dessert/afternoon tea: i recommend PATISSERIE SADAHARU AOKI PARIS

PATISSERIE SADAHARU AOKI PARIS
at Bellavita, B2
No. 28, Song Ren Road
(02) 8729-2759

MRT: Taipei City Hall

website: sadaharuaoki.com

hours: SUN- THURS 11 AM- 10 PM
FRI/SAT 11 AM- 10:30PM

$$-$$$

Kid friendliness: colorful but expensive treats. small area to sit for afternoon tea

Visit reviewed:



I'd spotted the sleek, white mini-shops of Patisserie Sadaharu Aoki Paris before at the corners of various malls in Taipei with the dozens of colorful macarons under glass counters, but the price tags stopped me from sampling. Macarons are pretty, but the thought of paying that much for one bite of sugar always made me hesitant.



But when food je t'aime suggested meeting at their new sit down location at Bellavita for afternoon tea, it gave me an excuse to finally try what I'd been hearing about for so long. A cake sampler degustation sounded quite tempting.

At the Bellavita location, there are about four to five small tables for afternoon tea'ers to sit and sip, but we didn't have a problem grabbing a seat on a friday afternoon.

The menu reminded me of a blank canvas to the colorful palettes that are echoed in throughout Chef Aoki's world-



the Bonbon Maquillage ("makeup chocolates") (NT$1080 for 12)- vividly colored chocolates that could be mistaken for pastels in a box or colors from a MAC makeup kit...



the rainbow colored rows of macarons and cakes flavored with traditional or Asian infused flavors...





or the emerald green matcha that was prevalent in the desserts and even drinks that could be made into a cold matcha au lait glace. The flavor was quite strong and sweet that wasn't balanced out by the milk, and I wished I'd ordered a regular latte about two sips in.



The illustration of the Verrine Bamboo (NT$340) also piqued our curiosity, which looked almost like one of those self-sustaining ecosystems or an Earth Day themed dessert.



When it came, we oohed and aahed at the super-Smores in a cup with a Japanese twist...



But it had too much going on and was too sweet for me. There was marshmallow-like creme, thick bite-sized graham cracker type squares, azuki red bean, green tea ice cream, after eating the chocolate cookie on top. I think if some of the flavors were not as sweet, then it could balance out, but with all the elements being so intensely sugary, it became a tad overkill.



For the same price range, get the Degustation (NT$380) instead. Six mini-portions of cakes that are actually enough to share between two- a sampler plate that is perfect for the indecisive.



Each bite had a distinct punch- sesame, green tea and chocolate, hazelnut and caramel- and all were quite sweet again, but at least I felt like I had gotten more my money's worth with this dish.



Patisserie Sadaharu Aoki Paris only has seven shops in the world- the others are in Tokyo and Paris. So the Taipei shop might draw visitors who want a taste of the French/Japanese creative confections with flavors like sesame, citron, matcha, caramel, wasabi or yuzu. I've also sampled a bite of the Bonbon Maquillage which was given to a friend of mine and it was a heavenly bite of ganache- I'd happily accept a box of those (or macarons) as a gift over Godiva anyday.

my kitchen: chocolate cupcakes

I have yet to find any cupcakes in Taipei that I like better than the ones that come out of my own oven. Granted it's from a box and frosted out of a can, but I love playing with piping the frosting and making it look fancy. It's actually super easy to do once you have the right tools (I picked up a Wilton 12 Piece Cupcake Decorating Set from City Super at Fuxing Sogo). Look at the difference almost four years makes- my cupcakes from 2006.

Next time I might try sprinkling a teeny bit of sea salt on top and seeing if it tastes as good as sea salt chocolate bars.

mall/foodcourt: i recommend BELLAVITA

BELLAVITA
No. 28, Song Ren Road

MRT stop: Taipei City Hall

website: bellavita.com.tw Chinese only (there is an English option on the front page, but is not clickable yet)

$$-$$$

Kid friendliness: posher than most food courts, no high chairs spotted

Visit reviewed: 2/26/2010



Since 101 sprung up in 2004, a forest of shopping malls have proliferated in its shadow in the Xinyi area. I moved back to Taipei about the same time, so I have witnessed the changes and growth in the area. There's Warner/Viewshow Theaters, NY NY, Shin Kong Mitsukoshi x4, Eslite Bookstore, and most recently, Bellavita.

