middle eastern/turkish: TRUVA

TRUVA
No. 3, Lane 181, An Ho Road, Sec 2
(02) 2737-0037

website: wretch.cc/blog/truvataipei

$$-$$$

Kid friendliness: 5/29/2009

Visit reviewed: high chairs available




What is more important? First impressions or last impressions?

If it's first impressions, Truva gave us great first impressions. The waitress (and owner?) patiently went through the extensive menu with us, explaining different things and making recommendations. The restaurant was smaller than I expected, but elegantly designed with rich colors and a prominent bar. The restaurant was nearly empty when we arrived for dinner, but it gave us a more private feeling.



But if it's last impressions, well, let me know what you think. Some reviews I had read about Truva complained about the bottled water charge (that they serve bottled water without asking and then you are charged for it), so I was prepared for that- it's pretty common in a lot of the nicer restaurants in town (and nothing could be worse than the one time my friends and I ended up paying US$40 for just Fuji bottled water in Vegas when we didn't know we were getting charged by the bottle rather than by the person).

Instead, I happened to catch multiple charges for pita bread on the bill (it was complimentary as part of the appetizer as well as the shrimp dish) and the waitress apologized and looked like she was going to fix it. But then the owner came back and said something along the lines of, "I gave you extra pita bread with your appetizer. It usually comes with 1, but I gave you 3."



Ummm... Wait a second, if he gave it to us (rather than us requesting it) then isn't it a gift aka free of charge? I was a bit annoyed, but we paid the bill rather than debating with him. I had raised the point and he made his. It couldn't have been more than a NT$160 charge, but the more I thought about it, the more it bugged me. As you might remember, I don't like it when the restaurant "upsells" you with a smile without a heads up. Eventually it left a bad "aftertaste" in my experience on the meal and restaurant, which was too bad because there is some decent food at Truva.



The pita bread in question was good. Turkish pita bread is different than pocket pita bread that you might picture from the more familiar Greek pita bread or pita sandwiches. It was soft and chewy and went well with the mixed dip plate that we got with creamy hummus, eggplant (mashed and grilled) and spicy vegetable salad (with tomato, onion and parsley).

If I had to do it over again, I wouldn't order the mixed pita(NT$560) and the baked shrimp casserole(NT$620)- both were overpriced for what you are getting. The mixed pita was the least favorite of the table, a bit dry and bland with an overcooked egg.



And the shrimp in the casserole seemed to be frozen rather than fresh shrimp, and just too expensive for the portion. The sauce was a bit oily and the shrimp themselves didn't seem to have been marinated for long.



Instead, check out the mixed grill (NT$860) with turkish meatballs, lamb shish kebap, chicken shish and adana kebap with sides of rice pilaf and french fries. My favorite from this plate was the grilled chicken- it was the most tender and juicy.



and the beef Iskender (NT$760) with slices of rotisserie grilled beef in a thick, sweet tomato paste sauce and huge portions of yogurt and pilaf on each side. This was a crowd pleaser at the table.



I think at one time maybe people would pay a premium for an "exotic" food like middle eastern or Turkish food. But now with the growth of the casual chains Doner Kebab and Sababa, I can get a filling and equally delicious entire meal and drinks for two or three people for the price of one entree from Truva.

I'd be curious to see how differently priced the lunch menu is- maybe there are some deals to found there? Otherwise, for the value of what we got, it's hard for me to see myself going back, with so many options to eat around town. But if you're looking for new place to romance a date or try something new like Turkish ice cream, the fine dining ambiance can definitely set the mood.

headed to LA: what to eat?

Headed back to LA this week! Very excited about trying out all the places I've been reading about on the LA food blogs, as well as eating at my neighborhood favorites.

I've packed my laptop, business cards and photos so I'll try to do some catchup posts while I'm away.. lots of catching up to do. SIGH!

