Don’t we just love seeing holistic, colorful and mouthwatering brunch spreads on our instagram feeds? They’re usually filled with açaí bowls, croissants, fancy beverages, french toast, smoothies, you name it. However, many of us foodies know at the bottom of our heart that we can’t simply order it all… especially when portion sizes get slightly too big. When I was in Austria, I faced this indecisive problem again in my favorite restaurant ‘Ulrich’ because their selection of brunch food was amazing, filled with items I could definitely not find in the US. However, that made it even harder to decide what to order.
That was until, I saw the “Vegan Wake Up”, a plate which contained:
– Zucchini and sweet corn fritters topped with cashew nut sour cream and avocado
– Beet hummus on toast
– Mini açaí bowl
– Mini porridge & fruits
– Croissant with fresh jam
– Mini green machine smoothie
I thought this would be a group plate, one which was meant to be shared amongst family and friends on a fancy tray. No way would I be getting an American-sized portion of each of those items. The waitress said that it was a plate for one person, so along with my morning coffee, that was what I ordered. Undoubtedly, that was one of the best restaurant decisions I have ever made.
In addition to being the most flavorful and delicious brunch plate I have ever had, I also fell in love with its’ aesthetics.
Item 1: Beetroot Hummus on Toast
I have a weakness for natural-colored food items. Pandan, Matcha, Ube, anything naturally bright, I will develop an obsession for. But this pink beetroot hummus, on top of toast was definitely a first timer which combined two of my favorite flavors: beetroot and hummus. It was absolutely DELICIOUS, there was no artificial food coloring added, and both items were super fresh. Additionally, the toast was scrumptious, it was around half the size of a regular piece of toast you’d buy at the supermarket.
Item 2: Açaí Bowl
Undoubtedly, açaí bowls have been a huge trend which have increased rapidly amongst the restaurant industry over the past few years. Although there has been many debates to whether acaí bowls are actually healthy or not, this little bowl definitely did not bring out my guilty pleasure because it was super small. Imagine the kind of desserts they serve on planes or over high tea. The texture of the açaí was blended extremely well, there were no icy or unblended chunks of fruit and on top of that, the fresh fruit and coconut bits on top were just as fresh.
Also, when was the last time you saw PASSION FRUIT in something? Mine was probably when I was in Thailand!
Item 3: Zucchini and sweet corn fritters topped with cashew nut sour cream and avocado
Trust me, it tastes even more delicious than it sounds. I liked how this little fritter satisfied my taste buds for something hot, crispy and flavorful in the morning but wasn’t served in an excessively large portion. The vegetables on top, the avocado and the fritter blended to make the perfectly unique combination (which definitely cannot be found in many conventional restaurants).
Item 4: Mini Green Machine Smoothie
I hope this photo which shows how the smoothie fit perfectly into the palm of my hand indicates the cuteness and small size of this smoothie! It was super refreshing and kick-started my morning just like after a tiring gym session. This green machine contained pineapple, banana, spinach, apple, ginger and romaine lettuce – nothing too heavy or bloating! Also, can we appreciate the romaine lettuce enhancing the aesthetic please?
Item 5: Mini Porridge with Fruits
Pictured on the right, this mini ‘porridge’ with fresh fruit was adorable and contained just the right amount of sweetness, blended amongst the super soft consistency of porridge (or oatmeal)? Honestly, I couldn’t really tell if this was a specific type of porridge or oatmeal, but either way it was scrumptious.
Final Item 6: Croissant and Fresh Jam
Did you know that the croissant actually originated in Vienna? In 1683, to celebrate the victory and resistance of Vienna against the Turkish invasion, Viennese bread makers created this roll which looks like a crescent moon, the same moon which appears on the Turkish flag! I finished the plate by munching on this croissant with the little bowl of strawberry jam on my plate. This may have been the best brunch I have ever had.
This foodie experience allowed me to try the sweet, the savory, the fusion of flavors and basically everything in between. I truly hope that one day, this concept of “a little bit of everything” gets incorporated into more restaurants around the world, because it does bring a lot of joy being able to try a bit of everything, in the right portion, while having your cravings all satisfied in one single sitting.
Who knows when we’ll be able to travel again, but in the meantime catch some of my other foodie travel journeys in: