american/brunch: I strongly recommend BOTTLESS brunch

BOTTLESS 非瓶

No. 26-1, Qingcheng Street, Songshan District, Taipei 

(02) 2514-0089

MRT: Nanjing/Fuxing (Brown line) (3 minute walk)

website:  drinkbottless.com

hours: 11AM- 3PM; 5:30PM- 11PM

$$ 

Kid friendliness: many kid friendly dishes on the menu

Visit reviewed: April 2021/ December 2020

iceberg wedge salad 

Pork belly chilaquiles, iceberg wedge salads and giant cinnamon rolls- these are some of my must orders on the brunch menu at Bottless, the sister restaurant of Gen Creative. 

Opened over a year ago by the chefs at Gen Creative, Bottless offers two completely different menus for brunch or dinner, and most importantly to diners today, at sizable American portions at affordable prices. You won't find avocado toast or omelettes here- instead it's Korean American Chef Han Cho's heartier versions of American classics. 

Dinner is a completely different menu with appetizers, mains and desserts to share. I've only been to dinner here once when they first opened, I need to go back for dinner again! The name Bottless comes from their wine on tap concept and wanting customers to enjoy a glass of wine with their meal without the fuss. 

Broccoli and iceberg wedge salad

There are few salad options on the brunch menu. I'm a fan of their broccoli salad (NT$320) and like to get the tart dressing on the side. I love the toasted quinoa and pickled onions for the added crunch. The new iceberg wedge salad (NT$300) is a new favorite. I love how the dressing wasn't too heavy despite being creamy and I just just found myself going back for more. 

Pork belly chilaquiles 

The pork belly chilaquiles(NT$390) are My MUST ORDER dish here! it's like having nachos for brunch but fancier. the dragon corn is SUPER sweet and all the flavors just go together for the perfect bite. This was everyone's favorite at my recent visit which was everyone else's first visit. 

Grilled cheese and tomato soup

The grilled cheese and tomato soup (NT$350) was hard to share so not sure I got an accurate taste of this dish. I had 1/8 of the grilled cheese and dipped it in the tomato soup. But I LOVE tomato soup. I miss the version at Woollomoolooo, they stopped making it a few years ago. Sad face. 

Coconut curry chicken

And I was too full to enjoy this Coconut curry dish. (NT$420) With chicken, rice and slaw, this is a very complete dish for one person. 

Fried chicken and biscuits

Can't go wrong with fried chicken and biscuits (NT$380). The biscuits here are bit more dense and less fluffy and they are slightly sweet. 

Kaya French toast

Kaya French toast (NT$340)! The server gave us a heads up that we probably didn't need the additional syrup and he was right. The spongy French toast is new to the Bottless menu.

Other things to order- giant cinnamon roll, ice cream sandwiches 

I would also recommend ordering/saving room for their giant cinnamon roll (NT$260), but we didn't have room for it on this visit because it was my friend's birthday and there were a few birthday cakes already. But the cinnamon roll IS worth the calories. Other things I recommend trying from the brunch menu at Bottless are the ice cream sandwiches, the burger and the breakfast sandwich if it ever returns to the menu!

Advanced reservations recommended. 

 

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BOTTLESS SPRING 2021 MENU

dessert/snack : i recommend HARITTS COFFEE AND DONUTS

HARITTS COFFEE AND DONUTS

No. 33, Lane 81, FuXing N. Rd

松山區復興北路81巷33號

(02）8771-0645

website: Haritts Coffee and Donuts' Facebook page 

hours: 11AM - 7PM

MRT: Nanjing Fuxing

Price: $ 

Kid friendliness: kids will probably like the gooey chocolate or plain

Visit reviewed: 8/12/2016

I finally made it to Haritts Donuts which I had been seeing it on instagram for months. I just got back from LA where I had indulged in a a number of donut shops (Sidecar & DK in LA and Doughnut Plant & Dominique Ansel cronuts in NY) and craving donuts. 

Haritts is on a one way alley, a block away from Fuxing N. Road. The hand lettered signage on the entrance and on the menu inside gives it an artisanal charm. 

There are a few tables to sit inside to enjoy your coffee and donuts. 

Besides donuts, they sold packaged rusks and coffee and tea.

The donut menu is on the wall, with the same lettered signage in English and Chinese and drawings to show the dozen or so flavors. But not all the flavors were available that day even though we went around 11AM, quite close to opening, only whatever is on display in the glass counter.  They have a monthly schedule of donut flavors, available on their Facebook page (in Chinese only).

When you get them, they are wrapped in paper with cute stamps indicating the flavors on the outside folded flap.

I had to try one right away, so I tried matcha first. The donut was soft and pillowy, lightly dusted with green tea powdered sugar. But it tasted more like a bagel shaped bread dusted with powdered sugar  than the yeasted or cake donuts that we typically think of with we think donuts. Light and not greasy and comes in a dozen or so flavors, though only half were available when we went at 11AM opening yesterday. And you won't find any sprinkle or frosting covered donuts here. 

