vietnamese: I strongly recommend VIETNAMESE BISTRO

VIETNAMESE BISTRO

No. 7-1號, No. 103, Lane 46, Chongqing N Rd, Section 2, Datong District

(02) 2556-1155  

MRT: Zhongshan or Beimen

hours: 10:30AM - 2:30PM ; 4PM - 9PM; Closed Wednesdays

$

Visit reviewed: 9/28/2021 (I was invited, but all opinions are my own)

Oh man. While writing this post, I took a look at the last time I posted about Vietnamese restaurants in Taipei and it's been years (blame insta!) and quite a few of them have closed since I posted about them. So this is the perfect time to post about this new Vietnamese restaurant I can't stop thinking about. 

Opened over a month ago by two cousins from Hanoi, Vietnamese Bistro came from when Anya and Ryan couldn’t find any authentic Northern style Vietnamese food while studying here in Taipei.  They reached out to me to give it a try and I went looking for it in the alleys not far from Taipei Main Station. 

With a table full of delicious noodle soups, spring rolls and salads, we’ve barely even scratched the surface of their extensive menu which includes pho ga, classic salt and pepper chicken and sliced goose marinated with lemongrass and ginger. The rice noodles in their pho and French rolls for their banh mi is all made in house, by Ryan, the cousin who was a chef back in Vietnam. 

My favorites I kept going back to were 

the Bun tron (dry rice noodles) with pork (NT$120), 

(I've always been partial to noodle salads which are the best of both worlds with slippery chewy noodles and crispy lettuce, carrots and veggies all in one bite. Light for a summer day or when you're not feeling like something soupy.)

the chicken papaya salad (must order) (NT$70)

(Crunchy, sweet and refreshing)

fried spring rolls (NT$80/120) nem rang 

(Cut into bite sized pieces, these were so crispy and addictive with plenty of flavor)

and washing it down with sweet Tamarind juice (NT$50)

The  bun ca (rice noodle fish soup) (NT$120) and pate banh mi (NT$80) are among their specialties to try if you have room, as well as their version of Northern traditional beef pho (NT$130). When we tried both at the same time, as the tangy and spicy broth of the bun ca was overpowered tasting the flavor in the lighter broth of the pho. Vietnamese Bistro’s pho comes from simmered beef bones and star anise, and their rice noodles are wider and soft. Because they make their pho rice noodles from scratch, they’ve broken into shorter strands to spoon up rather than do noodle lifting. The broth of the bun ca had a sweetness from the tomato and large pieces of fried fish were filling. If I had to pick one of the two, I would try the bun ca just because it’s so different. 

The pate banh mi comes as a whole sandwich, but they kindly cut it into quarters after we asked them to. I am almost too full after all the food to take a bite, but I couldn’t resist. The French bread is made in house too, with a smear of pate, crunchy fresh veggies. Next time I would probably try the pork banh mi. 

The restaurant is small but clean, with charming murals hand painted on the walls by Anya, one wall has their most popular dishes making it easy to order. The pricing is student friendly, or as they say CP is high, so it’s definitely worth a try the next time you’re craving Vietnamese food. 

mexican: i strongly recommend EL SABROSO

EL SABROSO

No. 107-1, Tingzhou Road, Section 3, Zhongzheng District

(02) 2368-9599

MRT: Taipower Building

Hours: 11AM - 2PM ; 5PM -9PM, Closed Mondays 

$-$$ (under NT$250 per person) cash only 

Kid friendliness: very small shop with counter seating or sidewalk seating only. non-spicy items if your kids don't eat spicy. 

Visit reviewed: 6/12/2018 & 2/5/2020

Sometimes I get asked about "where to find tacos in Taipei" or "where to find the best Mexican food in Taipei" which is understandable since that is one of the first things you end up craving when you have been in Asia a long time. So the last few years, my answer has been El Sabroso, a tiny shop that serves up burritos, quesadillas and nachos. And just in time for taco tuesday, El Sabroso serves tacos ONLY on Tuesdays.  

I actually passed by El Sabroso several times while they were building it because it's not far from Lan Jia Gua Bao and Chen San Ding brown sugar boba (RIP). So when I saw a few posts about it, I had to give it try. 

