vegetarian/western: i strongly recommend MIA CUCINA

MIA CUCINA

No. 11, Lane 107, Section 1, Fuxing S Rd, Da’an District

(02)2752-8767

(more locations below)

MRT: Zhongxiao Fuxing

11AM - 9:30PM

$$

Date visited: February 2022

Recommended dishes:  the 3 cheese roasted tomato flatbread (NT$420), the avocado mushroom panini, wild mushroom pasta, harvest salad, kale farro salad

Hello everyone in 2023! It really is easy to forget things when I don't write about it. This meal was from almost a year ago February 2022, and the first one that popped up from my google photos that uploads from my laptop. Looking at this meal, I remember it's from Mia Cucina because of their signature thin crust flatbread pizza and piles of salad and pasta, but without the menu in front of me, I'll have to google the prices and names of the dishes.  I'm thinking if I can upload random past meals from my photostream and get some posts done for 2023, even if they are throwbacks. Let's see how long this lasts! 

Mia Cucina was one of the first "vegetarian, but you can take your family who eat meat" restaurants and also one of the first places to have a great salad selection. Looks like they celebrated their 10th anniversary last year, which means they opened in 2012. Now there's a ton of Western vegan/vegetarian restaurants in Taipei, but Mia Cucina really was one of the first to have pages of over a dozen salads, pizzas, paninis and pasta, and be exclusively vegetarian. Now there's Herbivore, Baganhood, Herban Kitchen and Bar. It also reminds me of Gonna, which is not vegetarian but does the whole salad and pasta with same ingredients thing.

The first location I went to was their first one in Neihu, probably in 2013 and I remember being in awe because they had a semi-open kitchen with huge assortment of colorful veggies and you could see them as they assembled the salads and dishes. (I'll have to see if I can dig out the photos!!) The state of finding a salad in Taipei before then was so tragic- Caesar salads or lettuce with some diced cucumber, and at best, the salads from Chilis. It really was so sad. Look at us now! Mia Cucina now has locations in Daan, Tianmu and Xinyi, in the very visible second floor walkway of A11. I actually really used to like Mia Cucina, but haven't gone as often once all the cafes and Gonna and Herbivore opened. But don't be deceived- it can still be very busy and popular and you should make a reservation.

Their OG salads were the Farmers and the Harvest, which I would always get confused, with overlapping ingredients (and early menus only in Chinese). Ok let's break it down- Farmers salad has grilled sweet potato, bell peppers, grilled corn, raisins (YUCK WHY), red onions, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, cherry tomatoes, carrots, boiled egg, caramelized pecans, pineapple (again hmm), broccoli, croutons, avocado, cheddar cheese and ranch dressing. Harvest salad has grilled corn, grilled bell peppers, cherry tomato, asparagus, grilled carrots, grilled eggplant, red onion, cucumber cubes, quinoa, cilantro, toasted almonds, dried cranberries, feta cheese with lemon vinaigrette. 

In the last few years, they've changed it up, adding salads like Kale and farro (NT$435) and brunch and bowl options. Might have to revisit to give it a try!

Farro Kale Salad - kale, pecans, cranberry, scallions, celery, feta, lemon vinegar sauce

wild mushroom pasta

Other locations: 

110, Taipei City, Xinyi District, Songshou Rd, 11號2樓號

(02) 2722-3120

Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Nanxi Store One

Zhongshan District, Nanjing W Rd, 12號2樓

(02) 2522-2438

No. 48號, Dexing W Rd, Shilin District, Taipei City, 111

02 8866 2658

breakfast/western: i strongly recommend ANTIPODEAN

THE ANTIPODEAN
No. 4, Lane 26, Gangqian Rd, Neihu District, Taipei City, 114
(02) 8751-0027

MRT: Gangqian

hours: 9AM - 6PM

price: $$

visits reviewed: 9/19/2016, 12/15/2016

My must orders: acai bowl, avocado breakfast plate, raspberry tart

Down a typical residential Taipei alley in Neihu is a small bright blue sign with a kangaroo logo. Turn left and when you're greeted by an even bigger pop of color with cerulean blue benches and a huge sign you'll have discovered Antipodean. It's a great place to grab a quiet breakfast since it opens at 9AM, or a group of friends for lunch to share salmon avocado toast, big breakfast plates and my favorite acai bowl (of the moment) in Taipei.  Dare I say an avocado toast and acai bowl wave has been rolling through Taipei the past year? Add this cute cafe in Neihu to the list, @theantipodean does it quite well.

