japanese: i recommend SHINTORI- SHADOW 3

SHINTORI- SHADOW 3
No. 123-1 LeGun Third Road
Dazhi, Taipei
(02) 8502-1009

MRT: Jiannan

website: shintori.com.tw

$$-$$$

Kid friendliness: high chairs available.

Visit reviewed: 10/11/2009




This is the entrance to Shintori- People Shadow 3.

The door doesn't slide open if you stand in front of it, nor if you push. We stood for a few minutes in front of this mysterious entrance before our aunt let us in on the secret-

"You have to throw a rock."

So of course, we tried throwing the rocks that littered the ground at the door. There was evidence of previous customers who tried the same- grey dents and scratches on the seemingly impenetrable door.

Nothing happened.

Instead, you have to throw it into this stone sculpture, that looks kind of like a lone wastebasket. Inside there's a lever of sorts that is triggered when the weight of the stone hits it...



And then the door slides open and we entered a spooky hallway- the door at the other end didn't open until the one behind us shut.



Has it ever been so much work or fun to go into a restaurant? I could see how it would be amusing to bring someone new and watch them try to figure out how to get in.

Once inside, you'll notice that the restaurant splits into two parts- People and Shadow 3. People serves Western food and is set up like a lounge bar with lots of sofa style seating. Shadow 3 serves Japanese fusion and is a distinctly modern restaurant space, once your eyes adjust to the darkness. Plus the lighting at the tables focused on the table space, so you could see the food and it wasn't so dark once you were seated, unlike Mitsui which actually feels so dark in some areas that I can't see what I'm eating!




We were there for an early dinner, so it wasn't crowded at all. I could imagine this would be a place where lovers rendezvous with its shadowy corners and lack of people. But it was an equally nice place to eat with the family.



The menu had an assortment of sushi, grilled meats and seafood, tempura and noodles. We went for the set menu, which they also offer at lunch. Some things were more memorable than others, but presentation was gorgeous throughout. This was awhile ago, so I apologize for the fuzzy recollection! Plus, I'm sure the set menu has changed by now....

First course was like a bite of fancy canned tuna on a bed of onion.



Second course- assorted sushi including tamago and a jelly



Third course- sashimi was good and very fresh. I missed my uni I usually get at Sumie.



Fourth course- baked bamboo and crab leg were both very sweet.



Fifth course- uni steamed egg was the favorite dish of the night with the silky chawamushi having lots of hidden goodies under the surface of the steamed egg.



Sixth course- lobster was served surf and turf. Starting to get full after this dish...



Seventh course- but then there's cold udon noodles.



Instead of served in a pile on a plate as usual, it was in a light broth with citrus flavor. It was refreshing and a palate cleanser of sorts.



Last course- dessert plate included fruit, tiramisu mochi and ice cream.



I haven't been back since last year (yes, this is how backlogged I am on posts!), but I would definitely go back and try it again. I'm curious also how the other locations compare to this one- I think all the Shintori restaurants have different atmospheres and themes.


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OTHER LOCATIONS

No. 68 AnHe Road, Sec. 2
(02) 2702-5588

80 JianGuo North Road, Sec. 1, B1
(02) 2501-7000

western/steak: i strongly recommend NO. 168 PRIME STEAKHOUSE

NO. 168 PRIME STEAKHOUSE
at Grand Victoria Hotel, 4 FL
No. 168, Jingye 4th Road
Dazhi, Zhongshan District

(02) 6602-5678

MRT: JianNan Road

website: www.grandvictoria.com.tw

hours: Weekday Lunch 11:30am-2:30pm; Dinner 6:00-10:00pm
Weekend Lunch 12:00pm-3:00pm; Dinner 5:30pm-10:00pm

$$-$$$

Kid friendliness: high chairs available. lots of pastas/pizzas

Visit reviewed: 3/6/2010 & 3/21/2010



Steak lovers will enjoy tender, medium rare steak in a beautifully designed, open kitchen, upscale casual space in the Grand Victoria Hotel. Opened early this year, No. 168 Prime Steakhouse brings the expertise of A-Cut chef Danny Teng to bring the steakhouse experience in Taipei to another level. I never made it to A-Cut despite hearing about how it was "the best steak in Taipei", but after trying eating at a restaurant run by the former A-Cut's founder, I can see how he has a magic touch for steak.



The first thing I noticed when I entered into No. 168 Prime Steakhouse was the unique details of the entrance and dining room. Wood echoes prominently as a theme in the design, but in a modern, artful way.




The second thing was the large open kitchens and the chefs busy at work, making pizzas and preparing dishes. While they have six private rooms (the largest can seat up to a party of 50), it's a pleasure to sit in the main room.




The third and maybe the most subliminal thing was the open airy space and light from all the windows in the main room. Many of the other steakhouses I've been to are dark and enclosed- Ruth Chris, Robin's Grill, Lawry's- which give it a old fashioned feeling somehow; and No. 168 Prime Steakhouse is the opposite.



If you wander around, you'll see the dry aging room around the corner from the kitchen.





The first time I went was for a party, and there was a set lunch menu that the host selected. The lunch and dinner sets are the best deals, as they include a starter, salad, soup, main dish and dessert. I've heard that the sets are not as expensive as A-Cut's were, and are affordable at around NT$800-$1500 for lunch and NT$1600-$2000 for dinner sets.

We all found it really hard not to resist the complimentary bread- it's spongy and pliable, and tastes freshly baked.



