Unlike many of Taipei's bakeries that fill their window displays with birthday cakes, breads of differing appearances and pastries of all shapes, the huge glass facade of the Wendel Backerei & Cafe reveals little of the expert baking that takes place within.
The German-style bakery is so unlike many of the city's more ostentatious bakeries in fact, that you could quite easily amble past without noticing it at all. That would be a shame if you enjoy baked goods.
PHOTO: GAVIN PHIPPS, TAIPEI TIMES
For the past two years, German national, Michael Wendel, has been baking up a smorgasbord of some of the most authentic Europe breads, including rye, grain, pumpkin and pumpernickel, rolls, cakes, pies and pretzels to be found in Taipei.
"I don't make my bread or cakes to suit local tastes," Wendel said. "I make sure they're all authentic." By authentic, Wendel means the breads aren't loaded with sugar and other sweeteners, which is one of the main reasons behind his bakery's popularity.
Wendel's store is also popular as a very reasonably-priced European-style bistro, offering diners a choice of savory German fare, such as smoked pork loin, roast chicken, Nurnberger sausage, Frankfurters, mashed potatoes and, of course, sauerkraut.
With set meals ranging in price from NT$110 to NT$260, dining at Wendel's certainly won't break the bank. What could give diners a dilemma, however, is choosing a dessert.
Along with such German staples as Black Forest cake, apple cake, Linzer torte and butter cake, there are countless other yummy pastries, pies and cakes to confound any sweet-toothed diner.
While there is little in the way of interior decor to the Wendel Backerei & Cafe, patrons are afforded a pleasant and airy environment in which to dine on simple and hearty German cuisine. The menu also includes several pasta dishes (NT$100 to NT$120) and submarine sandwiches (NT$90 to NT$110).
In addition to baking up a daily selection of rolls, breads and pastries, Wendel will prepare special breads and bulk orders on request -- should the ingredients be available.
The Taipei Times last week reported that the Control Yuan said it had been “left with no choice” but to ask the Constitutional Court to rule on the constitutionality of the central government budget, which left it without a budget. Lost in the outrage over the cuts to defense and to the Constitutional Court were the cuts to the Control Yuan, whose operating budget was slashed by 96 percent. It is unable even to pay its utility bills, and in the press conference it convened on the issue, said that its department directors were paying out of pocket for gasoline
On March 13 President William Lai (賴清德) gave a national security speech noting the 20th year since the passing of China’s Anti-Secession Law (反分裂國家法) in March 2005 that laid the legal groundwork for an invasion of Taiwan. That law, and other subsequent ones, are merely political theater created by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to have something to point to so they can claim “we have to do it, it is the law.” The president’s speech was somber and said: “By its actions, China already satisfies the definition of a ‘foreign hostile force’ as provided in the Anti-Infiltration Act, which unlike
Mirror mirror on the wall, what’s the fairest Disney live-action remake of them all? Wait, mirror. Hold on a second. Maybe choosing from the likes of Alice in Wonderland (2010), Mulan (2020) and The Lion King (2019) isn’t such a good idea. Mirror, on second thought, what’s on Netflix? Even the most devoted fans would have to acknowledge that these have not been the most illustrious illustrations of Disney magic. At their best (Pete’s Dragon? Cinderella?) they breathe life into old classics that could use a little updating. At their worst, well, blue Will Smith. Given the rapacious rate of remakes in modern
President William Lai’s (賴清德) March 13 national security speech marked a turning point. He signaled that the government was finally getting serious about a whole-of-society approach to defending the nation. The presidential office summarized his speech succinctly: “President Lai introduced 17 major strategies to respond to five major national security and united front threats Taiwan now faces: China’s threat to national sovereignty, its threats from infiltration and espionage activities targeting Taiwan’s military, its threats aimed at obscuring the national identity of the people of Taiwan, its threats from united front infiltration into Taiwanese society through cross-strait exchanges, and its threats from
RSS