snapshot/mexican: i recommend MACHO TACOS's California fries

Get your forks ready. California fries are a rare find in Taipei, maybe even for most of Asia. For those of you who don't know what Cali fries are, they are like nachos but with fries instead of chips. Carne asada (or in this case, carnitas), pico de gallo, cheese, and a dollop of fresh guacamole piled atop seasoned, crispy fries. Meat and potatoes!

It's one of the pricier things on Macho's menu, but it's a huge portion. It was too much for me as one person (shared with my friend) and definitely on the heavier side (or damn have I been living in Taiwan too long?). Some might nitpick and compare it to the version back home, wanting more meat, more guac or fresh cheese instead of the saucy kind, but it was enough for me, and people, this is going to be as close as you're going to get for awhile (unless Dos Chinos decides to try to get in on it)! California Burritos are available too (yup, burritos stuffed with fries), as well as chimichangas and mini churros since my last review.

CLOSED snapshot/dessert: i still strongly recommend YOFROYO

One way to beat the heat is with some frozen yogurt. Yofroyo seems to still be going strong and added specialty flavors, acai berry and lychee tart to the line up.

Spotted some new locations, including at Q Square & Ximending, and heard the tiny one in Gongguan closed awhile back.

This is combo #1 with original tart, though I tend to favor the green tea/red bean combo too.

western/revisited: i recommend Cubano sandwich at TOASTERIA

TOASTERIA

No. 2, Lane 248, Zhong Xiao E. Rd, Sec. 4

(02) 2731-8004

MRT: SYS Memorial Hall

website: Toasteria's facebook page

hours: 11AM- 11PM; weekends until 12AM

$-$$

kid friendliness: the original location off of Zhongxiao has limited seating and is in a busy alley

visit reviewed: 4/26/2011
previous visit reviewed: 4/2008

Ever since I tried the cubano sandwich at Cubanos last December, I had been thinking about the sweet ham, the sour pickles, the juicy marinated pork and pillowy bread and how that combination made for a great sandwich, which was hard to find in Taipei. Unfortunately, shortly after I visited and before I had a chance to write it up, Cubanos was closed and being renovated, after being sold to a new owner, and the possibility of having that craving satisfied remained a doubtful reality.

That is until I heard about the cubano sandwich at Toasteria. I hadn't been back to Toasteria in years, probably after my initial few visits and review (I recommended it), since Toasteria had raised their prices, Costco started importing more sliced cheeses (pepper jack, colby jack, swiss, cheddar, havarti) and I got a Hello Kitty sandwich maker and started making my own grilled cheese at home.

But if you're craving a sandwich, Toasteria is worth revisiting, as it has over forty different sandwiches available on its menu.

Toasteria's Cubano is heavy on the mustard, which overpowers most of the other flavors in the sandwich. They use their regular sandwich bread (panini grilled crispy) and load it up with plenty of pickles, pork, onions and cheese. I got my sandwich to-go and they also included a small plastic bag of marinated olives and pickles, as well as a green dipping sauce (a pesto mayo?). If had to choose in a taste test, I'd prefer Cubano's version of the cubano which balanced the sweetness with the sour and mustard (and had better bread), but until the reopening, I'm happy to have this unusual sandwich available in Taipei.

Since my last review, Toasteria has opened a second, roomier location in the Shida area. Has anyone had sandwiches at their Shida cafe location? It looks like it comes with a ciabatta-type roll there which I think would definitely add to the cubano.

OTHER LOCATION:
Shida branch
No. 1, Lane 72, Yun He St.
02) 2365-3051

MOVED! french/crepes: i recommend ARVORIG CREPERIE BAR

ARVORIG
new address a/o 11/2011
11 Re-Ai Road,
Yin-Ge District, Taipei, Taiwan 239
0932-125-244
No. 325, Roosevelt Rd, Sec 3
(02) 2363-5600

hours: Tues-Fri 12PM-2:30PM; 4:30PM - 9PM ; Weekends 12PM- 9PM
CLOSED MONDAYS

$

Kid friendliness:bar stool seating, no high chairs spotted

Visit reviewed: 10/6/2010



When I first heard about Arvorig, I was pretty excited because (1) crepes in Taipei tend to be on the crunchy, papery side; (2) the crepe places that I had discovered before were gone- Mamm Goz and Crepes Suzette and (3) I had just gotten back from Toronto where I had some amazing crepes that reminded me how good they could be.

