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Nam Nam

May 25, 2012 by kristenmarie

I can’t think of a better restaurant to feature here on ye old blog for the first time I write about Indian food in Wien than Nam Nam, a place in the 6th I just love. My liebe for this place is due to many reasons—delicious food, a fun concept, friendly staff, and a charming Schanigarten. Perfect for my recent visit with friends on a warm, early summer’s night.

The concept of Nam Nam is simply to offer traditional, delicious Indian food in a modern way. Eschewing the kitsch one often finds in other Indian restaurants in around town, Nam Nam offers its guests a chance to enjoy curries, samosas, mango lassis, rice, naan, and so much more in a contemporary setting and relaxed atmosphere.

Indian food tends to be very filling, the type of rib-sticking cuisine I crave in the winters here. I’ve yet to make it to this restaurant in the colder months, however, and there is a very good reason for that, a very good reason indeed.

See, they have this Schanigarten. It’s just darling. Nestled into the courtyard of the apartment building that houses this restaurant on its ground floor, there is something very intimate and cozy about sitting back there so closely with other patrons, eyeing everything set before them, whispering to your neighbor if you get the nerve, entschuldigen Sie, was haben Sie bestellt? And when it’s your turn to have something set before you, you’re definitely in for a treat.

I’ve written about the importance of a Gruß aus der Küche often here, and Nam Nam delivers. They set a nice plate of Papadam before you with their signature Nam Nam Chutney Mix to welcome you as you begin to look over the options. Watch out for the spice factor on two of the Chutneys. Some like it hot.

We enjoyed a variety of things; a chicken and vegetarian curry, one of their specials, a platter, and a prawn dish set aflame! Balanced out with some white wine and aperol spritzers, it was perfect.

Oh, and of course this happened. Naan. Still retaining a dusting of flour, it was fluffy, warm, doughy, delightful naan.

Make sure to reserve, as the back garden only has so many tables for curry-yearning folks like yourself, and believe me, you wouldn’t want to miss out on all that awaits you at this lovely place. That Naan has your name on it.

Nam Nam
Webgasse 3
1060 Vienna
http://www.nam-nam.at

*Photos 2-6 from restaurant website.

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DOTS im Brunnerhof

May 22, 2012 by kristenmarie

“If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn’t. And contrarywise, what is, it wouldn’t be. And what it wouldn’t be, it would. You see?” — Alice in Wonderland

After a visit to DOTS im Brunnerhof, I can say with conviction that there is no other place in Vienna quite like it. Entering this restaurant in Vienna’s 19th district is literally akin to drinking a magical potion, falling down a rabbit hole, and landing in a whimsical wonderland that has you asking “where am I?” over and over again.

If the name DOTS rings a bell, it’s most likely because you know of DOTS on Mariahilferstrasse in Vienna’s 6th district. How can you miss a place, after all, that says it serves “experimental sushi’?  The slogan is what first drew me in nearly five years ago, when I was new in town and frustrated with my initial findings of this, one of my favorite foods.

What I found at the Mariahilferstrasse location (which, by the way, is kind of like a night club…really dark, chic, and modern) was that “experimental sushi” meant sushi as I knew it from some of my favorite places on the West Coast and in New York—-maki rolls essentially bursting with layers of texture, inventive ingredients, sometimes a mixture of both fish and meat, often “topped” or “finished” with a “glaze” or a “garnish”. Fancy-pants sushi. Hoity-toity sushi. Or as the Austrians might say, ‘schiki micki’ sushi. Now, I’ve since found many other places in town that serve up delicious sushi for reasonable prices, but since I hadn’t been to the Mariahilferstrasse location in a long while, I’d been meaning to make a return. Then I heard about its second location, randomly located deep in the 19th and became intrigued.

