news: TAIPEI RESTAURANT WEEK 2017 now

It was not until I had lunch at Monsieur L a few days ago that I discovered it was Taipei Restaurant Week. Well, Taipei Restaurant Week and a few days, technically, since it goes from August 29- September 11. Taipei Restaurant Week sometimes can be a good deal (at least when I tried it the dineLA version in LA) when restaurants offer up a set menu usually more affordable than the sum of its parts. The set at Monsieur L definitely is worth trying with the three course menu at NT$999 that has a HUGE pork tomahawk as an option. 

Taipei Restaurant Week is organized by EZTable, so the reservations can be booked through them and you can also check out the menus for each restaurant. While some of the restaurant names aren't in English, the menus all have both Chinese and English on them. I haven't tried booking through EZ table yet, but there's quite a few restaurants I haven't been to yet that are now on my radar. And so many restaurants that I _have_ been to to blog about. 

Here are participating restaurants in Taipei Restaurant Week 2017: 

Sets NT$599/899 

• Restaurant Page
• Osteria by Angie 

Sets NT$599/1099

• Just Grill (semi buffet) 
• Antico Forno 
• Goodies Cuisine
• O'Steak 

Sets NT$799/ NT$899

• Timber
• Jian Yan Tang Teppanyaki
• Jamie's Italian Taiwan
• Yellow Lemon (NT$799)

Sets NT$799/NT$1099 

• L'Idiot 
• La Farfalla (Humble House) semi buffet
• Grace Restaurant (only dinner NT$1099)
• BeApe
• Da Antonio at 101
• Senn (only dinner NT$1099)

Sets NT$799/1299

• La Lupa Classic 
• Sonoma Grill Steak and Teppanyaki 
• Wine-derful 
• Trastevere 
• Que (amba Songshan) (only dinner NT$1299) 
• Jing Zi Teppanyaki 
• Moonlight Cantonese (Taipei Marriott) 
• Danieli (Westin Taipei) 
• Momoyama (Sheraton Hotel) (only dinner NT$1299) 

Sets NT$999/NT$1299

• Toscana (Sherwood Hotel)
• Mediterranean Steak House (Riviera Taipei Hotel)
• Monsieur L Restaurant
• Tian Hsiang Lo (Landis Hotel)
• GMT Gourmet Kitchen (Grand Mayfull Hotel) 
• Yen (W Hotel)
• TK Seafood and Steak  (Hotel Proverbs)
• Garden Kitchen (Taipei Marriott) Semi-buffet
• Prime One 
• Red Flower Teppanyaki 101
• nku
• Shintori Taipei 
• Danny and Company Bistro (Dazhi) 
• In Between
• L'origins by La Credenza 
• Danny's Whats Grill 
• Joseph Bistro (Indian)
• San Hua Japanese
• Xiang Se
• Ziga Zaga (Grand Hyatt)
• Bianco Taipei 
• The Chapter
• Brasserie Bon Recotte

Sets NT$999/NT$1599

• Fresh and Aged Italian Steak House (Semi Buffet)
• Lawrys
• Ben Teppanyaki (NT$899/1599)
• Shin Yeh 101
• Origines (NT$1599 dinner only) 

Lunch NT$1350 / Dinner NT$2399

• Orchid Restaurant
• Danny and Company
• Tairroir
• Top Cap by Danny
• Danny's Steakhouse

Dinner only NT$2399

• Paris 1930 (open for dinner only)
• Kinsui 

news: TAIWAN RESTAURANTS LAND ON ASIA's 50 BEST

Finding Asia's 50 Best Restaurants in Taiwan
Good luck getting reservations at RAW, named Taiwan's Best Restaurant by Asia's 50 Best

Asia's 50 Best Restaurants were counted down earlier this year at an awards ceremony in Bangkok, where chefs eagerly waited to hear what place they had earned on this year's list. Nominees invited know they are guaranteed a spot in the top 50, but they do not know where on the list they rank until is announced at the ceremony. 

"Even the regional chairmen don't know who the voters voted for, or who got the votes. So it is very exciting for chefs to attend." said chef Richie Lin from Mume, a new entry on this year's list from Taiwan. 

RAW's chef Zor Tan recalled, "It is the time of year when you want to see your report card to know if you outdid yourself the previous year." 

