Asia Station — Supermarket in Friedrichshain, Berlin

Asia Station is an independent Asian supermarket on Kopernikusstraße in Friedrichshain, the kind of small neighbourhood shop where the sandwich counter and the grocery shelves share the same room. What you notice first is the banh mi being assembled to order.

The pork banh mi is the one to get: a crispy baguette, seasoned toppings and a generous sauce, and it tastes like the version in Vietnam. The tofu banh mi is the meat-free take, fresh and filling. A group of five can eat well here for little money.

Beyond the counter, the shelves carry pan-Asian groceries and ingredients, so you can pick up what you need for cooking at home alongside your sandwich. The owners run the place themselves and treat each sandwich as something made with care.

Expect to spend somewhere in the €10–30 range for a basket; a sandwich alone sits at the low end. Order the banh mi instead.

Card payments have a minimum spend, and the minimum can change. Come for the sandwich and the shelves, and keep the payment simple.