Nestled between a bubble tea cafe and a three-star hotel in Berlin’s bustling Schöneberg neighborhood is an 860-square-foot flower shop, its front window crowded with monstera leaves and birds of paradise. There’s no sign or website, but the store, which was founded by Thi Oanh, 50, and is now owned and operated by her daughter, Dieu Thanh, 30, houses more than just flora. Twice a month, Oanh now offers home-cooked Vietnamese co’m bình dân lunches — a meal of rice and various traditional side dishes — at the small kitchen underneath the shop. A recent spread included cá chiên, or fried dorade marinated with garlic; su’ò’n xào chua ngọt, sweet-and-sour ribs; and canh chua, a sweet-and-sour soup with pork broth and mirabelle, served with rice, Asian sauerkraut and fresh salad from Brandenburg. The prix fixe menu in the coming months will include bún riêu cua, a Vietnamese crab noodle soup served with a salad and edible flowers, and bún nem, spring rolls filled with minced Duroc pork belly and vegetables. After lunch, guests will receive a bouquet of seasonal flowers from the upstairs selection, whether blossoming mirabelle branches or a potted kohlrabi. For reservations, email: dieuthanh@blumeberlin.com.
