reinstoff, July 2017

And again, the star-of-the-week quest continued in week twenty-seven! This time at the reinstoff (Schlegelstraße 26, 10115 Berlin): I would dare say it belongs to the same extended family as many of the restaurants I have visited before - einsunternull, Rutz, Horváth, Nobelhart & Schmutzig, which seem to be all on superb speaking terms, if not linked through staff and talent migrating from one to the other and spawning the next one. Berlin is a lucky place to have them all! (Especially so conveniently close to each other.) And, since I have loved all the others, I absolutely needed to complete the club to experience Chef Daniel Achilles and his team myself.

Arrival

Arriving on this Thursday evening, we first took a seat on the outdoor patio and enjoyed an aperitif while presented with the menu. We took our amuse bouches outside, before heading inside. It was not a crowded evening during the week and in early summer - so again, I was lucky to get one of my favorites: a corner table with a view of the room!

The choices

The meal

One has a choice between two tasting menus; the first has a focus on regional ingredients, and the second in which the net is cast somewhat wider geographically. While I found the "ganznah" ("really close") sequence more intriguing that evening, the observant reader will have noted that this one is one course shorter than the weiterdraußen selection. And clearly, I can't be having with that; conferring with our host, I added the Norwegian coalfish to my choice. (Which would prove to be a most excellent one.)
If you are not so inclined towards gluttony - perhaps you are pressed for time, or simply not that hungry, or not inclined to run that extra mile to turn it back into H₂O and CO₂ - the reinstoff allows you to scale down the number of courses, and even supports several diners at your table to have more or less courses from the same set.
There is also a reduced lunch time menu which I might try for a special business opportunity. And finally, a five-course Wednesday Dinner special for the summer time (July through September), but again - reduced menus really are not my style.

The drinks

Sadly, the reinstoff suffers from the same shortfall as many other restaurants: if you are not into alcohol, you are a little of an afterthought. While this might make business sense (stocking up on rarely sold drinks, especially if they were specially brewed, is not a road to success), I am becoming inclined to write a post just about this subject. (And depending on how my next evening out goes, I might just be pushed over the edge.) And though they have a selection of somewhat unusual soft drinks, they are sold by the bottle and not as thoughtfully coordinated with the food.
My company was, however, well-pleased with her choice of a reduced and halved wine pairing which was immaculate.

The meal

Appetizers

If this isn't a good start! Why have just one amuse bouche when you can serve four? (The white roll at the top right is not, we were informed, for eating, but a compressed towel for refreshment. Apparently guests have previously tried to consume it.)
Starting at the top left: the gelled crustacean dashi with chives and parsley oil was an excellent starter. I enjoyed the texture and the flavour, and the chive rings provided a fresh sharpness, and the parsely oil a wonderful visual contrast.
The tomato with a buttermilk spume and lovage pearl was a superb balance between ripe- and freshness, and similarly enjoyed by me. The Lübecker Herring bun with a dazzle of caviar was not my favorite, but that of my company. It was executed spotlessly, of course, but there is no accounting for taste. The melon and zucchini with a hint of peach, however, again fully captured my attention.
If this is only how the evening starts, this will be a long and pleasant one!

Bread and Butter

By now, we have progressed to the inside; this would be my work space for the next almost four hours. Time to roll out the bread.
A wheat sourdough prepared by a "free" baker (meaning they prepare the dough more by intuition than precise recipes) from Franconia for the reinstoff, but baked fresh in-house. The crumb is fluffy yet elastic and light, with a good crust and delicate subtle aroma. Thumbs up.
The yogurt butter is sprinkled with sunflower seeds, which adds both flavour and variation to the texture. Also: thumbs up.

Amuse bouche II

We were still not done with the starters. A cucumber soup which can really only be described as intensely cucumber-y, reminiscent of pickling cucumber's skin, and strong dill notes, paired with their traditional match: preserved fish. I am not ashamed to admit I wiped this bowl clean with the excellent bread. (A theme I'd repeat for the following courses.)

Ice Cocktail

Crispy pork skin on creamed and in a sauce of smoked eel (Müritz strikes again!) and vinegar cherry jelly cubes. The flavour composition worked wonders again; you can see this ticking all the boxes from sweet, sour, salty, to umami. You might even posit a slight hint of bitterness in the eel, just enough to accentuate the main stars.

Kohlrabi, May turnip, Medlar, and Lavender

Kohlrabi, just roasted perfectly al dente. The thinly sliced May turnip was slightly pickled which lend it a somewhat stiffer texture and remaining bite, and we were treated to the sour-sweetness of medlar too. Tastily done, so far! Alas, the lavender dusting was overpowered by the beurre blanc and we were both unable to find the lavender aroma in the bouquet. From sad personal experience I know lavender is a difficult herb; the range in which you can taste it without chewing soap is extremely narrow; alas, here the cook erred on the low end. (Admittedly preferable to the other, which would have turned this dish inedible. If I hadn't known I was supposed to taste lavender, I'd have been perfectly delighted.)

