It was our last night in Austria and it was a sad time as we were at the end of our whirlwind trip to the land of The Sound of Music, Mozart and Christmas Markets. To toast our final night we start the evening with some cake and a liqueur beverage. The kuchen at The Grand, sister hotel of The Ring where we are staying, is well known and I eagerly try a piece. It’s lovely and moist and not at all with a dusting of icing sugar on top.
I also try one of their drinks which is generous with booze and warming. I was too overwhelmed with trying to take photos in the dark room to write down what it was called though-oops!
We then move onto the place of our last meal in Vienna, Kulinarium 7 which is an example of modern Austrian food. It’s headed by two young chefs, one of them being Max Aichinger born in Barcelona of Japanese parentage and Richard Leitner. Its a modern wine bar and shop as well as restaurant and there are large share tables. A man nurses a glass of wine facing the window and types on his laptop while other small groups share meals and wines.
Operator Philipp Prodinger shows us the wines in the cellar
Amuse bouche: Cream of cauliflower soup in a test tube
We start downstairs in the wine cellar. Philipp explains that most of the wines in the cellar are Austrian of course but some Australian numbers do feature. Kulinarium 7 has been open for two and a half years and is known for their wine matching dinners. They currently store between 15,000-17,000 mostly Austrian wines in their cellar.
In paper fried char smoked with mashed potato, pumpkin, veal sauce served with Gruner Veltliner Alte Reben 2007 by Peter Uhler Grinzing Vienna
A paper covered dish arrives and it’s hot having been just baked in the oven. The waiters whip the paper off and what is presented to us is rather unexpected. I had expected a stew type dish and something a bit more rustic but it’s a pool of mash, a disc of pumpkin and some delicate pieces of fried char fish (an Arctic fish). I take a bite and swoon – it’s fantastic and an unexpected winning combination with the smokiness of the mash going well with the char and creamy mash.
Oxtail consomme with beef tartar and egg served with Gemischter Satz Scrammler Grand reserve 2006 Fritz Wieneger Stammersdorf Vienna
This course is a two-parter, a delicious demitasse cup of aromatic and perfect oxtail consomme and a gorgeous beef tartar disc with a softly cooked egg yolk which is given a bright red colour from being marinated in beetroot with salt and sugar. The yolk is set but not cooked all the way through and is uniquely sumptuous in texture. The texture of this is amazing, like a cream cheese but with a richness like a thick egg yolk. We’re all impressed by the innovation.
Breast of Barbarie Duck, red cabbage tofu, bretzen dumpling, orange jus served with Triologie ZW, CS, M 2007 Fritz Wieneger Stammersdorf Vienna
Again I was expecting something more rustic looking but it’s most definitely modern. Beautifully presented, the breast is pink inside and tender but the real revelation of the cubes of red cabbage tofu which melt in the mouth with a light, sweet red cabbage taste and a jellyish texture. The slice of bretzen dumpling is a perfect accompaniment and all elements combine wonderfully.
Semolina schmarr’n, poppy seed ice cream and grape caramel served with Beerenauslese Cuvee 2006 Weinlaubenhof Kracher, Illmitz
The semolina schmarr’n are semolina dumplings that remind me of thick biscotti soaked in syrup. I recently made Kaiserschmarrn which were more like pancakes but these are denser. I don’t really go for these but I do like the poppyseed ice cream.
Klimt’s The Kiss Chocolates
And to finish off the food? Gorgeous rich Klimt “The Kiss” chocolates!
We go downstairs for a surprise tasting and we break into two teams: girls vs boys. Philipp hands us a glass of schnapps and asks us to sniff them. Some are very strong and obvious straight away (beetroot, coffee and carrot) whereas others are more elusive (elderflower). We are all a bit tipsy and we stumble out, our last dinner in Austria eaten and what a wonderful night it was! So long farewell, auf weidersehen good-bye. I hate to go and leave this pretty sight…
So tell me Dear Reader, are you very good at those food or wine guessing games?
