sometimes you just have to stop thinking for a bit and let life follow its course, hang on to the belief that (like in the movies) things will eventually be ok in the end. good coffee helps making dreary days better – and thankfully, berlin has exceptional coffee. :)

the sign outside states “don’t die before trying”, and so, try we did. and then it became a sort of ritual: every time we were nearby, the caffeine siren calling would divert us from our path straight into this tiny little coffee shop. well, the coffee and the cheesecake, if we’re being honest. it’s really good.

i don’t know enough about coffee to comment beyond “i like it” – so their fancy machine has little allure on a commoner like me.

but sometimes, good coffee has this quality of making time go slower while you sip. have you noticed? this is one of those coffees. you take a sip, taste the foam, close your eyes and feel all is well with the world. you take a bite of that cheesecake and let it melt in your tongue, slowly. yup, you don’t even notice the impatient baristas anymore. all is well. :)

bonanza is on oderberger straße, 35 near mauerpark.

i always have trouble spelling cappuccino. 2 sequences of 2 p’s and 2 c’s? that’s just asking for trouble. plus, i don’t know of many decent cappuccinos in shanghai (it’s not you, mr. barista, it’s the coffee you use).

now, meet this cappuccino:

a real work of beauty, isn’t it? look, look:

*happy sigh*

also, there are milkshakes, some pastas, paninis and other simple things. and a cat. oh, and pizzas. with carrots in it.

all mingled in a strange bohemian/cozy decoration, that you don’t see too often around here. the ceiling is wallpapered with newspapers that have gone yellow, the cat has scratched all the sofas…

and yet, it feels right. i believe i could spend my days here, marveling at the photography books and magazines they have, working quietly, enjoying the soft brazilian music, patting the cat and sipping cappuccinos.

tired of the sterile cafés in shanghai too? the marienbad is on 55 wukang road (but really, it’s on the beginning of anfu road). enjoy!

every country has its particulars about coffee. singapore coffee? it is different.

the clear coffee mugs of the hawker centers are lined up in shelves, ready to be used. when you look at them you can see a thick white layer sitting on the bottom of the mugs. so we walk up to one of the vendors and say we want some coffee. a chinese lady fetches a couple of these mugs, pours hot coffee on them and hands them over. the white layer persists, mysteriously. we stir our spoon around, until it solves, making the coffee slightly lighter in color. as it turns out, the white layer is condensed milk (i can see my mother grinning in shock, mentally calculating the calories in that) and the coffee is sweet. sounds strange, but it’s not that bad actually, and when in rome…

besides, we found some amazing coconut filled pancakes that go just great with it!