Flavors Swedish Restaurant
Truva Turkish Restaurant
Anzu Tonkatsu
AO+ private kitchen
Saveurs French Restaurant
Tan Hua Tou
Ben Teppanyaki
Chef Showtime
El Toro Spanish Restaurant
Primo Trattoria
Mcafe
Saffron Indian Restaurant
Sashimiya
Suzette Crepes

Otherwise, I might send some snapshots of what I'm eating in LA.

So LA readers, any places I gotta try this time around? Help a hungry girl out!

my friend's kitchen: july 4th bbq in taipei

Happy 4th of July! This year was the first time I ever celebrated July 4th in Taipei, much less with a full on bbq on a grassy lawn! Much thanks to my friends J and A for inviting me over and making all the rib fingers and grilled pineapple chicken sooo delicious! Grilled bbq corn, potato salad, cornbread and then fruit and brownies (my small contribution) for dessert.

Yum! I'm totally going to start grilling up some pineapples now on my George Foreman grill (he he) and buying the Stubb's bbq sauce from Costco.

What are you guys eating on your 4th? And does anyone know where to get sparklers in Taipei?

not taipei/hakka: i recommend LAO DI FANG

LAO DI FANG
or "The Old Place"
No. 489, Yuan Lin Road, Sec 1
Ta Shi, Taoyuan County

(03) 390-6863

$$

Kid friendliness: high chairs available

Visit reviewed: 6/21/2009



A few weekends ago, I went on a road trip with a ton of relatives and family friends. The kind where you sit on a bus and listen to them karaoke to pass the time (whether or not you want to). The kind where you end up in other parts of Taiwan and you have no idea how to blog about where it is or how you'd get there. The kind where the day ends with a family dinner where the relatives do the ordering, you never get to see the menu and then huge platter after platter of food come out until you have no idea where the next plate will go.

We went up and down some mountain to take a bunch of pictures and then ended up in Ta Shi at Lao Di Fang, a Hakka or "Ke Jia" restaurant that was bustling with families chowing down. The food arrived as soon as we sat down (might have been a pre-order by my aunt or the tour guide) and never stopped. Mostly everything was good, though some dishes were more oily or salty than we might be used to.

In case you're curious, Brian Webb does a great job explaining in a summary about Taiwan's 3 ethnic groups: Aboriginal, Hakka, Hoklo, and Immigrant.

My favorites were the

stir fried rice noodle



vegetables with thousand year old egg



and tofu with vegetables pot.



Also pretty good was the oysters



and chicken



and eggplant.



Surprisingly, I didn't like the Hakka stewed pork belly over simmered preserved mustard greens (similar to "gua bao" when put into steamed buns) and the soup with the "tang yuan" (or rice balls). I'm used to having the "tang yuan" over shaved ice, so I couldn't get used to it in a salty soup, especially the pink ones. The Hakka pork and mustard greens were too salty for me and I missed the Taiwanese version with the condiments of the ground peanuts/sugar powder and cilantro to balance out the flavors.



Also, it didn't help that these dishes arrived at the end- the shredded "si gua" or loofah and the Hakka stir fried squid. Too stuffed to try it.




I don't think this was my first time having Hakka food, but I'm definitely not familiar with it. But send some huge hot fragrant plates of Chinese food to our table, and we're happy customers. Especially after a long day on the bus. Any big fans of Hakka food? Any recs for inside Taipei city?

snapshot/coffee: STARBUCKS coffee jelly frapp

I like that Starbucks Taiwan is willing to experiment. I think I even saw this last year or the year before and thought that I should give it a try. I thought I'd just walk in and drool over the chocolate muffin and enjoy some AC and walk out, but the sign caught my eye and before you know it, I'm ordering a Caramel Coffee Jelly Latte Frappuccino.



Yes, I said, Caramel Coffee Jelly Latte Frappuccino. Dude, if you are going to have a calorie bomb, you gotta go all the way.

But I immediately regretted getting it after I took my first sip. I think I'm so used to the chewy Q consistency of boba, I felt that the coffee jelly didn't have any spring in its step. It was a bit flavorless and lost in the icy snowstorm of my Caramel Coffee Jelly Latte Frappuccino. I think if the coffee jelly was a bit stronger in flavor, it's a good concept. After all, I'm a huge fan of the coffee jelly topped with coffee ice cream dessert from Sawtelle Kitchen, and this is pretty much the same thing, but blended.