The cream cheese had a bit of flavored cream cheese inside. There was also a matcha red bean available with red bean inside and a caramel walnut with candied walnuts inside, instead of jelly and custard.

Last minute I decided to get chocolate and I'm glad I did. It had a bit of gooey chocolate in the middle, and was the most sweet of the four I tried. Of course, it's not going to be as sweet as the chocolate donuts from the states, but I guess that's why Haritts works for Taiwan (and Japan, where it's from). It's like a healthier version of a donut that doesn't taste greasy even though it was fried. Also, try to eat the donuts the same day. My best bite was right after buying it-- the donuts the next day were definitely staler and not as satisfying. 

Did I enjoy Haritts' donuts? Yes. Did it fulfill my donut craving? Sort of. Still might have to revisit Voodoo Doughnuts Taipei for a maple bacon bar. But it's not so bad to have an healthier option for donuts to go to. 

pizza: i recommend BIG BOYZ PIZZA

BIG BOYZ PIZZA
No. 38, Lane 256, Nanjing E. Road, Sec. 3, Songshan District
南京東路三段256巷38號
(02) 2721-9797

MRT: Nanjing/Fuxing

website: Big Boyz Pizza's FB page

hours: 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM,5:30 – 8:30 PM; closed Mondays

$$ (NT$300-400 a person)

Kid friendliness: room for strollers. NY style as well as deep dish pizzas available. no high chairs spotted.

Visit reviewed: 12/3/2015

For some strange reason, two new deep dish pizza places opened in Taipei within the six past months. Either it was just a matter of time or the universe is telling us something- Taipei NEEDS deep dish pizza. After trying Love at First Bite a few weeks ago, a number of instagram readers suggested trying Big Boyz Pizza as well (in the alleys down the street from Breeze Center). 

So a few weeks ago, I headed to the three month old Big Boyz with a few friends who also hold Zachary's (from Oakland/Berkeley CA)as the benchmark standard for our deep dish pizza cravings. I was a bit surprised to see it completely empty, but it is only a few months old. (There's also an NCIS express down the street)
Big Boyz's Taiwanese chef trained at the Scuola Italiana Pizzaioli in SF, as demonstrated by the diplomas that hang on the wall.

The menu's focus is on pizza- deep dish and NY style pizza, with a few fried appetizers and drinks to add to the meal. No salads or desserts (which Love at First Bite has both, as well as some tasty ribs). But if you're there to enjoy the pizza, then you should save your stomach space for pizza! If you've never had deep dish pizza, it's like a stuffed pizza you eat with a knife and fork- the crust is taller like a pie and there's usually a mound of toppings underneath the cheese and sauce. Part of the reason I love Zachary's Pizza is the layer of crushed tomatoes atop so it feels a bit more fresh. Would love to see that in Taipei as an option!

 

Because we ordered the pizza when I made the reservation in advance (as suggested), the pizza was made already. So when we were about 20 minutes late in arriving and sitting down, the pizza was kept warm in the oven and a bit past its optimal state. I would have preferred the satisfaction of eating it hot out of the oven with stringy cheese. But the pizza was still tasty- the cornmeal crust was buttery and the toppings aplenty and flavorful. I got the recommended Pizza No. 1 with mozzarella, provolone, homemade italian mild sausage, bacon, pepperoni, mushroom, bell pepper and caramelized onions. The pizza was slightly smaller than I expected NT$799 for 8 inches, but still very filling for three people. 

Also on the menu for deep dish pizzas are the Chicago Classic (mushroom and pepperoni), Hot Summer (with chorizo, mushrooms, jalepenos, onions, olives), Bacon and Mushroom, and Veg Barrel (vegetarian).  Twelve inch pizzas are available for NT$1299-1499. NY Pizzas are available in 12 inch and 18 inch in NT$300+ and NT$560-790 range. There's more variation to the NY Pizzas with garlic shrimp or bbq chicken options along with the more traditional margherita and pepperoni toppings.

You can see the cheese has cooled off and is not stringy anymore. 

When you go to Big Boyz, I would recommend that you ask them to let them know when you want the pizza ready (right at your time of reservation, 20 minutes after, etc?) and not to precut it until it's served. Personally I would ask they bake the pizza to be ready 15-20 minutes after my res to let everyone settle in. They deliver to neighboring area, but they are closed Mondays. Between the two deep dish spots in Taipei (Big Boyz vs Love at First Bite), I would come to Big Boyz again to try the pizza hot as I liked their crust better and try their NY pizza, but if you have some people who want to eat other things then you're better off at Love at First Bite. Who would have ever thought that Taipei would have not just one, but two deep dish pizza places!