I could have never imagined what awaited me. The restaurant is on an unassuming street in a regal Stadt Villa, east of Grinzing towards the Danube. While there is of course indoor seating (similar to the other location…very much like a nightclub), out back is where you want to be. There you can sit under a majestic weeping willow tree in a courtyard full of whimsy with wafting incense, draped ribbons, hanging lanterns, flickering candles, a flowing fountain, and hypnotic tunes.  A true retreat from the hustle and bustle of downtown city life.

I went with a girlfriend and we started off the evening with a rose spritzer, complete with a little rose bud! How feminine! Sweet and refreshing, this was the perfect drink to sip on a summer night.

We arrived rather early in the evening, so we had the place to ourselves for a while before a steady flow of guests trickled in. After pouring over the menu and its selection of ‘it all looks so good’, we decided to order four ‘experimental rolls’ to share.

The Crunchy Maki: roasted onions, tuna and avocado
The Black Tuna: Black sesame seeds, poppy-seeds, tuna, and avocado
The Marilyn Monroll: Sake tempura, avocado, light chili sauce, and fresh pepper
The Crispy Ebi Roll: Shrimp, cilantro, mint, onions, cucumber, avocado, and chilli sauce

While it was difficult narrowing down the options, we chose oh so well with the above four. They were lovely. A future visit might see me ordering the Hawaii Roll (with pineapple!) or the Spicy Beef Roll. Though this isn’t a place I’d frequent very often, it’s definitely worth ending up at for its scrumptious sushi and enchanting atmosphere. So get to the nearest rabbit hole you can (otherwise known as the D Tram), head towards the 19th, and enjoy!

DOTS im Brunnerhof
Kahlenberger Straße 1,
1190 Vienna
http://www.dots-lounge.com/

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and PSSSST: Don’t forget about the giveaway! If you like the SushiandStrudel Facebook Page by Sunday the 27th, you might get some delicious ice cream!

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I scream, you scream, we all scream for Ice Cream!

May 20, 2012 by kristenmarie

About time, oder? If you remember from my last (first) giveaway, which I held to celebrate the first 100 likes on SushiandStrudel’s Facebook Page, I said I’d host another when the likes hit 200. That time has now come and gone, so without further ado, here we go!

Look familiar? I figured it was the least I could do after going on and on about how wunderbar this ice cream is. So wunderbar, in fact, that I now would love nothing more than for some of my dear SushiandStrudel readers to enjoy it too!

Here’s what’s on offer.  I have five double scoops to give away, and your name might just be on one of them! Goat Cheese and Apricot? Alpine Caramel and Butter Cookie? Blueberry and Banana?  The possibilities are endless, but one thing is for certain: the ice cream here is sensational, and two scoops could be yours!

To Enter This Giveaway:
1) Like SushiandStrudel’s Facebook Page by Sunday, May 27th.
2) Check back here on Monday, May 28th for the results!

Piece of cake, right? Viel Spaß!

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Chimbiss

May 17, 2012 by kristenmarie

A great source of motivation for beginning this blog was wanting to somehow capture and share the changes in the culinary scene that have swept over Vienna in the past two years. I’ve lived here long enough to go from feeling like a shy newcomer to now feeling fledgling surges of pride for this city, my adopted home. As I write on the About Page, something is happening here. The ways that Austrian cuisine and the Austrian dining experience have been reinterpreted in the nearly five years that I have lived here are truly transformative. It’s places like this next restaurant, Chimbiss, that cause me to think we are getting closer and closer to the day where “is happening” will inevitably turn into “has happened”. Shall we?

Located on one of Mariahilferstrasse’s  side-streets, Chimbiss is a lovely little place to tuck into when out and about shopping. ‘Imbiss‘ is actually a German word for snack, and iconic Imbiss Stands serving up Würsteln and beer can be found all over Vienna on many of its street corners. This restaurant, however, serves anything but greasy street food. See, this is the ‘chique imbiss,’ hence ‘Chimbiss’. I sure do love me a good play on words.