Deer Tongue

The deer tongue was present both in thin shavings and braised bites. I enjoy some of the more unusual cuts of meats and game, and this was no exception. My main stars here were the chanterelle mushrooms and the wild herb salad. Though not to mention the ripe black currants whose sour notes worked most wonderfully with the profile of the deer tongue would be a severe omission. Combined with a mayonnaise flavoured with black currant twigs, this course performed just splendidly.

 Mackerel

Mackerel (from the Müritz, where else), glassed just so, wrapped in cucumber, with cucumber skin chunks, and dill paste. Served alongside a "traditional" cucumber salad (hidden under the yoghurt foam). Definitely a highlight of the menu.

Norwegian Coalfish

 

Now we come to the course I picked from the other menu. And, no offense to the most honorable mackerel, this is another league. The highest quality coalfish's firm yet tender, structured texture and muted flavour provide the canvas for the rest of the menagerie: spinach (also as a frothy puree), fried green asparagus (also as a creamed version hidden under the spinach), and finally, blancmanger from quail egg. Whisked and (I suspect) steamed, and then injected with the liquid yolk. I was invited to break this and mix it with the other components, which proved to be an excellent choice.

Supposedly this is the guests's favorite in the other selection, and I can see both why and it really fits into the ganznah selection's profile as well. I would have regretted not ordering this!

Berliner Luft

Time for a refresher. This airy, light foam leaves just a hint of peppermint behind, and the green pea sorbet it is served on: sublime.

Onglet from Müritzer beef

Hanger steak and skirt. Succulent, juicy, rich in flavour, showing both textures. Combined with fermented black garlic paste (also present as a chip, which, alas, gets soggy all too soon), and a roasted onion, and parsley root. This was just about as satisfying as you would imagine it to be! Umami explosion, and this cut of meat is just the consummate comfort food.

Goat Cheese Selection & Wine-yard peach

Alas, this already brings us to the first dessert. (But by no means the last one.) A fresh goat cheese on foccacia, selles-sur-cher (with its characteristic charcoal coat), mature picodon, and finally ripe mothais, and a mirror of peach sauce.
This course was a surprise. Now, you can never go wrong with high-class cheeses, and this was a journey from young to old, selected with care to highlight different textures, flavours, and the sweetness and complementary aromas of the peach.
But the real transformation happened in combination with the unusual cidré this was paired with; so unusual that even I asked for one cl: Cidré "Nerios" from the Bretagne region. This is not for the faint of heart - it packs tanning flavours and bitter notes, a powerful intensity that positively reeks of goat pen. (Or, as the sommelier put it, "You don't know where the goat went first, onto the plate or into the glass.") I am not sure I would want to drink this without the cheese, but together, they worked magic: the bitter notes were mitigated by the dairy, and thus unlocked entire new dimensions in each other's aromas.
In my opinion, the other dishes non-withstanding, this pairing was the inspirational highlight of the menu and evening.

Strawberry and poppy

 On to the next dessert - strawberries (both fresh and as sorbet), zabaione, and sorrel, with poppy crackers. An accomplished, fresh, wonderful summer dessert.

Champagne charlotte

Apparently, my delight in variety and desserts did not go unnoticed;  thus, it was suggested to me if I would like to try the dessert from the other menu too?I wonder if you might have a guess at the answer.
The charlotte is served with an orange  and a grape cream, sliced grapes, and spruce (the green coloured parts). This dessert was, I must fess up, somewhat bland. Similar to the lavender, the spruce was just not present, and while this was sweet and the orange noticeable, it struck me as a somewhat uninspiring dessert that can't hold its own against the others or even the petits fours, and feels a bit out of place in an otherwise top-notch compilation

Petits Fours

This selection is, in reality, not just a parting note, but a dessert course in its own right. A multivitamin solero, carrot tartlette, Edelweiss couverture with spice blossom, and a hay-milk chocolate-nougat truffle. I particularly liked the refreshing "solero" combination (chocolate with multivitamin ice), and the truffles. The tartlette's carrot was maybe slightly too subtle.

The service

Always professional, always courteous, and thanks to the not-quite-fully-booked restaurant, we got the chance to chat a little too. I appreciated our host and the guidance on the course selection.  And for thirteen (gluttony isn't a sin, right?) courses, intervals of about fifteen minutes on average meet my preferences as well.

Summary

The reinstoff delivered a flawlessly executed and impressive meal. Only one the the courses fell somewhat short of my expectations (the last dessert). There were a inspiring moments, but no challenging ones; the composition is clearly meant to be winsome and fully succeeds. From the quality of the ingredients to the immaculate cooking and the accomplished presentation on the plate, there is nothing to object or meaningfully critique.
I would not mind to be challenged in some of my assumptions or palate, and I certainly would not mind if the non-alcoholic pairing were upgraded to match the two stars (which, I might add, are proudly presented in the perfectly understated location).
Yet the reinstoff is a restaurant I would feel very comfortable to invite friends and colleagues to, knowing for sure they will be perfectly satisfied on all accounts. I will certainly check back to see how their menu changes!