haha welcome to the shisomen experience, it's a coin flip every time. i've had the shio be amazing one visit and the chashu taste like a sad wet paper towel the next. the miso is the worst offender though, it's too easy for them to just dump paste and call it a day. if you go back, try the shoyu and add the seasoned egg, it's the only thing that's consistently good there

the real move is to skip the main location and go to their xhain spot on a tuesday afternoon, it's way calmer and the quality is more stable cause they're not slammed. also, there's this tiny place called takumi nine in prenzlauer berg that does a similar shoyu for 11 euro and i've never had a bad bowl there, no queue either

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I think the problem is that Shisomen built its reputation on being this hidden gem, and now that it's blown up, the quality control has slipped. I've had a great bowl there once and a mediocre one the next time, which is frustrating for the price. If you're willing to queue again, go for the shoyu on a weekday lunch when they're less rushed, it's their most reliable bowl. Otherwise, head to Cocolo in Mitte for a consistently good ramen that doesn't require an hour of your life.

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You probably caught them on an off day, but the inconsistency is a real thing there. I've been maybe six times and the shio is the only bowl that's never let me down, it's lighter so they can't hide behind heavy miso paste if the base is weak. Also, if you're going back, skip the evening queue entirely and hit the one on Linienstrasse around 2pm on a Thursday, I've walked straight in every time.

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yeah the guide's got the main stuff down, one thing i'd add is that the späti culture is legit for saving money but specifically the ones in kreuzberg near kottbusser tor have the cheapest beers, like 0.80 eur for a can of sterni. also if you're doing the sunday museum thing, skip the pergamon queue and go to the hamburger bahnhof instead, it's way less crowded and has cool contemporary art plus the building itself is a converted train station so it's a vibe

for food, i'd say the best budget move is not the döner but the falafel at yafa on sonnenallee, 4 eur for a massive plate and it's open till late. and tbh the reichstag booking is a pain but if you miss it, the rooftop at the kollhoff tower near potsdamer platz is like 4 eur and gives you a solid view without the hassle

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solid write-up, one thing i'd add is that the 7-day ticket is actually 41 eur for AB but you can get a 4-trip ticket for 12 eur if you're only here a couple days and it works out cheaper than single trips. also the museum sunday freebie is great but it gets packed, like at the pergamon you'll be queuing for 30 mins minimum. for a quieter free option, try the brücke museum in grunewald on a weekday afternoon, it's small but has killer expressionist art and no crowds. oh and for a cheap meal, hit up mustafa's gemüse kebab at mehringdamm, that line is long but it's worth the 5 eur for the hype tbh

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honestly the cash tip is huge, a lot of tourists don't realize how many places are still cash only here. something the guide missed is that you can get a really cheap coffee at most bakeries for like 1.50 eur if you stand at the counter instead of sitting down, way cheaper than the hipster cafes. also if you're near a späti grab a beer for like 1 eur, way cheaper than bars obviously

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