Said to be inspired by the European architecture and style while the founders were visiting Milan, Bellavita is striking from the inside as well with its grand skylight dome overhead.



Where there are malls, there are mall food courts. And as Bellavita is the fanciest mall to spring up, so is its food court- it's so fancy, it's not even called a food court.



Instead it's dubbed a gourmet food hall- it includes an oyster bar, Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Fat Angelo's, Habibi Cafe, Cosmopolitan Steak and Grill, patisserie Sadaharu AOKI, gelato, a vegetarian deli and more.





Unlike a typical food court, where you order and get your food and sit in a common area with your dining companions, this one is more like mini restaurants on one floor.
There's no plastic bowls of unagi-dons here.





At 11:30am, we circled around a couple times in virtual emptiness. Did people not know there was a food court open here yet? Was this a bad sign, we thought?




At first glance, you'd have to pick the same cuisine as your friends (which defeats one of the advantages of the diversity of a food court). But if you want hummus and they want sashimi, then go to We Share Everything. Disguised as a restaurant complete with a menu, it's actually the common area for the food hall. You can sit down, order from the extensive menu that includes most of the dining areas in the hall and have a waiter fetch and serve your food for a service fee instead of bringing back the tray yourself. Were you ever annoyed that you didn't get water at a food court? Then you'll be happily at home here where water is poured in glasses for you.



I ordered hummus and moussaka from Habibi and my friends ordered a sashimi bowl and noodles.

At first glance, I was a little miffed at the size of my hummus for the price (NT$200). Sababa had spoiled me, I suppose. The hummus was creamy though it lacked a slight sweetness and the pita was airy and warm.



Then came my moussaka with eggplant (NT$380)- the first and only time I had eaten it was in Chicago about 10 years ago. I don't know what compelled me to order it over the recommended grilled chicken skewers. I guess I wanted to really test Habibi Cafe and see if it was going to be good.



Unfortunately, it wasn't what I remembered. I was expecting more of an eggplant lasagna, but this seemed more like a shepherd's pie, with lots of mashed potatoes atop and minced lamb underneath. I barely found any eggplant and it was kind of lukewarm and greasy. Even though I shared, my friends politely said no after one bite and we probably left about 2/3 of the dish on the plate.



Even more unfortunately, the waiter didn't really care either as when we asked him to take the plate away and said that it wasn't good, he didn't really respond.

Luckily, my friend's bowl of lu shi mian pork noodles (NT$210) were delicious with springy, chubby noodles and tender pork.



My friend who ordered the sashimi bowl (NT$980) and I were still hungry after our orders that we ordered another bowl of noodles to share. She didn't like how most of the pieces of sashimi still had skin on them and some of the fresh didn't seem optimally fresh. She would have been better off with a lunch set from Ton 28 or elsewhere.



Isn't it funny that you can travel the world in a gourmet food court, but the most delicious thing is still a bowl of noodles?




Definitely expensive mistakes for lunch, but there's definitely a lot more to explore.



There's sweets galore for the dessert lovers- gelato, chocolates, macarons, cakes and breads.





I recommend the olive foccacia from Elite Bakery and the chocolate with sea salt bar from Cacao et Chocolat. A bar of chocolate for NT$400- extravagant I know, but a good gift for the chocolate lover in your life. (Ask for a sample to make sure you get the right one!)




Even more decadent and insane to imagine is this gold cake at Elite Bakery- that sells for NT$4800 (about US$150). The entire chocolate cake is covered in gold leaf foil.



I can't imagine the look of shock and confusion that crossed my face when I saw the cake and the ridiculous price tag. Who buys that kind of cake for that kind of price? And what happens when no one buys it for that day? It makes the NT$700 cakes seem like a steal at that point.



But I suppose that's the fun in exploring Bellavita- it doesn't cost anything to browse the pretty things in the pretty atmosphere. When it first opened, there were tons of couples taking photos in front of the fountains at the entrance. Even the shops inside are yet to be fully opened, and those that are there I'd only window shop.

Luckily there are other delicious meals to be found elsewhere in Bellavita- there are quite a few restaurant/bars on the other floors- Ton 28, Haleakala, Beata te, Salon & L'Atelier Robuchon and a3 bar.



