I love Barbies.

I just love them. I always have + always will.

I bought my first Barbie Dreamhouse at three with money that I made modelling for a ski magazine.

advertizement for my first dreamhouse! **that little girl is not me + i did not take this photo**

There is just something about that Barbie hot-pink, the look of Barbie’s tiny pumps, a glance of the Mattel logo, the smell of the Barbie plastic that fills me with warm, fuzzy feelings.

So naturally, when I discovered that the one + only Barbie Cafe IN THE WORLD is in Taipei, it was immediately added to my list of must-sees.

A couple of weeks ago, I finally got to go with two of my friends, Mandy + Lisa.

I arrived in the middle of a huuuuuge rainstorm. This summer has been particularly bad one for typhoons + rain, so the rain wasn’t a huge surprise, but it definitely cramped my style. I mean, I wanted to show up to the Barbie Cafe + make Barbie proud! Pink lipstick, pink suede heels, faux acid wash denim dress… The shoes were quickly replaced with flip-flops + I arrived drenched. Wah wah…

Despite feeling like a drowned ’80s rat, once out of the MRT, I simply had to follow the pink glow.

Once up the fluorescent staircase lined with pink Barbie silhouette mirrors, it was like I had died + gone to Barbie heaven.

The walls inside are all either pink glitter, mirrors with appliques of Barbie or cutout silhouettes, or large prints of vintage Barbies + vintage Barbie design sketches. The chairs have pink socks on their legs + some have corseted backs. There are also display boxes with real Barbies doing Barbie things.

I will admit that I thought the place would be all spectacle with little to show for quality of food. Oh, Barbie, was I wrong! The food was delicious!

The bright green soup was a delicious bacon cream (don’t ask why it was bright green, I can only imagine because bright green + hot pink are just divine when coupled), the scallop app was delectable, the mushroom risotto was fab + the desserts were heavenly–I got the chocolate mud cake, Lisa got arguably the cutest fruit cake in the world.

All in all, I will say, if you like Barbie even half as much as I do, the Barbie Cafe in Taipei is a must!

The whole time we were at the Barbie Cafe, they played songs form Justin Bieber’s first album. (Yes, I’m a closet Belieber.) But I’ll end this one with what was on the radio when I first found my love for the Barbie doll. After all, striking poses got me that first Dreamhouse.

Vogue!