Hello Kitty Sweets

Hello Kitty Sweets, located: 大安區大安路一段90號 (Taipei). 

Upon entering the store, a Hello Kitty sofa (in PINK!) greeted us. I joked to my friend that with a waiting area this adorable, I'm willing to wait up to hours. 

I'm not a fan of Hello Kitty, but the place is adorable. The ultimate goal should be to take lots and lots of photos. 

                                     *a section of the "bar"

                                      ** yummy-licious cakes, hence, "Let us eat cake!"

I ordered... 

Kitty Burger! Hahaha, how can one possibly devour this face :P 
Although I would give the decoration + interior a 10, the food is mediocre. I was so disappointed! When it comes to food (I admit, I like eating), I am an epicure. The bun was not grilled and the meat patty was extremely dry. The only edible, and actually delicious, item were the fries. I think it is sad when I cannot rave about my food... I mean, "hmm, crispy fries," is a little pathetic T______T

Complimentary cookie (again, very very dry... I miss my moist + gigantic chocolate chip cookie back in the states)


Note:    If you are a fan of Hello Kitty, come, the place screams: "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, CUTE!"
            If you are a food lover, try to distract yourself by posing and taking lovely photos.

Eating & Drinking #3

      I must devote an entire blog to my absolute favorite -- DESSERT! As a lover of sweets, I proclaimed that I have not only "one" sweet tooth, but sweet teeth. Vienna coffee houses are legendary and are an integral part of Viennese life. There are the traditonal coffee houses as well as Konditoreien, which are cake shops (e.g. Aida, the pink and brown color scheme scream "1950 retro!", there's one in Stephansplatz). 

     Although my professor asserts that we must visit Cafe Central (the place is rich with history and great literary and artistic talents used to congregate her to discuss politics, literature, arts, etc.), I find the place rather snobby. Compared to other coffee houses, this place is expensive. Advice: buy a cup of regular coffee, soak in the ambience, and make it a "done once it's done" deal. 

     
Must-Visit(s): 

• Cafe Sacher: The cafe is a tourist-must-visit because of its famous Sacher Torte. Created in 1832 by owner Franz Sacher, the chocolate cake is topped with chocolate shavings and has two layers of aromatic apricot jam. Personally, I think there's liquor added to the cake. The alcohol draws out the sweetness and richness of the cake; thus creating a lingering, unforgettable taste. 

• Demel: The lively konditorei is always filled with crowds because the it used to provide sweets for the Habsburg rulers. The most acclaimed is the Ana Demel Torte. This cake is composed of six layers of decadently rich chocoalte and nougat (three layers each)!

• Cafe Sperl: I discovered this quaint cafe accidentally... I remembered that it was raining that day... I was by myself, loitering around MQ area with nothing specific in mind when I stumbled upon this gorgeous Jegendstil coffee house. The atmosphere was quiescent; there was no rush in ordering the coffee. Instead, people read the paper, played pool, and drank their coffees as if they had all the time in the world... (below: Cafe Sperl, apple strudel, and plum cake).

 

• Cafe Hawelk: Hidden away in the alley, the hard-to-find Cafe Hawelk charms visitors with its unpretentious and relaxing atmosphere. The place offers only one type of coffee, house, and one type of cake (although the cake varies, but you just have to try your luck) daily. Nonetheless, it attracts the gamut of Viennese society, including artists and writers. 

Eating & Drinking (#2)

     Drinking in Vienna is an exciting affair! The choices include: beer, wine, and coffee, each option is de-licious~ 

• Beer: Our favorite drinking spot is 7 Stern Brau, a local brewery. Some of the choices include: Hanf Bier (a golden, sweet lager that leaves a slight hemp-y taste), Chilli Bier (it's actually spcity! I tried it, out of curiosity, and... let's just say it was not the smartest idea), etc. My favorite is the Prager Dunkles. This dark malt beer is nice and smooth, with a hint of carmel and vanilla.  

