a journal of finding good food and restaurants i love to eat in Taipei when I'm not in Los Angeles. looking forward to hearing from other food lovers about where your favorite places to eat are, so i can try them next!
Kid friendliness: only a few tables to sit in back, no high chair spotted, but lots of non-raw options like chicken, tofu and veggies available on the menu.
Visit reviewed: march 2022
You guys know I can be picky about poke bowls in Taipei (because they seem to more like salad bars here). Since @pokeworks.tw is the first Asian branch of US @pokeworksco , it will feel happily familiar to those missing California style poke bowls.
You can pick a preset combo or build your own bowl, starting with rice/salad base (or noodles!), protein (2-3), mixins (5), dressing, toppings (4) and crunch (4). For this price point (NT$180-280+) you get a ton of selections and everything was very fresh, and it’s the combination of the components together that make it a legit poke bowl.
I love that there’s choices like baby scallop, masago, surumi crab salad, avocado, shredded nori and fried lotus root. Was super satisfied by my bowl and will def be back!
(Maybe even when I’m craving Asian chicken salad- add chicken, cucumber, onion, mandarin oranges, wonton crisps and use poke works classic or ponzu fresh flavor lol ). This was actually verryyyyy tasty. Thanks Ashley! lol
When I first started the blog, the question I would get once in awhile was "where can I find Americanized Chinese food in Taipei?" And I had no idea, I mean it just was not a thing here. Plus you've got dumplings, noodle soups and veggies galore.
But then after a few years I would really get nostalgic for that styrofoam box of orange chicken, chow mein and a fried egg roll. I know I wasn't alone because I even followed the news of an American Chinese diner opening in China (and closing a few years later) and orange chicken getting so popular you could buy it at Trader Joes. Panda Express even started trying to started making burritos with orange chicken and had Innovation Kitchens.
And now, Taipei finally has its own spot to order a few of your takeout faves. The founders of FORKS AND CHOPSTICKS筷叉小館were feeling the same cravings and tackled this problem with a cloud kitchen solution.
The menu at Forks and Chopsticks isn't long, but it's got the classics you might spy at the mall food court - broccoli beef, orange chicken, chicken zucchini, eggplant and tofu, chicken and string beans, fried rice, and chow mein..and yes, there's fortune cookies, takeout boxes and that familiar looking styrofoam shaped box (minus the styrofoam cuz it's Taiwan 2022).
And the taste comes pretty close, at least for me who hasn't been to the states in 2 years and hasn't had orange chicken in more than that. I must admit Panda Express' orange chicken was such the guilty pleasure in college. So while the flavor is close, I do wish it was a bit more crispier and stickier (though I guess I get Korean fried chicken for those cravings these days). Paired with a chewy chow mien, it scratches an itch. The familiar fried rice, the lucky numbers with your fortune.
You can order by the dish or get a combo 1, 2 or 3 dishes with rice or noodles (or upon special request half and half). Currently you can find @ForksxChopsticks on ubereats or pick up, but there's no dine in yet. They are also testing egg rolls (another fave that I haven't had in years) and crab rangoon.
There _are_ fortune cookies, but they are an extra charge unfortunately, the same way chips and salsa are not free in Mexican restaurants here. lol.
So anyone been missing their takeout menu from back home? What else are you missing? Maybe honey walnut shrimp or (it's been so long I had to google) sweet and sour shrimp or Kung Pao chicken.
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
A lot of you might have noticed that I've posted less and less on the blog over the years. I've started to freelance as a (paid) contributing writer for various sites and publications. In case you missed it, this was an article for Taiwan News of some of my favorites and places I wanted to try last summer. This obviously skews more internationally- as they were new openings of a modern Vietnamese restaurant from Vegas and two Korean BBQ joints with roots from Korea, a world famous Japanese ramen with insane lines, and a cheese shop serving up Italian cheeses. Almost a year later, all of them are still putting out good food and Longtail was even awarded a Michelin star! The only ones I still haven't tried yet are Longtail and EPL- where does the time go? Time for another round up.
Do you want to see more round ups like this on the blog? I know my readers are split- many of you are finding my blog when you are researching where to go for a first time visit and others have been living here a long time like me.
10 new places to eat next in Taipei
HungryinTaipei's (HiT) list of what's been trending and new in Taipei, Summer 2017
1.DISTRICT ONE TAIPEI
(Photo by @hungryintaipei)
District One Taipei just soft opened last week, but photos of their signature lobster pho have already drawn in crowds to their shop in the Da'an district. Opened by Chef Khai Vu and the team from Revel Eatery, District One brings Vegas modern Vietnamese to Taipei, with delicious dishes like beef carpaccio, crispy egg rolls, oxtail fried rice and pork vermicelli. The lobster pho might get all the (well deserved) attention, but the brisket oxtail pho (NT$300) with the tender meat and beefy broth is definitely not to be missed.
