Archive for June 2015

[Michelin Restaurant 1*]: Esszimmer

Published on 9:51 PM By rika.C.

I love the modern look of this Michelin 1 star restaurant in Salzburg - Esszimmer (which literarily means dining room). The restaurant is led by chef Andreas Kaiblinger, who grew up in Salzburg and is known for casting a creative insight using local produce.

I love the modern fireplace that they had, which conveys a really warm, welcoming atmosphere.

So more on the food, I chose the Esszimmer menu ( it was such a debate since I am a fish lover and they had another course that's entirely devoted to fish!)

Esszimmer Menu

Tuna, Wasabi, Jerusalem artichoke and black garlic
-2013 Riesling Johannisberg, Geyerhof, Kremstal

I would say there was a lot of asian influence in this dish, the soft tuna blends in very well with the wasabi and the balsamic vinegar sauce underneath it, and the white foams helps to almost cleanse the palette before your next surprise. There were crunchy garlic pieces and ginger slices as well.

Danube salmon in parsley stock with parsley root and black olives
- 2013 Gruner Veltliner Wechselberg, Birgit Eichinger, Kamptal

I have to say this dish tasted very similar to the another salmon soup that I had at Silvio Nickol, but with denser and stronger in terms of flavor. The salmon was perfectly cooked. A bit too rich for my liking, but it was delicious nonetheless.

Sea bass with apple, celery and beet root
-2013 Grauburgunder, Pioder-Rosenberg, Sudoststeiermark

I love how the crispy skin of the sea bass pairs so well with the acidy from apple and the light fragrance from the beetroot.

Saddle of lamb, braised shoulder of lamb with couscous and ratatouilli
- 2010 Pago de carrovejas Tinto Crianza, Ribera de Duero

Lamb shoulders when done properly, are sweet and succulent, without feeling guilty of all the fattiness it brings. The meat should fall off the bone almost instantly and that was exactly what it did.
It was so tender and soft there wasn't much chewing needed. This is that ultimate finale -- packed with strong, bold flavors that enriches the soul.

Olive strudel and olive sorbet with salt almonds, dried apricot and nougat
- 20 years old Tawny, Dirk von Niepoort, Duoro

I was so full by then that there was no room for dessert...so I cannot comment on this. But the rest of the stuff that I had, everything just synchronizes and builds towards a grand finale.

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The Royal Game

AUSTRIA

Published on 11:12 PM By rika.C.

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Move King from G8 to H7.

The checkered board blurts out an awful sigh as the wooden stools of pawns and knights move motionlessly. Infinite possibilities on a finite board and only the most strenuous thinkers can survive. It's a game of the hunter and a prey, a constant transition between these two roles.

Have not read a novella as grappling as Stephan Zweig’s “The Chess Story” for so long. Having been to Austria not long ago, I’ve always loved to delve into its history beyond architecture, but to learn about a place through the eyes of a local writer. Stephan Zweig is my newfound gem. I have constantly fascinated and amazed by the fluidity and poignancy of Zweig’s writing. His bourgeoise and almost aristocratic flair of language acts like a sheer white chiffon that plays around with the antagonist’s motives and psychological thoughts with ease.

Beyond the surface of a heated game of chess between the world champion and a monarchist lawyer who has not played chess for more than 20 years, hides Zweig’s understanding and delineation of his world of yesterday – the times of Nazi Occupation.

The kind of despair, hopelessness and the mental torment that Dr. B faced is a reflection of Zweig’s own struggle. The sense of nothingness; the lost world of humanity. It is not hard to understand that his idealistic, almost dreamer-like portrayal of his world has collapsed. A pacifist at heart, he could not become the savior of his own country and committed suicide in 1942, only three years before the World War II ended. More importantly, isn’t it portraying the breakdown of a country, a war that was competing against no one else but itself? The “Black” and “White” not only represent the darkness and goodness of mankind, but also how a country can be torn apart by Germans fighting Germans (who are just merely labeled as Jews).