But for the price of one frapp- NT$150- I can get three "Yuan Qi Q Nai" and chew on brown sugared boba to my heart's content.

This hasn't hit the states yet, has it?

hotpot/organic: QI-MIN ORGANIC HOTPOT

QIMIN ORGANIC HOTPOT
128, Zhongxiao E Rd Sec 4, 2 FL
(02) 2772-5123

MRT: Zhong Xiao/Dun Hua

website: qi-min.com

hours: lunch: 11:30am to 2:30pm
dinner: 5:30pm to 10:30pm

$$=$$$

Kid friendliness: spotted an older kid there. roomy but calm atmosphere

Visit reviewed: 6/2/2009




If you're crazy about organic foods and don't mind paying a premium for it, then Qi-Min Organic Hotpot is the place for you. I had passed by Qimin many, many times, but always thought it was too pricey to eat at. My friend wanted to check it one day while craving hot pot, so we agreed to go.

A lone menu and staircase is the only sign that there's a restaurant upstairs. Before you get to the actual restaurant, there is a room with display cases of their organic goods, as they also have a home delivery service of meats and vegetables you can use to cook with at home. Their motto is "from farm to table" which is also a movement going on in the States, eating more things grown locally.




Once you step in, the atmosphere has to be one of the most spartan and regal hot pot places I've ever seen.



Their set menu runs from NT$600- NT$2680(! for two) which includes seasonal appetizer, a choice of broth, a basket of seasonal organic greens, your main protein, a choice of two sauces, a choice of starch and vinegar disgestif and dessert. There's also an English and Chinese menu full of pictures of additional or ala carte sides you can add such as dumplings, squid balls, veggies, seafood.




I ended up choosing the Prime Beef Shortrib in the Organic Vegetable and Mushroom Broth, with Qimin and Lemongrass sauces. There's also a bonito and dashi broth or a Lushan Chicken broth.



The appetizer was delicate and stylishly presented. The bite of pork I had was good.



We chatted and waited for our water to boil. For hard core shabu-shabu'ers, you should cook the meat first and then throw in the veggies. But we were hungry, so put in some veggies first.




Once in awhile, nature sounds from a CD they played would come on the speakers. My friend was startled by the frog sounds that came out of the blue- we all giggled at her reaction.

I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of meat I got. Long sizeable slices that made for some delicious beef consumption.



I was going to get the Organic Noodles for my starch, but the picture in the menu looked like such a small amount, I got what my friend who had been here before got- the Steamed Rice with Shrimp. Good call.



The Lemongrass sauce gave the meat and vegetable a sour, citrus flavor that I haven't had with hotpot before.. double dipping it in the lemongrass and the soysauce and garlic flavor gave the right salty, fragrant kick. At Qimin Hotpot, it's quality over quantity, so I savored the food I got, instead of wolfing down everything like I usually do at all-you-can-eat shabu shabu Momo Paradise.



The lunch ended with a pumpkin pudding and plum-like vinegar drink. Both flavors I happen to dislike, so after a tiny bite and sip, I left it alone.



Would I go back? With so many hotpot options in town, probably not- there's mala spicy hotpot and the jazzier Orange hotpot if I want to splurge. Or even the mushroom overload Bai Gu Yuan, where the broth is so flavorful from the different mushrooms, it's good for even non-vegetarians. But if you've got an organic health nut friend you gotta impress, Qi-Min should do the trick.

thai/dessert: PARADISE THAI

PARADISE BIRD THAI
No. 423, Rueiguang Rd.
Neihu District
(02) 8797-1686

hours: 11:30AM-2:30PM; 5:00PM-10:00PM

$$

Kid friendliness: high chairs available

Visit reviewed: 5/31/2009



Paradise Thai is a Thai restaurant located in an office building in Dazhi/Neihu, next to a Korean BBQ restaurant. My relatives said on weekends they come here because it's less busy. But on weekdays, they go to Thai Town (in the mall) because it's less busy and easier to park. Less busy was an understatement as there was only one table at the large restaurant on a Sunday night, and after they left, it was like as if we booked the whole restaurant to ourselves.



