We found Vienna quite surprising in many ways. It was our first time but we can safely say that we would definitely go back. Vienna is full of art, music and incredible food. For us, it is becoming our new Paris or New York.
Vienna is extra surprising, especially in food department. They are so switched on when it comes to vegetarian/vegan food. Every vegan or vegetarian restaurant has their own cookbook published traditionally and their bookstores are full of those local as well as international cookbooks.
Personally, I am a huge fan of German/Austrian cuisine. Mostly because I love how they do their potatoes. And the dumpling business is just divine. They call them dumplings but they’re very much like baked loaves like nut roast without the nuts but breadcrumbs instead. I believe they are their bread substitute. We had something similar in Prague too.
At Wrenkh, you should ask for a menu in English and they give you one with an “E” at one ear (the left ear, to be precise). And definitely ask for wine recommendation; you won’t be disappointed. We fell in love with Austrian wines. Try Grüner Veltliner. You’ll thank us later. Actually, you can get Grüner Veltliner in Australia. I know it because we found some a few weeks after we got back.
Food at Wrenkh
We ordered two distinctive Austrian dishes so that we could share. It’s a great way of trying different dishes.
Dish number one: Creamy lentils in white wine sauce with roasted bread dumplings (above) or laird lentils in “Veltliner” sauce with celery stalks and carrots, served with herbed bread dumplings. Same thing.
Dish number two: Wrenkh’s Erdäpfelschmarrn (shredded potatoes)
Grated crispy grilled potatoes with marjoram, oregano and thyme, served with roasted seasonal vegetables and herbed goat cream cheese-dip.
Sides (above): Lightly cooked seasonal vegetables and cream cheese dip.
Wrench in Vienna is such an institution; they even have a cooking school (right next door to the restaurant). We noticed that the students were presenting their dishes to a group of judges outside. It is always nice to see young people showing interest in cooking.
When we eat out, we have the tendency to talk to our fellow diners. We did that in Paris on many occasions. This time we found ourselves talking to a really nice couple from Frankfurt.
Golden Hall (building on the outside)
Inside the famous Golden Hall.
I am such a sucker for caryatids… and for chandeliers, too 🙂
At some stage during the concert, Turkish March took on a different spin. I believe even Mozart himself didn’t see that coming 🙂
Café Sacher is known for its chocolate cake: Sacher-Torte. It was the creation of Chef Franz Sacher who was asked to make a desert for a party in 1832 when he was only 16 years old. The reputation of the Sacher’s cake quickly spread and an overwhelming number of orders made his family very rich. Later on, Sacher’s son Ed opened the Sacher Hotel and Café in 1876. When he died 16 years later his wife Anna took over. This famous cake with a secret recipe is still around. So is Hotel Sacher and Café.
When in Rome do what Romans do. When in Vienna, go and have a slice of rich Sacher-Torte and don’t just stop there: have Vienna style coffee, too.
Famous Sacher-Torte (above). It’s soft, rich and something quite special. It just melts in your mouth and yet the taste lingers for some time. Just divine.
A little bit about Viennese style of coffee: It is a cream-based coffee made of strong black coffee and whipped cream. Unfortunately, mine was lukewarm.
Tian Vegetarian Restaurant in Vienna was one of the most unforgettable culinary experiences we have ever. Being a Michelin star restaurant, this is exactly what you’d expect.
In French, Tian is the name of a vegetarian stew and in Chinese, it means heaven. So, it would be safe to call Tian “a vegetarian heaven” because it truly is a vegetarian heaven; a classy one.
Minoriten Platz.
