indian/revisted: AALEJA

AALEJA
6, Alley 5, Lane 70, Yanji St
Taipei
(02)2773-3227

Lunch 11am to 2pm
Dinners 5pm to 10:30pm

$$

kid friendliness: high chair available, no kids setting offered

revisted review: 9/19/2006

Today I headed to AALEJA again, getting a seat right before the busy lunch hour. Good thing too, especially as the restaurant started to fill its tables, it was hard to get service, and it was hard to wave someone down for more water, a forgotten bowl of basmati rice and the bill. Though the two waiters were friendly, it was too understaffed for the six to eight tables that were there when we left. STRIKE ONE: not enough servers during lunch hour

The Tandoori Chicken (half order) was disappointing as the pieces seemed bony rather than meaty. I felt a little this way last time, though I thought it was because I got the leftover pieces from a group of eaters. However, with a half order, we got a bony thigh, a medium meaty breast, and a tiny leg upon the hot plate of onions and tomato. The flavor was still tangy and tender, but just expected more bites out of the order, especially in comparison to experiences at other Indian restaurants. STRIKE TWO: more bones than meat from the Tandoori Chicken

STRIKE THREE: Another disappointment this day- the Naan! It was dense and heavy, like pita bread rather than fluffy crispy naan I've come to love. Did I order wrong, I thought to myself? I asked for original flavor in chinese, but this was not like the Naan I had before. I even compared it to the picture from the last visit. As the servers were busy attending to other customers and we were ready to leave, I didn't bring it up to the waiters.

The Mutton Korma and potato side we ordered were still very good. The rice was a good accompaniment, though more like sticky rice than basmati rice, maybe to accomodate to the Taiwanese tastes. As I heard other customers order the lunch special set (which I didn't know about since I didn't see it on the menu and the server didn't mention it), I was a little curious- but it definitely on the light side with one meat dish and rice, naan, soup, fruit, drink (though I heard there are different levels of lunch sets). Our lunch for two ran about NT$1210 (with service fee), as my friend also ordered soup and a strawberry lassi. I will have to try the other Indian restaurants before returning to AALEJA to compare, but for now I'm revising my "strongly recommend" to a neutral recommend because of their three strikes today.


original review posted: 6/20/2006
visit reviewed: 4/23/2006

I really enjoy Indian food, and I think that I've had some of the best Indian food in Asia- Singapore, Hong Kong and now Taipei. There are actually quite a few Indian restaurants in Taipei to choose from, but sometimes that becomes more confusing- which one is "authentic" and which ones cater too much to the Taiwanese tastebuds?

On this occassion, I was actually searching most of the day to choose one Indian restaurant for a group family excursion and set with the near impossible task of finding one that might have a private room- as they do in many Chinese restaurants. Calls placed to Tandoor, Ali Baba and New Delhi asking if they had a private room resulted in varied interesting responses (one "no" and then hang up, one confused no and one polite no.) After scouring various internet boards, quite a few TaiwanHo! forum posters recommend Aaleja. To my surprise, they actually had a private room available (and were friendlier than some of the other restaurants on the phone I had called)!

After a few twists and turns, you will find the entrance, which at night is light by a neon sign and a large lit entrance collage of food photos.


The dinner was great. We got an assortment of curries: the mutton karahi (NT$410), chicken vindaloo (NT$300), beef korma (NT$310), the eggplant masala (NT$190), as well as the chicken tandoori (full chicken NT$550), samosas (3 for NT$160) and naan (NT$50)/ garlic naan (NT$70). We also got a rice dish (which I can't remember the name) and to my surprise it was curried instead of plain basmati rice.

Each of the curries were had distinct and complimenting flavors to another, and the meats were stewed to tenderness .



Our full order of chicken tandoori was split into two hot plates. The chicken was tender and flavorful.


The naan was soft and crispy.


The samosas was the only disappointment because the skins were slightly soggy and not crispy.


Our table of seven people finished everything!

