Chén Chè — Restaurant in Berlin

Normally, I don’t write Google reviews. However, in this case I feel compelled to do so: I had a dinner date with a friend at Chen Che on Wednesday (March 19). Our table was reserved for 6:00 pm, the stated opening hours are until 11:00 pm, and we arrived on time.

The venue, including the terrace, is visually very impressive and simply beautiful – lovingly and carefully designed. It felt like arriving at Vabali (spa).

Unfortunately, the experience turned out to be quite the opposite. From an unfriendly welcome, to being pressured to place our order (“Girls, kitchen closes in 5 minutes!”), followed by a waiter being stationed at our table until we made our decision, to staff removing unused cutlery and plates while we were still eating, and service staff making faces as they walked by.

I speak for both of us when I say we felt like we had done something wrong and were not welcome. At the end, we were told that we had to pay and leave. Since we hadn’t finished our food and drinks, I was confused and declined. We were then told again that we needed to pay now – our table had already been reassigned.

Reading this text for the second time, I get the impression it must have been “two girls who didn’t behave.” I also feel a bit foolish for having accepted this kind of treatment.

I just want to share a heads-up: if you’re planning a relaxed dinner with enough time to enjoy it, this restaurant may not be the right place. I felt rushed, like part of a “processing line,” and as if our wish to enjoy the evening and the food disturbed their tightly timed operations. And to the restaurant: this was truly unfortunate. Your service doesn’t match the ambiance or the food. If your schedule is that tight and your goal is to serve a high volume of guests, it would be only fair to communicate this clearly. At first glance, that’s not apparent – the surprise comes once you’re seated.

I also believe you’re doing yourselves a disservice. A meal at your restaurant could be a truly special experience amidst the hectic everyday life in Berlin. Sadly, our visit reflected exactly that...

The food was really good and the place itself is beautifully designed. But the experience was kind of frustrating. We had a reservation on a Wednesday evening and the restaurant was nearly empty, but we were greeted with, “You only have the table for 90 minutes.” (Which wasn’t mentioned during the reservation process and the reservation confirmation - that would have been helpful). That set the tone. We started with sitting inside, since there were so many free tables, but the waiter kept coming by saying things like “30 minutes are already over,” since a friend was a bit late, which made it hard to relax.

Eventually we moved outside, even though it was a cool evening, because the waiter said we could stay longer there and we wanted more time to catch up with friends I haven’t seen in a year. We ended up having main dishes, drinks, dessert, more drinks, and gave a tip. But the inside space stayed almost completely empty the whole time, which made the whole thing feel unnecessarily rigid. Especially since my friend is visibly very pregnant and inside would have been more comfortable for her —some flexibility or kindness would’ve gone a long way. We would have happily moved if the place filled up, but inside stayed nearly completely empty.

I’d still recommend it for the amazing food and the nice interior, but not if you’re looking for a relaxed night where you can switch off and not feel rushed. Or just be prepared for being rushed and reminded of your time slot and...

I went there after reading a lot of good reviews, but my experience was the opposite! The outside was gorgeous with bamboo trees and Asian decorations. Inside, though, the host (who I think was the owner?!) asked if I had my name on my forehead when I asked for my reservation 🙃 Not the friendliest welcome! Anyway, we went in and got some food (gỏi cuốn tôm, chả tôm lăn cốm, mỳ xào giòn, bún nem, xôi xoài). Honestly, as a Vietnamese, none of it was authentic. They all used the same fermented veggies, which is lazy – they should’ve used different ones. The spring rolls were overloaded with noodles and cabbage, and only had a shrimp! The crunchy noodles were alright, but overpriced. More carrots and mushrooms would’ve been nice. The shrimp with sticky green rice was the best, but the rice was bland. Not to mention they forgot our water until halfway through, we had to ask for it. 🥲 Those fried spring rolls with noodles are totally not authentic. Two greasy rolls, barely any fish sauce, and the same sad amount of pickled veggies. Dessert showed up before we'd even finished our mains! The mango sticky rice was okay, but the mango was still green. Six out of ten, tops. And cash only in a "fancy restaurant"?! I know some Berlin places are, but they should've mentioned before we ordered. For 60 euro, I expected way more. Sadly, I didn't take any pictures because of the bad experiences. They need better food, service, and attitude to live up...