Moving the time frame forward to the 21^st century. Are we not constantly faced with the dilemma of to and fro, of persuasion or command, of flight or fight? It is no wonder that Freud considers this book as a “little masterpiece”.

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[VIENNA, AUSTRIA] 24hrs of Café Trotting in Vienna

Apple Strudel

Published on 11:08 PM By rika.C.

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As I walk down the cobblestones in Vienna, window hopping from one café to another, I could not help but feverishly eyeing those cakes through the transparent glass. It is like window shopping for shoes to a woman.

What am I in the mood for? How would trying this hazelnut cake compared to a strawberry tart add or diminish my collection of happiness? If Alice is choosing a chocolate torte, should I try something else instead so we can get the best of both worlds?

It may sound crazy such simple decision making can become a hugely complex process.

Oh how torturous that we can only pick one cake at a time!

So if you only have 24 hours in Vienna, here are the top café and their relative desserts to try:

No. 1 Oberlaa Konditorei – Lemon Torte & Lemon Meringue

Lemon Torte: It comes with a traditional sweet biscuit shell (yes 0.4cm thick only), a soft, airy lemon curd filling and topped with lime meringue. It is very different from any of the lemon tarts that I have had, which usually has a very strong, alert acidity for the lemon custard filling with a glossy finish. Instead, this is a very subtle dessert that has a wonderful calming effect.

No.2 Zauner Konditorei - Chocolate torte

Technically this is in Bad Ischl but it is worth the drive to go for the dessert! I was so bedazzled by the desserts there that I forgot to note down the name of this, and even after I scrambled through my receipt it did not have the name on it. Looking on the bright side, I can still fully re-capture the ingredients with precision. So this is a hard-shelled ganache with almond crust, pistachio sprinkles and caramel chocolate at the center.

Decadent!

No.3 Café Central -- Orange zest Plunder & Millie Feuille

So I’ve been to café central for quite a few times, and apart from its fancy selection of mille feuille to raspberry cakes, I am absolutely fond of its simplistic pleasures – like their orange zest plunder.

You will be surprised that something so seemingly innocent has such strong flavor and packed with character. The sugar glazed orange slices is not overtly overcooked that it loses its texture and orange tanginess. As you bite into it, the interior is filled with cream custard and apricot jam. A very delicate finishing note.

Its mille feuille is top notch, with a blackberry and custard creme filling with nutmeg and cinnamon. Very unique and subtle undertone of the spices, and definitely very different from traditional French mille feuille. Recommended to those who want that Hungarian touch!

No.4 Demel – Hazelnut Cake

Demel has that x’mas charm of walking down a 5th Avenue's window display. Its window display is full of pastel colored desserts, flowers, chandeliers, dancing couples: it has the full package of a girl’s fantasy for desserts. You can also see all the action of a dessert chef through its open spaced kitchen.

No.5 Café Alt Wein -- Apple Strudel

I am surprised that there are so little mention about Café Alt Wein.

They have top notch apple strudel (yes even better than the ones they served at Schonbrunn Orangerie ad Café Sacher). The shell is soft and flaky and quite different from the texture you will get from a croissant. The filling consists of rum, raisins, cinnamon and apple. I am not surprised that people like to eat it with fresh cream, because the dessert itself has crunchy apples that really adds layer of depth to the dessert.

No. 6 Sacher – Sacher Cake

What can I say, it is the Sacher cake. To be honest when I first had it, it really didn’t give me goosebumps for an astonishingly wonderful dessert. However, what is interesting is that it has a hard ganache shell (which was rather sweet) – as I thought perhaps a dark chocolate ganache would have worked out better to tone down the sweet apricot jam filling. The texture worked out nicely with its softer layer of chocolate cakes and yes to the apricot jam!

No.7 Simply Raw Bakery - Vegan, gluten free cinnamon & walnut bars

Delicious and rejuvenating energy bars -- I did not have lunch and only had this --which was very filling and satisfying afterwards :) They also have a wide selection of vegan, organic and gluten free desserts.