• Wine: A beloved beverage, the Vienna has a seven sq km of vineyards within its borders. Huerigens, the equivalent of wine taverns, are quite accessible. Grinzing, having the largest concentration of heurigens, is rather touristy and the wine taverns that are on the main road offer kitsch music and performances. My friends and I tried both Passauerhof (tourist-oriented) and Zawodsky (secluded and more authentic). Both are great and offer a distinctive flair of their own. However, I do recommend taking the 15 minutes walk to Zawodsk. The place is rustic and simple. Surrounded by apple trees and vineyards, we downed a bottle of white wine with some cheese and cold meats. Although the meal was nothing fancy, it was lovely to sip wine, chat with friends, and just enjoy the breeze. 

Eating and Drinking (#1)

     Viennese cuisine features a plethora of dishes from Central and Eastern Europe. There's the world famous Wiener Schnitzel, fried piece of pork, from Milan, dumplings from Bohemia, goulash and paprika chicken from Hungary, pancakes from Romania, and apple strudel from Turkey. Essentially, it is the conglomeration of the best of the old empire! 

     On the whole, Viennese cuisine is heavy and meat-based, which is not exactly my thing. I am more of a pescetarian (though I do eat meat) and a lover of tofu. However, I do enjoy goulash (a hearty beef stew. [image: above]) with crusty bread. 
     
     I also recommend the Osterreicher IM MAK (the "O" has two dots on top). The restaurant is next to the MAK, the Musuem of Applied Arts, and is named after its chef, Osterreicher. Arguably the top chef in the country, the restaurant takes a contemporary spin on traditional Viennese cuisine. For main course, I had shrimp fettuccine, satisfactory, but nothing exemplary. However, the dessert was delicious! Resembling a regular chocolate crepe, dusted with sugar, the crepe "wow"-ed me. The secret? Frozen Yogurt!The sourness of the yogurt complimented the sweetness of the crepe; such a delicate balance of the layers of flavors, beautiful! 
(images: pasta + crepe, MAK)

     
     By the Danube, there are many delightful restaurants offering good food and a view of the river. Once, after biking along the Danube (which was absolutely lovely, except our asses suffered), we dined at Strandgasthaus Birner. A legend in Vienna, the terrace overlooks the Alte Donau and the kitchen serves fish specialities. I had the fish soup. The soup, filled generously with chunks of fish meat, was fresh (pungent with fishy-ness).

     For cheap eats, visit the susage stands. Equivalent of a fast-food joint, these sausage stands are everywhere and a good place to stop by for a quick bite. The choices range from the standard thin boiled sausage, the Frankfurter, to the fat fried sausage, the Burenwurst. Our ultimate favorite -- the Kaisekrainer (the first "a" has two dots on top). Infused with cheese, we nicknamed it the "pimple" dog. Why? Imagine cheese oozing out of the sausage, white against red, isn't that like the pus coming out of a fat, red pimple? The metaphor is gross, but the sausage is delicious! 

     Also, stroll around the local farner's market, Naschmarkt. The place opens daily, except Sunday, and sells the freshest produces ranging from fruits, fish, to olives. Simply looking entices my appetite! The food here is rather cheap, both uncooked and cooked, so come! 
(image: Naschmarkt)

     

ART ART ART (#3)

     With his child-like whimsicalness and explosive use of colors, Hundertwasser is one of my favorite artists! He is the pride of Vienna; a prolific artist who is simultaneously an architect, painter, and designer. As his name suggests ("Hundertwasser" means "hundred water"), he has an affinity for water. He asserts that water is the source of life and it cleanses the soul. As a result, his architectures are never without a fountain or some form of flowing water. During my visit to the Kunst Haus Wien, the Art House Vienna, I actually sat and listened to the water for half an hour. It was rather nice, the trickling sound of the water was baptismal. 