This year, Gaggan, a progressive Indian restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand, retained his spot at number 1 for the third year in a row- an impressive record considering that Asia's 50 Best has only been around for five years. Gaggan will be familiar to those who have seen him on Netflix's "Chef's Table" series, or spotted his emoji menu or Japanese influenced, modern Indian tasting menu on Instagram. 

Taiwanese chef Andre Chiang's Restaurant Andre in Singapore moved up one spot to number 2. Third place is Amber in Hong Kong. The list includes restaurants from Singapore, Thailand, Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Philippines. Chef May Chow from Hong Kong's Little Bao was named Asia's Best Female Chef of 2017 and Otto E Mezzo's Umberto Bombana was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Chef Zor Tan who is involved with both Restaurant Andre and RAW said, "It's a gratifying feeling knowing both restaurants got into top 50 and best restaurant in Singapore and best restaurant in Taiwan. I am humbled that both restaurants are well accepted by our audience. It is a team effort that is recognized by our fellow peers in the industry." 

Unlike the Michelin Stars Guide, which awards highly coveted stars given by anonymous food critics in specific cities, Asia's 50 Best held a series of events where the chefs could eat, party and gather together. Chef Zor Tan, "This is where we pause for a moment from our busy schedule and gather." 

"The most valuable part of this experience is to connect, a chance for all the chefs to meet each other from different countries, share ideas and exchange knowledge." said chef Richie Lin. 

But both lists skew towards fine dining, higher priced restaurants that serve intricately plated dishes rather than the casual, mom and pop restaurants that could arguably also be a "best" restaurant on a list. Some critics also point out the lack of restaurants helmed by female chefs, as well as voter bias towards restaurants already on the list or in cities where tourism boards actively woo voters. 

Taiwan landed three restaurants on this year's list, with RAW (number 24), Le Mout in Taichung (number 28), and Mume, debuting at number 43. RAW jumped ahead from last year's 46th place past Le Mout to take over the title of Best Restaurant in Taiwan. Reservations at RAW are already nearly impossible to get through their online booking system, and with the additional publicity, diners will have an even tougher time. 

Without flying to another country, you can also try the Taipei branch of Ryugin #7 and L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon which placed for its Bangkok and Hong Kong restaurants, at #40 and #41. Keep an eye out for pop ups and "four hands" collaborations with chefs from other countries, such as Restaurant Andre (#2) at RAW, or Den (#11) at Mume. Regent Taipei has also brought Sri Lanka's Ministry of Crab #29 and Seoul's Jungsik #25 to Taipei. 

First time hearing about this list and these restaurants? Here's a brief introduction to the Taiwan's best restaurants, according to Asia's 50 Best. 

RAW #24

Who are the chefs at RAW?: Andre Chiang, Alain Huang and Zor Tan. 

What is the menu like?: RAW has a seasonal menu that changes every few months and has featured a Best of the Year menu at the end of the past two years. Comprised of eight courses, the menu lists just three key ingredients for each dish on a word puzzle like sheet. Dishes such as beef tongue shavings on top of a beef tongue cracker or miniature bbq corn are inspired by Taiwanese snacks with a modern gastronomic twist. Every menu highlights local produce, sourced with the island's local farmers, such as the spring 2017 menu's sliced tomatoes with green chili sorbet and gazpacho foam, with tomatoes from Yilan, Nantou and Yang Ming Shan.

How to make reservations: Book at a table though RAW's website.  Reservations can be made two weeks in advance and are released at 12Noon everyday. Try your luck with the waitlist by messaging RAW through "Contact" on the page to snap up last minute cancellations. For an upgraded menu (at a slightly higher price) and view of the bustling kitchen, or if you have a larger party, try to get chef's table seats, which are usually released on the first Tuesday of every month at 3PM.

Check out this video interview by the Culinary Institute of America with RAW's chefs Alain Huang and Zor Tan, featuring dishes All About Duck, Taco Tako TACOS, Onion Onion Onion and Mango Snowball. I worked on this as a location producer/Taipei fixer last year for the CIA and they captured everything so beautifully. 


LE MOUT #28

Who are the chefs at LE MOUT: Lanshu Chen,  Jimmy Lim and pastry chef Makito Hiratsuka. Chef Lanshu Chen was named Asia’s Best Female Chef in 2014.  