The concept of Chimbiss is darling. The owner is a Salzburgerin whose goal in opening this restaurant was to ‘bring some fresh Alpine air to downtown Vienna’ and ’dust off Austrian cuisine and give it the recognition it deserves’. Mission accomplished. Featuring the best of the Austrian kitchen with daily menus serving traditional meals with innovate spins on them in an über-stylish interior, (flying deer, pretty woodwork, waitresses in dirndln, plush furniture, vintage photos, antler-art, anyone?) Chimbiss is the definition of New Austrian.

The food is proudly made using the best of domestic ingredients, and if you’re on the run, everything can be ordered to go. Each day features (in addition to fresh salads and sandwiches) a soup, two mains (one always vegetarian), and two dessert options.

For example:

Eggplant Cream Soup
Chicken Breast with a sesame crust served with oven-baked tomatoes and a herb salad
Egg dumplings served with salad
Topfen-fruit strudel
Apple-Nut cream pudding

I popped in the other weekend with some girlfriends to grab a bite before doing a bit of retail therapy. I grabbed an egg and field-salad sandwich from the to-go case, while one friend had the vegetarian tomato-basil pasta and the other a caprese salad with pumpkin-seed pesto. On the side? Some Makava Iced Tea, which I’ve written about here and here.

The food was fresh and the whole experience fabulous. It’s so nice to have this healthy option in the midst of a part of town otherwise brimming with fast food chains that tempt the weary shopper.

In addition to appreciating the food here, I also have to remark on how much I love that every last detail has been taken into such consideration. Little ones, for example, can play with a mini farm set, collecting various ‘produce’ in a basket. The lady’s room has, ahem, sometimes-necessary items as freebies, plus a Nivea dispenser, and the restaurant’s website is totally worth a visit for its whimsy and fun.

Danke, Chimbiss. Bleib so wie du bist!

Chimbiss
Nelkengasse 1
1060 Vienna
http://www.chimbiss.at/

Posted in 1060 | Tagged | 2 Comments »

Eis Greissler

May 14, 2012 by kristenmarie

In the heart of Vienna’s first district, smack dab in the middle of Rotenturnstrasse, a stone’s throw from Stephansdom, amidst the tourist groups and cobblestones and horse carriages and Mozart men, comes something from greener pastures. It’s spectacular. Pure. Fresh. Different. People have come to love it over the past 13 months so much, that they wait for it, for so, so, long. Wait for it. If you are a local who frequents this stretch of the inner city, you know exactly what I am talking about.

Here’s the inside scoop. This gem of an ice cream shop comes from a couple of farmers––literally. Herr und Frau Blochberger, organic milk farmers from rural Lower Austria opened this shop in April of 2011 and Viennese ice cream connoisseurs haven’t looked back since. A creative design concept, delicious, daring flavors mixed in with classic favorites, a commitment to real food, and something for everyone are among the many things that await you at this downtown establishment. I am an ice cream girl through and through, and when not eating frozen yogurt, it’s my dessert of choice.

The shop is a little tiny thing nestled among other thoroughfare restaurants and stores. Although it has a darling design complete with the bust of an alpine cow, the retro decor isn’t what will catch your eye at first.

It’s rather the unbelievably long line of folks that stretches its way up the road. Did Schwarzenegger just walk by? Nah. It’s just some ridiculously good ice cream that is oh so worth a twenty minute wait.

Once you do get inside and wink at the cow, the array of flavors await you. None of the Eis Greissler’s ice cream has artificial additives, and happy cows like Anna, Berta und Mizzi share their organic milk for the cause. The story here is actually a great one, a quintessential Austrian culinary tale. The owners, as mentioned above, are organic dairy farmers. After years of delivering their organic milk to local kindergartens and the like, one fateful summer had them experimenting with ice cream. Thanks to this, we can now enjoy what I think may just be the best ice cream I have ever had.

With interesting flavors like goat cheese and rhubarb, classic flavors like chocolate and strawberry, and six vegan flavors to boot, everyone should be able to go home with a scoop. Fairly priced and served from friendly staff (pretty amazing given that line!), this place is a win in all ways. A recent visit with a friend had us getting goat cheese and apricot (her) and poppy-seed and apricot (me).