The first time I got excited about Bellavita was when I heard it was going to be home to the first Michelin starred chef restaurant in Taiwan- L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon. And though I haven't been yet to try the 8 course NT$6000 (or 4 course NT$2600 for lunch) gastronomic heaven meal, I've been saving up a visit for a special occasion. Before that I might visit the more casual Salon de The de Robuchon.




So that's a quick walk through the beautiful life that is Bellavita. Though it took me a few months to visit Bellavita, I did some catching up the last month, so I'll have some more posts coming up the next few weeks showing Haleakala and patisserie Sadaharu AOKI in their own posts.

american/burgers: i strongly recommend 1885 BURGER STORE

1885 BURGER STORE
24-1 Pucheng St
(02) 2367-8258

MRT: Taipower Bldg

website: 1885burgerstore.com

hours: Mon-Thurs 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
Fri: 11:00 am - 11:00 pm
Sat: 9:30 am - 11:00 pm
Sun: 9:30 am - 10:00 pm

$

Kid friendliness: roomy booths and tables; though beef patties a bit peppery

Visit reviewed: 4/13/2010



Is it only me or have a plethora of burger (and sometimes burgers + brunch) places sprung up the past five years or so in Taipei? Let me count the ways:

• 1-the Diner (2006)
  
• 2-Forkers (2007)
  
• 3-California Grill (2007)
  
• 4-Evan's Burger (2007)
  
• 5- Posh (2007)
  
• 6- Good Day (2007)
  
• 7- KGB Burger (2008)
  
• 8- JB Burger (2008)
  
• 9- An Burger (2008)
  
• 10- Bravo Burger (2008)
  
• 11- The Door (2009)
  
• 12- Haleakala (2009)
  

That list includes the good, the average and the ugly, but in general, it's nice to have some other options besides fast food outlets McD's, Mos Burger and Burger King and sit down chains like Chili's and TGIF. I have yet to try Evan's, An or Bravo Burger, but I'm slowly making my way through the list

My most recent burger adventures is 1885 Burger Store (2009), picked as our lunch spot by my friend Karen. The decor feels somewhere between Western and a diner, with a few chandeliers thrown in.




Maybe they couldn't decide on which Americana kitsch to go with and decided to just go with both. But it's roomy and comfortable with lots of booths with some table seating to accommodate large groups.




You can flip through the Ikea framed menu for the various burgers and breakfast, or choose from the daily special menu or from the chalkboard (which saves you about NT$40 by giving you a free refillable soft drink).




The pineapple bbq grilled chicken burger I get, but what is a Mexican Tartar burger?



Since it was Tuesday, I went with the Mushroom Cheese Burger set (NT$200) and was pleasantly surprised to find that I could change the cheddar cheese to Havarti (or Pepper Jack or Blue Cheese). I chose the wheat bun, but you can also choose a roll or white bun. We also upgraded our drink to a Chocolate Banana shake to share. Other milkshake flavors include Green Tea, Strawberry, Vanilla, Chocolate and Hazelnut Chocolate or you can get a smoothie.

It didn't feel like we waited long for our food and the burgers came plated on a large wooden board with a handle, with fries piled high on a silver pail, and a fork and knife. The pickle was sliced thin so you could put it in your burger.



From looks alone, I was happy with the ratio of toasted bun, burger and accompanying tomato, onions and lettuce.



I hate it when the patty is tiny and the bun is huge, or the restaurant skimps on tomatoes. The first few bites were unusually peppery- I guess they season their patty stronger than usual- but it faded as I kept eating. The seasoned fries were also crispy and hot and filled about half the pail, which was more than enough.



The burger was also satisfying juicy as I must have used at least 5 or 6 napkins to wipe my hands and mouth. I felt like Padma in a Carl's Jr commercial looking for a white shirt to dirty.



Quite close to the Shida night market and National Taiwan University, it was packed full of camera snapping diners and groups noshing mostly on burgers. I'd definitely return here with friends and take them to Yofroyo for dessert, especially since a few of my friends have been unhappy with the size/value of California Grill lately. That's the power of supply and demand- more options to choose from and getting to discover new favorites.


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