What is the menu like?: Modern French dishes such as Blaze mushrooms, veal sweetbread, dried tangerine rind, chestnut, rice essence or American prime filet with French goose foie gras poele and sautéed chanterelles topped with a green peppercorn sauce.

How to make reservations: Make reservations on http://www.lemout.com
59 Cunzhong St, West District, Taichung City, Taiwan 403 +886 4 2375 3002 

MUME #43

Who are the chefs at MUME: Richie Lin, Kai Ward and Long Xiong

What is the menu like?: The Modern European menu features Snacks, Small, Bigger and Sweets on an a la carte menu. Signature dishes include the waygu beef tartare with clam mayo, confit egg yolk and preserved daikon; summer salad of nearly 30 different vegetables from local producers dressed with fermented black beans and crispy amadai with 

How to make reservations: Book a table through the reservation tab/link “Book a Table” on Mume's Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/mume.taiwan/). Call (02) 2700-0901 or e-mail: info@mume.tw for private dining room reservations, which seats 8-12 people serving a set menu only.

Check out this video interview by the Culinary Institute of America with Mume's chefs Richie Lin and Kai Ward . I worked on this as a location producer/Taipei fixer last year for the CIA's World of Flavors and love how these videos turned out. 

No. 1 GAGGAN, Bangkok, Thailand
No. 2 RESTAURANT ANDRÉ, Singapore 
No. 3 AMBER, Hong Kong, China  
No. 4 8 1/2 OTTO E MEZZO BOMBANA, Hong Kong, China
No. 5 NAHM, Bangkok, Thailand
No. 6 NARISAWA, Tokyo, Japan 
No. 7 NIHONRYORI RYUGIN, Tokyo, Japan
No. 8 ULTRAVIOLET BY PAUL PAIRET, Shanghai, China 
No. 9 ODETTE, Singapore
No. 10 BURNT ENDS, Singapore 
No. 11 DEN, Tokyo, Japan 
No. 12 L'EFFERVESCENCE, Tokyo, Japan
No. 13 SUHRING, Bangkok, Thailand
No. 14 FLORILEGE, Tokyo, Japan
No. 15 MINGLES, Seoul, South Korea 
No. 16 LES AMIS, Singapore
No. 17 LUNG KING HEEN, Hong Kong, China
No. 18 QUINTESSENCE, Tokyo, Japan
No. 19 BO.LAN, Bangkok, Thailand
No. 20 WAKU GHIN, Singapore
No. 21 ISSAYA SIAMESE CLUB, Bangkok, Thailand
No. 22 LOCAVORE, Bali, Indonesia 
No. 23 CORNER HOUSE, Singapore
No. 24 RAW, Taipei, Taiwan 
No. 25 JUNGSIK, Seoul, South Korea 
No. 26 SUSHI SAITO, Tokyo, Japan 
No. 27 TIPPLING CLUB, Singapore 
No. 28 LE MOÛT, Taichung, Taiwan
No. 29 MINISTRY OF CRAB, Colombo, Sri Lanka
No. 30 INDIAN ACCENT, New Delhi, India 
No. 31 EAT ME, Bangkok, Thailand
No. 32 JADE DRAGON, Macau, China
No. 33 TA VIE, Hong Kong, China
No. 34 HAJIME, Osaka, Japan
No. 35 GALLERY VASK, Manila, Philippines
No. 36 THE DINING ROOM AT THE HOUSE ON SATHORN, Bangkok, Thailand
No. 37 LE DEU, Bankgkok, Thailand
No. 38 LA YEON, Seoul, South Korea
No. 39 THE TASTING ROOM BY GALLIOT, Macau 
No. 40 L'ATELIER DE JOËL ROBUCHON, Bangkok, Thailand
No. 41 L'ATELIER DE JOËL ROBUCHON, Hong Kong, China
No. 42 JAAN, Singapore
No. 43 MUME, Taipei, Taiwan 
No. 44 SHINJI BY KANESAKA, Singapore
No. 45 RONIN, Hong Kong
No. 46 WASABI BY MORIMOTO, Mumbai, India
No. 47 THE CHAIRMAN, Hong Kong, China 
No. 48 FU HE HUI, Shanghai, China 
No 49 NIHONBASHI, Colombo, Sri Lanka
No. 50 TAKAZAWA, Tokyo

instagram: WEEKLY FAVE 5 DISHES IN TAIPEI- jan 2017

EVERY YEAR, MY NEW YEARS' RESOLUTIONS are more or less the same: eat healthier, exercise more, sleep earlier, declutter and be more organized. Blog more regularly. Print out photos.  Not be late to everything. But then a year has swept by and it's time to look at the progress I've made. I had chips and chocolates this morning while watching the Golden Globes instead of working out, but hey, I did declutter my desk and now I'm typing out this post.