The brunch menu is short and sweet, but avocado lovers will be happy to find that you can either have it mashed on toast (with smoked salmon and arugula), sliced on a breakfast plate (with baked beans, eggs, hash browns, mushrooms and a baked half tomato), or baked with spicy chorizo. 

Someone asked me the other day to recommend good coffee shops #☕️ to be able to work in, with free wifi and an outlet for a laptop. I recommended a few, including @theantipodean. Do you guys have any favorite coffeeshop offices? 

Water, cups and utensils are self serve. 

Lots of pretty corners to choose from for those with the patience to pose for selfies or pose their food. 

Having been to the Antipodean several times, my go to order now is the Avocado big breakfast (NT$320) since it has a little bit of everything, and you can DIY your avocado toast with the slices of sourdough they give you. The scrambled eggs are fluffy and creamy, baked bean slightly sweet, roasted mushrooms and tomato to feel healthy.

If you're looking for meat in your morning, then the Antipodean Big Breakfast (NT$320) swaps out avocado for bacon and sausage.

I'll always remember the Antipodean as the first place I ever tried an acai bowl (only a few months ago. I know totally behind the times), and though I've only tried a couple afterwards, I still like Antipodean's the best. The consistency and iciness of the acai smoothie is just right and their house made granola gives a nice sweet crunchiness. Even though I had a little bit of sticker shock the first time as their bowl is NT$380, the size is larger than the other places I've had it and they do not skimp on the fruit. Deflect the cost by sharing with friends. 

Loved the thin slivers of almonds, the caramelized granola and the fat slices of bananas, strawberries and blackberries (Yay!! Loveeee blackberries). Can you believe this was my first acai bowl EVER? Underneath the layer of crunch and fruit are creamy, icy spoonfuls of acai berry smoothie. 

I think I was always a bit intimidated by not knowing what it would taste like (and how do you pronounce acai anyway?!) but if you like yogurt bowls, you should enjoy this. 

Avocado toast hiding under the smoked salmon. I do love it with the arugula. (NT$320 for 2)

Founded in April 2016, the name of the Antipodean is a nod to its founder's Australian roots, and calls itself a third wave Australian inspired coffee shop. It does remind me a bit of Woollooomoolo in the early days with their breakfast plates before they raised prices and made portions smaller, and made certain menu items exclusive to weekends. The owner is quite friendly and you might catch him behind the counter to strike up a conversation. I've been wanting to keep Antipodean to myself since their space is limited, but I've already seen a flurry of instagram posts with their bright blue table and carefully placed dishes since I first posted it, so I might as well post my write up for my friends who have been asking me "what's good there?" 

bistronomy/modern: i strongly recommend RAW (fall 2016)

RAW
No. 301, Lequn 3rd Road, Zhongshan District
台北市中山區樂群三路301號
(02) 8501-5800

MRT: Jianan Road

website: www.raw.com.tw

hours: Lunch: Wed- Sun / 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM
Dinner: Tues - Sat  / 6 PM - 10 PM
Closed Mondays

$$$$ (NT$1850/per person plus 10% service. Chef's table menu in back of restaurant is slightly more expensive)

Kid friendliness: only set menus available so only probably only foodie kids will appreciate

Visit reviewed: 8/22/2016 Fall 2016

Previous RAW Taipei menus: 
5/26/2016 Summer 2016
1/21/2016 Winter 2016
 4/7/2015 & 3/4/2015 Spring 2015

LOVED loved love the new menu at @raw_taipei. Might be my favorite set yet. Loved the "All about duck" and the "Taco, tako, t-a-c-o-s" and dual basil pesto abalone and bamboo.  So many wonderful flavors and interpretations of Taiwan infused with the world for the latest menu.

