Food for the soul II : Budapest

Budapest, Hungary, our last stop on our 8-day post exams budget tour, was everything and had everything. Its sights were amazing: Pest especially, with its vibrant culture and where old meets new. What I loved most, was not its food, but the very fact that you'd be on a rather dodgy street one moment and yet with a right turn, end up right in front of an ultra cool, glitzy art gallery opening complete with state of the art sound system playing smooth world music, enveloping the 2-storey open-concept contemporary gallery and separating it from its shoddy surroundings. Its open-aired baths were also an experience not to be missed - from embarrassing moments in the changing room (am definitely not used to that much nudity in one day) to soaking up thermal waters in a pool of retirees wearing their surgical scars showed that in this resort-like public complex, body sizes;age;ugly scars do not matter. Okay, maybe body sizes did matter, but I try to get by through denial.

Having heard a lot about the Central Market in Budapest, I badgered my travel buddies into a trip there. But expectations fell flat. Borough Market, London seemed to trump it at all levels. While I did get to try the Hungarian apple strudel, the huge complex was not so much a food market but rather a vegetable market. :( cool, but nothing different.































Lunch was at Gerloczy Kavehaz, this quaint cafe in the middle of a hidden downtown area. Apart from very reasonable prices, impeccable service, the food was also superb. Which really proves that good food does not always come with a crazy price tag. It was also here that we met fellow (almost) Singaporeans. The 4 expats asked if we were from Singapore (darn the unmistakable accent) and told us happily that 'we're from there too'. Interesting. Okay, back to food. I ordered a set lunch which cost me about 9 quid after conversion - Fried mushrooms in breadcrumbs with rice for starters, and grilled fillet mignon with pork. (dessert was so-so) Cheng had the same starter but opted for spicy sausage and creamy potatoes. Jia and Tan had local specials which all turned out really good.




















































































































On the last day, Jia and I explored Budapest on our own after the boys left for London. Finding our way to the thermal baths, loads of walking and ending the day with a slice of heaven each from Gerbeaud's (i swear we took pictures, but i can't find them now) was great fun and fact that we girls can survive without the boys' map reading skills (Cheng not included).

Food for the Soul : Vienna

Vienna- the land of the Wiener Schnitzel, the opera and of course the sachertorte.

After a whirlwind trip to Salzburg the very same day (6hours before Vienna) and hiking up 50km to see some fantabulous ice caves, food for our stomachs were in order. And what way better to experience Viennese food but by going to their local pubs and ordering 0.3l of their local beer and a Wiener Schnitzel to go along with it. For some strange reason, Viennese restaurants had the most amazing potato salad that perfectly complemented the breaded/battered schnitzel with its cold, pickled taste. The boys told me that pumpkin seed oil was used as a dressing! The said oil has been locally (or perhaps just that article) agreed to be an aphrodisiac.. interesting because a quick check with wiki did also highlight its highly beneficial medicinal purposes, more specifically, ahem, to treat irritable bowel syndrome. I don't know about you, but I would much prefer to call them aphros than the latter!
































Being the sweet tooth (or the eat-all girl) of the group, I steered our sightseeing towards the Opera, and more importantly, the hotel facing the Opera, world famous for its Sachertorte, Hotel Sacher. It was the quintessential victorian-esque tea parlour complete with chandeliers and delicate china. The Sachertorte was not as rich as I would have liked it to be, but still very much a delight. Just sitting in the parlour surrounded by pieces of history (created or preserved) made me feel that I did play part in its history, no matter how small a part, by eating the sachertorte and preserving its legacy. oui?
































































Apart from exploring the foodscape of Vienna, we spent the last day cycling around the lovely city, making it another perfect memory of the 4 days there. Watching Eurocup 2008, Turkey vs Portugal, swearing whenever Portugal scored, cycling down the streets of Vienna, being dared to ride some of the most terrible funfair nightmares (and taking them on because I wanted to prove that I was not that pathetic. Not that smart), throwing up violently after the 3 rides and lastly a complete stranger- an old lady offered me a sweet and told me how her heart ached that I was retching so violently left memories etched in my mind. For all the right reasons and wrong reasons, Vienna though not much different from any other European city, will remain special.