CLOSED/snapshot/japanese: i still strongly recommend SUMI SUSHI

CLOSED 12/2014 -- new version at IZUMI BY SUMI

SUMI SUSHI 澄壽司 
No. 17, Lane 248, ZhongXiao E. Rd, Sec. 4
 台北市大安區忠孝東路四段248巷17號
(02) 8771-9986

MOVED April 2014 to Ximending
No. 17 lane 53, Hankou St. Sec 2
(02) 2361-5550

MRT: SYS Memorial Hall

website: Sumi Sushi's FB page

hours: 12PM- 2:30PM / 5:30PM - 9:30PM Closed Mondays

$$ Cash Only

Visits reviewed: 1/22/2014 & 12/2013 & 5/2013
Previous review: 2/2011

I have been getting my fix for Americanized sushi rolls at Sumi Sushi every so often the past few months. I love fancy omakase "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" sashimi as much as everyone else, but I hold a special place in my heart for monster rolls topped with scoops of orange roe and special sauces. While it can get quite pricey if you order a lot of rolls (expect to pay around NT$300/roll and order 2-3 rolls per person), I've tried to find the ones that are bigger and more filling like Spider or Sumi rolls to get more for my money.

Besides my go-to spider roll, dynamite and crunchy roll (with scallops atop and mysterious crunchy bits. Favorite!), I tried some new rolls that were equally delicious- Blue Gordon with tempura shrimp, avocado, Philly cream cheese (taken out on request) topped with tuna and fish roe (pictured above), guilty pleasure Sumi Sushi roll (smoked salmon, cream cheese and eel and the entire thing is deep fried). Also try the seared salmon belly as well for some melt in your mouth bites. 

Deep fried signature Sumi Sushi roll- unagi, philly cream cheese and salmon with the entire roll deep fried and topped with tobiko and special sauce- has become one of my favorites as it's served hot and is still warm even in a to go order.

Philly roll with salmon, cream cheese, tempura shrimp and avocado- not one of my personal favorites but my friend ordered it. I also wasn't crazy about the lobster roll as I had hoped.

Order of rolls to go! 

Dynamite, crispy and Philly rolls.

Bummed that Sumi Sushi will move to Ximending sometime later this spring (May 2014) since it's farther for me, but I will make the trek to fulfill my cravings.

snapshot/japanese: SANJI RAMEN's tsukemen

I'm the type of person that tends to order the same exact thing every time I return to a restaurant, especially if I really liked it the first time around. But who wants to eat a hot bowl of ramen when it's humid and a hundred degrees outside? So I decided to give the tsukemen at Sanji Ramen a try during a lunch with an out of town friend.

Tsukemen is the style where you dip the noodles in a reduced broth rather than have the noodles and soup together. The vegetables, egg and meat are usually room temperature as well. The noodles are very al dente chewy and a filling portion (though it only fills half the bowl. There's a wooden rack beneath the noodles)

There are three choices for the dipping broth at Sanji- pork shoyu, black sesame or spicy miso. I chose the pork shoyu. Sanji gives also a small pot of plain broth if you want to water down the dipping sauce to drink. Personally, I thought the warm dipping broth was on the salty side (as was warned by the waiter), but not rich enough to coat the noodles as I had first experienced at LA's popular tsukemen joint Tsujita. 

I probably would stick to the trademark Kagoshima style shoyu pork bone broth ramen on return visits, as many people in the crowded restaurant (and people waiting in line at 1pm outside) didn't mind slurping even with the summer heat outside. I also would give the tsukemen at Ippudo a try, which is a seasonal item on their menu.

RAMEN SANJI 麵家三士
at ATT4FUN
No. 12, Song Shou Road, 5FL 
台北市信義區松壽路 12號 5樓
(02) 7737-5188

MRT: Taipei City Hall

website: ramensanji.com.tw 

$ (about NT$200/person)

Kid friendliness: lots of kids spotted, lots kid friendly menu options

Previous visit reviewed: 2/3/2012

night market/taiwanese: i still strongly recommend TONGHUA/LINJIANG NIGHT MARKET

TONGHUA/LINJIANG NIGHT MARKET
Linjiang Street between Tong Hua Street and Keelung Road

MRT: Liuzhangli (about 10-15 minute walk) or SYS Memorial Hall (about 20 minute walk)

hours: evening to 2AM

$

Visit reviewed: 5/24/2013

I've had an unusual number of visitors from the states this year. The good thing about it, besides catching up with friends, is that I've had a chance to revisit a bunch of night markets to compare and update my impressions. I get to take them around, point out the good eats and watch their faces as they happen upon the smell of stinkalicious stinky tofu.

