Ember ofc A literal "Dinner on fire"

Fire is raw, it is martial, fundamental, and so closely linked to the development of civilisation and the success of our entire species that it is considered a basic element. It is no wonder that it captivates people in its simultaneously dangerous and yet indispensable nature, bringing them together. Fire also stands for love and passion, for devotion to a certain cause.

You can taste this at Ember, or perhaps rather at the Ember Experience, in every bite, sip, and hand movement of the service around the table like a perfectly choreographed ballet. That long table at which everyone eats together is currently still at Archiv in Berlin-Marzahn.

Perhaps the first question is: Do you have to go deep into Berlin-Marzahn, a district admittedly not known as all that praiseworthy, for dinner? Let me tell you at this point: For the location alone, the answer is a resounding yes! In general, great locations are an essential part of the Ember idea.

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As is cooking on an open fire with wood and coal. "We use it to hide the fact that we don't actually know how to cook," jokes chef and Ember founder Tobias Beck. He discovered cooking over an open fire in Argentina; this kind of cooking is exceptional, he says, precisely because it limits you so much. Tobias has had the idea of a long table in unique places for a long time. Ember has been around since last year, the table has already been under a chestnut tree, by a lake, inside a radio station, and the team still has a lot up its sleeve. However, the atmosphere at the table is what counts in the Ember experience.

Here you come into contact with the most diverse guests present - that can go well, sometimes badly, but it is always exciting to see who comes together. A very sophisticated tasting Cava Brut Nature at the beginning loosens up the table conversations. Excitement hangs in the air, like the constant latent smell of a campfire. The atmosphere, the light, the music, and the setting are just right.

Still, you don't know exactly what to expect today, so host Hatim Zubair's brief explanation of the evening's proceedings is most welcome: Please feel free to start eating as soon as the plates are on the table, ask for more information about wines and the drinks later in the bar area - or just drop by the fire outside. Here, people are happy to look over your shoulder as you work.

This very open design is refreshingly different from other concept kitchens: The narrative is not pre-determined; the evening can develop naturally in any direction. The first course is grilled spinach with smoked butter and roasted pistachio paste. The dish has just the right smoky aromas and sets the palate in the right mood for the central theme of the evening.

The following grilled scallop with marinated mustard leaves shines because it is elegantly restrained in its seasoning and thus gets the whole stage to itself. This very fine flavour profile runs through the evening. No dish seems overloaded or is overwhelmed by the aromas of the fire.

Therefore our star of the evening, grilled pike-perch with chives and brown butter sauce, shines with its perfect texture and crispy skin and thus has as little to do with the standard "fish from the grill" as the Beaujolais served with it, with its often somewhat characterless comrades from the supermarket. This one is nice and light, has an exciting fruitiness, but counters this with a sublime earthiness and enthusiasm and is thus an enjoyable companion to the fish. 

And so, on every Ember evening, through the various conversation stimulated by the impressions of the long table in unusual places and the different dishes and wines, a story of its own emerges with moments full of warmth, like a walk through the dark night, guided by a torch. The fire still brings us together.

You can also find a great impression of the unique ambience at the Ember dinner on our Instagram channel.

Ronja C. Kolls

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