Thai Park – 9/10

Thai Park is one of Berlin’s most iconic summer spots, and an amazing place to hang out on a sunny weekend. Every Saturday and Sunday, a huge group of food vendors gather in Preussenpark (in deepest Wilmersdorf, but definitely worth the trek) and sell a huge variety of amazing Thai food which you can sit and eat on the grass.

I’m definitely no expert, but the majority of vendors are actually Thai and I know that it’s widely considered to be about as authentic as you can get in Berlin. It’s also very cheap and there are a ton of different things you can try for a couple of euro each. With so much on offer, it’s difficult not to hugely overeat, but then if you’ve gone all the way to Wilmersdorf you have to make the most of it.

Deep-fried snacks feature heavily, as do the kinds of curries and noodle dishes you’re used to finding at Thai restaurants, but there are also some more unusual things on offer, like Thai desserts and whole grilled fish, plus lots of fruit, beers and cocktails. Whatever kind of lunch you’re looking for, you’ll probably find something you like. Lots of things will be freshly cooked in front of you, so there’s often a bit of a wait, but it’s quite fun to watch.

I had (deep breath) a spring roll, a fried dumpling, a Chinese jianbing crepe, and a vegetarian pad Thai.

The spring roll (€1) was cold and pre-prepared rather than freshly cooked, like the other things, but still delicious. The pastry was still crispy and the vegetable filling had a lot of flavour. The sweet chilli sauce that came with it was also really nice – not too sweet. This wasn’t the most exciting thing I ate there, but still very tasty.

The dumpling (€1) was even better. The stall had an array of different colours spread out, with labels explaining their flavours, and plenty of vegan and meat options. I went for a vegan spinach dumpling, with a filling of spring onion, greens and something called Judas ear which is apparently a kind of fungus.

The vendor fried one in front of me when I ordered it, and it turned into one of those classic situations where the food is clearly too hot to eat but you immediately eat it anyway because it’s so nice. The texture was amazing – perfectly crispy on the outside with a soft, light vegetable filling. I couldn’t really taste the Judas ear, but the spring onions were lovely – their fresh taste was a perfect contrast to the fried pastry.

The jianbing crepes (€4) were being cooked fresh to order next to the dumpling stand while my friends and I were queuing there, and looked amazing, so we decided to split one between the three of us. It’s like a cross between a crepe and an omelette – as the thin layer of crepe batter is cooking, they crack an egg onto it and spread that over the top.

You could choose different fillings (including Nutella, which I’m not convinced by) – we went for chilli and spring onion. The chilli oil they used was fantastic, not just spicy but with a really complex flavour. The portion was also massive and definitely enough for three people, since we were all also snacking on other things – it would be a very good meal for one person on their own.

Finally, I got a vegetarian pad Thai for €5. After everything else I’d eaten, this was totally unnecessary, but I was determined to try one. I had to wait for a while, but it was definitely worth it.

It was really fresh tasting and not at all heavy or greasy (although the portion was pretty big), with satisfyingly chewy pieces of tofu and a ton of coriander and crushed peanuts scattered on top. It’s not super spicy, but at this stall they had sriracha which you could add yourself. My flatmate, who’s been to Thailand, had a chicken pad Thai and said he thought this was about as good as you would ever get outside of Thailand.

We drank Singha beers (€2 each), which were perfect on a hot day with all the spicy food. There’s also plenty of other beer on offer, plus lots of cocktails, soft drinks (apparently the mango lassis are very good), and Vietnamese iced coffee. Oddly, the cocktails are mostly from Brazilian stalls – caipirinhas feature heavily. Also very nice if you feel like something fancy.

I had a fantastic time at Thai Park – it was an amazing place to enjoy the beautiful weather and try lots of new foods, and I’m sure I’ll go back later in the summer. It feels like a proper day out, not just lunch, and Preussenpark is a really nice place to sit and relax after you’ve eaten (I certainly needed a sit down after all that food).

Sadly, its future is currently quite uncertain as the local authority has been threatening it with closure or more regulation. Kind of understandable, since the huge number of visitors every weekend isn’t necessarily great for the park, and food hygiene doesn’t seem to be a huge focus, but still sad. I highly recommend visiting while you still can!

 

Rating: 9/10

Food: 10/10

Variety: 9/10

Vegetarian & vegan options: 8/10 (surprisingly good)

Authenticity (according to flatmate): 10/10

Atmosphere: 9/10

Value for money: 9/10

 

Thai Park

Preussenpark, Wilmersdorf

https://www.facebook.com/thaiparkberlin/