The flavors are incredible. The goat cheese is subtle and sweet, the perfect complement to tangy apricot. The poppy-seed is uniquely delicious and lightly textured. Oh and guess what? These are just three of the ninety(!) flavors the brand has created. A smaller selection is on constant rotation depending on local offerings and seasonal ingredients. Something to look forward all year round.

So head down to the first and get in line. We might just see each other there.

Eis Greissler
Rotenturmstraße 14
1010 Wien
http://www.eis-greissler.at

Photo#2 from restaurant website.

Posted in 1010 | Tagged , , | 9 Comments »

Hotel Daniel

May 10, 2012 by kristenmarie

A few weekends back, I went on a fabulous getaway. With my loved ones in tow, (the two-legged one and the four-legged one) I headed for a new place bursting with style, delicious food, interesting people, and just the right amount of edge.  The best part about it? I never left Vienna.

I first heard about Hotel Daniel through the local blogosphere and made a note to go for a visit. This was a few months ago, right after it opened. I was curious about the concept of an Austrian brand that apparently oozed a chic coolness. (My apologies, Austria, but these words just aren’t often associated with, well, you.) Since then, I’ve seen this hotel chain (1x in Graz and 1x in Vienna) pop up on international design, travel, and architecture sites, as it collects accolade after accolade  for the fact that it has achieved to be an incredibly hip hotel with a fresh atmosphere in, wait for it, a post-war building.

Not up to date with your central European architecture? I present, the cliff-notes version: 1) Many cities across Europe had beautiful, historical buildings. 2) Bombs razed them during the war era. 3) Quick-to-build but terribly boxy-looking pop-ups replaced them. 4) These buildings now stick out among otherwise historically beautiful architecture landscapes. Naja. Some folks, however, have gotten creative and from one of Vienna’s ugly ducklings comes this majestic swan.

Shall we peek inside?

The hotel says it offers guests “smart luxury”.  What this means translated are stylish rooms (some with hammocks!), a trendy atmosphere, fun services like bicycle and Vespa(!) rentals, a cool shop, and more. Reminiscent of Portland (ahem, Ace Hotel), Brooklyn, Scandinavia, and Berlin, Hotel Daniel is paving a new way here in town while retaining quintessential Viennese flair with views of the Belvedere palaces. Oh, and the food? Mmmmmm.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are open to the public and served on the ground floor ‘bakery’. Here you’ll find typical bakery fare, a killer brunch, and some surprising items like a peashoot and pomegranate salad, a Reuben sandwich (rare in Wien), steaks, or stuffed peppers with lentils and avocado. Additional goodies are baked daily and delivered by a woman who lives around the corner in the neighborhood. Nom nom nom.  We went for brunch on our recent trip. Here, a few impressions:

The interior is painfully cool. With a hodge-podge of both vintage and modern furniture, a creative arrangement, and the perfect soundtrack humming along in the background ( I seriously must have said ‘I love this song!’ every time a new one came on), it’s just an absolute joy to be in this space for a meal. And what a meal! The brunch had everything from baked goods to omelets made to order, an unforgettable bircher müsli, typical Austrian breads and spreads, fruit salads and more. Oh and get this: bottomless coffee. I.E. as many lattes, cappuccinos, melanges, and the like as you want. Has a revolution in local dining begun? Oh yeah. And even more astounding for this town? The servers! So friendly. They asked how everything was.

The place has so many fun quirks; I don’t even know where to begin.

You can enjoy your meal from a hanging bench, where you can swing as you sip your coffee.

You can rest your bum on a little stool make of recycled newspapers. Kein Wunder, as this place is brimming with so many! One could spend the entire day their filling up on international news and magazines.

You can sit your table and smile at the fun little messages sprinkled about.

Ultimately, you can soak up the fun of a great new place in town, one that leaves you happy and refreshed upon leaving. I definitely intend to head back in the near future, and when I do, you’ll be the first to know.