Last year, I had a lot of "firsts"... my first time to Osaka, my first time to Paris, my first time to Guangzhou and I traveled more than I had in awhile. I also went to Tainan for the first time while working with the Culinary Institute of America's team on their series World of Flavors, who put together some amazing footage and coverage in Taipei, Tainan and Kaohsiung. I also worked with Bizarre Foods for the second time behind the scenes, this time with for Delicious Destinations.

Every year I think to myself, how cool would it be to have a 10 Best Dishes of the Year list, but I always find it so hard to narrow it down. I always have a lot of ideas and I want this year to be a year of more action, less words. I want to post things sooner than later, which I'm sure you want too. I want to worry less about what other people think and just go back to this blog being for me, and for when I want to point my friends in the right direction for food so I don't have to scroll through the 30,000+ photos on my phone. Not to worry about what is the most instagrammable or is going to get the most likes, but to talk about places and food that gets ME excited. Because I know that's what you will want to try too.

Places change. People change. Times change. But we keep moving forward and life is short. I'm still learning, trying new things, opportunities that scare me. I'm still discovering new restaurants in Taipei ALL THE TIME. It never ends! But that is a good thing... just need to put it all here (and hope whole paragraphs don't get plagiarized and reformatted as their own content by other travel apps or bloggers) (Yes, it happens and I have proof).

SO.. to kick off this January-first post of 2017, these are five of my favorite dishes from last week that you can try this week! Let's see if I can keep this up on a weekly basis, like a radio song countdown! Until I can throw up full reviews, this will give a sneak peek.

HUNGRYINTAIPEI'S WEEKLY FAVE 5 IN TAIPEI

1. SUGAR PEA's BANANA PANCAKES

Though I was one of the first to post Sugar Pea's banana pancakes, I know I'm not alone in my addiction to them, seeing the flurry of posts in the month afterwards of the food and sunroom selfies. With peanut butter honey sauce to drown the short stack of pancakes and bruleed bananas, I have to resist making this a weekly habit. Everything I've tried here is delicious and I usually find myself also ordering the chipotle chicken bowl, the pancake sliders, the steak salad and sometimes a slice of cake. Get the red velvet if they have it. Currently still in soft opening.
SUGAR PEA, No. 16, Alley 20, Lane 300, RenAi Road, Sec. 4, 仁愛路四段300巷20弄16號 (02) 2325-6188, Closed Mondays and Tuesdays

2. NKU's FRIED PORK SKIN

A few summers ago I got a small paper bag of the bbq pork rinds from Ink Sack in LA. It was one of the best things I had ever put in my mouth. Best because it was crunchy, airy, salty and like eating pork skin cheetos but better. Then this summer, I got a bag from Ink Sack at LAX at the airport and it was one of the worst things I had ever put in my mouth. It was stale, greasy and I had to through the rest of the bag away. So to my surprise, this dish at NKU recaptured that deliciousness, even though they coat it with a white chocolate sauce (can't taste it) and spice powder, so that you will find yourself going back for more even though your new year's resolution was to eat more healthy. The lunch sets here are a great deal for NT$390, but I recommend still ordering some of their dishes to share if you come with a group of people. From what I tried, my other favorites included the bamboo, beef tongue, and duck breast. Snow ball liquid nitro'd coconut dessert fun too. Skip the fried oxtail balls and pork pie. NKU has been opened for about six months or so, with very instagrammable decor, semi open kitchen, but neighbors have hung a sign over their entrance, protesting their wood fire ovens and cooking.
NKU, No. 13, Alley 26, Lane 300, RenAi Rd, Sec. 4, (02) 2701-8025, Closed Tuesdays