The atmosphere was nice enough, the English and Chinese menu was extensive enough and the service was decent enough.



But unfortunately, the only reason I'd come back to Paradise Thai would be for the strawberry ice dessert. The most important part- the food- was just so-so.

The shrimp pineapple rice lacked any real flavor and was a bit on the mushy side. You had to excavate dish to find the shrimp.



The appetizers came after the main dishes. The satay was dry, but the shrimp pancake was crispy and good. I gotta give them that.




The fried chicken, on the other hand, was not crispy and made me miss the perfectly fried Thai fried chicken from Mei Hu. And their pineapple fried rice. And anything else from their menu.



The stir fried vegetables were forgettable.



And I was about to give up on the place, until my aunt declared how when she brought our cousins here they devoured the strawberry ice dessert. So we ordered a couple and it saved the meal. Condensed milk poured on large fresh strawberries soaked in syrup on crushed ice.



Crunch, crunch, crunch. It tasted as good as it looks. Perfect for a hot summer night. If you're in the area, just stop by for the dessert. Otherwise stick to your favorite neighborhood Thai place, or you'd probably be disappointed.


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mexican: EL GALLO

EL GALLO
No. 42, Chung Shan North Road, Sec. 7,
Tianmu
(02) 2874-1366

website: elgallotw.com

hours: M-F 11:30 AM to 3 PM; 5:30 PM to 10PM
Sat/Sun 11AM to 3PM; 5PM to 11PM

$$

Kid friendliness: high chairs and kid menus available.

Visit reviewed: 11/2/2008



Any time I hear about a new Mexican restaurant in town, I think to myself, nah, can't be good, don't want to get my hopes up. Then I drool over any decent review, forums about good experiences, pictures and the more time passes, I think the more my expectations build and get too high. It took me awhile to get to El Gallo from when I first heard about it, as it's in Tianmu which is far for me, and took me awhile to write up and post this review (from when I first started it over 8 months ago), but I'm sure it will still be new to some of you.



El Gallo is definitely a cute, little sit down restaurant that's elegantly festive, with a decent sized English or Chinese menu that include appetizers and main dishes that are more than just tacos and burritos, with dishes like Chile Colorado Pork Stew or Chile Rellenos Stuffed Bell Peppers.



They even offer a weekend brunch.



I was extremely excited about the enchiladas, as that is one of my favorite dishes back home and the guacamole. My love and familiarity with Mexican food is from Southern California, probably starting with family dinners at neighborhood restaurant El Paso Cantina in Torrance when I was a kid with their warm crispy chips and sweet, spicy salsa- continuing to discovering places like the awesome Mexican/Salvadorian Gloria's Cafe on Venice. In LA, often you get huge hot plates with pools of refried beans and rice almost overwhelming the enchiladas or chimichangas.

I've been to hole in the walls, taco stands, sit down family restaurants and chains, so I'm open to the variations that exist. With El Gallo having a Mexican chef/owner, I thought I'd have something that reminded me of home. But then a number of "different than my expectations" happened.



"Different than my expectations" number one was when the guacamole (NT$150) came and we tasted it, we could tell it was made with Taiwan avocados (which was confirmed when I asked the waitress). Taiwan avocados are just more stringy and less sweet and creamy than Haas avocados. While I know that Haas avocados are expensive here and not always in season, if I'm paying NT$150 for a tiny bowl of guacamole, then I want the real deal, or don't serve it. Or at least the waitress to ask "it's made with Taiwan avocados, is that ok?" But it was my fault for not asking.

"Different than my expectations" number two was that when the carnitas (NT$450) (or roasted pork) came they weren't spiced, browned and shredded. The flavors of the dish was very light. But this wasn't a big deal- it was still tender and nothing a little salsa couldn't fix.