So for a lunch date with a friend from LA, my friend was down to try this new place with me. I called ahead just in case they were not open or had shut down or whatever. They were indeed open, though it sounded like they opened a lot later than the listed noon- the owner asked if we could come in closer to 12:30pm. I opted for 12:15pm and got there a little early at noon. Good thing there's this bright orange sign with a giant picture of a crepe because it could be a little harder to find otherwise. (And since I got there a little early, I walked around the block and ended up finding some amazing stinky tofu!)



Follow the hallway to the left of the door to the end, and you'll spot a corner bar seating area turned creperie with about 10-12 seats.




The menu has a huge selection of sweet crepes (over 40) and a few savory galettes, some topped with caesar salad. All the dessert crepes are under NT$100 (most around NT$60) and include such flavors such as sugar and lemon, chocolate, honey, banana and maple syrup, peach apricot jam and pear and honey. Topping it off with whipped cream is an extra NT$20.



We split a ham, tomato sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses and cherry tomatoes galette (NT$150), which was a bit on the dry side which emphasized the wheaty flavor and texture of the galette. Perhaps I was expecting more cheese like those I was familiar with back in California and from restaurants like the pricier Paul.




We saved room for dessert and ordered two sweet crepes to try- one with handmade caramel (NT$60) and one with chocolate (NT$60). The flavor of the crepe had an strong egg flavor which was more noticeable with the caramel than the chocolate.



If I came back again, I think I'd get the chocolate with bananas or maybe try one of the jam ones. Or ask for the goat cheese and honey galette without the lettuce.



While Arvorig didn't match up to my fond crepe experiences in Toronto, it hit the spot for a soft dessert crepe at a really good price- and made by a French expat in the kitchen.


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taiwanese/street eats: i strongly recommend XING LONG HANDMADE COLD NOODLES

XING LONG HANDMADE COLD NOODLES
or XING LONG SHOU GONG LIANG MIAN
No. 2-1, Lane 333, Roosevelt Rd. (Or LuoSiFu Rd)
(02) 2363-0429

hours: 11AM- 11 PM

$

Kid friendliness: limited tight seating; can get stuff to go

Visit reviewed: 10/6/2010



Down any random alley in Taipei, you'll inevitably find something delicious to eat. Down this random alley in Shida, I followed my gut and followed my nose. I smelled the sweet distinctive smell of stinky tofu. Sweet to some, unbearable to others. This alley, like a lot of others, was like uncovering a treasure map of eats- a run bing vendor, a pepper bun stand, a soy tofu vendor, and a row of xiao chi or small eats.

But one stood out from the others- it was bustling, there were people waiting in line and it was the source of the stinkiness! If I didn't have a lunch date right around the corner, I would have did a tasting course with a sample from each different place.



Besides stinky tofu, this place is also known for their cold sesame noodles and hot noodle soups, based on the orders and wall of fame. There's not a lot of room to sit- some right in front of the food, and about 10 seats in the back.Everything is under NT$50 or US$2.



I grabbed a plastic stool near the front, next to the wall of magazine and newspaper reviews blown up for show. While I was waiting for my stinky tofu to be freshly fried, I watched the lao ban scoop up dry noodles from a huge silver bowl and spoon an assortment of sauces atop to complete a plate of cold sesame noodles and a short line form for to-go orders.



The wait was worth it. The crispy skin of the each piece of stinky tofu was broken in the center, and stuffed with finely diced garlic and garlic juice. It was like the pungency of the garlic cancelled out the pungency of the stinky tofu and made one harmonious bite. (Ha ha! Okay, I can't imagine what stinky tofu garlic breath smells like to the non initiated, but just bring some mints for afterwards.) Topped with sliced cucumber and a side of pickled cabbage for more crunch, I added some of the chili sauce that was available on the table.



So now I have new daytime spot to go to for stinky tofu lovers while mourning the my recent discovery of the disappearance/closure of Yong Kang Kou on Yong Kang Street. I'm definitely coming back to this alley for more.


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CLOSED! dessert: i strongly recommend SWEET TOOTH

a/o 5/2011 CLOSED- owner moved shop home, so check FB page for updates/catering info.

SWEET TOOTH
No. 9-2, Lane 13, Pucheng St.
(02) 2369-0689

MRT: Taipower Building or Guting

website: Sweet Tooth's FB page

hours: Tues-Sun 12PM- 10PM, Mondays 5PM-10PM

$

Kid friendliness: small space and no high chairs, but lots of kid friendly desserts available

Visit reviewed: 10/5/2010



It's true that when one door closes, another one opens.. But who would have thought that instead of tacos, I'd be getting brownies and honey ice cream? After a recommendation from reader Ginny to try out Taco Bar in Shida, I made a date with a few fellow Mexican loving friends to check it out. But apparently Taco Bar isn't open for lunch as some internet blogs reported... when we got there a little before noon, its main door was closed with a metal gate and the whole alley off of Pucheng St was quiet.