Not Quite Nigella travelled to Austria as a guest of the Austrian National Tourist Office and Emirates Airline.
Kulinarium 7
1070 Wien – Spittelberg Sigmundgasse / Siebensterngasse, Austria
Tel: +43 01 / 522 33 77
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26 Comments | Add your own
What a fantastic way to end a wonderful trip!
Love the schnapps tasting, YUM. How gorgeous do those chocolates look?!
Oh I wish I’d done something like THAT in Vienna!!
oooh schnapps reminds me of Austria when I was young and a traveller lots of warming in the tummy hahaha and lots of shots of it .
love enjoying your wondeful food tours with you Lorraine!
I like the Master Chef guess the ingredients game. I must admit to getting a bit too carried away and my children cringe, as I yell at the t.v and contestants.
I wish I’d spent more time in Vienna and Salzburg and done it as extensively as you did. Lol at stumbling out after the schnapps tasting!
Gosh.. that is just spectacular… the sad thing about going on a tour (which I did), you only get highlights and not get the full experience…
Lucky you!
Poppyseed ice cream! And I just posted about my dark chocolate with poppyseeds… how’s that for synchronicity? We’re, like, totally, like, poppyseed soul sisters!
It sounds like a wonderful trip. Now I need a dictionary to figure out what the foods are. I have never heard of most of them except for chocolate and wines. I love reading about your ventures in eating at restaurants, and see duck a lot, but not sure of all of the rest. Looks inviting. I know you love to eat as you describe your meals very well. Great photos or everything.
Yum to everything, what a wonderful way to end your Austrian gourmet trip. Me come too next time!
I’ve never engaged in a formal food/wine guessing game but figure I’d go pretty close at guessing correctly, given my obsession with eating. ;_)
NQN m back again after a long long time!!! missed uu soo muchhh!!! hope ye enjoying summer!! great place and loving the foods and all the wines
Those chocolate look delicious!!
Beetroot and carrot schnapps sound very odd and also interesting.
Ive really enjoyed your Austrian posts NQN! =)
Another fabulous meal with Lorraine! That poppyseed ice cream is truly intriguing! Yum!
I’ve loved reading all your stories from this trip – how wonderful it sounds! I’ll definitely have to get there while i’m living in Europe. We used to have a gorgeous little schnaps bar in Adelaide which I used to frequent on winter nights. I’m completely rubbish at guessing what most drinks are though!
Miss B xx
Lorraine, I’ve really enjoyed reading about your trip! It sounds like a particularly magical time. Thanks for sharing!
Don’t those semolina dumplings look wonderful!! I do love Austria – so many places I want to travel.
Definitely a fantastic way to end your trip!! Looks like you had a fantastic time in Austria — I’m very jealous!!
To be honest, I’ve never played any of those food or drink guessing games…is that normal? I’d love to do one of those chocolate guessing games…but the schnapps game could be fun as well!
Farewells are always so difficult. Thank you for sharing your beautiful memories Lorraine…WOW!!
I just sent your Klimt chocolates to my sister-in-law whose nuts about this artist.
Nursing a glass of wine while on the laptop…I think that mysterious man may have been onto something;O)
Thanks again for bringing me back to lovely elegant Vienna!
Flavourful wishes,
Claudia
so hard to say goodbye. or auf wiedersehen, as the case may be.
Bye Bye Austria! Now I have The Sound of Music in my head-har har!
Wow… what a way to end what must have been a trip of a life time! I wonder where you will be whisked off to next? This trip would be hard to top
xxx
You have such a way with reporting, Lorraine, I always feel like I’m there with you. There were so many great dishes at Kulinarium, I have a lot of ideas to play with thanks to you.. especially that fish with the pumpkin.. sounds awesome!
Looks like a great end to your trip
Love the look of the duck. Mmmm….
I’m sad to see the end of your Austria series, it was absolutely lovely, Lorraine. It’s definitely on my “to-visit” list now!
Wow all that food looks incredible. Yum
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