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[VIENNA, AUSTRIA] [Day 4] All that Jazz with Lipizzans & Spanish Riding School

AUSTRIA

Published on 9:00 PM By rika.C.

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The Spanish Riding School is one of the oldest riding institute in the world. Its 400 years of selective breeding ( and only from 6 different sires) has formed a strong foundation of a new breed - the Lipizzans that equivalents to strength, beauty and intelligence.

Henry de Toulouse Lautrec - White Horse

(I wonder if this was a Lipizzan!?)

One must wonder why a riding school in Vienna is not called the "Viennese Riding School" instead. Since the Hasburg Karl V ruled his empire in Spain, he brought back the Spanish horses (which was a cross bred between Berber and Arab stallions with Iberian mares) as well as other menagerie to Austria.

This called for a need of a Stallburg.

A bit of a surprise on the street -- all that jazz

Here our guide explained to us that there's only 6 foundational sires of breed lines, so it is a very controlled and selective breeding.

They also use a very precise naming method: where the name of the horse will always start with the sire's name, followed by the name of the mare, so they will always know which line of breed it is from.

Every rider gets their own saddle -- and yes they are very, very expensive

The art of riding: dressage!

It's shocking how beautiful the riding arena is, with a free floating ceiling without any supporting columns. The large symmetrical windows enlightens the hall with a calming glow of ivory.
When the riders enter, they usually take off the tricorns towards the portrait, to thank the Emperor for this wonderful facility they now have today to practice this noble art.

Obviously they don't let visitors ride these amazing Lipizzans so I found a place in the outerskirt of Salzburg for a true riding experience.

Getting ready for the riding lessons

Sidenote: Work of art from Neueburg

This saddle belonged to the King of Bohemia and Hungary (Rudolf II) and apart from the fact that it had an oriental look, it was filled with motif of St. George killing the dragon. The saddle also had a high rise at the back for better stability support.

These fluted armor had slim waist which was the fashion trend in those days.

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[RECIPE] Andy Warhol Breakfast

Andy Warhol

Published on 6:18 PM By rika.C.

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When I am traveling, I want to be inspired by things surrounding me. Being an avid food lover and cook, it's always sort of second nature for me to whip up new recipes from local inspirations.

Obviously, Andy Warhol isn't exactly a "local attraction", but having lived in Pittsburgh, I have travelled the world to see how people have revered Andy Warhol's reckless creativity. Whether it is in Prague, Vienna, or London I have seen how he is constantly brought up as an inspiration to new artists.

So here is my morning breakfast - a tribute to the pop art artist: Cheesy salmon and blueberry greek yogurt with Chupa Chips.

At Gallery of Art, Prague

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[VIENNA, AUSTRIA] [Day 3]: Musikeverin, Karlplatz, St. Charles Church, Naschmarket, cafe Phil, cafe Sperl

AUSTRIA

Published on 6:05 PM By rika.C.

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Sometimes I like to take a slow stroll in the city, capturing things in black a white. It is a somewhat frightening experience, thinking all that you will have in file will be colorless, but the result is more than rewarding, seeing things by its nature, proportion and motion.

Removing the color aspect, makes the emotions more intense.

Today I headed off to the buzzing Naschmarket where all the action taking place. Not many people were out yet, but the early birds are already sniffing around for the freshest produces.

Virgin Olive oil

Vienna is such a walkable city with every turn and corner with a new surprise. I was in awe with the Stadtbahn Pavillions with its elaborate gilded ornaments and marble slabs. Designed by Otto Wagner, a pioneer in Art Nouveau movement in Vienna.

Walking ahead you see the beautiful Karlskirche, commissioned by the Emperor Karl VI in 1713 to the end of a plague epidemic. Although the architecture is designed by a famous Baroque architect, Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, the church itself draws inspiration from contrasting architectural elements. The front view resembles one of a Greek temple portico with Roman influenced Trojan columns.

The Seccession

Cafe Sperl - where "Before Sunrise" was shot. I didn't walk in here, since it was enough just window shopping. Each window played like a moving display of art.