Bon Voyage!

Hotel Daniel
Landstraßer Gürtel 5
1030 Vienna
http://www.hoteldaniel.com

*Photos 2, 3, 4, 5, 12 and 13 from hotel website.

Posted in 1030 | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments »

¡Más!

May 6, 2012 by kristenmarie

Since starting this little blog of mine, I’ve written about a number of different cuisine types one can find in Vienna. There’s been French. Vietnamese. Austrian. Japanese. Italian. Turkish. (Indian, which I love, will hopefully appear here soon.) With all the restaurant-sharing I do, however, I’ve yet to write about one of my all-time favorite types of foods—MEXICAN. There’s good reason for that. I am mostly underwhelmed by the offerings here. Vienna does have Mexican food; I’ve been quite a few places and have a section of ‘my list’ devoted solely to restaurants I’d like to write about. But when push comes to shove, I always end up going elsewhere, because most Mexican offerings around town just don’t cut it. See, I grew up a stone’s throw from the country itself; on a clear day, Mexico is visible from my hometown beach. Californian cuisine is synonymous with Mexican cuisine, and we all know home cooking doesn’t taste the same anywhere else. Yet rather than raise my white flag, I press on, and today I had a chance to (re)visit a restaurant I go to from time to time when the craving gets too strong.

I’ve been to Más, located in the 8th district, often in the evening, so I say with some experience that their margaritas are delicioso. You can get chips, salsa, and guacamole before your meal (though not for free, as they sometimes are in my home country, land of excess). Their fajitas and burritos are decent, and they do a sinfully delicious fried ice cream for dessert. It’s definitely a place I would recommend, not only for their food and drinks, but also for the breezy, relaxed atmosphere inside.

I found myself there today for an Austrian Food Bloggers’ Brunch. Invited by a local blogger with a penchant for baking, I headed there this morning a bit nervous, not really knowing what to expect. Three hours later, I left with a spring in my step, having met 5 super friendly bloggers. 5 Austrians and yours truly, we were a varied bunch with different backgrounds, professions, and experiences. The one thing that linked us all together? Food! And blogging about it! The three hours went by in a flash, as coffee and conversation flowed freely. And la Comida? 

The brunch offering at ¡Más! was huge. Cereals, yogurts, breads, meats, cheeses, tortillas, beans, rice, an omelette and waffle station, and more. I tend to be a creature of habit, so I went with a classic: DIY soft tacos.

Tortillas? Flour and corn. Check.

Fillings? Black beans, veggies, and rice. Check.

Final shot before the bite? Check.

The entire morning was just wonderful. I started blogging about restaurants in Vienna for various reasons, but mainly because I wanted to celebrate the food scene here and connect people to some of the various places in town I stumble upon. One of the most unexpected yet welcomed developments from this is that I’ve been fortunate enough to start making connections with others. Among those today? Two hobby bakers who whip up tasty treats and generously share their recipes and beautiful photography with the blogosphere. A financier by day, healthy-living blogger/fitness trainer by night. A writer and recipe developer for the food magazine of one of Austria’s biggest grocers. A girl who, get this, quit her advertising job to complete an adventurous six months working with a Swiss cheese company making cheese and selling it at one of London’s most famed markets. And then little old me, the Southern Californian who finds herself tripping over cobblestone each week to try new places out and write about them here. Today was truly a Viennese Melange, and I so look forward to the next one.

¡Más!
Laudongasse 36
1080 Wien
http://www.restaurante-mas.at/
* Photos 2 and 3 from restaurant website.
Bloggers ‘dabei’ today:
Janneke from http://www.orangenmond.at/
Meliha from http://meliha-sweettimes.blogspot.com/
Ulli from http://fitundgluecklich.net/
Nina from http://salat2null.blogspot.com/
Sarah from http://sarahsatt.com/

Posted in 1080 | Tagged | 12 Comments »

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