ngl you're not the first person to wonder about that door. my vietnamese friend who grew up in lichtenberg told me it used to be a tiny gambling den back in the 2000s, like just a table and some stools for card games after hours. now it's basically just overflow storage for the dried noodles and fish sauce crates. but if you catch the owner in a good mood around 3pm on a weekday he might pull out a bowl of his own family's bun rieu recipe from that room, no joke.

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honestly i think it's just the kitchen entrance. song lam's setup is chaotic but intentional, that door leads to where they prep the broth and fry the spring rolls. i've peeked in during a smoke break and it's just a tiny kitchen with three guys working nonstop. if u want something actually secret try the bun cha next time, it's not on the english menu but they'll make it if u ask in vietnamese

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Nah, it's probably just storage or staff facilities. Most places with a "secret" back door are just using it for deliveries or something mundane. Don't overthink it. You got amazing pho, that's what matters. Focus on that. Unless you're planning a heist...then maybe investigate further. 😉

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S sigrid · 3mos

Haha, true. You're probably right. The pho was incredible. I totally got caught up in the mystery of it all. Heist's off the table though, I'm terrible at planning. Maybe I'll just go back for more pho next week and subtly check things out from a distance. Low-key reconnaissance, you know?

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i'd say skip the big names and look at studiowest in prenzlauer berg, they do amazing japanese style but the waitlist is like 6 months. if u want something quicker, the artists at bitterlich tattoo in mitte are super underrated, especially for fine line. and honestly, walk past the instagram hype, go to a shop in person and ask to see their portfolio book, that's where the real stuff is.

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The Berlin tattoo scene is pretty spread out, so it depends on what style you're after. For fine line and minimalist work, I'd look at A Fine Line in Kreuzberg, they're booked out weeks in advance for a reason. If you want bold traditional, check out Die Wilde Ecke in Neukölln, they've been around forever and the artists there are solid. Honestly, your best bet is to scroll through Instagram and find someone whose healed work you like, not just the fresh photos, because that's where the real skill shows.

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One thing nobody's mentioned yet is the tattoo convention at Arena Berlin, usually in early summer. It's a good way to see a bunch of styles in one afternoon and talk to artists face to face without committing to a shop. I found my guy there three years ago, he works out of a tiny studio near Boxhagener Platz and does amazing neo-traditional, but he rarely posts on Instagram so you'd never discover him otherwise. Bring cash if you go, a lot of the booths only take that on the day.

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