3. LA MESA's SHAVED TO ORDER IBERICO HAM

Surprised to have not heard about La Mesa Taipei before, it's a Spanish restaurant open for about four years in Daan district (in the narrow alleys behind Ice Monster). Delicious tapas, paella, full wine list and cozy atmosphere. The iberico ham is paper thin and I savored each bite. La Mesa's must order dishes include the iberico ham, jamon croquettes, pan fried calamari, paella and chorizo in cider and garlic. Prices are also very reasonable and service friendly. Only open for dinner, and open until 2am on weekends.
LA MESA TAIPEI 西班牙風味小酒館, No. 33, Lane 137, Yanji St, Da’an District, (02) 2778-7676

4. WOOLLOOMOOLOO's CHIA PUDDING

It's been awhile since I've been to Woolloomooloo, but they've revved up their breakfast/brunch menu and added over a dozen new things including waffles w ice cream (!) and this chia seed pudding. Might not be as sexy as an Acai bowl, but I enjoyed the coconut flavor along with the crunchy granola and fruit. (NT$280) WXY is one of the rare spots open early (and that has a flat white) and a cafe I used to go to every week until more places opened around town. Also love their meat pie, avocado toast with poached eggs and dessert array. Order the carrot cake if you see it, or the nut tart. WOOLLOOMOOLOO, No. 379, Section 4, Xinyi Rd, Xinyi District, (02) 8789-0128

5. HANYEOGIYO's COLD NOODLES

Hanyeoyigo (韓老二韓國烤肉) is a newish KBBQ place at Neo 19 and Daan District that boasts a pretty full menu including one of my favorites- soupy cold noodles. The server cut it up for us and also gave us a big bottle of vinegar and mustard to customize it. The noodles were chewy and not too soft, and they didn't skimp on the stuff inside, including korean pear, radish, cucumbers, beef and egg. The KBBQ here is mostly pork and beef and the BBQ grill includes steamed egg on the rims that cooks as the server grills your meat. Lettuces and sauces included, but not that much choice in banchan. This spot is only open at night but takes reservations.
HANYEOYIGO (韓老二韓國烤肉),No. 32, Lane 107, Section 1, FuXing S. Rd, Da’an District, (02) 2771-6474

news: Happy 11 years to hungryintaipei

MY BLOG TURNS ELEVEN TODAY. Keeping my blog alive all these years has been like raising a child-- I've spent many sleepless nights trying to put it to bed, I've run out of memory on my phone with the countless photos, I've spent more money than I've expected, I'm proud of its growth and I've learned so much from the process, about myself and the world. 

So it's fitting that this year I got my first trophy award for the blog. I've gotten voted best blog in Taipei over the years, but this was the first time holding something tangible and golden and engraved with my name!! And a golden xiao long bao, no less!! 

Thanks Netflix, Netfli Asia and Netflix Taiwan for recognizing my love for food. I do love it! I'm OBSESSED! 

When I first got an email from @netflixasia, I wondered, what did they want to help promote their new season of Chef's Table? No commitment, just some goodies for you, they said. Sure, why not, I thought. I was a long time fan of @chefstablenetflix and an even longer fan of @Netflix. When they first launched, I would eagerly organize my DVD queue and await the thin, flat red DVD envelopes in the mail, rip them open like Christmas presents even though I already knew what was inside. I was always amazed that once I sent off the dvd, there another one would promptly arrive a few days later. Then they started to stream movies, then had must binge watch TV House of Cards and Orange is the New Black, both of which I binged.

And for years, I said, when is someone going to do a @Netflix for Asia? And they finally did it themselves- @Netflixtw, @Netflixasia, @netflixhg.. And through a creative marketing campaign, a group of people across Asia are getting recognized for their passion, vision & love of food with individualized golden trophies, but also connecting with each other through photos and #mychefstable. When my photos made the top 9 of #mychefstable, I browsed and admired and drooled over the passion of so many other people posting gorgeous photos of foods, foreign and familiar. 

I feel that same way watching @Gaggan talk about his failed restaurants and journey before executing his vision after an internship at El Bulli to share Indian food in such a striking way, or chef @grant_achatz talk about his obstacles before @alinearestaurant or watching an episode from Season 1 about @nnakarestaurant's chef Nakayama, which launched her modern kaiseki restaurant in LA into even more recognition. It's inspiring knowing that chefs of the world's best restaurants succeeded because they persisted, even when had doubts.

