In the newest urban frontier of Wedding, a cupcake shop isn’t just a cupcake shop: it’s a sugary, buttercream-topped signpost of gentrification. But for the moment, American-owned, all-organic TassenKuchen continues to draw a mixed neighbourhood crowd. On Saturdays and Sundays, too-cool-for-Neukölln transplants join middle-aged Turkish men and young German families at the minimalist Bio haven’s unlimited pancake brunch.
While most Pfannkuchen to be found in Germany take the form of thin crêpes or tumescent, jam-filled Berliners, owner Paul Meskunas makes the real American deal: moist and fluffy 10cm discs, served with seasonal fruit and a dainty saucer of maple syrup.
€8 buys you all the flapjacks you can eat, though that price tag’s slightly misleading: only your first plate comes with toppings. Subsequent short stacks arrive naked unless you’re willing to pay up for additional fruit (60 cents) or syrup (€1.20). Those with small appetites are better off ordering a plate of four for €5.
Supplement your sweet, starchy repast with a cup of fair-trade coffee (€1.70) and some savoury bacon or sausage. Or even better: go all-out and order one of Meskunas’ signature “TassenKuchen” (€2-2.20) for dessert. New cupcake flavours include rhubarb and something called “inside-out Twinkie”.
