Matthew Minch is the German/Irish mind behind HelloGoodPie, Kreuzberg’s experimental pie haven. A former student of business, Minch realised after completing his studies and travelling to New Zealand that he was more interested in pleasing bellies than pleasing wallets, which he’s doing now with his savoury pastries.
The food trend you hate the most?
Berlin is all about hype. And when something gets hyped, oversaturation takes hold and finding the truly good becomes difficult. Like pulled pork, for instance – you can find it everywhere, but it’s tough to find a good version. Burgers are the same. Now Korean food is the huge hype. Being healthy is also becoming more and more popular. I’m not such a big fan of the whole vegan craze at the moment, but I like the paleo diet. It’s a pity that Sauvage had to close its doors.
The best-selling item at your restaurant?
Probably the classic steak and Guinness pie. Good quality Brandenburg beef, slow-cooked in Guinness beer for four hours until super-tender, served with mashed potatoes, gravy and coleslaw. People new to us normally try that one. Then they experiment with our ever-changing range of pies!
A cooking tip…
Everyone is always scared of making pie pastries, and they wonder how I get my pastry to be so flaky and light. The secret is: all ingredients must be as cold as possible when when mixing… ice-cold butter, ice-cold flour, ice-cold water.
A dining tip (other than your own restaurant)…
Good fish is always tough to find in Berlin. I’m still a huge fan of Glut & Späne in Markthalle IX. Great every time!
I also enjoyed my meal at Eins44 the other week, and any time The Fleischerei does pop-ups the food is always great. Both are definitely both worth checking out.
The best thing about having a restaurant in Berlin?
The opportunity to be creative and getting people to try something new (like pies), something they have never even heard of. Seeing their reaction afterwards – that’s what makes it all worthwhile. It’s also given me the oportunity to meet so many amazing people and have great experiences over the last few years.
The worst…
When you own your own place, there is no such thing as getting a sick day. I guess restaurateurs never get sick!
