Prenzlauer Berg And Beyond With Kicki Yang Zhang
From vegan Vietnamese to essential beauty shops, the makeup sensation on her go-to Berlin spots.
Kicki Yang Zhang is the German-born makeup sensation whose otherworldly creations go viral look after look. Born and raised in the east of Germany, Kicki has called the melting pot of Berlin home for the past few years. And though known around the world as a techno mecca, the German capital has more to offer than just kick drums, basslines and late nights—evidenced by Kicki’s go-to destinations in her neighborhood, Prenzlauer Berg, and beyond.
First impressions:
“My first two trips to Berlin were actually school trips and were very touristy. We stayed close to Ku’damm [a luxury shopping street in the center of Berlin], which was my first impression of the city. Now that I live here, I go there occasionally to eat good Chinese food.”
Prenzlauer Berg:
“I live in Prenzlauer Berg and never [moved] out of this area since moving here. I like it because it’s a bit more quiet and I don’t like to have parties right in front of my door. The neighborhood has a lot of very nice restaurants and cafes, and it’s close to everything.”
Breakfast, lunch and dinner:
“I’m plant-based and Prenzlauer Berg has a lot of vegan options, with Berlin in general being a heaven for vegans. My favorite breakfast place is Green Finch, a 100% vegan cafe whose breakfast is always fresh and delicious. My favorite lunch and dinner place is a Vietnamese restaurant around the corner called Banh Xeo Saigon. It looks almost a bit shabby from the outside, but the food is absolutely delicious and cheap. I have their pho chay pretty much every week. I love restaurants where the food is so good that they don’t give a f*ck about the interior.”
Clubbing:
“I don’t know if Berliners will hate me for this but I’m not a techno person. I love to go out though, and I can have fun at any club if I’m with the right people. It’s a cliché but the only club that really left an impression on me was Berghain, mostly because the building is so impressive.”
Makeup supply:
“[The costume and disguise shop] Maskworld on Oranienburger Straße is my favorite makeup store! I love their face paints. You can also use them as eyeliners and they have every color you could wish for.”
Contemporary Art:
“My favorite museum is Gropius Bau near Checkpoint Charlie. The building is beautiful and they show a lot of contemporary artists I love.”
Culture trip:
“Tempelhofer Feld, Alexanderplatz and Dong Xuan Centre [where we shot this series] are very unique to Berlin, and I have never seen anything like them in another city. I’ve had a lot of great memories at these three locations, especially at Tempelhofer Feld [an abandoned airport in the heart of Berlin], a place you have to visit when you come to Berlin. Bring your skateboard, roller skates or a bike!”
Kicki’s selects:
- Ku’damm, Kurfürstendamm 10719 Berlin
- Green Finch, Käthe-Niederkirchner-Straße 10, 10407 Berlin
- Banh Xeo Saigon, Greifswalder Straße 41, 10405 Berlin
- Berghain, Am Wriezener bahnhof, 10243 Berlin
- Maskworld, Oranienburger Straße 86A, 10178 Berlin
- Gropius Bau, Niederkirchnerstraße 7, 10963 Berlin
- Tempelhofer Feld, Tempelhofer Damm, 12101 Berlin
- Alexanderplatz, 10178 Berlin
- Dong Xuan Center, Herzbergstraße 128-139, 10365 Berlin