The colorful signage and murals outside the shop make it hard to miss, and a nice extension of the shop, since most of the seating is outside on the sidewalk. When you step inside the shop, the cashier is right at the front with menus and signage that is pretty well done for a mom and pop shop. The menu introduces the chef/owner Oscar, who is from Toluca Mexico and passionate about cooking Mexican food and bringing authentic flavors to Taipei. 

Every time I have gone, I've spied him there behind the counter in the kitchen. The reason why they only offer tacos on Tuesdays is because he makes all the corn and flour tortillas and meats/salsas in house, and it was mostly just him. It's also why you should expect to wait 10-15 minutes (at least) after ordering since the tortillas are pressed and griddled to order.  The first time I went, I waited about 30 minutes for 3 tacos, a burrito and nachos. Now I usually call ahead and pick up my order to go.

My usual order is the chicken tinga burrito with guacamole on the side. The chicken tinga is definitely spicy, but the pineapple salsa gives it a touch of sweetness to balance it. The burrito is a good size has mexican rice and lettuce and sour cream (which sometimes I ask for no sour cream).

I also enjoyed the tacos, but I was not a fan of the nachos. There's also carnitas (pork), asada (steak), pastor, ground beef, grilled chicken and a few salsas to choose from.

I would advise if you have your heart set on tacos, or a certain meat, then go early at lunch or dinner as things do run out sometimes, or call ahead to order/check, and know that they close in the afternoon and promptly at the end of lunch and dinner hours.

If you're looking for other places for Mexican food in Taipei, I like the fish tacos and chimichanga from Macho Tacos, the tacos from Town by Bryan Nagao. There's also Eddy's Cantina in Tianmu and Twinkeyz Tacos, both which I should revisit as I haven't been in years. Oh and maybe Teotihuacan which I should post about. I know there's also a few newer ones that I've been hearing about, any of you guys still reading have any recommendations? 

flashback/dessert: i still recommend KRISPY KREME

KRISPY KREME

No. 20, Songshou Road, Xinyi District

(02) 2345-3798

MRT: Taipei City Hall

hours: 11AM - 11PM

$

OPENED 2013

I TELL PEOPLE ALL THE TIME that when Krispy Kreme opened its doors in Taipei in 2013 that the lines were INSANE. It was a FOUR HOUR wait, with lines around the block of Vieshow and this went on for a few months. YES, you read that correctly. FOUR HOURS.

Why are people so crazy about donuts? I remember hearing this about Mister Donut when they first opened in Taipei too (in Tianmu.. who remembers this?)

this is only the part of the line that is closest to the shop

So I've been trying to cleanup my computer, make sure my backup drives are still working, so it took me down memory lane. When I saw these (blurry) photos of people waiting IN THE RAIN for Krispy Kremes, I had to write a flashback post because I don't think I ever wrote about this when it was happening. Since no one blogs anymore, there are NO RULES. lol.

I was, though, lucky enough to be one of the first to receive a box of Krispy Kreme originals without having to wait in line (it's nice to have friends in high places) and it was so satisfying after such a long dearth of donuts. This was around the time that BLT Burgers and CPK opened up at Vieshow as well, and only Krispy Kreme still remains in 2019.

Sadly, they have moved to a spot much smaller than their original location pictured here, and they don't make the donuts on site anymore, thus no "hot doughnuts" to grab off the assembly line. They have, however, expanded to 5 different shops around Taipei, as well make the cutest seasonal donuts, and I do see people still buying them, though these ridiculous lines have moved onto something else, thankfully. 

I still go there for an original donut once in awhile, sometimes I go crazy and get a salted caramel one too. 

other locations: 

at Breeze Nanjing, No. 337 Nanjing East Road, Section 3, Songshan District,  opens 10AM