I doubt I'll be the lucky one to travel the world to dine and photograph all the restaurants in season 2, as AMAZING as that would be, but I'll have this xiao long bao trophy to remind me to keep working on #hungryintaipei to share the stories behind the food in #Taipei #🇹🇼 even when I have doubts. 

It's hard to keep writing sometimes when I used to get more feedback and comments and know who was "out there" reading, and now it's old fashioned to be blogging, much less commenting on blogs. Now it's quicker and more interactive to be on Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and it's hard to not get caught up in the "likes" game- why do my photos not get as many likes as the next account or whatnot. I do get a lot of kind emails and comments from readers and I want you to know that's what keeps me posting and writing and sharing! I'm happy Taipei has been getting lots of love around the world, and I know I've played a small part in that by creating a resource for people visiting and living here. I still have lots of ideas and goals for hungryintaipei- just need more hours in the day! As always, thanks for being hungry in taipei with me! 

news: IN-N-OUT TAIPEI POP UP 2016 (PART 2)

my lucky friend S's double double. she got a 12PM bracelet at 9:30AM and started waiting in line at 11:30AM and sat down at 1PM.  she let me use her pic because i told her about the pop up! 

By chance, I got a heads up about today's In-N-Out pop up in Taipei and so I did a blurb on the blog yesterday and posted it on Facebook. And man, were you guys excited. 53K excited. Over 53,000 of you saw and shared the Facebook post and hundreds of people showed up at Goodies Cuisine this morning. 

So many people were in line that I could even see the long line from the RenAi circle while I was going somewhere else. So I had to stop by and get some pictures since SO MANY of you guys were so crazy about it (and some pissed off that it was on a freakin' Thursday since you weren't about to ditch work or school for a burger. Even for In N Out). 

The In-N-Out event was advertised for 11AM, but the event manager told me that the people who got the first batch of wristbands had started lining up at 6AM. The last batch of wristbands were completely given out before 10AM. So people who showed up even an hour before the event started were out of luck. One wristband per person, one burger per wristband. Those who got their golden ticket wristbands in the morning and came back to wait in line to order and get their burgers around their designated time slot. Few brands could inspire such devotion-- if In N Out did ever open permanently here, odds are that there would be four hour plus waits like there were for Krispy Kreme when they first opened.

Today was a HOT day to be waiting in line around the block, but everyone seemed patient in their anticipation. In the 10 minutes I was there taking pictures, I overheard several people who dropped by being turned away by the In N Out door bouncer, since they did not show up early enough to get a wristband. 

Without a wristband I couldn't go inside, but I grabbed these shots through the glass door at the front. The bright red and white menu should look familiar to anyone who has been to In N Out and they even offered to do burgers "Animal Style" or "Protein Style," (both phrases I believe they have trademarked.) Prices are extremely reasonable-- NT$100 for a double double, NT$160 for a double double combo-- although they couldn't do the In N Out fresh french fries here and served potato chips instead. I feel like even the casual burgers here are not that cheap considering the prices --Burger and Co is NT$180 for a cheeseburger, Burger Ray is NT$195, Burger Fix is NT$185, Bing is NT$300 cheeseburger with fries, 1885 Burger is NT$195 with fries, Diner NT$310 cheeseburger with fries (approximate prices). Of course, you can't price it too cheaply, otherwise you'll go out of business, even if the food is good ie Burger Stop.

Why does In N Out do these seemingly random surprise pop ups in Asia on the other side of the world? The last few years has seen In N Out pop ups in Manila, Sydney, Hong Kong, Singapore and even London.  In N Out says it's to "promote and expand their brand and determine the best way to continue reaching customers around the world" (as they stated in their response to my Facebook inquiry about the event's authenticity on In N Out's official Facebook page) but essentially they are peeing on their territory, ie their trademarks, outside of the US. They want people in Asia who have never heard of In N Out, much less tasted it, to see this frenzy and know they are the OG and the real deal.   Raise false hopes that one day there might be a permanent In N Out in Taiwan, so that copycats can't try to use their trademarked menu names like "Animal Style" and "Double Double" without a fight. You can thank Caliburger for that. 