Kid Friendliness: kid friendly sandwiches like cheese bites, BLT. no high chairs spotted
Visits reviewed: 12/5/2017
[TAIPEI- XINYI] SO MUCH HAS CHANGED SINCE I STARTED BLOGGING 12 years ago. I used to take photos with my pocket Canon, upload them to my laptop and then upload to blogger and then tinker around with the html, type and post. But now even though taking and editing beautiful photos is easier and faster, it hasn't made blogging any easier.
The app I used to use "Blogger" has slowed down as iPhones got faster and is now no longer in the app store. But then the blogger app started to upload the photos in a lower resolution sometimes AND crashed when I type more than a few letters. But since the app is no longer in the app store, it longer has any technical support and I couldn't download it to my new phone. So in order to upload pics from my new phone to my old phone, I had to airdrop them.That's why I was posting so infrequently on the blog because it would take FOREVER to do.
BUT today I had an epiphany. I could airdrop photos to my desktop (because my laptop's hard drive is full as is my iCloud) and then do it the old school way, upload to blogger and type and post from there.
SO here it is, a new post!
Liquid Bread Company is sandwich shop founded by the owners of Purebread Bakery and Gen Creative earlier this year, located in the quiet alley behind the Xinyi and Guangfu intersection. Those craving American style sandwiches in Taipei don't have a lot of choices, so the founders of Liquid Bread Co saw on opportunity to offer the sandwiches they wanted to eat themselves with higher quality ingredients made almost entirely in house.
Liquid Bread Co's partner Jim says, LBC was "the natural progression of a bread shop, the wanting of showing how sourdough is used, in addition to missing a well put together sandwich."
The menu includes classic sandwiches like pastrami, BLT, tuna melt as well as creations that give a nod to Gen Creative's chefs' heritages like carnitas, spicy pork belly, Taipei Bomber, which is a ham and cheese sandwich with egg salad added in.
Every month, there is also a collaboration with a guest chef to offer a limited edition sandwich. This month, it's with Le Blanc's Chef Long Xiong and (regretfully) Le Roast Beast was sold out the day that I went. (I will have to go back before the month's end to try it!)
The menu board on the wall is only in Chinese, but there is a paper menu with English sandwich names and ingredients. It is a bit tough to match up prices to the sandwiches if you don't read Chinese since the prices are only on the menu board, but they range about NT$290-420 and half sandwiches are available.
Side dishes include housemade soup of the day,pickled broccoli slaw, potato salad, egg salad and packaged chips like Doritos. A variety of craft beer is also available to down with your meal. Service is self serve, meaning that you grab your own food, pay at the counter and then bus your table afterwards.
The roasted tomato soup (NT$90) comes with two small pieces of bread, which I used with the egg salad to make a mini toast. It would pair perfectly with cheesy bites and I used it to dip my tuna melt. Since it's more on the sour side than sweet, I wouldn't be able to finish off a bowl on its own, but paired with a sandwich, the creamy tartness is a great complement to each other. You could create your own soup and half sandwich combo, though it would be nice if they could offer a price break on the soup if you added it on.
After trying almost every sandwich on the menu (thanks to Liquid Bread Co), which were my favourites? I was expecting it to be carnitas since that's the sandwich I had heard raves about on Instagram, but they were out of carnitas that day. Booooooo.
So I was actually surprised by how much I liked the BLT (NT$290). The thick slice of Sedor Farms bacon was crispy yet juicy, and perfect with the crisp lettuce and tomato. I typically wouldn't order BLT, but the owner Jim insisted I try it. It would be even better with some avocado slices, (BLAT? ABLT? BLTA?), but on its own it's a refreshing bite with the addictive tomato jam.
The pastrami sandwich (NT$420) was a nice stack, with provolone cheese, house prepared mustard and zucchini pickles. I liked it a lot, though the kind of pastrami I usually crave is the juicy, jus soaked heaps of thinly sliced pastrami like what you would find in LA at Johnnie's Pastrami or the Hat, rather than the traditional deli style pastrami on rye.
Made with mozzarella, gouda and parmesan, the cheesy bites (NT$180) were super buttery and cheesy, like a grilled cheese cut into quarters for bite sized enjoyment (or dipping in tomato soup).
The tuna salad and the tuna melt sandwich are both priced at NT$290, and the tuna is made from fresh tuna for the tuna salad.
And in my video making, I only got video and not a photo of the Pork Belly sandwich (NT$290), which was really hearty with three slabs of spicy pork belly in each half, pickles and cabbage slaw on a soft dinner roll. The meat wasn't as fatty as I expected and since I didn't have room to eat it at lunch, I had it for dinner and it held up pretty well as leftovers. With so much meat, this sandwich is definitely the most bang for your buck, and an underrated AND filling sandwich where carnitas and pastrami get all the hype.
