Great pork belly and rather average everything else: Restaurant Dashi Diner (18. August 2025)
The Dashi Diner is apparently relatively new to Berlin, so, I figured it’s a good opportunity to give it a try. We went for the “chicken karaage (crispy fried chicken bites served with tangy yuzu mayo and pickled white slaw)” (EUR 10.50) as a first starter and while the chicken was actually enjoyable and the dip was nice too, the white slaw on the side is really just a somewhat ridiculous element on the plate (in terms of size, and also in terms of adding anything to the dish).
The “Caesar Salad (with miso Parmesan dressing, capers, Thai dried anchovy, topped with crispy Wonton skin)” (EUR 9.50) was quite decent to be honest as it had all the elements of a decent Caesar salad. However, I was missing the Thai dried anchovy in there. The “curry & rice (homemade curry made with dashi, served with steamed rice, pickled red cabbage, spring onions)” (EUR 11.00) with “additional vegetable korokke” (EUR 5.50) was rather uneventful. I mean, I like curries, but I also like if they have kind of an edge – which it didn’t.
Frankly, the “braised pork belly (Coca Cola-glazed pork belly, sugar snaps, daikon, served with steamed rice, kimchi cabbage, and pickled pearl onions)” (EUR 17.00) was quite amazing. The meat was tender and aromatic, and it came off the bone superbly easily. The rice was lacking something somehow. I mean, yes, it’s white rice, but you could do more out of it by adding some sauce or the like (or just put a bit more of the glaze of the pork belly onto the rice).
The place is superbly simple – I mean, the interior has more the vibe of a canteen than of a restaurant. And the fact that you have to order your food by the counter, get a number, and then it’s brought to you, kind of reconfirms that.
Overall, the Dashi Diner didn’t blow me away. Decent food, but for the rest, it was just somehow a bit too average.
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Contact Details:
Restaurant Dashi Diner
Invalidenstraße 112
10115 Berlin (DE)
Tel.: +49 30 33 90 30 90
Cell: +49 162 162 5565
E-Mail: howdy@dashi.de
Homepage: https://www.dashi.de
About the Author: Sven
I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org.
Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City. 