But "different than my expectations" number three when I bit into my enchiladas (NT$380) was the deal-breaker. The texture of the corn tortillas was chewy rather than soft and the sauce was like a thick salsa and I realized that the dish wasn't piping hot and it wasn't baked.



And wait, there wasn't any melted cheese anywhere.

I took a few more bites to convince myself that it had just been too long since I had an enchilada, but the textures, flavors and elements just didn't add up to be what I was craving. I even asked "aren't enchiladas usually baked?" and they said "no, they were pan fried and then served with sauce."

Huh. I've never had them not baked.

That night, I googled up a storm, extremely confused and I guess in some parts of Mexico that that IS how enchiladas are served? So perhaps El Gallo is a bit too authentic for me and people who are expecting Mexican American versions of Mexican food. Maybe it's sort of like people who come back to Taiwan and wonder where their favorite neighborhood Chinese restaurant's beef and broccoli or moo shu pork went? Even if we eat the original versions, our favorites are the incarnations that we've grown to love, a sort of comfort food that reminds us of home.

After that, I was a bit too disappointed to enjoy the rest of the food, which was decent, but I had really hoped for baked, cheesy enchiladas to eat. I think I might have been okay if I had ordered a burrito or tacos, as their rice and beans were not bad, although sort of randomly served. Some dishes, like mine, came with both. Others came with only one or the other.

There was a very spicy shrimp dish or Camarones a la Diabla... (NT$380)



and chicken fajitas (NT$450)...



and a kid's meal which had 1/2 a quesadilla and rice...



and a strawberry margarita.



If I lived in the neighborhood, I'd definitely give them some more tries with other items on the menu, like the Carnitas Tamales or the Mexico City Steak, and I think they have a weekday lunch special, but they are just too far for me to make the trek without a special occasion.

desserts/bakery: i strongly recommend PATISSERIE LA DOUCEUR

PATISSERIE LA DOUCEUR
No. 5, Lane 41, Yong Kang St.
(02) 2393-8098

website: ladouceur.com.tw

$

Kid friendliness: small space, but a few couch areas in the back

Visit reviewed: 5/20/2009



Patisserie La Douceur is the perfect place for an afternoon retreat for spoiling your sweet tooth. It is a tiny shop near Yong Kang St that has some of the best pastries I've had anywhere. Bright, airy and sweet- just like a lot of its offerings.



A girlfriend insisted that we stop by when we were in the area and it's bright white sign stood out among the rest of the street. I couldn't help but smile at the adorable drawing of the girl that beckons you inside. There's even a white sculpture of her sitting on the steps outside.



The menu includes coffees, teas, juices and hot chocolate (NT$110-240), but you have to drool at the selection at the counter, which includes large macarons, chocolate cake, vanilla custard and other too-beautiful-to-eat confections.



The handwritten labels are all in Chinese, so I quizzed the counter guy to see which one would suit me best.



I ended up getting the large lemon macaron (NT$130) which was big enough to share a bite with three other friends.



It's airy but very sweet and you can taste the sugar as the macaron melts in your mouth. Similar to a meringue, macarons are made from egg whites, almond powder, icing sugar and sugar. It's almost three times the size of a regular macaron, so it's too sweet to finish on my own.



Be sure you don't miss their signature dessert, the apples and caramel mousse mille-feuille. (NT$135) It's made to order, so there's only a Chinese written sign and illustration in the display case. I would have totally missed it, but this was the dish my girlfriend brought us here for.



We oohed and aahed when it came to our table and gently cut it in four bite sized pieces after taking our pictures. It was like meeting a delicate Parisian cousin to the apple strudel and apple pie. Or if apple dessert was Audrey Hepburn in "Sabrina" and back from Paris, more sophisticated and darling.

Since the mille feuille is made of several layers, everything combines together to take you on a flavor roller coaster. The diced fresh green apples were surprisingly cold. The sweetness of the caramel mousse balanced the slight tartness of the apples. The puff pastry layers crackled when we chewed.

Mmmm. Tastebud heaven.