So did any of you get a burger today? Where are you going to get your burger cravings satisfied until your next trip to California? My unofficial poll on instagram showed a lot of love for Burger Ray, and runner up, Burger and Co.  I guess I know what my next post should be!

News: IN N OUT TAIPEI POP UP 2016

Luckily I had a friend give me a heads up about the In N Out pop up tomorrow. TOMORROW APRIL 7TH! YES, it is a real thing, not an April Fools' joke. The last time I heard about it a few years ago (thanks to Instagram), my friends went running and got their burgers after a few hours. I can't make it tomorrow, but if you have the patience and the cravings you can try your luck tomorrow at Goodies Cuisine (and that means showing up at least at 10am). Report back here if you succeed!  You're welcome!

news: RESTAURANT ROUNDUP WINTER 2016

Oh my poor blog. I've neglected you for over a month, but it doesn't mean I haven't been thinking about you. I've just been traveling (LA, SF, Vegas, Hong Kong, Guam) and away from my computer. I can blog from my phone, but it just takes longer. Not to mention I have been busy with the very important exploration of recipes for my new slow cooker, watching the last season of American Idol, new episodes of the Good Wife, Scandal, Grey's, Younger, and getting some sleep.

So how to ease back into it? I want to post pictures of the new winter menu at RAW, dishes from Mume's one year birthday dinner, long due photos of Achoi, or about new spots in Taipei to get steak frites, chicken and waffles, deep dish pizza, and cheesy fried squid korean rice cakes. There have a been a slew of new-ish burger, steak and fusion cafes the past few months. Or updated pictures from the night markets, some posts which need updates badly. And SO MANY SUSHI BARS to write about. Or a food court round up. My indecision results in procrastination which leads to over a month of staring at the Hello Kitty Shabu post. Sigh Sigh Sigh. This is when I have at least 100 places in my drafts folder, some places that sadly closed since my last restaurant round up. Ok let's start with that.. and then see if we can get the motivation back.

NEW AND NOTABLE- WINTER 2016

Uncle's Taiwan
Le Blanc
Revel Eatery and Juice Bar
Morton's Steakhouse
Ramen Hero (and all the restaurants at Breeze Xinyi)
Paradise Dynasty
Dim Dim Sum
Breeze Nanjing
Moustache Cafe
Jamba Juice
Llao Llao frozen yogurt
Origines
Hello Kitty Shabu
Yum Yum Cafe
Ebisoba Ramen
Zorro Steak
TK Steak at Hotel Proverbs
Beer and Cheese (moved to a new location on Keelung)
Habibi Macaron
Love at First Bite
Big Boyz Pizza
Alexander's Steakhouse
Purplehood
Fly's Kitchen
Wayo
Cova
Triple A Burger
Hai De Lao
Garrett Popcorn
Quelques Patisserie
O Rose Ice Cream
Purebread Bakery
VVG Hideaway
C25 Plus
Palsaik Korean BBQ
Baptong Korean


CLOSED (I know there's more than this.. I'll add to it when I remember)

California Pizza Kitchen (which turned to Sonoma which also ended up closing). Now there's a huge Anzu tonkatsu in that space
Les Bebes Cafe
EIEIO Gastropub
Brklyn
Juice 8
Woogo Juice (original location closed, but other branches popped up at Citylink mall and other malls)

Juanitas

Quiznos on Fuxing
added 3/19/2016
Swensens
Juicy Diary
Tartine 

new in town/mall food: i recommend BREEZE XINYI

BREEZE XINYI 微風信義 

No.68, ZhongXiao E. Road, Sec. 5

110台北市信義區忠孝東路五段68號

MRT: Taipei City Hall (exit #3)

Hours: 11AM - 9:30PM / Thurs- Sat 11AM - 10PM

Visit reviewed: 11/12/2015

Opened last week, Breeze XinYi joins the crowded luxury mall space near Taipei 101 (not be confused with the nearby sister shopping centre Breeze Song Gao). With a prime spot on Zhongxiao East Road, it's right at the Taipei City Hall MRT as well as across W Hotel. Like the original Breeze Center, Breeze Xinyi is full of shops that you'd spot in Beverly Hills, such as Givenchy, Marc Jacobs, Chiara Ferragni, Max Mara,  Moschino, Red Valentino, Frette, as well as Taiwan's first Crate and Barrel, selling those drool worthy table settings, cheese and cake plates, baking supplies and furniture that feels more grown up than IKEA.

