There’s a kid stuck up on top of the playground castle, squirting tears, and screaming, ‘Papa! It’s too high!’ I smirk and dive in for another spoonful of the delicious steaming broth with prawns bobbing up and down in it. Life is good and I’m a childless smirking bastard at Vienna’s China Bar.
“China Bar, and the food it serves up, is an expression of a love for life and people.”
Wearing orange/brown shoes, a red designer cap and a charismatic smile, I believe and agree full-heartedly with Simon, the owner of China Bar. It’s all about life here at China Bar. And good food, of course. The sounds of children playing dominate from the neighbouring playground, alongwith the occasional yell from one of the parents who sit under the shady trees of the China Bar garden, with glasses of Austrian wine or Chinese beer, and a relaxed look about them. This is a common scene here, on any given evening of the week.
The open, cosmopolitan and social personality of China Bar, perched on Burggasse, just kind of hits you, and I soon realise that the endearing nature of the place is largely a reflection of Simon.
“For me, ever since I was young, when my parents used to let me have friends over and I would cook for them, eating is a social thing. It’s a kind of communication. Simon has successfully transported the charm of the street food culture of Asia to a European setting.
“I was always excited by the street food scene in Asia, but I didn’t exactly want to do that here. I wanted to bring the atmosphere of it to Vienna on a European level.”
You won’t find anything like the China Bar’s menu in Vienna. While it’s inspired from China’s coastal Shanghai region in which Simon grew up – hence the abundance of seafood (sourced from the Adriatic ocean) – every dish has its own unique fusion twist.
“I’ve taken many elements from the recipes of my childhood. I grew up in a region between Shanghai and Hong Kong which is very interesting in terms of its cuisine. Due to it being a tropical area, herbs and ingredients would grow all year round.”
Going on Simon’s recommendation, I have as my starter an Asian-style beef tartare (beef tartare with an egg yolk balancing on top, and a side of ginger). The combination of the plate’s ingredients is unimaginable until you’ve tried it. The key to selecting from this menu, is to choose what makes your nose screw up (but in a good way). We go for the seafood broth and the fried rice with fresh local leek. Both are very tasty.
The garden effectively draws you into the intimate insides of the China Bar. And the interior matches Simon’s dress sense: casually stylish; made up of old wooden tables and chairs, and copper ashtrays. It’s also a setting equally fitting for drinks with a group of friends, or a dinner for two. Swing music plays in the background. And we love the lamp that looks like an old tattered ballerina’s dress hanging over the dining table in front of the window.
“The idea is that the China Bar is not contained by four walls, but spills out into the open, onto the street,” Simon tells me. “I’m a person that loves the mix of nature, public space and outside dining.”
I particularly love the bench seats scattered with pillows that are wrapped around the garden’s trees.
“I’m fond of the people that come here – this is a place where I want people to come to escape the repetitiveness of their everyday lives, and be happy,” Simon tells me this before raising his glass and stating with a mighty big smile – ‘to life’.
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