PaiGu

Vienna is full of cafes, restaurants, and markets. Naschmarkt was my favourite market in all of Europe, a slice of gastronomic heaven in the middle of a lively city.

Our first night in Vienna was a Sunday night, so most stores and even restaurants were closed. We settled on going to a family-run Chinese restaurant with a very diverse (and questionable) menu that included: Chinese food, Thai food, Malay food, and Japanese food.

The next day, we walked through the oh-so-hip MuseumsQuartier, which had a post-modern installation of hot pink blocks that many young Viennese hipsters were sunbathing in, and decided to stop for coffee at one of its cafes.

I had a specialty Viennese coffee, which really didn’t taste any different from regular coffee.

We tried the Original Sacher Torte at the Sacher hotel restaurant. It looks just like a chocolate cake, but the difference is that there’s a layer of apricot jam in the middle that gives it a tang.
» Read the rest of this entry «

Although I can’t review all the places I eat at in Europe, that doesn’t mean I can’t post tantalizing photos! That is what the “Eating Europe” posts will feature: food from different cities that I eat at! I’ve already reviewed Taller de Tapas of Barcelona, today’s post features our dinner in Narbonne, where our waiter did not speak a word of English.

» Read the rest of this entry «

Taller de Tapas is a chain restaurant in Barcelona, Spain. We sought out its location in the Barri Gothic district on our first night in Barcelona, having read promising reviews online.

Our server did not speak very much English, but we got by with my Spanish. Service was moderately attentive by North American standards, very attentive by Spanish standards. Although the restaurant was nearly empty when we walked in, it started filling up as the meal went on (mostly with tourists, unfortunately).

We started with a pitcher of sangria, which came with large chunks of fruit. The Spanish really know how to make a good sangria. Then the food started coming.

The deep-fried cuttlefish was the best I’ve ever had, with a practically non-existent batter and fresh cuttlefish. Instead of the usual rubbery-ness of fried foods in the squid family, this cuttlefish was surprisingly tender, although still chewy.

Patatas bravas is the Spanish take on home fries. The potatoes were average but the smoked paprika sauce was an interesting twist from ketchup back home. » Read the rest of this entry «