The private room had very cool mural along one side of the wall and a tv in the other corner that played Bollywood films, perhaps to help transport you to India. The restaurant area was crowded and boisterous. The service was friendly and accomodating. The food took a little while to be served, but once the food came, it all came fairly quickly. I'd like to return to try their weekend brunch buffet, mmmmm.

japanese/bbq: TAIPEI CITY CLUB TEPPANYAKI

TEPPANYAKI
at TAIPEI CITY CLUB
156, Mingsheng E. Road, Sec. 3
B1

(02) 2713-9955

$$-$$$

date reviewed: 6/27/2006

I think you have to be a member or know one to eat at the Taipei City Club. Luckily, we had a chance to eat at their Teppanyaki restaurant which features a multi-course meal with your choice of lobster or other seafood. While most people are familiar with teppanyaki-style of dining as popularized by the American food chain Benihana's- these chefs don't do tricks, but it's still fun to watch them cook. Personally, I always find it fascinating how they keep the cooking surface so spotless.


While their frills (appetizer, salad, soup, fried rice, dessert) were easy to forget about,

appetizer


soup

their steak and seafood were divine. The steak was grilled and cut into tender bitesize pieces (with all the garlic soysauce you could eat)


and the lobster cooked right in front of you (so that I could yell "no cheese" before he melted a slice onto mine).


It's sort of weird to see the lobster wriggling in front of it while it cooks, but I try not to think about it too much. I'm just happy that I get to eat my whole half-lobster rather than it being diced into pieces and divided amongst the group when you can't be exactly sure it's being divided exactly evenly! When you are eating lobster, it does matter!


My friend who loves garlic ate this whole pile.


Their portions are not huge for the prices you are paying and the pace is leisurely, but it's a special treat for occassions like anniversaries and such. Most teppanyaki places I've been to have multi-course meals with smaller portions. I don't know if they didn't have it, or we just didn't order it- but it would have been nice to have some steamed mushrooms or spinach or bok choy vegetables to go with the dinner. If you want to eat a lot for less, you're better off eating all-you-can-eat bbq where you can grill your own food. But the higher quality steak and seafood can be found here.

my kitchen: grilled chicken and couscous

my kitchen: chicken salad, wrap and chocolate cupcakes

Sometimes an extra ingredient or two makes all the difference in kickstarting a boring lunch into a more interesting version of itself.

I bought a big jar of sundried tomatoes in olive oil which I have been using all week- on crackers spread with cream cheese, in pasta, in salads, and today in this chicken wrap. Sometimes you go all out and do everything from scratch and sometimes you put together what you already have. I had a whole roast chicken from the supermarket, already roasted, and I shredded it for my salad and wrap.

Chicken spinach salad with miso dressing included diced almonds, mandarin orange slices, grape tomatoes, grilled mushrooms and diced avocado


Chicken wrap with sundried tomatoes, portobello mushroom, colby jack cheese, tomato slices and fresh arugula


Mmm.. something about fresh arugula really makes me hungry.

Then I made some chocolate cupcakes with vanilla frosting topped with m&ms for a friend's birthday dinner.



I've really noticed a difference in how much longer the foil cupcake cup keeps the cupcake fresher than the plain paper cup.

I love LA.

my kitchen: breakfast sandwich

The simple pleasures in life, like making your own breakfast sandwich, sometimes makes me so happy! This day, I (1) toasted an English muffin (2) grilled up some sausage slices and sliced mushroom without oil (3) placed on sandwich with a slice of colby jack cheese and (4) topped with an egg cooked over medium.


Mmmmmmm.


A little healthier version of the Mcmuffin.

CLOSED! japanese/ bbq grill: i recommend BULLFIGHT YAKINIKU

BULLFIGHT YAKINIKU
98, Chung Hsiao E. Road, Sec. 4
Bistro 98 building, 8th FL
(02) 6638-9699

Weekdays 11 am-midnight
Weekends 11-2 am

$

visit reviewed: 5/26/2006


Yakiniku. BBQ grill. All you can eat. Lots of meat.



This is pretty much the deal at Bullfight where which was a packed house the night we went. You decide which level of all-you-can-eat you want (which varies by additional meats, seafood, extras) at NT$399- $499, and then order away. The servers bring you plates of slices of raw beef, pork, chicken and even lamb, as well as scallops, shrimp, fish and mushrooms, and then you grill until your stomach's content.