No. 49 在站內，M3, Zhongxiao West Road,  Zhongzheng District, opens 7AM

No. 20 Jingye 3rd Road, Neihu, opens 11AM

 No. 53, Tianmu East Road, Shilin District, opens 8AM

at Global Mall, No. 7號, Section 2, Xianmin Boulevard, Banqiao District, opens 11AM

dessert/taiwanese: i strongly recommend DAZHI FENG YUAN

DAZHI FENG YUAN 大直粉圓

No. 35 DaZhi Street

 臺北市中山區大直街35號

(02) 8509-8805

MRT: Wenhu (brown line) 5 minute walk

price: $ (about NT$60/person) Delivery available 

hours: 11AM- 9PM

Kid friendliness: very. at this price, they can each get their own bowl

visits reviewed: 8/18/2017 and 9/10/2017

DAZHI FENG YUAN IS A SMALL SHOP IN DAZHI, but with more than all the essentials for Taiwanese shaved ice. With over 20 different chewy, colorful toppings from taro balls to grass jelly to boba and red adzuki beans, you could make a number of combinations. Feng Yuan translates to the name for tapioca in Chinese, so that's why you see a big bowl of it on their sign, advertised for NT$30. 

A bowl of shaved ice is NT$60 with a choice of four toppings. I especially like their pearl barley, so much that I got double of it. I know Taiwanese shaved ice toppings can sound strange to people who are used to having their barley with beef soup or beans in chili, but think of how oatmeal which is usually eaten sweet for breakfast is now being used as a savory option. In Taiwan, mung beans, red beans, pearl barley, oatmeal are all sweetened and used for desserts. I've even seen creamed corn as a topping on shaved ice (which still repulses me, but hey, corn ice cream is a thing in the US now, so we can't judge).

They also have douhua, or soy pudding, but I found the flavor to taste a little on the burnt side, which I know some soy milk places are known for, but I personally prefer it without. You can add three toppings to the douhua, which are hidden underneath. 

Dazhi Feng Yuan's ice isn't super fine, but with the creamy and chewy toppings and brown sugar syrup, it all works together. 

And those who don't like the traditional toppings, they have mango shaved ice, but it's seasonal. I haven't tried it yet because I'm still trying different combos of the traditional. My go to combo is usually pearl barley, aiyu, boba and mochi balls, but on this day my friend wanted to try the big red beans and the taro balls. 

They have about 10 seats and it's fairly clean and they let you use their bathroom. Haha. I had to note that because A LOT of little shops won't let you use their bathroom, even though you know they have one. Anyways, this no frills shop has become a go to when I'm in the Dazhi area for a quick snack. Cuz global warming. The shop is near Shih Chien University and Dominican International School. 

mexican/colombian: i strongly recommend QUANTUM TACOS and MECATOCOLOMBIA at MAJI SQUARE

QUANTUM TACOS 

MECATO COLOMBIA 哥倫比亞小吃在台

at MAJI SQUARE

No.1 Yumen Street 玉門街1號

MRT: Yuanshan 

websites: Quantum Tacos Facebook

website: Mecato Colombia

Pricing: $ (NT$150/ person) 

Visit reviewed: 9/10/2017

 

I HAVE POSSIBLY FOUND THE BEST TACOS IN TAIPEI RIGHT NOW and you'll never guess where. Forget all you thought you knew about Mexican food in Taiwan and get yourself to the outdoor food court at Maji Square. 

Hidden in plain sight among the jumble of stalls of oyster vermicelli, burgers, poutine and Indian food are TWO food stalls you must try if you've been craving something better than the landscape of "It's good for Taiwan" Mexican food. 

If you are on my blog today for night market finds, beef noodles soups and dumplings, then scroll through my previous posts for a moment while we talk about this. 

But if you've lived in Taipei longer than a year and/or eaten your fair share of Mexican food fails,  I'm talking to you right now. 

I didn't even realize what the name of the shop was, my eyes just went from TACOS on the sign straight to "al pastor," "carnitas," and "chorizo." The photos of the tacos looked promising, the person manning the shop didn't look like a bored Taiwanese worker, and the price of NT$150 for 2 tacos or NT$200 for 3 tacos was reasonable. 

After peppering the guy at the stand with a flurry of questions, I decided to get a plate of 3. Regrettably the carnitas wasn't ready yet, but I could get al pastor chicken and al pastor pork. He said it would take 5-10 minutes, so I would wait in anticipation by making another circle around the food court. A small price to pay for the promise of legit street tacos. 