After window shopping and making a wish list at Crate and Barrel, I had to see what eats were available at Breeze Xinyi. Even the "food court" is upscale, instead with a floor full of sit down restaurants on the fourth floor, from casual to fine dining, including Osteria by Angie, Ben Teppanyaki, Anzu, Ramen Champ, Paradise Dynasty, Champion Beef Noodles, Trine and Zen and a lot of other Japanese/Korean eats. Some restaurants will take reservations, but only on weekdays, while others like Paradise Dynasty will only seat first come, first serve.

It's really impressive what they've been able to do with Breeze Songgao and Breeze Xinyi, and make both shopping center's dining options distinct from what already exists in Xinyi area. They'll even open Cova (from Hong Kong) and Morton's Steakhouse on the 45th floor later this year. 

Here's a peek at Breeze Xinyi. 

Kenzo pop up coffee truck

Instead having a basement food court like most Taipei malls, they have a restaurant floor called Master Chef's Kitchen on the fourth floor. 

TRINE AND ZEN 

MOTTO YAKINIKU 牧島燒肉

02-2722-6982

Japanese fusion barbecue

MAPO KING KOREAN BBQ  韓斤麻浦

02-2723-6066

GRILL DOMI KOSUGI 
02-2723-6498

Originating in Roppongi Hills, Grill Domi Kosugi has western dishes like hamburger and steak served Japanese style. There's also omurice, omelette rice, curry and combinations in a casual setting. This is their first branch outside of Japan. 

PARADISE DYNASTY 樂天皇朝
(02)2772-6545

Move over Din Tai Fung... there's another more photogenic xiao long bao in town. Paradise Dynasty's rainbow colored dumplings have been flooding my instagram feed for the last week and it was one of the restaurants that was busy even on a weekday afternoon.

BEN TEPPANYAKI 犇鐵板燒
02-8786-0203 

Ben Teppanyaki has two private rooms that seat 8 that can be combined into one room, as well as a main open teppanyaki area. For those craving luxe waygu, top cap steak, lamb chops or lobster, served in set menu form.

I thought it was cute how their bathrooms had little signs sticking out to signal that they were bathrooms. Also they are easy to spot and not hidden in a back hallway.

QUAN ALLEY 寬巷子
02-8780-6617

Quan's elaborate entrance is very eye catching and its creative menu displayed a lot of equally elaborately presented dishes, but on instagram it seemed the main draw for Quan was its dual hotpot with slices of blush pink pork origami'ed like roses and vegetables presented as miniature gardens. When the door opened, I got a peek of the inside which looked very moody and private.

THAI BAZAAR  泰集創意料理

02-2722-8618 

ICHIZEN 一膳食堂

02-2722-0657 Unagi bowls and Japanese food

RAMEN HERO 
02-2723-7085

TSUJIRI

WAN SUSHI 丸壽司

This sushi conveyor belt shop has outlets at Breeze Center and Taipei Main Station as well.

ANZU TONKATSU 

02-2725-3339

TSUKUMI 

02-2720-3296

CHAMPION BEEF NOODLES 晶華冠軍牛肉麵坊

02-8786-8799

OSTERIA BY ANGIE 
02-2722-3618

Third location of this popular Italian fine dining eatery. My review for them is long overdue 😁

CRATE AND BARREL

I have been waiting for Crate and Barrel for months ever since I heard they would open at Breeze Xinyi. Located on B1, it's slightly smaller than I expected, but there are still a lot of drool worthy things to imagine in your house. 

MOKUOLA DEXEE DINER

(02)2723-7837

This is one of the few restaurants not on the 4th floor, instead it is on B1. In Taipei, people don't seem to eat waffles and pancakes for breakfast- instead they tend to have them for dessert or afternoon tea. So Mokuola was busy in the afternoon, with a display of whip cream and fruit covered topped pancakes for diners to choose from, coming out of the pink neon lit pancake bar. Originated in Tokyo, the Japanese Hawaiian inspired menu also offers curries, loco moco, yakisoba and colourful cocktails. Named after Coconut Island in Hawaii, this is the first branch in Taiwan, they have other branches in Tokyo and Bangkok.