afternoon tea/taipei cafe: i strongly recommend CAFE DE RIZ CAFE

CAFE DE RIZ CAFE 米販咖啡 

No. 9, Lane 119, Heping E. Rd, Sec. 3

台北市信義區和平東路三段119巷9號1樓(全安公園旁) 

(02) 2736-6166

MRT: Liuzhangli

website: Cafe De Riz Coffee Shop's FB page

Hours: 11AM - 7PM 

Kid friendliness: no high chairs spotted, some room for strollers, but it is a smaller space

Visit reviewed: 9/15/2015

Not to be confused with Cafe de Riz's other location on Anhe Road (which used to serve mainly chirashis and seafood rice bowls), this Cafe de Riz is a coffee shop/cafe serving dessert for the eyes and mouth. I was invited to a blogger tasting, where they introduced their new collaboration with French pastry chef Roumanille Yann (previously at three michelin starred Pierre Gagnaire and Dalloyau in Paris).  

I don't know if it was the sugar high or the plating or the French accent, but I felt a tiny bit transported away from Taipei. My favorite  plate included the delicious and delicate butter cookies, caramels and meringues for their new signature sweets (NT$150). Taste from light to dark. Loved this. 

Let's imagine we are in France for a few hours, and eat meringues, caramels, sable, guimauve and gateau au citron. 

Caramels and chocolate biscuits made from Marou chocolates, made from Vietnamese cocoa. Marshmallow with shiso. 

Lemon pound cake (NT$150) 

Hojicha creme brûlée (NT$180)  not as photogenic, but still very delightful

Ahh love natural lighting for photographs!

Chocolate tart (NT$160) 

Onigiri lunch sets are also available for a light lunch (which I'll have to come back to try!), or packaged biscuits and cakes would make great hostess gifts. If you're lucky, they might have cinnamon rolls in stock. Thanks @cafederiz for the tasting and for the delicious treats!

CLOSED/western/drinks: i strongly recommend DIARY

 

DIARY 
53 Dong Feng Street
台北市東豐街53號
(02) 2706-3553
CLOSED

MRT: DaAn

website: Diary's FB page (hasn't been updated since 2013)

hours: 3:30PM - 1AM

$$ -$$$ (NT$600-1000+/per person with drinks)

Kid friendliness: maybe for an early dinner, but menu is probably suitable only for foodie kids

Visit reviewed: 4/27/2015

Once you see Diary's handwritten coaster notes for their drinks or its ink black bowl of "fried rocks," you won't likely forget it. Even though it had been years since my last visit to Diary, those images had made a distinct impression on me, which is not easy to do given the cluttered landscape of Taipei's restaurants (and I've had a lot of forgettable meals among them).

I hadn't planned on going to Diary when meeting up with a few new friends-- we had actually planned on meeting at a ramen shop, but it turned out to be closed on Mondays. Luckily, Diary had available seats for us at last minute's notice and I was curious about how Diary was since my last visit years ago. Diary has been doing bistronomy before it was a buzzword in Taipei, serving modern, creative food and drinks in a cozy, industrial space since 2009. Diary is easy to miss along Dong Feng Street since it doesn't have an obvious sign, but there's a lot worth exploring on this street (as well as the nearby Siwei Road).

The handwritten menu is more expansive and polished than I remember, with lots of tempting options for shared plates, like lobster soufflé, crab cakes or roasted spring chicken. We end up ordering a crab meat ravioli, a risotto, the fried rocks and lamb shank to share between three people.

Complimentary smoked rolls of turkey are brought to the table, with smoke dispersing when the glass cover is lifted. (Unfortunately I was too slow with the camera to get the cool part of the action before this shot)

Predictably, I order the mojito (NT$280). As indicated on the handwritten note under the glass, Diary's recipe for a mojito is Havana Club 7 year old rum, mint leaf, brown sugar and fresh lime juice. It's a more serious version of a mojito- not as cloyingly sweet as some other bars and a distinct brown color instead of clear when it's made with sparkling water and white rum.

The Crab Meat Ravioli (NT$320) was a hearty enough portion to share with bite size pieces bathed in cream sauce and black pepper. The ravioli dough is a bit gluey for me (maybe underdone a tad?), but we still clean the plate. I was pleasantly surprised with the portions of all the dishes at Diary that night as I remember the dishes being smaller on my last visit, and I dislike it when restaurants serve only four to five pieces of ravioli in an order, especially when it's not part of a set tasting menu.