While Tonghua Night Market may not be as famous or big as Shilin night market or have as fancy a sign as Raohe (which I think has gone downhill since I reviewed it last), I think it might be my new favorite. It's got great renditions of my favorite night market snacks- ice cream run bing wrap, Taiwanese sausage in sticky rice da chang bao xiao chang, and stinky tofu. Also not to be missed (though I didn't get a photo) are the candied yams that are bite sized pieces of yams with a crunchy, sugary coating and shaved ice. If you haven't eaten dinner, you can also grab a seat at the cheap teppanyaki shops that Tonghua is known for.

While most of my friends call it Tonghua night market, it's actually on Linjiang Street, so some people also refer it as Linjiang Night Market. The main night market area is marked by two entrance signs, so be sure to note which cross street (Keelung or Tong Hua) if you are meeting up with friends.

Remember to look for the block of peanut brittle sitting alone on the vendor's stand to spot the ice cream wrap. Otherwise it's really easy to miss if you can't read the signage. Once you place an order, the vendor springs into action to make fresh peanut brittle shavings to go with the ice cream and cilantro (yes! cilantro!)

The ice cream at this vendor was sorbet-like with pineapple, red bean and taro flavors and was not too sweet or watered down (I had a bad one at Sanxia last month) and the wrapper was paper thin. I recommend you try it with the cilantro, it really works with the flavor and texture of the peanut shavings. FAVORITE!

This was one of the first times I've seen so many savory options for the red bean cake. Not necessarily enticing to me, but unique.

This is what I'm talking about. Sweet grilled Taiwanese sausages shoved into a grilled sticky rice sausage, cut in half to be the bun. In Chinese, this Taiwanese "hot dog" is called Da Chang Bao Xiao Chang or Big Sausage wrapping the Little Sausage. Love it. LOVE IT! Not the most healthiest snack, but hey, I only night market it once in awhile.

You can get it with different toppings and sauces, but I prefer the original flavor with some pickled vegetables- not too much other craziness.

So if you're visiting Taipei this summer and making the night market rounds, be sure to include Tonghua on your list (I gotta go back and explore it some more too). Especially if you're staying near 101, as this is the closest night market to it. 

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.

snapshot/dessert: HELLO KITTY at CLOUDY CUPCAKE

CLOUDY CUPCAKE 克勞蒂杯子蛋糕 
at Eslite Xinyi B2 誠品百貨信義店
No. 11, SongGao Road
台北市信義區松高路11號
(02)2722-2586

MRT: Taipei City Hall

Hello Kitty kind of gets around. I've been seeing her face everywhere and on everything. Taipei (and the world) is obsessed with Hello Kitty. We used to spend money on Sanrio stationary and pens and bags, but now it's moved onto Hello Kitty hamburgers, cupcakes and honey toast.

You can spot her lovers posing for a picture in front of the homebase Hello Kitty restaurant- Hello Kitty Sweets- any given day of the week.  I often spy her at 7-11, making me buy stuff to collect trinkets or stamps or magnets or whatnot, and now strawberry stuff. Dazzling Cafe also has been featuring Hello Kitty honey toast and desserts the past few months for a limited time (until March 11th, I believe).

from Dazzling Cafe's FB page

And now Cloudy Cupcakes has also been getting in the Sanrio action with the big red bow and some white chocolate candy faces. What is about the cuteness that makes us squeal and open our wallets? I didn't try them (since I've heard multiple meh reviews about their pricey little cupcakes), but I admit I was tempted. Don't know how long the cuteness will last at Cloudy, but had to share.

OTHER LOCATIONS

QSquare B3
No. 1 ChengDe Road B3
中正區承德路一段1號京站店B3
(02) 2552-5719

snapshot/bakery: FLORIDA BAKERY's Halloween cookies

Only one more week until Halloween! There might not be candied carmel apples or candy corn in Taipei, but you can get a little into the Halloween mood with some of these cute cookies spotted at Florida Bakery.
 

