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.
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!
You so funny! How did you not take me there? We can do that next time, after the river tracing… xxx