I made my way back to Mecato Colombia which had drawn my attention with their bright and festive sign, flanked by the yellow, blue and red stripes from the Colombian flag, and more importantly photos of their empanadas. Because I figured I would kill two birds with one stone and try them both out and empanadas with tacos sounded pretty good. 

 I asked which ones were best and settled on the Traditional Chicken and the chicken and mushroom, which the owner said also had cheese. Sounded good to me. There's also pork, salami and Hawaiian empanada on the menu at Mecato (Is Hawaiian a real thing for empanadas? Or is that just for Taiwan????), as well as arepas, drinks and obless, which looked like Colombian tortas and cookies.

I think I made the owners a little bit nervous with all my questions and by concentratedly eyeing them getting the fryer ready for the handmade empanadas, so went back to look for my tacos. 

I have seen (and eaten) A LOT of tacos in Taipei (and around the world!) and the way the tacos look  dictate a lot about how they are going to taste. And these tacos al pastor from four month old Quantum Tacos were definitely in the right direction. 

First, they had corn tortillas. Second, they were sprinkled with diced onions and cilantro, and ONLY onions and cilantro. Third, there was a proper meat to tortilla ratio, enough meat that when you rolled up the taco that you could see the meat coming out of the edges. (And the fact that the corn tortilla was thin and pliable enough to roll up, you couldn't imagine what a rarity that even is in Taiwan!) 

And the taste? HEAVENLY.

I did not realize how much I wanted to eat a taco until my mouth was chewing the tender bits of spit -roasted pork and fat mixed with the punch of the bits of onion and cilantro,  and I forgot that I was even in Taipei. That I didn't even have to think, this is good for Taipei. I thought this is good PERIOD.

The al pastor had enough flavor from the tomato (which gives it its reddish color) * and spices to not need any extra hot sauce. But if you like it with a bigger kick, they did have a bottle of Cholula and housemade hot sauce on hand. All these details because the food was being made by someone who knows what it's supposed to taste like.

Sam, who was from Mexico, said that when he started, he didn't know how to cook these recipes, which are from the owner who is Taiwanese but had lived in Mexico for over 20 years. But after learning, he could adjust to taste when he was cooking it day to day because (let's say it again) he knows what it's supposed to taste like. And that makes a difference.

Also, I noticed when I picked up my food that there were two business cards on the counter and realized the owner of Quantum Tacos was ALSO the owner of Teotihuacan Restaurant, which I had just found on the internets a few days before when I was researching to revamp my list of Mexican restaurants. I had never heard of it before then and now it all clicked IRL.

When I realized my empanadas were ready so I had to put down my taco (you can see the bite I took above) to pick them up. They were golden, fist sized puffs with braided edges and I knew that I was probably the only person in the food court filled with Taiwanese families, eating both tacos and empanadas right then. And they were MISSING OUT.

The chicken and mushroom empanada (NT$55) was deliriously cheesy, so much that they should put the word "cheese" in the description so people can know they are basically getting a fried cheese and chicken savory doughnut. The crust was flaky and the center cheesy, I didn't even mind that I didn't taste any mushroom. I seriously could not believe my luck, that the taco and empanada universe finally expanded to include Taipei. 

The chicken and potato empanada (NT$50) was also delicious, and reminded me of a croquette since it had the diced potato, but with the bonus of the fried crust around it. I am typing this up right now and thinking about if I should go back tomorrow for more. 

If you're looking for somewhere air conditioned to dine, you can also try the Argentinian Gaucho at the end of Maji Square, but while their grilled meats are good, their empanadas are no where near as good as the ones from Mecato Colombia. And their menu overall is definitely more expensive.

But seriously, who would have ever thought a food hall in Taipei would have Mexican, Colombian AND Argentinian food in one place? Is this the first you've heard about these spots? Do these photos make you excited? Where else have I been missing out on?? Leave a comment and some love, so I know you're reading! :)

PS sorry, let me also know the photos are turning up blurry? Blogger is having some issues for me, but I didn't want to wait to share.. so I will try to replace the photos later, but my eyes sometimes are also seeing blurry because i'm on my phone wayyy too much.

*per feedback in the comments, please note that traditional al pastor DOES NOT have tomatoes but chilis and spices, but the chef behind quantum tacos made that personal adjustment.