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‘We want people to realize it’s okay to think outside the box’

Carolynn Baker and Pearly Teo have opened their own café in Gothenburg, and it's nothing like traditional Swedish fika.

'We want people to realize it's okay to think outside the box'
Carolynn Baker and Pearly Teo have brought a slice of Alice in Wonderland to Sweden. Photo: Down the Rabbit Hole Café

As many of The Local's international readers may agree, being thrust into the unknown by moving to a new country like, for example, Sweden sometimes feels like you have fallen down the rabbit hole.

But for two Alice in Wonderland fans from the US and Singapore, this is exactly where they wanted to be.

So when Carolynn Baker and Pearly Teo opened a new café in Gothenburg, they both agreed to turn it into a wonderful, chaotic mishmash of colours, flavours and most of all, fun.

“We don't take life so seriously, we want to encourage people to be more creative and embrace it, realize that it's okay to think outside the box,” says 29-year-old Baker, a passionate ice tea drinker from Texas, who moved to Sweden seven years ago.

She and Teo speak to The Local just a few weeks after opening the doors to their Down the Rabbit Hole Café.


Photo: Down the Rabbit Hole Café

“We're both fans of Alice in Wonderland and wanted to do a new take on Swedish 'fika'. A lot of cafés serve the same thing – coffee and cinnamon buns – and we wanted something whimsical and different, not a normal café,” explains Baker. “A creative experience.”

She and Teo met when Baker was hosting a convention dedicated to Japanese Lolita fashion – dressing up as Japanese Victorian-style dolls – in Sweden. Teo, who was working as a food vendor at the time, provided the catering for the event.

They quickly became friends and after Teo, 29, who came to Sweden from Singapore almost three years ago, told Baker about her dream to open a café, they eventually also became business partners.

“I wanted to start a food truck, but because of all the red tape in the city, it was actually easier to start a café,” says Teo. “We started looking for café spaces early this year, but in Sweden it's important to have a good location because people don't want to travel.”

“Then we had to get all the paperwork signed, but it was close to the summer holidays, so people stopped working – you know what it's like in Sweden,” she laughs.

“They're like 'bye!',” Baker interjects about the Nordic habit of taking at least four weeks off in summer.


Photo: Down the Rabbit Hole Café

With talented self-trained chef Teo mainly in charge of the menu, the Down the Rabbit Hole Café serves a mix of Asia-inspired lunches a well as a huge variety of tea and cupcakes.

“A lot of foreigners here start up businesses because they can't find jobs. I don't actually have a degree in cooking, so a lot of Swedish places wouldn't hire me,” says Teo.

The food is mostly vegetarian, and they have made a conscious effort to provide plenty of vegan options as well. The furniture is provided by their friends at Recreate Design Company in Gothenburg, which upcycles scrap material to give it a new lease of life.

“A lot of people have loved the idea and the food,” says Baker. “It's been fun to make different cool recipes. Making them vegan has been a fun challenge.”

“I love the dumplings. We make vegan homemade soy mince dumplings. My favourite sweets are the matcha cupcakes,” she adds. “It's all ecological, fair trade, locally produced stuff – my neighbours have a farm so we buy the eggs from them.”


Photo: Down the Rabbit Hole Café

For now, the pair are busy being wrapped up in the experience of running their own café, seeing its popularity grow by word of mouth and enjoying the familial community feel of the area (their opening hours aren't set in stone and if they feel like staying open longer on any given day they often do).

But that will not stop them from making plans for the future. “We do eventually want to open a restaurant, or a food truck in summer, or maybe other themed cafés,” says Teo, adding that their philosophy is to seize the moment. “Life is short and you don't know what's going to happen with all the things going on in the world.”

“Alice in Wonderland takes you back to being innocent no matter your age,” adds Baker, who says she feels integrated in the Gothenburg community and at home in Sweden. “We have to remember to embrace that.”

For members

FOOD AND DRINK

Five budget-friendly bars for a night out in Malmö

For Eurovision visitors, students or anyone else looking to have a good evening without breaking the bank, Malmö has plenty of pubs – which is good news for beer drinkers, as alcohol is famously expensive in Sweden.