So after trying to figure out what to do, the small sign for "Belgian ligne waffles" and cute storefront caught our eye. We spotted the owner inside and asked about Taco Bar and she said that she thought it opened later, like in the afternoon. I think she saw our distress and invited us inside to check out her shop because we were curious about her waffles.



The cozy nook seats about ten people and has a cheerful decor, with colorful framed drawings of animals and handpainted walls. Open for about a year, Sweet Tooth is a good spot for afternoon tea snacks and offers a brunch menu on the weekends.




While the waffles wouldn't be ready until later (the dough, which included pearl sugar, was still rising), she offered us a taste of her banana cake with rose cream. All of the her menus are currently in Chinese only with no pictures, but Ariel, the owner, is happy to suggest and explain her treats.



It was moist and muffin-like, and not too sweet and the handmade rose whipped cream offered an interesting complement to the banana cake.



But for those with a serious sweet tooth, you have to check out her brownies (NT$60). They were gooey and thick just like the kind I like to bake at home... the texture was not too cakey and not fudgey.



You could make any of the desserts ala mode with the honey ice cream. One of the most popular waffle combos is a waffle with a scoop of honey ice cream.



There's also teas and coffee- the fruit tea was fragrant and a good balance to the sweetness of the brownie. She also sells larger loaves of the banana cake and brownies for NT$250 and gives discounts for larger orders.

I'll definitely be back to try out the Belgian waffles, and maybe the nutella banana toast, which she said she would be trying out- two pieces of toast with nutella and banana sandwiched in between, and grilled on the waffle iron. And maybe try out Taco Bar when it is actually open, or Exotic Masala House, a few doors down, or the Korean restaurant across the street. As always, there's too much to eat in Taipei.

pizza: i strongly recommend MARYJANE PIZZA

MARYJANE PIZZA
No. 25, Lane 44, TaiShun St.
(02) 2368-5222

MRT: Guting or Taipower Bldg

website: maryjanepizza.com English and Chinese

hours: Mon-Fri 12-2 pm, 5:30-9:30 pm
Sat & Sun 12-3:30 pm, 5:30-10:30 pm

Delivery available: minimum NT$500 order to only ShiDa, GuTing, TaiDa, GongGuan districts

$

Kid friendliness: no high chairs spotted, but lots of room for families

Visit reviewed: 5/11/2010



I had heard about Maryjane's Pizza for a long time and I don't know why it took me such a long time to try it, but I'm glad I finally did. With locations at both Shida and Taida, it's a cozy neighborhood pizza joint offering a huge menu of pizzas with fresh ingredients for great prices.





Just from the menu, you can tell that Maryjane has a lot of personality- the cute menu is shaped and designed like a pizza, the pizzas have quirky names and descriptions (there's mention of David Hasselhoff and George Bush? LOL) and the more unusual toppings include broccoli, bacon, ricotta cheese, carmelized onions, artichokes, blue cheese, squid or smoked salmon. There's even a dessert pizza with apple, cinnamon and mozzarella called "Eve's Temptation."

Nothing on the menu is over NT$300 and there is no service charge, but there is a minimum NT$150 charge per person.



If you get overwhelmed from all the choices in the menu (there are no substitutions or additions to their specialty pizzas), you can opt for something off their lunch special, which includes a soup or salad and drink (NT$160-200). Besides the typical cheese and pepperoni, there's Crispy Bacon with Sunnyside Egg or Amigo Rocks (jalapeno, red onions, tomatoes and genonese sauce). Or you can build your own pizza.



It's really hard to decide, but I end up choosing the Pesto Chicken (NT$250) with baked chicken breast, feta cheese, tomatoes and pesto. My friend is feeling the Hola Jalapeno (NT$200) with pepperoni and jalapenos. The pizzas don't take too long to come out, or maybe we are too busy talking and sipping on our ice tea.



The pizzas all come as 10 inch pies, which is a hearty portion for one. When the pizzas arrive, you can smell the bubbly cheese and all the aromatic ingredients. The pizzas are thin crust and on the drier side, but still have some bite to them. Though I expected the tomatoes on my pesto chicken pizza to be larger sliced tomatoes and under the cheese, I don't mind the fresh half slices of grape tomatoes. The flavors of the pizza meld together nicely and before I know it, I've finished half the pizza.



Maryjane Pizza makes for a good quick lunch spot or a place to kick back with some buddies with beers and pizza on the weekend. With a larger group, you could order different pizzas to share and try more flavors.



