Coffee at the Wiener Kaffeehaus

Just hearing the word `coffee' makes me smile. `Coffee' is to me as the bell is to Pavlov's dog. It excites, rejuvenates, and promises.

I had coffee at the newly established Wiener Kaffeehaus this past weekend. The coffeehouse is decorated in the art nouveau style, with a grand picture of Gustav Klimt's The Kiss (see above) on their walls.

For $3.50, I had their Einspaenner (single horse carriage). The Einspaenner is a Viennese blend coffee topped with whipped cream. And why is it called a single horse carriage? It is because it is served in a glass with large handle, since the horse handler needed one hand for the horse's bridle. The mug of slightly sourish coffee was served over a dolly, with cubes of sugar and a small glass of water.

We also had the Sachertorte, a chocolate cake. I was wondering why it tasted a little tangy, until I saw the orange seep from in between the chocolate. It is a good old-fashioned fairly dense cake, but the orange threw it a little off for me. In any case, cake is not my thing so don't take my word on this.

Quite a good experience, though the service could be a little less gruff. Granted they don't charge GST or a service charge, but the place is done up so nicely that the least you can do is smile and be polite.

But go and patronise. The owner had to apply for 20 permits from various authorities just to install the roaster in a restored shophouse. As Jamie Oliver puts it, "No wonder there isn't good coffee in Singapore!"