Oukan

Oukan is a vegan Japanese-inspired restaurant in Berlin which had previously surprised me with one of the most unexpectedly great meals of my life. I’m back in Berlin, and of course I’m back at Oukan, too. The interior is just as stunning as it was last time. The chef, however, has changed, so I’m curious to see what has happened to the food. The setup and prices remain the same: 6 courses, 99 Eur, and extra course for 15 Eur.

We start with two amuse-bouches: a small fried dough ball topped with pumpkin is very doughy and heavy, but doesn’t taste of much. (6/10) A smoked celeriac broth with seaweed tamari is full of umami (think miso soup with celeriac), but oddly lukewarm and a little one note. (6/10)

The first course is a cornet of seaweed, filled with fermented green tomato, cucumber melon, and physalis and topped with seaweed caviar. The ingredients sound intriguing, but the construction of the dish is a little strange: the rather sizeable cornet can only be eaten linearly top to bottom. The top, however, has such a large portion of seaweed caviar that my palate never quite recovers from this burst of fishiness before the dish is finished. To me, this feels like a good dish let down by the cornet presentation: the same ingredients, perhaps a little less cold, would have been much better on a plate or in a bowl. (6/10)

The next dish has a base of sunflower seed cream and yeast topped jerusalem artichoke crisps, tonburi, and fermented artichoke (served, amusingly, with a teapot of burning incense for extra smoky aroma). The flavours here are very nice, but there’s a lot going on, perhaps a little too much: the Jerusalem artichoke chips overpower the rest a little, the fermented artichoke adds a welcome acidity but can’t compete with the other flavours, and I would have wished for a little more of the sunflower cream. Overall still a very enjoyable dish that might benefit from a little more focus and fewer elements. (6+/10)

A (vegan) brioche is served as a bread course. The brioche has an amazake glaze and comes with a dip made from fermented local figs and olive oil. This is a delicious and comforting course: excellent bread with an interesting slightly sweet glaze and an unusual but delicious dip are easy to love. (7+/10)

We move on to celeriac, which comes salt-baked with a hazelnut-based sauce. This is another great dish that balances complexity and comfort: the sizeable pieces of celeriac and the hazelnut sauce provide a base of comforting umami, and some kombu powder and pickles add a little intrigue. (7+/10)

The final savoury course is the supplement (15 Eur), a grilled shiitake with various preparations of corn. This is, by a significant margin, the strongest of the savoury courses: the mushroom is beautifully cooked, boldly but not overwhelmingly spiced, and the corn adds a nice sweetness. Everything is in balance, everything is delicious. (8/10)

The pre-dessert is a sorbet of cucumber and wasabi topped with pear that has been aged in miso. A little sage adds a herbal note. I’m not a fan of wasabi, but thankfully the wasabi flavour here is very mild. This manages to be simultaneously light and complex. A surprising and excellent pre-dessert. (8/10)

The final dessert is a mousse made from black rice koji with sudachi (Japanese citrus) and various other components, served with a chestnut miso ice cream. The citrus base is very nice, but the foam has an off-putting chalky texture to it (presumably from the koji). I’m not a fan of chestnut in general, so for me the ice cream doesn’t add much. Overall a dessert that falls more into the “interesting” rather than “delicious” category. (6/10)

A few pleasant petit fours (madeleine with fermented woodruff, green apple jelly with ginger sugar, chocolate with long pepper) finish up the meal. (7-/10)

This is my second visit to Oukan, and surely won’t be my last. While this menu didn’t quite reach the heights of my previous visit, Oukan continues to offer one of the most interesting vegan menus in Berlin. Paired with a beautiful interior, very friendly service, extremely reasonable pricing, and interesting tea-based drink pairings, Oukan will stay on my must-visit list on every Berlin trip.