The two starters we had to choose from were the sizzling hokkaido scallop or taraba crabcake. I chose the scallop, which was wonderfully sweet from the right amount of searing, carmelization and flavor from the parsley puree and beurre blanc sauces.




Though Mushroom Cappuccino soups seem to be popping up everywhere in Taipei restaurants, this has to be one of my favorite executions, with a sweetness and smokiness to the soup and airiness from the froth. If I didn't misunderstand the waiter, I think he said there was actually a touch of coffee beans in the soup.



Along with main dishes comes an elaborate set of salts, mustards and sauces to choose- from Himalayan Rose, Hawaiian or French sea salts; dijon mustard, grain and English mustard; to red wine, horseradish or Bearnaise sauces- it feels like the chef has traveled the world to bring you the best accompaniments for your steak.



On my second visit, I copy my friend, who smartly creates his own palette of sauces in a clockwise fashion. That's an engineering major's mind at work for you. I am not sure I could have ever came up with that on my own- and thus I could have never majored in engineering!



The USDA Prime Filet comes in a iron cast skillet with a roasted whole garlic and tomato. The garlic butter had melted already since the servers were running around serving everyone, but the steak is still amazing.



It was also probably the first time I noticed a steak knife like this, it sliced through the meat like butter.



I've never been that crazy about eating garlic (some of my friends in LA adore the Stinking Rose), but I try the roasted garlic clove and its practically melts in my mouth with a sweet creamy texture. Weird! I like garlic!



For those that aren't red meat lovers, there's roasted chicken, quail, king salmon and pork chop and lamb options. Here was a huge roasted chicken my friend couldn't finish.



Out of the three desserts I sampled, my favorite was the warm chocolate cake and after I research for this post, I understand why. Danny Teng was also the founder of Ben Teppanyaki which also had a memorable warm chocolate cake (not to mention the biggest piece of foie gras I'd probably ever had).



The Caramel Affogato looks and sounds good with brownies cubes and carmelized bananas, but the brownies are much drier and harder in comparison to the chocolate cake.



For lighter fare, there's the seasonal fruit tart.



On my second visit, I got a lot of the same- the scallop, the mushroom cappucino, the warm chocolate cake, but this time, I had the Black Angus Top Cap steak and I liked it even more than the filet. It was more tender and juicy and I savored every bite.



There's also pastas and pizzas, which are great to share or for kids. The Porcini mushroom pizza is as addictive as the bread, with its doughy crust.




From the presentation to the ambiance to the food, I can't remember another place where I've had as good steak. No. 168 Prime Steakhouse could be in Beverly Hills or Las Vegas, and it could compete with the best of them.


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brunch/western: i recommend THE DOOR

THE DOOR
No. 26, Lane 57, Dazhi St.
Dazhi District
(02) 8509-8786

hours: Sun-Thurs 10AM- 9PM; Fri/Sat 10AM-10PM

$$

Kid friendliness: no high chairs but a few strollers spotted

Visit reviewed: 2/28/2010



If you live in Taipei long enough, one of things you start craving (besides Mexican food) is a hearty American breakfast. After awhile, even the thought of IHOP or Denny's sounds good, where you can get breakfast for dinner, lunch or breakfast. So where to look if you're too lazy to make your own pancakes, french toast or eggs?

You can try hitting up the various hotels in Taipei, like I did once with my cousin on the prowl for a good waffle in Taipei, but that can be pricey and their window for breakfast stop once the clock hits a certain time.

Those that have shared that craving with me have probably heard of the Diner- one of the most popular breakfast places in town to get your omelettes, pancakes and American style breakfast everyday, all day. Or there are a number of other players in town including Posh, NY Bagel, Hsiang Brunch, Good Day, Swensens.



So it was only a matter of time that the Diner concept would spread to other parts of the city and when I heard about the Door, I had to give it a try. A cozy, cafe-like, all day breakfast spot tucked in the alleys in Dazhi, the Door is too similar to the Diner to be a coincidence. While researching both for the blog, I realized even their Chinese names are similiar! The Diner's Chinese name is Le Zi (or Fun) and the Door's Chinese name is Le Duo (or Fun More or More Fun)



The biggest piece of evidence is the menu and the execution of the dishes- one glance at the menu and Diner fans will probably be feeling dejavu- items are pretty much in the same order and style as the Diner, with pancakes, french toast, breakfast burritos, eggs benedict, omelettes, hamburgers and menu items like meatloaf, country fried steak, pasta and lasagna.




But perhaps the fact that the Door is just like the Diner is good thing for the residents in Dazhi- they'll have a breakfast place to patron without having to leave the neighborhood.

The Asparagus and Chicken omelette was fluffy and stuffed with diced chicken, asparagus and melted cheese, but the potatoes o'brien were a bit soggy.



I'd also recommend the plain pancakes plate over the blueberry pancakes as there were so many blueberries in the pancakes, it was a bit overkill. They were also canned blueberries, so it wasn't as fresh tasting as it could have been.



But the regular pancakes were perfectly fluffy and soft, best eaten hot.



I actually wanted to try the burger and so I got a Swiss and Mushroom hamburger which I did enjoy. It had a thick patty and plenty of cheese and sliced mushrooms. The meat to bun proportion was good and the bun tasted like an American bun should, not sweet like some Taiwanese buns.



The Door doesn't take reservations, but we were able to snag a table for 6 without a wait before noon on a Saturday, but I can't promise you won't have a wait! It might be a bit tricky to find or park, so take a look at a map before you head over.


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OTHER LOCATION

Taida Campus
No. 188, Guo Ji 3rd St Da Xue Rd
(02)3501-2221


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