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bakery/desserts: MY SWEETIE PIE BAKERY AND CAFE

MY SWEETIE PIE BAKERY AND CAFE
No. 3, Lane 93, ShiDa Rd
(02) 3365-3448

Hours: 11 AM - 12 Midnight

Kid friendliness: roomy sofas and seats

$

visit reviewed: 5/18/2009



A cute little nook for American style cakes and pies, My Sweetie Pie also offers a few dishes such as pizza, chili dogs or lasagna, as an extension of across the lane Grandma Nitti's. A cozy casual place for afternoon tea or dessert in the Shida area, you can also treat your sweet tooth to smoothies, milkshakes or floats.

I drooled over all the choices.




Chocolate chip cookies. Blueberry cheesecake. Apple pie. Luckily I came with friends, so we could order them all.

They also had black forest cake, carrot cake, tiramisu, scones and other cakes. Selection changes day to day.



Slices are around NT$80- NT$100, and whole cakes or pies can be ordered with advance notice. The slices are a bit small-ish for the price, but you're paying for the "novelty" of American desserts in Taipei. It would be awesome if they were going to be really American style and give us some fat slices. If you order a meal, you can add dessert for an extra NT$60 which is a better deal.




Our favorite was the blueberry cheesecake, with the perfect crumbly graham cracker crust. The density and sweetness of the cheesecake was just right.



The apple pie had raisins (ew) and hearty chunks of baked cinnamon apple. I think I've been ruined for apple desserts since I now compare everything to the deliciousness of the swedish apple cake from Flavors.



Unfortunately, the chocolate chip cookie (NT$35) was a bit dry, and not chewy, like the way I like to bake them. A little disappointing.



You might even catch a glimpse of the bakers in action if you grab a seat towards the back, near the windowed open kitchen. Or you can bring your laptop to do some work with the free wifi.

I'd like to eventually try Grandma Nitti's as I've heard a lot about their American style breakfasts and Mexican food. They are right across My Sweetie Pie and next to a Gerge's.



Anyone else have any favorite cakes/pies that I should have tried?


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chinese/dim sum: i recommend PARENTS RESTAURANT

PARENTS RESTAURANT
200 Dunhua S. Rd., Sec. 1
(02) 2772-8888

hours: 11:30am - 9:30pm

$$

Kid friendliness: high chairs available. lots finger foods

Visit reviewed: 8/12/08 & 5/19/2009



Parents Restaurant is a classic Cantonese and dim sum restaurant, hiding in plain sight near the busy Dun Hua and Zhong Xiao intersection.  Just look for this bright red signs and all the purple flags.



Without crowded windows like nearby City Star Dim Sum, you might never find the equally busy dining hall in the restaurant's basement.



The huge menu in English and Chinese has everything braised, fried, clay pot, stir fried or dim sum that you could want and a picture for each and every dish. 




The prices are average ranging NT$70-$150 for dim sum and around NT$200-NT$400 for main dishes, though anytime you eat dim sum, the dishes add up since it takes a lot of siu mais to get full, so it can run about NT$500 for lunch per person. There are no carts, so you just order off the menu and when they are busy, orders can be on the slow side to come.

You MUST get the desserts. My favorites are the mini egg tarts or "dan ta" which come piping hot, with hot out-of-the-oven soft custard centers and layers and layers of flaky crusts, and the almond tofu which comes in a bowl of firm, thick cubes accompanied by a bit of peach and fruit. Just be sure to order the egg tarts before you are done eating, as it takes about 10-15 minutes for them to bake them and bring them out, otherwise you'll be waiting with nothing to eat like we were. And they are tiny, so you want to order more if you like egg tarts! One could probably eat all three in a sitting, if you really wanted to!




The dim sim regulars are a good bunch- siu mai, shrimp rice noodle or "xia chang fun",  sticky rice in bamboo leaf, fried glutinous ball or "xian shui jiao". 





The things I wouldn't order again are the pineapple shrimp because the mayo sauce was too sticky and there was too much and made the dish gross and the BBQ pork siu which was not crispy or flaky as it should be.



