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)
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)
- 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.
- 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.
