has this small-town atmosphere with small shops, art galleries, stylish cafes and bistros. More about this chic district check: Berlin Mitte

Chén Chè Teahouse

Chén Chè is standing for "a bowl filled with deliciousness"and relates to Asian tea culture. Chén Chè is a small oasis of calm in the busy Berlin-Mitte district, hidden in a inner courtyard at Rosenthaler Straße, not far from Hakescher Markt (between the underground station of Weinmeisterstraße and Rosenthaler Platz, location here.)

I've already visited Chén Chè's sister restaurant Si An in Prenzl-Berg with friends few times. I was amazed by their decor, ambient, delicious tea assortment and desserts that one of their waiter told me to visit their tea house in Mitte...a word and a blow!

So here I was in this beautiful tea house, meeting Leah, Ali and Mahmoud for dinner and a chat. I knew they will fall in love with this place too... While relishing my cup of Vietnamese coffee, freshly made ginger-lime tea and dessert, I began rhapsodizing about my Vietnam trip last February...Vietnam is very present in this corner of Berlin.

Vietnamese paper lanterns

Salad and freshly made ginger-lime tea with honey

My beloved Vietnamese coffee and favourite dessert: black sticky rice with fresh mango

Another dessert: warm pandan cake with coconut-sesam sauce

Pictures by Leah Hodrosh & talanyx08

This photo is from Chén Chè's facebook page: ChènChè

ChénChè Teehaus Berlin

Rosenthaler Straße 13

10119 Berlin-Mitte

Underground station Rosenthaler Platz (U8, M1, M8, 240) or Weinmeisterstraße (U8)

Opened: 12 a. m. till midnight

Facebook page: ChénChè Teehaus