Mushroom Risotto (NT$300) also delectable and fragrant with mushroom and cheese flavors.

Paired with the bright yellow saffron mayo, the Fried Rocks (NT$320) is the most striking dish at the table. I couldn't stop eating the crispy, squid ink battered, fried fish, squid and shrimp. Perfect amount of coating and crispiness and the seafood inside was still moist and sweet. Darth Vader of fritto misto. If you try one thing at Diary, you must order this signature dish.

The only other restaurant I had seen do black battered calamari in Taipei was the Spanish tapas restaurant Cocina de Jackie, who took the theme one step further and served it in a faux plant pot with a flower. 

Braised lamb shank with fennel (NT$1380) - I was getting quite full by the time the lamb shank and mashed potatoes came to the table, but it was still a happy addition to our stomaches. Some parts were fork tender, and some parts were a little bit tougher, but again, a good sized portion to share. I might try other dishes next time rather than reorder this again.

Reservations recommended for Diary, as the space and seating is limited. 

CLOSED french/crepes: i recommend LA CREPERIE

LA CREPERIE

No. 45-2, Lane 187, Dunhua S. Road, Sec. 1
(02) 2775-3949
bummer closed 2016

MRT: ZhongXiao/DunHua

website: La Creperie Taipei's FB page

hours: 12PM - 11PM

$$ (about NT$250-500/person)

Kid friendliness: lots of savory and sweet crepes available, as well as pastas.

Visit reviewed: 9/19/2014, 10/26/2014, 1/15/2015

Eating crepes in Taipei has kind of been like Goldilocks trying to find the perfect bowl of porridge. The Taiwanese versions are "too crispy" and the Japanese versions are "too soft"-- finally La Creperie gets it "just right." And for a salted caramel lover like me, you will definitely have to save room for dessert.

Founded in 2007 in Shanghai, La Creperie serves Brittany style crepes and has branches in Hong Kong, Saigon and Phnom Penh.  Since it is a chain, the Taipei branch has a fairly glossy look, menu and presentation. It's tucked into a side alley near Zhongxiao Dunhua, so they were smart to add some signage and banners to the corner to wave you down. 

Inside is a bright, nautical theme with blues and yellows and cute lighthouse salt and pepper shakers. There are two floors of seating- the first floor faces the bar and kitchen and the second floor is roomier for larger groups and families. 

La Creperie's menu of salads, savory galettes, pastas and dessert crepes feature over 40 crepes to choose from. The menu is in English and Chinese, with clear sections for appetizers, pastas, classic crepes and dessert crepes. Vegetarian crepes are marked with a red "vegetarian", as well as house specials with their little red spiral logo. There are over 20 savory crepes with toppings like emmental cheese, ham, egg, spinach, mushrooms, ratatouille, creamy chicken and scallops, and over 20 dessert crepes.

During my last visit, at the corner table to my left, two women sipped their cups of tomato soup while conversing in rapid fire French, while the four tables to my left were a mix of English and Chinese. I realize that not only did I grab the last table on the first floor- a narrow strip of seats along La Creperie's long bar, but also every single customer that day was a woman.

I've tried several over the crepes over three or four visits. My favorites are the ratatouille, the creamy chicken and egg ham cheese. I liked the La Paimpont (NT$260) with chunks of chicken breast and mushrooms in a creamy mustard sauce, but it's a bit heavy so more suitable for sharing than eating a whole one by myself.

I also really liked the La Brestoise #43 (NT$260) which had a tomato, vegetable ratatouille atop a crepe with egg and cheese, as well as the La Bigoudene #41 (NT$250) which has emmental cheese, egg, ham, and choice of a veggie (spinach, mushroom or tomato).

If you like seafood, my dad and family liked the clam vongole pasta as well as the scallop crepe (with bacon!).

 

La Creperie sorts their dessert crepes into classic, simple, gourmet (with ice cream) and flambées. For the dessert crepe, my favorite is the Le Defi #55 (NT$240) pictured at top of the post. On my most recent visit, I was trying to do without the ice cream and got the Le Pecheur (NT$220) instead, asking for the chocolate sauce to be changed to caramel. It was good with the crunchy almond flakes, but I did regret not having the ice cream when I saw the whipped cream.

The downside of La Creperie is its slightly higher price points- if you are dining alone and want to order both a savory and a sweet crepe, then it will be about NT$400-500 per person (and a bit too much food). That being said, I think La Creperie serves up some of the best crepes in town and has been consistently good in my multiple visits there.