(image: Hundertwasser Haus, http://www.utip.info/cheesetoastie/images/artists/hundertwasser_bldg.jpg) 

1. Hundertwasser Haus: The residential apartment, designed by Hundertwasser, is one of the most covetious, prestigious adresses. The  exteior, covered in patches of the three primary colors: yellow, red, and blue, is characterized by Hundertwasser's signature lack-of-straight lines. The golden onion-shaped hat thing on the roof is also typical of the artist; he likes to draw/use onion motifs because onions, with its layers, signify life -- life reveals itself as each layer removes. Although it is impossible to go inside, you get a sense of Hundertwasser's fun-loving spirit. Take a look at the water fountain, with the twelve constellations (images shown above), in front of the apartment. Two essential elements: tile works & water.   
2. KunstHaus Wien: Close to the apartment complex is the Art House Vienna. It houses a large Hundertwasser collection, including his paintings, graphics, philosophy, ecology, and architecture. The ticket is super cute, it's a chunk (cardboard) of the KunstHaus Wien. The best way to describe my appreciation is simply thus: Hundertwasser's works make me happy. The image, scanned from a postcard that I bought, is titled "Green Town". The use of horizontal lines, which the artist adores and only uses, signifies a sense of infinity; for a horizontal line continues, whereas a vertical line connotes a definite, abrupt stop.

 

ART ART ART (#2)

     Schloss Belvedere

          The Belvedere is a MUST-SEE!

       The majestic, breathtaking palace of Prince Eugene of Savoy, the famous military hero who conqueored the Turks in 1718, is stunning -- both in its architectural design and interior collection. The palace is divided into two parts: the Upper and Lower Belvedere. Designed by Hildebrandt, the Belvedere is one of the finest baroque palaces in the world. Indeed, upon entering the palace, my attention was captured by the grandiose, three-story architecture and its reflection upon the water.
          "What a divine stretch of loveliness!" The dual reality, one of the actual palace and the other as reflected on the water, suggested an interplay on reality and illusion. The adrenaline rush, in my case, was like standing face to face with not only one, but two Dior Couture dresses!

      (image taken from wikipedia.org)

The Lower Belvedere was Prine Eugene's summer residence; while he entertained the courtesans in the Upper Belvedere, he prefered to stay in the more humble Lower Belvedere. 
The summer residence is connected to the orangery. 

(image: the long garden between the two Belvederes was laid out in classical French style)      

The most marvelous aspect of the Belvedere is its art collection. It is now the home of the Austrian Gallery. The first floor houses paintings from the turn of the 19th century; the second floor concentrates on 19th century paintings from the romantic, classical, and Biedermeier periods. The most important artists represented are Klimt and Schiele, both associated with the Art Nouveau school.

[note: Schiele is discussed in "Art Art Art #1]

•  Anton Romako

            Why was I intrigued by Romako's work? I don't really know. His   works, displayed in the gallery, consisted of portraits. This one is titled "An Italian Fisherboy". 
           There is something about the way the boy glances off to the side that renders the image rather vivid. If you look closely, the fishes in the basket shine with an intense lustre, and drip water droplets. The work is a brilliantly captured "in-the-moment" and I loved it!

• Vestimil Hofmann "Madonna"

            Hofmann's "Madonna" is a regal piece. The featured Madonna is not clothed in rich robes, nor is she removed from worldly sufferings. Here, she appears helpless, unable to save her children from poverty; the children are dressed in tattered linens and afflicted with hunger. the mother, in this case, is unable to offer anything except her love (as exemplified by her tender holding of the child), yet, it is this augmented notion of nothing-ness, the extreme poverty, that heightens the glory of maternal love.  

• Klimt 

            Klimt, one of the founders of the Secessionist Art Nouveau school, was known for his decorative art. His later paintins employ an ostentatious use of metallic gold and silver background color. The effect of the metallic luster is rather powerful and I highly recommend seeing a Klimt in person, the experience will change you. 

The Belvedere contains one of Klimt's best works, The Kiss (1908)

            Note the decorative symbols on the robes, squares and ovals, are indicative of gender. The gold background, which is of a more muted tone than the shimmering golden figures in the center, creates a sense of dream-like reality. The longer I stared at the painting, the more drawn in I was. The gold enveloped me and the color pigments seemed to float in the air... The colors, the shades of gold, infiltrated my space and I felt as if I was seeing, breathing, and dreaming gold... 
            It was a magnificent experience to see The Kiss. The man kisses, ever so lightly, on the woman's cheek. The gold that shrouds that two figures makes it rather difficult to separate the two (whose robe is whose), but maybe the point is to not separate the two, maybe their togetherness/oneness is fused together by the gold and sealed with the kiss. Sigh, so much's being said and expressed with "the kiss". 
            After The Kiss, that whole afternoon i was torn between feeling this light, golden bliss, and the desperate need to get kissed... a soft, gentle, kiss. 
[note: If you like Klimt's works or are interested in modernization/modernity, (a period known as the fin de siecle), then do visit the Secession. The Secession, otherwise known as the "Golden Cabbage", is an unmissable sight. The Secession house Klimt's famous Beethoven Frieze, a 34m-long work.]