The main dishes we got were also good- fried oysters, the noodles, omelette egg with pickled vegetables, tofu claypot. There are two different types of noodles you can get- a harder chow mein or a soft stir fried one. Both are good, although the crispy fried noodle has a lot of gravy.







If you couldn't tell, I combined two visits into this review, so thanks to my friends A and J for introducing me to this restaurant! If you think you will go there a lot, you can also sign up for a VIP card, which gives you a 10 % discount and other coupon specials. It's good to have a couple good dim sum places up my sleeve now since in the beginning I was running into a lot of bad ones.


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news/dessert: LV and Chanel cupcakes photos

Spotted these fashion cupcakes photos on HighSnobiety.com via Tastespotting. The photographer and stylist were inspired by luxury brands like Chanel and LV, in case you couldn't tell.

If someone made cupcakes like these, they would probably sell like crazy in Taipei. Especially if you had the boxes and cute packaging.

I feel like Taipei or Asia in general is more label conscious than LA- or maybe the Chanels per square foot is a higher ratio. Maybe because LA is more spread out, or maybe because there are just so many high end stores in almost every Taipei mall. I swear I've even seen people carrying real Chanels at the night market!

I never even heard of the brands Tod's or Ferragamo, or stepped into a Marc Jacobs store until I lived in Taipei. Was I oblivious? Or has our culture become more knowledgeable about labels with celebrities and the internet and bag blogs?

Anyways- this seems like it could be a fun thing to do for the fashion obsessed girlfriend or daughter in your life. And beware- don't click on the Tastespotting link if you are hungry or have hours to drool over all the food porn pictures.

my kitchen: homemade bulgogi kimchi tacos

I'm. Too. Busy. Eating.

to give you better looking pictures than these from my iPhone, but trust me, when I say, I now "get it."

Bulgogi + Kimchi + corn tortillas + onion/mushrooms = frickin deliciousness
(made possible by Costco in Taipei and tortillas from LA)

I never made the leap to wait-in-line-for-hours for the all-over-LA Kogi trucks, but once had my sister's cold leftovers which left me unenthusiastic. But having it hot out of the kitchen- it's a weirdly odd satisfying combination that works. The smoky sweetness of the marinated beef mixed with the spicy heat from the pickled cabbage held together by the fragile corn tortillas. I'm sure the imaginative and adventurous have been creating other fusion combos, but the basic one is best.

I already inhaled 4.

Could this work in Taipei? They like the kimchee here, and not so much the cheese, so maybe if I had a little taco truck, I could make some cash on the side?

teppanyaki/Japanese: i recommend DA FANG REGIMEN CATE TEPPANYAKI

DA FANG REGIMEN CATE TEPPANYAKI
No. 18-1, Xinyi Road, Sec. 5
(02) 2758 1019

website: dafang-regimen-cate.com/

hours: 11:30 AM -2 PM; 5:30 PM -9:30 PM

$$$

Kid friendliness:

Visit reviewed: 4/9/2009



If you're the kind of person who likes to glance at the desserts first while looking at the menu, I won't mind if you scroll down and peek at the dessert. It was a teppanyaki first me for- popcorn! They heated up the carmalized popcorn on the surface and the sugary smell made us all drool.

Da Fang Regimen Teppanyaki is full of surprises, and as a "good for you" restaurant, it's a great place to splurge for a fun night out with friends or family. With the ongoing bite size parts of an upscale multi-course meal, you might not think you'd get full, but you leave satisfied. Across from the 101 mall, it's a bit hidden behind the current MRT construction on Xinyi in a non-descript building.

I've always kind of balked at how expensive teppanyaki can be, but part of the price is for the skill and time of the chef and a privately cooked meal. And it's an especially nice treat if friends are treating! So thanks to K and C for dinner and for introducing me to it!

Da Fang's website says that it has "the recognition and combinations for properties of food items" and since Taipei is a "hot" city, it tries to present foods that are "cool." They also have organic foods and use mountain rose salt and minimal oil. They have lunch and dinner set menus as well as ala carte. The menu changes seasonally, so what you see here might not be what you get the next time you eat there.