Of course, it helped to have Chef Andre Chiang and Chef Alain Huang to talk about dishes and not be afraid to quiz the servers about details. I've been lucky enough to come to almost every season (thank you to my friends who manage to snag reservations) to RAW, but this was my first time coming as an invited guest of RAW to their media luncheon. I was the only English language media/blogger, so I'm working my way up in the world! Haha.

CORN / CHARCOAL / BBQ 
The first course at @raw_taipei definitely evokes Taiwanese street corn #🌽, smothered in sticky sweet sauce and grilled, but in miniature form. I thought it was a giant baby corn at first but someone pointed out it was made out of individual kernels taken off and reassembled onto a baby corn popsicle , so you still have the mouthfeel of regular sized Bbq corn kernels. Playful start to the 8 course meal.

ABALONE/ BAMBOO / SANBEI PESTO 

Chef @andrechiang_sg played with the idea that both east and west "use basil with different flavors. What if you used it (Taiwanese basil) in a Western way?" Taiwanese cuisine uses Thai basil in dishes like three cup, or san-bei, while Italian/Western uses a sweet basil for pesto. The addictive sauce was a mash up of the two, making the perfect match for the crunchy bamboo, touch of caviar and chewy abalone. I scooped up the extra pesto and pine nuts with the bread. So so good.

SCALLION / ONION / LEEK  蔥蔥蔥
Every season, RAW Taipei "Always has one vegetable driven dish" and this dish is it for the new menu. Paraphrasing Chef Andre's thoughts about this "onion family" dish, he said, "Interesting how when you cook the leaf, the roots, it shows different levels of sweetness, (it's) almost meaty." The leek and zucchini purée was definitely very creamy and sweet, with an underlying saltiness from the mackerel, while the onion petals cup drops of EVOO and balsamic. What I thought were bacon bits were fried shiitake mushrooms to give the purée a satisfying crunch. You almost don't need the uni, but I will never complain about uni. Later I found out that there are several touches, like the uni that come with the Chef's Table, which are the two elongated tables in the back near the kitchen, which cost slightly more per person.

The TACO / TAKO/ T-A-C-O-S takes a spring onion pancake as tortilla, octopus (with is tako in Japanese) as the meat with a soft boiled egg and T-a-c-o-s standing for teriyaki, avocado, cabbage, onions and sour cream. A playful interpretation and play on words to combine the flavors of multiple countries. The spring onion pancake is thicker than a regular tortilla would be, and the flaky layers provide the satisfying crunch, while the chewy cubes of octopus and runny egg contrast and complement the pancake.

ALL ABOUT DUCK used all parts of the duck including duck heart, duck tongue and duck liver. I mean #FOIEGRAS SOUP. How can you not love it? With barley, Taiwanese red quinoa and corn. One of my favorite dishes.

OCEAN TROUT/RADISH/SALTED OLIVES

Ocean trout served two ways. First as fish chip with the fish skin fried into a crispy chip, then sous vided into tender submission and topped with salmon roe, paired with radish and salted chinese olives. (And looks sort of like the island of Taiwan) If you weren't paying attention, you might even think it was salmon. Every dish RAW serves always has contrasting textures, something smooth, something crunchy and this dish follows the rules. 

BURNT TOMATO/ MOLE/ SMOKED SAGO 

Beef cheek with mole sauce and burnt tomato, light dusting of chocolate shavings. Unexpected dish for me- curious how locals will like this menu. 

Spying into the kitchen between dishes

And ICE / SNOWBALL / MANGO modernizes the popular mango shaved ice and gives us a meringue snowball with sweet #mango cubes and tableside snowfall.

So that's the new menu at @raw_taipei. I really enjoyed every single dish and love that they are introducing flavors like mole and tacos to Taiwan, but in an unexpected new way by marrying the ones we find familiar. Inspires me to try to do the same at home.