         

ART ART ART (#1)

     Vienna is art heaven! At least for someone like me, who's slightly direction-challenged and thus am a not-so-good driver, the accessibility of the Viennese musuems (all within walking distance from the Ringstrasse) is such a relief! Imagine, culture and beauty, all walk-able! :)

MQ    

     The MQ, Museums Quartier Wien, or the Musuem Quarter is an area that contains several museums including: Museum of Modern Art (MUMOK), Vienna Architecture Centre (Architekturzentrum Wien), Art Hall (Kunsthalle Wien), Leopold Museum, and ZOOM (children's museum). If you find the MQ a delicious treasure, purchase the MQ Kombi Ticket and for 25 euro and you can visit all of the above museums except ZOOM. I visited MUMOK and the Leopold Museum.
     MUMOK
     I'm not a fan of the modern art, I often find the works too... unpleasing. It is rather painful to look at the literal translation of the disturbed psyche. However, I was intrigued by the exhibition  that was showing at the time. It was titled "Traum & Trauma", meaning "Dream & Trauma". The English translation fails to capture the word play of the original text; for dreams, as the product of the unconscious, often address fears or anxieties -- the negative emotions that are surpressed by the dominant superego. Here, the artists explore the various negative emotions by actualizing them into art works. It was a rather unsettling experience.
Upon entering the exhibition, I felt like an intruder stepping into someone's unconscious and probing into his or her private thoughts, which may very likely resemble the entangled red mess/web.
It was rather odd, when my presupposed notion, that individuals' fears and desires are isolated from my own, was overturned. At times, I find myself sharing similar anxieties such as the fear of violence or having animal-like nature (defecation). The artists pushed the unconscious, which resides in the background, into the foreground. The act forced the viewers to acknowledge trauma's unequivocal presence.

One of my favorite piece of work was the painting of the slice of cake (as shown on the left). The original painting was gigantic, bigger than me (a lot bigger)!  When staring into this perfect, glossy cake, with its delicate pink frosting, it was as if I was sinking into the canvas, into this sea of electrifying pink-ness, and I desperately wanted to take a bite of the cake. Yet, there was an underlying disquietude. The cake was just too perfect... and the pink too overwhelming. It screamed, Hansel and Gretel, a Brothers Grimm fairytale. If you know this cautionary tale well, then you know that beauty masks danger. For a cake this lovely, I am sure it has to be poisonous.
Leopold Musuem: Schiele

I absolutely must recommend the Leopold Musuem! The Leopold Museum started in 2001, based on the private collection of Rudolf and Elizabeth Leopold. It housed the world's larget collection of Schiele. This talented artist lived a brief life, dying at age 28. It was as if he knew he was going to die, for he produced prolific works. He is characterized by his intense, expressive lines. Indeed, Schiele is a master of lines, he never has to draw it twice. I saw his sketches, and was awed by his masterful control of his strokes -- perfection!
The above picture is titled "Death & the Maiden". The color palette is rather muted, composed of shades of brown and dense tones. The barren landscape, surrounding the two figures, seems to augment the overwhelming presence and inevitability of Death. I cannot really describe what it was like to view his paintings, but to experience a Schiele is to experience absolute isolation. His figures always feel alone. Even in his work, "The Family", in which he drew himself, his wife, and his unborn child, each figure remains utterly detached. There is no connection, not a touch, not even an eye contact. I remembered leaving the Leopold feeling blue, as if a pale melancholy enshrouded me, and I thought to myself, "in suffering we suffer alone... ultimately, we're alone..." 
[note: some of Schiele's works are displayed in the Belvedere]