Oukan — Restaurant in Berlin

The almost hidden entrance hints at the mystery and surprise that await us. Upon passing through the mirrored corridor, we’re immersed in a sensory experience that culminates in the main dining room, a true "temple of umami." With its high ceiling, spacious and minimalist ambiance, the soft lighting and decor featuring natural materials create a serene and elegant atmosphere.

Since it was a warm day, we started dinner with a Toki Highball, a refreshing drink made with Toki Japanese whisky. This young, smooth, and refreshing whisky, with a subtle hint of spices and lingering fruity notes on the palate, was the perfect choice to begin the evening.

The appetizer positively surprised us: a warm and extremely flavorful Japanese brioche, accompanied by preserves, small portions, and fresh aromatic oil. Everything was delicious and invited us to eat with our hands, creating different flavor variations with each bite.

Next came the Skewers, so creative and complex in flavor that it was almost a game to taste and savor each one. For me, the special highlights were the beetroot with salsa macha and the hispi cabbage and gomaae.

The dessert, equally playful and rich, was delicious and crowned the experience as an unforgettable grand finale.

Drinks That Elevate the Experience - The food was truly delicious and surprising, especially considering it’s a 100% plant-based cuisine. And the drinks didn’t disappoint: I was particularly curious about OUKAN's much-talked-about teas. Not every restaurant has an in-house tea sommelier! I tried the three teas offered on the menu: the cold brew sencha, the kobasoda, and the genmaicha. All were wonderful! Tasting teas in this format was something I had never experienced, and I absolutely loved it – it greatly enriched my experience. I highly recommend it!

My husband, on the other hand, chose wines, and we couldn’t miss the careful selection by sommelier Jonathan Gobbi. He is responsible for curating the labels that make up OUKAN’s wine list, complementing the inventive Japanese vegan and fermented cuisine of the house, which is undoubtedly not an easy task. Jonathan managed to pair the unique flavors of OUKAN’s dishes with the wines in a way that elevated our experience. Besides his deep knowledge, he knows how to communicate, guiding us through the options in an accessible and pleasant way, making the beverage selection an integral part of the gastronomic journey.

In short: At OUKAN, the cuisine is truly innovative. A sommelier who stands out – whether for wines or teas – needs to have profound knowledge and an eye that goes beyond the obvious, perfectly aligning with the restaurant's philosophy. Everyone deserves congratulations! Considering the distinct ambiance, the innovative and high-quality vegan cuisine with a focus on fermentation, and the acclaimed tea and wine pairings, OUKAN offers a truly unique fine dining experience in Berlin. It's a restaurant that aims to provide a complete culinary and sensory journey. It's "worth every Euro" for the memorable experience and incredible flavors. If you're looking for something different, a high-level vegan experience, OUKAN comes highly recommended. Whether for a special, romantic, or business occasion, or during a trip, make...

It physically pains me to leave a 3* review when there is so much that Oukan does well. The whole experience is extremely hit and miss.

First the compliments- The menu is entirely vegan and the food is excellent. Not life changing, but some of the dishes are truly exceptional- the asparagus tartar with almond cream, the mushroom dish and the dessert to name a few were all excellent. Complex and unique, thoroughly enjoyed them. The bread was also fantastic though maybe a stretch to list it as a separate course. The ambiance is also very nice. Quiet, spacious and feels very private. I thought it was also very special that the chef delivered some of the dishes- this was a nice touch.

Complaints- The beverage pairing was clunky and disorienting. For the 8 courses, we ended up with 5 teas, 1 wine, 1 sake and 1 sherry. Two of the teas paired beautifully (sakura with the mushroom dish and the jasmine with dessert). However, the wine was not a good match and tasted metallic with the food (the kohlrabi and celeriac dish). Sherry not my thing and did not drink, same thing with sake. Would have been better off ordering beverages a la carte. 80€ per head is simply too much for 5 teas and a small glass of wine, plus a sherry and sake. I would have expected at least three full size glasses of wine for this plus several pots of tea.

Service was not what you would expect for a meal costing 450€ for two people. It was not unfriendly, but definitely not warm. It was attentive but only at times. It really felt like the service staff were not cohesive as a team. Kind of like a sports team where there might be one or two good players but they just can’t score because they aren’t passing well. It was like that.. Dishes had oddly spaced timing intervals, and I think that the beverages may have been served at incorrect timings or pairings eg. Sommelier mistook that we had finished the pairing when it hadn’t been served for that dish yet. Gratuity option was 10/15/20% which I felt was offensive to expect a minimum of 10% when service was not great. I am happy to tip generously, wherever I am in the world but service should be exceptional, especially at this price point.

TLDR: Food: 4*, however some dishes exceptional Beverage pairing: 1.5* Service:...

100% vegan 💚 _ I feel like I'm in a time machine. Someone sent us to the future. What is this place??????? _ My husband's birthday was the perfect excuse to order a table in a place we never went... High class fine dining... To spend some cash. Aw, and we were spending..... _ I ordered a table for 20:30 Came to the , looked for the place... It's hidden in an alle... And then we saw the breathtaking door. The door to the future. _ 🚪 Let's talk about the place.... It's hella dark... Helllllla beautiful. Beautiful is not enough to describe it actually.... It's way more. The music is super emotional. I wanted to cry 😂 the atmosphere is just something I never experienced. The only table that was free for us was in a dark(er) room, with beautiful lights on the ceiling. First it was weird... Sitting alone in a dark room.... But... It only got better and better. _ 🧑‍🍳 Let's start with the super professional service!!! Our waitress was sooooo amazing. She's definitely a huge part of the event. _ 📋 Menu: you can choose 7 course menu or 3 course menu. Each of those have totally different dishes so we wanted to order both 7 and 3. Usually, from what they told us, diners need to order the same, for example: If I want to order 7 courses, so my partner needs to order the same. But we were nice and they approved us to order both. _ 💰 Price: Awww it's high. But it's nothing you'll experience on a regular basis, so it's worth it. 7 course menu cost: 89€ per person 3 course menu cost: 49€ per person The 7 course menu comes with a dessert. 3 is not. Tea or drinks are not included in both. _ 🥣 The food!!!! Amazing, weird, interesting! Our favorite without a doubt: *Seitan with beetroot *shiitake and garlic •dessert : mousse

**The menu has changed as I see on their website. _ When we just arrived we joked about eating a burger after... We thought it was gonna be super hungry. But, We were sooooooo full - we couldn't finish the miso soup (last dish before the dessert). _ One of the best culinary experiences we had. No doubt. Can't wait for my bday to come back again... Ahm ahm... _ Address: Oukan Dining Ackerstraße 144,...