Also if you've ever wondered where to get Halloween costumes in Taipei, after eating at Ippudo, I stumbled upon a whole street of shops selling grown up and kids costumes and Halloween decorations, near Chengdu Road, on Changan Rd (長安路). There's also some rental shops in Ximending for more elaborate costumes, near the Police Station/Ximen MRT exit 6. I remember hearing in years past about Halloween parties at various restaurants, or special menus, like at DN Innovacion, but haven't heard much this year. Anything fun happening this weekend or next week?

my kitchen: baked eggs in toast cups

I'd spied this recipe a long time ago in a magazine, probably Rachael Ray or Food Magazine when I still had a subscription. It looked easy to do, but for some reason I never found the motivation to do it. Finally this past Sunday, I was craving quiche and used this as a substitute for the craving. It's pretty quick and you could make your own combination of flavors for the eggs or just enjoy the simplicity of the baked egg. The possibilities are seriously endless!

I made two versions, one with just plain eggs scrambled, and the other was was more custard-like, like a creamy crustless quiche. The toast works a quick crust, for those of us too lazy busy to work up a pie dough.

BAKED EGGS IN TOAST CUPS

- Egg
- Slice of toast with edges cut off
- Cheese
- Salt and pepper
- Butter

Additional ingredients for crustless egg quiche
- Milk
- Ham
- Mushrooms
- Pesto
- Bacon or Proscuitto
- Flour

Ingredients for baked french toast cups

- Eggs
- Bread crusts
- Milk
- Sugar
- Cinnamon

1. Cut off crusts off of the slice of bread. Butter the muffin pan and press bread into the muffin pan.

2. Crack egg directly into muffin pan, or scramble in a bowl. Stir in cheese and put some atop. I used grated cheddar, but you could use anything. Next time I might try goat cheese or colby jack. Gruyere or mozzarella would be great too. If you have any bacon on hand, you could swirl it atop as well.

3. For a custard type egg, add milk to scramble egg. I also added chopped mushrooms and ham and a spoonful of pesto for 2-3 eggs. Other options could be tomatoes, red pepper, broccoli, anything you'd toss into a quiche. I added a little bit of flour as well, since I ran out of toast and didn't have a crust for these.

4. Bake at 180C/35F degrees for 15-20 minutes, depending on how well done you like your eggs.

5. You can also chop up the bread crusts to put in the muffin pan and add sugar and cinnamon to the milk and eggs and pour atop for a baked french toast custard cup. I had poured some leftover milk, egg and cheese mixture on the bread crusts and it was surprisingly tasty as a savory casserole, but next time I'm going to make it sweet to go with the egg dish.

snapshot/taiwanese: i still strongly recommend TAI YI MILK KING

It's not summer in Taipei unless you're eating shaved ice. Okay, so it's not really summer anymore- since it's nearing October, the weather has been shifting to a nice cooler temperature and Christmas decorations have hit Costco already- but a bowl of shaved ice lets us pretend just a little longer.

Whatever you top your shaved ice with- mangos, pudding, peanuts or corn- make sure there's plenty of condensed milk blanketing the ice.

My favorite at Tai Yi Milk King is still the freshly made chewy xiao tang yuan, and pairing it strawberries is an off the menu combo. For more details, check out the first review I wrote up in June 2007.

I'm slowly catching up on posts, and Instagram helps capture a lot of moments and insta-thoughts that I often am slow to blog about. I lost my phone a few weeks ago which SUCKS and lost a few weeks of photos, but the lesson of the story is to remember to BACK UP your data (iphone, computer, ipad).

TAI YI MILK KING 臺一牛奶大王
No. 82, XinSheng S. Road, Section 3
台北市大安區新生南路三段82號
(across the street from the main entrance of National Taiwan University aka Taida)
(02) 2362-3712

MRT: Gongguan

hours: 10:30 AM - midnight daily

devoured on: 9/16/2012

not taipei/snapshot: HELLO KITTY LADUREE MACARONS

Who doesn't love receiving surprises? Especially when they come wrapped in ribbon and Hello Kitty?

I was surprised, but delighted to find that my friend hand carried a box of Hello Kitty Laduree macarons from Paris for me, back in May. How cute is this mint green box dotted with hand drawn macarons and matching colored mini Hello Kittys? 

Inside the box was a rainbow of the sweet, vibrantly colored confections- I took one picture and then began tasting. Decadence and joy and gluttony. My friend was bummed that some were a bit cracked during the transatlantic flight, but I assured him that they still tasted the same. 

Big thanks to my friend J for generously thinking of me and for my first bites of a Laduree macaron. Make a stop at the Laduree shop in NYC if you get a chance, as it is the first and only location in the states.

