Imaging a cold winter night, it’s windy and raining outside or snowing or sometimes both. You went into this very crowded small restaurant, and as soon as you opened the door, the warm steamy air along with the smell of mouth-watering food came into your face. The hot Kinchi Jjigae (Korean stew-like hot pot) was still boiling when served. The tofu and the thinly-sliced pork belly meat soaked up the rich flavor of the kimchi soup….

This is why I always go back to this small place again and again, when the service is even not very friendly!

Cupcake yet again. Vienna City is in love with cupcakes now, so am I.

Gerstner is one of my favorite pastry shop/café in Vienna and it is also one of the old K&K Hofzuckerbäckerei (appointed Imperial Court Confectioner) of Austria.

The café on the shopping street Kärntner Straße is not very spacious but elegantly decorated in sapphire color and dark wood chair with marble table, and is always, always full of people.

Tonkatsu is breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet and a popular dish in Japan, often served with shredded cabbage. Katsukura on Kyoto’s busiest shopping district Kawaramachi (河原町) is the most famous restaurant for Tonkatsu in Kyoto. Each customer gets a mortar and pestle to grind fresh sesame and mix it into the special sauce for the pork.

Here in the picture is a tonkatsu menu with seasonal yuba (Tofu skin) rolls.

Cupcakes became very popular this year in Vienna. Many pastry shops, even some traditional Viennese Konditorei start to display these colorful little sweet things in their windows.

I got this one in Cup Cakes, a lovely cake shop where you feel the passion of the owner/cake designer immediately after entering. It’s with Heidelbeer (European blueberry) -Topfen cream and chocolate cake.

I was in Japan last year and brought this small can of matcha from Uji, the ancient city that has been famous for green tea cultivation since centuries, after attending a tea ceremony.

Here’s an animation video on how to prepare matcha: http://www.ippodo-tea.co.jp/tea/matcha_01.html

*This matcha latte is with soy milk and muscovado sugar.

Spiced red wine poached pear.

Wine suggested : Gewürztraminer “Vendange Tardive” Domaine Trimbach 1999.

*Michelin Guide 

Smoked caramel ice cream with chocolate pistils.

Wine suggested : Gewürztraminer “Vendange Tardive” Domaine Trimbach 1999.

*Michelin Guide 

Veal sweetbread pâté baked in pie crust.

Wine suggested on the menu: Sancerre─Domaine Vacheron 2008.

*Michelin Guide 

Dugléré style whelks with hot mayonnaise sauce.

Wine suggested on the menu: Sancerre─Domaine Vacheron 2008.

*Michelin Guide 

Pan-fried milk pork marinated in Tandoori spices.

Wine suggested by the head sommelier: Clos Marie Cuvée Simon 1999 in Coteaux du Languedoc Pic Saint Loup.

*Michelin Guide