Growing up looking at photos of my Papa’s business trip and watching movies made me want to travel and see the world. I was able to recognize Europe on the world map when my Dad left for a month long training to France. The postcards, souvenirs and stories during his trip made me dream and want to explore Europe. My dream to be able to set foot at Europe came true when I was given a chance to volunteer for World Youth Day 2005.
The movie Sound of Music played a big part on why I want to visit Austria, but sadly I did not get a chance during my trip. It is still on my list of places to visit and hopefully this time with my own family. Travelling with the family needs a lot of planning since we need to be able to cater to everyone’s interest. One thing I know for sure is that we all agree that to fully explore and immerse oneself during trips is to explore the food scene.
Join me as we explore the food scene of Vienna, Austria in the comforts of our home (for now).
It’s always a good idea to start our day with a cup of coffee paired with Demel cake at one of Vienna’s must stop coffee shop, Demel.
Wien, Cafe Demel, Copyright http://www.peterrigaud.com
Grab some more pastries on your way out, we might get hungry as we try to find our way to Burggarten. Living in the concrete jungle of Dubai make our eyes long for some greenery and the court garden is the best place to hang out and let the kids run.
Österreich, Wien, Hofburg Copyright WienTourismus
My kids are hungry after all that walk and running around the garden so it’s time to get lunch. This time let us explore the city riding a horse carriage or a Fiaker, the horse clickety clack steps will lull the kids to take a nap.
It’s time to wake them up as we approach St. Stephans Cathedral, we get off here and say our thanks for the blessing of visiting this beautiful place. A few steps away from the cathedral is Vienna’s oldest coffee shop, the Café Diglas. I heard from friends that this is the best place to be among the locals and not that crowded with tourists. We are craving for bratwurst and schnitzel for lunch. Make sure you leave some room for pastries.
Cafe Diglas
Copyright WienTourismus
I think it’s time to head back to the hotel and give the kids a proper rest and prepare for an evening stroll.
Thank you for joining me in this armchair journey to Vienna, Austria.
Have you been to Vienna? What are your top 5 must do in Vienna with kids?
The Taiwanese restaurant is known for it’s Xiao Long Bao (XLB), a dumpling with soup inside. Anthony Bourdain refers to them as “pillow of happiness.”
We informed our server that it was our first time and she patiently explained how to eat the famous dumpling. She also prepared a ginger, soy and rice vinegar dip to complete our XLB experience.
DTF does not have a separate children’s menu which is ok, we ordered fried rice and dumplings for the kids. LittleMiss was offered a high chair and they provided a kiddie plate as well, that made her really happy.
It was surprising that we were only handed a two pages lunch menu, refreshing as it gave an impression that the dishes were carefully chosen. They now have a 3 course menu selection with shisha for AED 119 per person from 12pm until 4pm.
This is probably one of the best smoked salmon I’ve ever had, presented on top of a flatbread with marinated onion and dill mascarpone. It is a rich creamy appetizer that could be shared among 3 people as it can be overwhelming for just one person.
We finally settled for Chicken Breast with cauliflower and parsnip puree, spinach and grilled asparagus for LittleMiss, she just asked to please add some French fries to which the server agreed.  The chicken was juicy and seasoned well, most importantly our little girl enjoyed every bite. “Not crunchy but still good with fries.”
Kuya V had Beef Burger with smoked Veal strips and served with fries. I didn’t got a chance to taste but according to V it was a good burger.
Beef Tenderloin done medium well was served with sautéed mushrooms, spinach salad and pomegranate. The meat was seasoned well, soft and juicy; it was delicious accompanied with the sauce.
Spaghetti with Alaskan Crab, lemon butter, zest, chili and basil. The lemon sauce with a right amount of chili heat really went well with the generous amount of crab meat.
LittleMiss starts FS1 in her new school. I wanted to prepare something that will make her smile while she’s in school. She was crying when I left her but was very happy when I picked her up after class. Thankful that her schoolmates made her feel happy.
Kuya V was excited to see his friends. It’s going to be a busy month for us since we are preparing for his term 1 exams. How I wish they stuck with the exam schedules we had last school year, it was less stressful for all of us.
The night before we bought bread from Ceasars Bakeshop for baon. Chicken Tikka Roll for Kuya V and Cheese Bun for LittleMiss.
Bread was toasted on a hot frying pan with butter because I don’t own a toaster.
LittleMiss on the other hand had an open sandwich because that’s the way she like it.
LittleMiss don’t like to eat eggs but she came home with just 1 Quail egg left (a win for me!) and of course she complained “Mama, remember I don’t like eggs.”
They have a good selection of favorite desserts like brownies, petit fours, profiteroles and fruits. Our favorite dessert is the Mango Panna Cotta and chocolate fondant.
Cuddles and Crumbs 