And props to this blogger who actually MADE Hello Kitty macarons, tiny ears and red bowtie and all, who I found when I was googling "Hello Kitty macarons." They were adorable and looked amazing with the right shape and eyes perfectly spaced apart! 

from i-heart-baking.blogspot.com

I Heart Baking gives a little photo tutorial for those with the patience and skill to make their own, as well as has lots of other Hello Kitty baking posts. Whoever could figure out how to make and sell these in Taipei would make a killing!

snapshot/pizza: i recommend VAPIANO's prosciutto arugula pizza

Arugula and prosciutto pizza with a view. 

VAPIANO

at ATT4Fun

No. 12 SongShou Rd, 10F 台北市松壽路12號10樓
(02) 2722-7111 

MRT: Taipei City Hall

Tried to have lunch with friends at the Diner the other day, but it had a ridiculous 40 minute wait on a weekday. So we hopped up a little higher at ATT4Fun to Vapiano, which I've reviewed before.

Vapiano had Rucola (arugula) pizzas and Crudo (prosciutto) pizzas, but nothing with them together. So I ordered the Crudo pizza (NT$360) and added arugula (aka rocket) for an extra NT$30 with a lot of pointing at the menu. The fresh parmesan gives it an extra layer of flavor and I liked how they put one piece of prosciutto per slice so there was no skimping.

Make sure to not confuse (like I did before with the pasta) the pizza named Prosciutto for the prosciutto pizza since it actually only has regular ham. Confusing I know. But it's a decent price for the size and the window view of 101. We didn't have to wait to be seated for a table, but the self serve policy will have someone in your group making multiple trips back and forth to the table for forks, napkins, cups, plates, water and seasonings, since they are all located in different areas of the restaurant like scavenger hunt.

I've also found delish prosciutto pizzas at Fifteen (the crust is chewier, but the size is smaller for the price),  and I also adore the spinach pizza with arugula and ricotta from Woolloomoolloo XY. 

snapshot/costco: i recommend MANGO SHAVED ICE at COSTCO

It's hard to tell from this photo how monstrous this mango ice is. A mountain of frozen chunky shaved ice, cascading frozen mango cubes, two scoops of vanilla ice cream and a generous pour of condensed milk. We had three people share this and there was still leftovers. Not as good as Ice Monster or Mango Cha Cha since it was basically a mango flavored slushy once all the semi-frozen mango was gone, but at NT$79 it's about half the price of the other places in town.

snapshot: MCDONALDs at TAIPEI ZOO

\

McD's has summer drink menu featuring fruit flavored soda floats, including grape, strawberry and mango and costs only a little more to add to your meal. So today at the Taipei Zoo, given the insane blazing heat, I was brainwashed into trying the peach soda float and eating a quarter pounder without cheese which I haven't had in years. Between McD's and Burger King, I personally prefer the Whopper since you get a tomato, onions and bigger pickles, as well as more sauce. As for the soda float, it was like what you'd expect, a sweet, cold, fizzy drink that turned creamy when the ice cream got mixed in. Creamsicle soda.

Speaking of McDonalds, there'a an interesting video that answers the question of "why doesn't my McD's burger look like the one on the ad?" The video gives a peek behind the scenes at food styling for advertisements. I admit, for a split second, I was surprised that there were no tomatoes in my burger, but another glance on the box revealed the red was just ketchup. Tricky.

McD's also has the Monopoly game thing going on, but you only get stickers when you buy a combo meal.

It was so hot I had to get another drink at the snack shacks- in this case a honey lemonade with boba. They have a more limited selection than most 50 Lan, but I guess it's better than nothing!

snapshot/new in town: DIN TAI FUNG & JASON's at TAIPEI 101

If you've been wondering where to get some pumpkins to carve for Halloween, Jason's Supermarket at Taipei 101 has super huge ones that could rock some scary faces. They also have more manageable mini ones behind it.

Wandering around 101 food court, I was struck by all of the changes- I probably hadn't been in about 6 months or so.

One of the most exciting is that a huge new Din Tai Fung that opened in July. The new Taipei 101 location is supposed to be the biggest in the world, with over 300 seats and 8 private rooms. And the xiao long bao baskets still have 10 per basket unlike the Fuxing Sogo location which has only a measly 6 per order.

New Elite Bakery with fancy cupcakes. No more Lugar Home Bread Bar (which I never got to blog about). No more Dunkin Donuts next to Jason's. No more Flavorfield bakery, instead a different, new bakery will open later this month.

What's your favorite thing to eat at Taipei 101?