And last but not least, the junk cookie with chocolate chips, marshmallow, oreo and peanuts. It's that kind of crispy chewy cookie that is hard to find, but not as monster sized or gooey as the cookies from DPT Coffee.
Before I went to Liquid Bread, I had heard a lot of people say, "the sandwiches are really good, but it's on the expensive side." I can't say that I disagree, as the prices for the sandwiches average about NT$290 and that's without any included sides or soup, but that they are serving some of the best sandwiches in Taipei right now and if you love sandwiches, then it's worth it to fill that craving- they taste just like a sandwiches you would get in the states.
The day that I went, almost all the other customers included expats or people speaking English and I wonder if the market for sandwich lovers is big enough for them. It will be a bit of a hurdle because I consider myself in their customer demographic and even I find it a bit expensive to pay US$10 for a BLT or US$13 for a pastrami sandwich since I often do make sandwiches myself at home. I would definitely recommend Liquid Bread to my friends and you guys, so I was on the borderline of whether to strongly recommend or recommend them, taking price into consideration.
When I posted the picture of the pastrami sandwich to my Facebook page- multiple people excitedly asked where? So good food will get people excited, but how many others are like us? That's seems to be the topic of discussion for a lot of the restaurants I've been trying lately- trying to offer something that's different for Taipei in the style of what's popular in the US with quality ingredients, but can they compete despite the higher price point?
Would love to hear your guys thoughts! Comment below or chime in on my Facebook or instagram!
HERITAGE BAKERY AND CAFE 台北市中正區漢口街一段73號之2 (02) 2311-1079 MRT: Taipei Main Station (about 10 minute walk) or Ximen Station (about 8 minute walk) or NTU Hospital (about 10 minute walk) website: Heritage Bakery's Facebook page hours: 11AM - 7PM (closed Mondays) $$ Kid friendliness: seating on second floor, elevator available. kids will love the cinnamon buns and desserts Visit reviewed: 3/16/2017 Must orders: cinnamon roll, salted caramel cheesecake, carrot cake
[TAIPEI] Anyone who has been craving warm, sticky cinnamon buns in Taipei must get themselves to Heritage Bakery now. Opened in September 2016, Heritage Bakery is the result of owner Sally Song transforming an old family building into a gorgeous bakery/cafe serving a counter full of American style cakes and desserts, including a plate of cinnamon buns beckoning at the entrance's window. The cafe's classic and clean decor, peppered with refurbished vintage fans and speakers as decoration, and bookended by the original building's brick and concrete walls, looks like it could be out of the pages of Pottery Barn or Williams Sonoma catalog, both companies that Song previously worked for.
There's currently only one savory item on the menu, a bacon mushroom potato tart, creamy and crisp, topped with a thin layer of cheese with a subtle layer of local pepper (NT$180). I wished there were more mushrooms and less potatoes since it's quite filling, but I polished off the entire thing anyways anyways.
But we are here for the desserts and there's so many to choose from! I settled on trying the most popular items- the cinnamon roll and the salted caramel cheesecake. Song said that there was definitely a learning curve in working with her pastry chef, who is Taiwanese and has never traveled to the US, to create authentic flavors and textures with rounds of recipe testing without having tasted the real thing. Considering the differences the palate between Asian desserts and American desserts, the results are pretty amazing, as all the desserts I tried were on point.
Cutting open the salted caramel cheesecake, I could already tell I would like it. Not as dense and firm as NY cheesecake (and less cakey than the Japanese style cheesecake that is popular in Taipei), Heritage Bakery's cheesecake is more melt-in-your-mouth creamy and smooth, as a result of being made from cream cheese, marscapone and sour cream. Perfection with the sweet caramel swirls and touch of salt to balance the sweetness.
And the cinnamon bun tasted as good as it looks. My fork easily cut apart each layer, which was moist, fluffy and pleasurable with a sticky finish from the caramelized sugars and cinnamon coating. I've tried my share of cinnamon rolls in Taipei (Fly's Kitchen, Mia Cucina, IKEA, Original Bakery, Bonjour Bakery, La Petite Pearl to name a few) and this one is the closest I've had yet to my Cinnabon cravings. My only regret is that I didn't pick up a few extra to share and eat in the morning for breakfast. Don't make my same mistake.
Balsamic strawberry chocolate tart
Guava Delight (NT$150)
Passionfruit meringue (NT$180)
Good Ol' Carrot Cake (NT$150)
Even though Heritage has been open for only a few months, Song has ideas about the bakery's space for the future- hoping to bring other bakeries or chefs for pop-ups in Taipei, since the bakery is only open during the day time and she has a full kitchen on the third floor. Until then, I will be happy to come back to try out the other delicious desserts one by one, or maybe one of their beer and dessert pairings. Heritage Bakery is worth the trek to Hankou Street, near Taipei Main Station and Ximen areas.