Five budget-friendly bars for a night out in Malmö

Most of these are around the Möllan neighbourhood, which is more or less the centre of the city’s nightlife.

A general tip if you’re buying a beer anywhere in Sweden and aren’t too bothered about the exact one you get is to order a stor stark, literally a “big strong one”. These are usually half a litre of beer at around 5.5 percent ABV, so bear that in mind if that’s more than what you’re used to.

Nobes

Technically known as Gamle Nobes Bodega, everyone in Malmö calls it Nobes. Originally opened in 1937, Nobes is the closest you’re going to get to a British-style pub or German Bierhalle, with its tiled floor and rustic dark wooden décor.

As far as food is concerned, Nobes has some of the best traditional Swedish food in Malmö, with its kålpudding cabbage casserole, served with gravy, potatoes, pickled cucumber and lingonberry jam a must (it’s better than it sounds, we promise).

They have a dart board and sometimes have live music, and you can choose from a range of draft or bottled beers, ciders and wines.

Expect to pay a minimum of 60 kronor for a beer and around 160 kronor for food.

Address: Kristianstadsgatan 36

Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 2pm-midnight, Fri 2pm-1am, Sat noon-1am and Sun noon-midnight

Ölkaféet

This is one of the most popular pubs in the Möllan neighbourhood, and that’s not just because it’s the unofficial supporters bar of the local football team, Malmö FF.

They’re cheap and cheerful, with reasonably priced pub grub, a heated outdoor seating area with views over the Möllan square and football matches on the TV, if that’s your kind of thing.

They even have a small library, a gallery wall with works by local artists, and board games like backgammon, checkers and chess, which you can borrow.

If there are no seats (it can get busy on the weekend), Vegan Bar next door is a good alternative, even for non-vegans.

A standard 50cl beer (veckans öl or “beer of the week”, despite the fact it hasn’t changed in years) costs around 65 kronor, with a burger costing around 140 kronor.

Address: Södra Skolgatan 43 – or just walk to the Möllevångstorget square and look for the bright blue awnings.

Opening hours: All days 10am-1am

Rex Pizzeria

Rex, on Nobelvägen, is probably the best example of a classic Swedish pizzeria that you can find in Malmö.

A warning: leave any expectation of Italian-style pizzas at the door, as Rex is firmly in the Swedish-style fulpizza category.

Their pizzas, such as the Tropicana, with cheese, tomato, ham, banana and curry powder, almost make a Hawaiian pizza look tame – although you can get more normal pizza toppings too if banana and curry is a bit too wild for you. They also have vegetarian and vegan options, for groups with allergies or other dietary restrictions.

Pizzas aside, Rex is also a popular pub with cheap drinks, shuffleboard and pool tables, and a nice outdoor serving area in summer. They often host quizzes, standup or other entertainment in their event room in the basement.

Beers cost around 60 kronor and pizzas range from 70 to 140 kronor.

Address: Nobelvägen 107

Opening hours: Tues-Sat 11am-1am, Sun-Mon 11am-11pm

Azalee

If you’re looking for a cheap bar which also provides the evening’s entertainment, Azalee’s your best bet.

This bar is a bizarre mix of casino, karaoke bar and pub, and an evening of karaoke here is equally as entertaining whether you’re getting up on stage yourself or just listening to the other guests get progressively worse at singing as the night goes on.

They offer classic pub fare at around 150-200 kronor and reasonably priced drinks.

Address: Claesgatan 8

Opening hours: Weds-Tors 4pm-1am, Fre-Sat 4pm-3am

Karaoke: Weds and Thurs, 8pm-1am, Friday and Saturday 8pm-3am

Blackjack Weds-Sat 6pm-close

Entry fee: 50kr after 11pm on weekends

Lion Bar

The picturesque Lilla Torg area of Malmö is not known for being cheap, but Lion Bar (a national chain) is an exception, offering a 40cl beer for under 40kr.

Food wise, they offer standard pub grub – nachos, buffalo wings, mozzarella sticks, burgers and so on – with deals on some food items.

Unsurprisingly, the prices rise if you stray from the special offers, particularly if ordering cocktails or wine.

Address: Landbygatan 4

Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 3pm-midnight, Fri-Sat 3pm-1am

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