There's no lingering after lunch though, as they promptly turned off the lights and ushered everyone out when they were closing for their afternoon break. But otherwise, the service is prompt and friendly and our complimentary ice tea was frequently refilled without asking.


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OTHER LOCATION

Taida
No.89, WenZhou St.
(02) 2369-5333


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CLOSED! mexican: i strongly recommend OOLA MEXICAN GRILL

CLOSED!

OOLA MEXICAN GRILL
No.3 Ln. 136, Alley 1, Roosevelt Rd. Sec. 4
(02) 2363-1111

MRT: Gongguan

website: Oola's Facebook page

hours: SUN-THU: 11AM-10PM
FRI-SAT: 11AM-11PM

$ Cash only

Kid friendliness: no high chairs. but quesadillas available off the menu for kids

Visit reviewed: 6/2/2010



Let's be honest. If you're craving Mexican food in Taipei, you're kind of out of luck. The options here are slim and imperfect and not to mention, on the pricey side. And as much as I liked Eddy's Cantina, it's hard to get to Danshui for a craving unless you have a couple hours to get there and back.

But hopefully Oola Mexican Grill will change that.

Tucked behind the movie theaters in Gongguan, it just opened last week and already has good word of mouth. Even though it was already on my to-do list, I received emails and comments with raves. So did I have high expectations? I tried to keep them in check- after all, this is a city where Mexican food often comes with a side of fries, or nachos consist of Doritos with a side of salsa (real experience!).



Let's start with the good, and there's a lot that is good.



There's burritos, burrito bowls, tacos, fajitas and salads, all for about NT$120-$150. If you've never been to a Chipotle, this is how it works- You pick what form you want your Mexican, you pick your protein, you pick what else you want in it or not (ie rice, salsa, cheese, lettuce, sour cream, guac) and then you eat!

I was definitely excited to see carnitas! Stringy, soaked in juices, braised carnitas. There's also steak in large bite sized chunks, grilled chicken and barbacoa, which here is beef. I was unsure between the carnitas and barbacoa and was offered a small taste of each to decide. I stuck with my original carnitas order as the barbacoa was a bit spicier.



There's lots of salsa- mild pico de gallo with mostly tomatoes and onions, a corn salsa and two spicier salsas- red and green salsas- and you can have any combination of the salsa. The first time I went I got the mild and the corn salsa and the second time I asked for a little of the green salsa. There's also fresh guacamole, made with Haas avocados, which will cost NT$20 if you want it added in burrito. Everything is behind the counter, so there's no self serve salsa bar here, though the drinks are self serve and refillable.



The space is clean and casual with two floors and an open patio. Perfect for the summer days and nights and there's free wifi.




The burrito comes out to be a decent size. You can also add chips and a salsa and drink to your meal for an extra NT$29. The chips I had were better the second visit than the first, and definitely go great with the spicier green and red chile salsas.



The first time I went, by the time they put together my burrito, which wasn't very long, and I unwrapped it, the burrito was cold. Not even lukewarm, but cold to the touch. It was strange considering that they warmed up the tortillas on the grill, but I was more sensitive to it because the owner asked if he could reheat it for us (without us asking). Even after it was reheated, it was still only warm, not steaming hot, but I was pretty hungry so I wanted to eat it.



And my carnitas burrito tasted good! The rice soaked up the juices from the carnitas and salsas and the touches of cheese and guacamole made it taste like LA.



On my second visit, I told them I wanted a hot burrito and so the owner asked them to make it quicker and indeed it tasted much better hot.



I also had a bite of a chicken burrito bowl and the bite sized grilled chicken was tender and flavorful.



Many people will compare Oola to Chipotle, which is a good thing since there's basically no other place like it in Taipei. I've only been to Chipotle once, but the idea of casual place where you can pick up burritos is definitely needed here. The owners are quite enthusiastic and seem to be open to hearing what customers like and don't like, so you can't help but to root for them to succeed. They are from LA so I'd say that the flavors and style of the food here is more California Mexican than Tex Mex or sit down Mexican, but there's already places for that here. They are still going through some opening kinks, but I'm sure with time and feedback that they can work them out.

Some people will be missing the pinto and black beans and mexican rice, but I'm okay without it- they state that they are figuring out an affordable solution to bring it to the store. I'm also okay with the jasmine white rice, which they flavor with cilantro and lime, though I'd prefer Mexican rice. (Have I been here too long?) For those looking for spicier flavors, consider adding the spicier salsas to your dish, which have a great kick and flavor to them.

What do you think? Have you been waiting for burritos to come to Taipei and is Taipei ready for burritos?


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