This set menu (NT$1980) you can choose the main element of sirloin beef, chicken, pork or seafood. I chose sirloin beef.

Okay, so onto the dishes:

1- Soup. I think this was a milky fish soup with tofu.



2- Appetizers & bread. The flower on the loofah was edible and fragrant. They asked that you enjoy the smell and then eat it.






3 and 4- Surf and turf.. First was the perfectly cooked shrimp, cod and lobsters. Then, mmmm.. pan fried oysters. By coating it with crispy bits, it tasted like it was deep fried.



5- The Veggies. Cabbage and shitake mushrooms. Simple and good.




I also throughly enjoyed their "salsa" which was raw onions and diced fruit (I think guava and melon) which I would eat when I was waiting for everything to be cooked. They constantly refilled it, and I would eat more of it.



6- I think we got three rolls of bitesize beef- one with shiso leaf and roe, one with foie gras, one with with spicy chili pepper. This definitely left you wanting more. YUM. How much did I want to steal the beef and foie gras from my friend's plate? Ha ha.




7- From what I understood from the Chinese explanation, this tea is supposed to help you lose weight. Or was it help you with your kidneys? One or the other. I think the alien looking root in there was a beet.



8- Fried rice and salad. Especially needed to get full. The soup in the tomato salad was good too.




9- Omelette- I didn't really like the omelette. Is was sort of weird to be a dessert, since it wasn't sweet.



10- Popcorn. How cool is that?! The popcorn (made from organic corn and brown sugar) wasn't as good as freshly popped kettle corn, but I definitely attacked our huge pile with gusto. When they put it on the heated surface, it melted the sugar and made sticky caramel strings between the popped kernels.



So my favorite part of the meal was definitely the seafood and beef. The teppan grill and method of grilling brings out natural flavors in each since there's only a bit of oil and salt/pepper used. I enjoyed watching the chef make each part for everyone.

THe first time I ate teppanyaki was probably at Benihana's a long time ago. The chefs at Da Fang don't do any of the cheesy tricks that Benihana's made famous, but they are quite friendly and will answer any questions you might have.


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american/steak: TOSCANA at SHERWOOD HOTEL

TOSCANA
at Sherwood Hotel, 1 FL
No. 111, MinSheng E Road, Sec. 3
(02) 2718-1188

website: sherwood.com.tw

hours: 11:30 AM - 10:30 PM

$$-$$$

Kid friendliness: high chairs available. lots of finger foods available in salad/antipasti and dessert bar.

Visit reviewed: 3/8/2008



Toscana offers fine Italian dining and steaks in an upscale European setting. Make sure you don't miss the sprawling salad and antipasti bar, (which runs over NT$700 just by itself) as well as the dessert bar hiding in the back. The salad bar had a lot of build your own salad components, as well as freshly made Caesar salad, cheese platters (yum, Brie!) and lots of filling antipasto.

Our friend who chose the restaurant proclaimed that the grilled dry aged Smith and Wollensky New York cut steak was his favorite and that Toscana was the only restaurant here in Taipei that had chefs trained to prepare them.

I'm not a steak expert, I just like to eat them. Sometimes I can barely remember what kind of cut I like best. I tend to like my steaks juicy (probably = fatty) so I tend to lean toward the ribeye. Is that the right cut for me?

I got the set menu which included a soup, salad/antipasto bar, pasta, steak and dessert bar.



I have a faint recollection that our set menu was under NT$2000, but my friend was treating a group of us and I didn't take a picture of the menu, so I'm not sure. Currently, Toscana's set dinner menus run about NT$2650. Toscana is definitely a place to splurge, impress your date or use the corporate card.



I think I remember liking everything, but not being blown away. For an expensive dinner, personally I think you should definitely be gasping in delight over something, otherwise, why pay the higher price. But maybe the steak experts out there can divulge- is dry aged steak all that? Or maybe it's more appreciated when paired with the right wine?





So I'm slowly working through my list of backlogged posts. This one was for you, dessertobsessed!


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