BE A GUEST AT MADAME NGO
One could almost take Madame Ngo for one of the countless Asian snacks that populate Berlin’s city centre, so invisibly the entrance of the new Vietnamese restaurant on Kantststraße lines up between the shop windows of the surrounding shops. But whoever enters Madame Ngo soon realizes: average cuisine is by no means offered here.
Photo: Madame Ngo
Already the atmosphere differs from the Asian next door: On the floor Solnhofer plates of the former Schlüter Pharmacy, on the wall is a pew, nostalgic ceiling lamps provide a pleasant light – almost all tables are occupied. Clearly, someone was at work here who knows that one must also feel comfortable in a restaurant and this someone is called, just like his restaurant, The Duc Ngo.
GASTRONOMER WITH SUCCESS
The Berliner by choice with Vietnamese roots came to Berlin at the age of five – as a refugee. Today he is one of the most successful restaurateurs in the city, and has now opened his tenth restaurant, Madame NGO. For him personally, this closes a circle. His first company, the sushi restaurant “Kuchi” is located in the immediate vicinity, and even today it reminds the reserved The Duc Ngo of his beginnings in the West of Berlin, even though he has been drawn to Mitte in recent years with a Kuchi branch and the excellent Cocolo Ramenbar.
Photo: Cocolo Ramen
Admittedly, the time when a visit to Kuchi was a “must” was some time ago – but The Duc NGO doesn’t need to worry about that, after all, he has always shown a sense for trends and always had the right nose for gastronomy.
Madame Ngo
VIETNAMESE NATIONAL DISHES WITH FRENCH FLAIR
Good conditions therefore also for his newest baby, Madame Ngo, in which he mixes Asian cuisine with French brasserie. While during the day the Vietnamese national dish Phô is served, a hot, spicy soup from The Duc Ngo’s hometown Hanoi and the typical Vietnamese Bán mhì, in the evening fois gras, bouillabaisse or fresh quails are on the menu. Scallops with tomatoes, spinach and Beurre Blanc round off the programme. A mixture that works surprisingly well at prices between eight and twenty euros and, from a culinary point of view, opens up new possibilities not only for the gastronome but also for the guests.
