THE SHY CHEF, BERLIN

Have you ever had dinner with a group of strangers in a stranger's house cooked by a mystery chef? Well, last night I had this very experience.

After mentioning that I was on my way to Berlin a close friend forwarded me a website link to The Shy Chef, a secret supper club in the bohemian districts of Kreuzberg and Neukolln. I was intrigued by the concept so I sent "The Shy Chef" an email to see if there might be a chance to get a glimpse into this secret world.

Within 24 hours I had received an email reply, apparently there was an opening on Thursday ... Great! So the next thing I know I was on my way to the local bank to transfer a "donation" into the Shy Chef's bank account. The website seemed original and the link came through a friend so any suspicions that it might be a scam lasted no longer than a moment. A series of emails were exchanged, including an email the day before which disclosed the secret address of the dinner.

Only a few days after the first email I was standing outside the doorway of a 5-storey apartment block waiting for the clock to turn 6:45 so I could press the buzzer to an apartment with the label "Chef". As I walked up the wooden staircase with luxurious red carpet I began to wonder, would the chef be wearing a mask and hide his identity like the Stig on TopGear? How old will these strangers be? And mostly importantly, what was going to be on the menu?

On the last landing before the fifth I stopped to catch my breath, then turned around and saw our host, Frank, standing in the doorway waiting to greet me. Any doubts that I might have had before that time vanished. Then almost as I walked through the door the Shy Chef came over to greet me as well, "Put your coat over there, take a glass of wine and relax." The apartment was funky and made so much more interesting by the fact that it was someone's home, not an apartment rented for the purpose of hosting dinners. It was one bedroom with a generous kitchen and table set for eight, actually the space reminded me of my flat is South Yarra. The ceiling had all sorts of protrusion, which reflected the buildings roof line, whilst there was a little balcony which would be perfect for star-gazing, if it were for the haze cast by Berlin's night lighting.

Before long, the other guests arrived. All in all there were seven guests plus the host, plus the Shy Chef and a guest Chef, who would be preparing our meals for the evening. There was a group of four friends, a pair, myself and the host. The dining group was an interesting mix, ages ranging from mid 30s to mid 40s (I think), professions ranging from a freelance photographer, author/film producer to advertisers/marketers. Although everyone considered themselves locals, nationalities ranged from Austrian to German to Italian to Greek.

As soon as everyone learnt there was one English-speaking person they set their language dial to English, and it would stay this way for the majority of the night. Amazing! We worked our way through four courses and a dessert, with wines accompanying each dish. Soon candle light and laughter filled the space as we dined with backdrop of a "smoking" fish tank and quiet kitchen clatter.

We started with a French-inspired clear Chicken soup with prunes, then enjoyed a thin pastry basket filled with goats cheese and rocket drizzled with a balsamic reduction ... next, a salad - the elements escape me ... for the main, we had pork stuffed with blatwurst (blood sausage), with creamy potato, carrots and a local root vegetable colloquially known as black leek. To finish, a chocolate mouse and pear tart with a mixed berry sauce. The wines were from Germany and France.

Despite its quality, the food took a back seat and it was the conversation that would be the focus of the night - perhaps this is in fact the real goal of The Shy Chef. Of course there were moments when I felt like a child sitting around a table of adults, but these were only moments ... because of the atmosphere and setting it was as if I was enjoying a night with my sister and brothers, or perhaps young uncles or aunts.

At the end of the meal, the guest chef "walked" us through the menu, informing us of his background, his inspiration and influences for each dish as well as the provenance of the ingredients - almost all local, and organic where possible. This completed the whole experience.

Business cards were exchanged, and the time came when the eight guests whom would not normally dine together in a restaurant would have to part way ... but our paths crossed for an instant and will perhaps do so again. For now, our common connection: The Shy Chef.

(website)