CLOSED japanese/sushi: i recommend IZUMI BY SUMI 湶

IZUMI BY SUMI 湶
No. 101 Song Ren Road, XinYi District
松仁路101號
(02) 8780-5265
(edited 8/2016: this location has been closed for a few months now since spring of 2016. may reopen elsewhere under different name according to their Facebook page)

MRT: Taipei City Hall

website: Izumi by Sumi's FB page

hours: 12PM -3PM; 6PM -12AM

$$-$$$ (about NT$500-1000/per person)

Kid friendliness: room for strollers though kids probably better fit for lunch or early dinner

Visit reviewed: 3/1/2014

When Sumi Sushi closed shop last year, it was one of the few sushi bars serving American style rolls in Taipei that I liked. I had heard rumors that Chef Andy had moved back to Vancouver and I had guessed that customers found it difficult to find Sumi Sushi once it moved to a small alley near Ximending. So when I heard that Sumi Sushi had been reincarnated into a new Japanese restaurant in Xinyi District, Izumi by Sumi, I was happy and curious to give it a try.  Overall, if you liked Sumi Sushi's rolls before, you're pretty much getting the same thing, except with a higher price tag because of the swankier location (rent) and lounge bar environment. As before, you have to pick and choose certain rolls to get your money's worth if you're looking for size and value. But quite a few of you have asked me over the past few months about Sumi, so here's the address and a few photos to help you find it.

Located next to Brown Sugar in an office building a few blocks away from Taipei 101 and the surrounding shopping centers, you kind of have to know what you are looking for when you go. The signage is not easily noticeable and the windows outside blocked off with decorations, but there's a tv screen showing rotating images of sushi rolls to catch the eyes of those not familiar with Izumi.

Once inside, I admired the decor and the new lounge bar atmosphere which was very different from the mom and pop sushi bar feeling that I had become used to at the previous locations. And as I went for lunch during Izumi's soft opening, it was empty except for our group of friends and I could only imagine the vibe at night with the dimmed lights and loud music. You could imagine this being the setting for a trendy sushi restaurant in Hollywood.

Along with sushi rolls, sashimi and nigiris are available, as well as some Thai dishes and Yakitori. There are over 20 rolls to choose from and we seemed to know more about the rolls than the new waitstaff when some of my friends asked questions about the other rolls. Again it was during the soft opening, so hopefully they'll have pictures and more descriptions for the sushi rolls, especially since there are so many, there's bound to be questions about the different ingredients. I suggested that they take photos and put it on an iPad so people could browse and see photos that way.

We were a hungry bunch and anxiously awaiting the food, and with only Chef Andy making the food, it can be a long wait. When we asked, he said he will be training others to also make sushi, which will be necessary with the larger capacity. So one of the first things to come to the table and that we ordered again was the salmon (NT$400) and spicy salmon sashimi (NT$450). The salmon sashimi came in thicker cut slices while the spicy salmon were cubes of sashimi covered a sauce that was a mix of spicy and sweet.

My favorite rolls that I suggest ordering are the Crispy roll (NT$400) which is a california roll covered with scallops with mayo sauce and roe and tempura flakes for the crunch (thus the name crispy roll).

Choose this over the spicy scallop roll (NT$280) which is tiny in comparison even next to the side dishes - edamame NT$100, Niubang tempura NT$100

I also like the Sumi Sushi roll (NT$500) which is one of the bigger rolls with smoked salmon, eel and  and the whole thing is deep fried for a crispy tempura exterior. 

Spider roll (NT$400) is always one of my favorites. I felt like it needed more eel sauce that day, so we asked for some more on the side. The Spider roll and Sumi rolls are some of the bigger rolls, which are more filling than some of the bite sized rolls that are available for the same price.

Get a group of friends together to share rolls, then you can try different kinds. The presentation of most of the rolls were pretty much the same as it was at the previous Sumi Sushi. It'll be interesting to see if Izumi by Sumi make their presentation and rolls more trendy looking as time passes to match its trendy decor and vibe. 

Volcano Roll (NT$400) also with scallop, crab, cucumber, avocado so similar to Crispy Roll, but no crunch and more sauce.

Rockin Roll (NT$480) Spicy tuna, spicy salmon, cucumber

Everyone is a food blogger/instagrammer now trying to get the perfect shot. Lol.

Dragon Roll (NT$420) Unagi over california roll

Thai stir fried pork and green beans (NT$320) 

It's kind of random that there is Thai food on the menu, but a good spicy side dish to go with all the rice. Fits into the fusion menu and atmosphere of Izumi by Sumi.

Smaller vs bigger rolls 

I know it's quality over quantity when it comes to sushi, but with rolls, I can't help but to yearn for the type of huge rolls I ate with gluttony back in the states. Next time, I'm going to ask for some of my favorite roll combinations from back home-- deep fried salmon with avocado and crab with masago atop or spicy tuna piled atop crispy rice.

To be honest, before I moved to Taipei, I was pretty clueless about sushi and that's probably why I loved sushi rolls so much. Now I know the difference between a good and not so good piece of fish and where to find good chirashis and omakases in Taipei, it's hard to justify paying the same NT$400-500 amount for one roll (and need two to three rolls to be full) vs one heaping chirashi bowl with more fish inside it.

But I can't help but to crave for rolls once in awhile and Izumi by Sumi would be a good spot for a girls' night out or a group dinner, especially when the focus isn't on food but on hanging out and drinking. I only know of a handful of places that do sushi rolls well (NCIS,  A Plus, Ton 28 Sushi, Sumie at San Want, Kura Sushi) and I've had some horrible experiences when trying new places, so Izumi will be a familiar sight to fans of Sumi Sushi.

revisited/street food: KO FU SHUI JIAN BAO at XINYI/GUANGFU

KO FU SHUI JIAN BAO 口福水煎包 
LONG XIANG SHUI JIAN BAO 龍香水煎包
No. 355 XinYi Rd, Sec. 4 (XinYi/GuangFu intersection)
台北市信義路四段355號(光復南路口)

MRT: XinYi/AnHe

$ (NT$14/bao)

Kid friendliness: kids probably prefer all pork fillings. scallion pancakes also available

Visit reviewed: 2/3/2015

Recently an anonymous reader asked on an old post from 2008 about an address for the shui jian bao shacks on the corner of Xinyi and Guangfu, and since I had revisited it recently I thought I'd throw up photos of that corner's new look. The baos look (and taste) the same, but the shops got a facelift in the past few years with brighter red and orange signage. 

If you've never had a shui jian bao, it's basically a bun typically filled with pork or veggies and is steamed and pan fried at the same time, so that it has a nice golden crispy bottom.  Shui jian baos can work as a breakfast, lunch, dinner, afternoon snack, post meal snack, midnight snack... you get the idea!

2008 Xinyi/Guangfu baos

2015 Xinyi/Guangfu Baos

The English signage at Ko Fu Shui Jian Bao helps identify the different fillings for the baos, but there's still a little that got lost in translation. Fillings include black pork, radish, squash (not cucumber), mustard greens (not green mustard), leek, cabbage and bamboo shoots. Hey, five out of seven isn't too bad! I admit I'm human too... back in 2008 I said the shop was at the corner of Xinyi and Yanji, which isn't completely wrong since Yanji ends when it hits Xinyi, but is easier to find if you go to the intersection of Xinyi and Guangfu.

There's two different bao shops on the corner, the one on the front has the fancier sign and there's another one next to it. Which one is better? 

Ko Fu also has scallion pancakes, radish pancakes and soy milk. Once a long time ago, I think I also got a huge, fried crispy red bean pancake there for a snack. It was one of those things you wolf down because it's so good when it's hot and then regret eating the entire thing by yourself when it's over. It's probably still available somewhere on that corner- I've been scared to go back and look for it!

There's also a Yong He Dou Jiang right next door (which I have yet to try!) and then further down GuangFu, there's a Mango Cha Cha for those looking for mango shaved ice.  

The baos are NT$14 now and larger than the ones you'd find at Tonghua or Shilin night market and I prefer the juicier, crispier baos at the night market, where the pork juice is going to be dripping down your chin and you usually get it hot out of the pan, but when you're having those cravings during the day, this isn't a bad option. 

If you're looking for steamed baos instead, you can also try Chao Zhou Bao Zi on Lane 216, or worst case scenario, any 7-11 in Taipei! Man, now that I'm looking at that old post, I realized their signage got bigger and fancier too!!!! I'm going to have to do an update post for them too!

new in town/exploreTaipei: i recommend ATT4FUN 4TH FLOOR CAFES

ATT4FUN 4TH FLOOR
12 Song Shou Rd
XinYi District, Taipei

MRT: Taipei 101 or Taipei City Hall

website: ATT4Fun's FB page

hours: 11AM - 10PM

$$

Kid friendliness: lots to eat and see, surprisingly roomy walkways for strollers and families

Visit reviewed:

It's exciting to that a retail space in Taipei can redesign and innovate its space into an entire floor of eateries and Instagram worthy corners. Note to other malls- Why not have a little fun with it? Instead of just plopping a bunch of restaurants on one floor, they created a whimsical walk into a wonderland full of cafes and dessert shops.

I've seen hints of the Alice In Wonderland theme before, at Love Lovely, but here it's in full scale with rabbits guarding entrances marked Midnight and Afternoon, white Roman numerals marching along the tops of the hallways near the ceiling and even a projection of a blond haired, blue dress wearing Alice upon a misty steam, creating a hologram effect usually seen after hours at Disneyland.

This is the entrance to Midnight-

After each entrance with a black or white rabbit, there's a centerpiece display. On the Midnight section, it's a cascade of champagne glasses under a ceiling full of bubble glass lights, with a slightly creepy dressed in black mannequin in a canoe that you might see at Venetian or some new hotel in Las Vegas. The first time I walked through the fourth floor, I just looked and looked, in awe of all the details and so many things to take photos of.

New cafes and restaurants in the midnight section include- Opa! Greek Cafe, Movenpick, Cupid On, Carousel, La Mere Poulad . In the afternoon section, NOLA Kitchen, Cutty Sark, Love One and more... Here's a little peek.

Tommy's waffles

OPA Greek Tavern 

Carousel Cafe 

La Mere Poulard

Movenpick Cafe

Afternoon entrance with the white rabbit

NOLA Kitchen

Cutty Sark

Love One

Cool little layout map I spotted on a different floor.

With so many cafes and restaurants on one floor, it's a good destination for when you can't decide on what to eat, so if one places is crowded, you just wander to the next one until you find one that looks good or has seats, if you are in a hurry.

On the 6th floor, Belgian Beer Cafe closed before I had a chance to write it up (some good dishes, but uneven service and expensive for the portions, especially the ridiculously small appetizers), and was replaced by Fat Angelos (which moved over from Bellavita and looks like Belgian Beer Cafe except with a new sign and red checkered table cloths).

The 5F also went through a revamp, with the closure of BANNCHAN and San Yuan (so sad. no more chocolate xiao long boas with the 101 view) to make room for a Mr. Onion, Dubu House and Bite 2 Eat. A lot to shop and eat at ATT4Fun, with Gap and Zara Home to browse downstairs and the new Quiznos and Pizza Denise to grab a quick bite.