You can also order salad (which was actually quite tasty and topped with corn) and a korean stone bowl of bimbimbap.


I'm sure you could probably find a yakiniku/grill place in almost every street in Taipei, so why this one? It's quite clean and comfortable, with good ventilation so you won't come out completely smelling like smoke. It's easy to find, located on the busy street near Sogo in the tall Bistro 98 building. There's even a view if you sit near the window.


But the food is good- there's a lot to choose from (especially if you get the $499 option) and it's fresh and not tough.


I would recommend that you call ahead and get a reservation if you want to go. Oftentimes, when it's packed, people will stay a few hours, if not all night, occupying the tables. But if you're the one sitting down, then you don't have to worry about anyone rushing you away.

dessert: i strongly recommend JOYCE EAST

JOYCE EAST
128 Xin Yi Road
(02) 8789-6128

$$


Instead of the afternoon tea set, we opted to each have a souffle and a drink. I had a chocolate souffle and an ice mocha. I think my first and only souffle experiences have been at Joyce East.


The souffles are available in your choice of chocolate, vanilla, Grand Marnier or green tea, with complementary sauces on the side. They also take about 30 minutes to bake, so we had time to chat and catch up in the typhoon weather. If you want to order it during dinner, you should let them know in advance, so they can time it to arrive after your meal.


Light and airy. Barely crispy top dusted with powdered sugar and a mushy inside to dip in the rich sauce. The first dip of the spoon breaking into fragile pillow of a

Decadent. Delicious. Totally worth the calories bite.


Joyce East is also a very modern place to have afternoon tea. With lots of light and windows, the clean white linens pop against the purple lights against the far wall where they have sofas and a lounge area where people can enjoy drinks. While I find their other desserts pretty average (especially the ones that come with the set course), it's worth going there just for the souffle alone. I alternate favoring the chocolate and vanilla, and haven't ventured to try the other flavors yet. Someday.

Oh yeah, they also serve food...

italian/french: JOYCE EAST

JOYCE EAST
128 Xin Yi Road, Sec 5
(02) 8789-6128

$$-$$$

visit reviewed: 6/3/2006

I've had mixed experiences with Joyce East. The most memorable dish there for me is the souffle. You have to order it before you finish dinner so that they have time to make it. I've even gone there for after dinner for the souffle alone.


The first time we ordered the souffle, my friend gasped in horror when the server cut into the puffed up top and poured the sauce in without asking us. I suppose he wanted to dig in himself to have the pleasure of deflating the souffle and dipping the bitesize pieces in the sauce. The next time we went, we asked the server to let us do it ourselves. The most recent time I had the souffle, we ordered hot tea and milk to go with it. Unfortunately, the tea was so screaming hot that my dinner date burned his tongue and could not enjoy the dessert or tea. And the bill for the milk and tea were each almost as expensive as the souffle!


Recently, I discovered that Joyce East has a huge private room in the back, when I attended a baby shower there. The meal I had that day was a set course, with steak. The soup, the starter, and the steak were all pretty succulent. The dessert in the set meal typically is very pretty to look at, but not that tasty.

However, I honestly can't recall now what I ate the other times I've had dinner there. But if they always make their steak the way they did that day, then I'm a fan.


Joyce East is one of those restaurants that might seem imposing to walk into without a reservation if you have never been, but we have and everything turned out perfectly fine. With big wooden doors and the hostess greeting you, the tables often seat nicely dressed people with wine glasses in their hands. Their service is sometimes friendly, sometimes strictly professional, but they are usually hovering nearby. With lots of light and windows, it's a nice place for lunch or afternoon tea, which they serve until 4:30pm, like their sister restaurant, the original Joyce. At night, Joyce East transforms into a romantic candlelit setting with a lounge in the back lit with purple and pink lights. The menu offers various meats, pastas and seafood, but as I mentioned the most memorable thing for me is the souffle.

chinese: i recommend THE GUEST HOUSE

THE GUEST HOUSE
Sheraton Taipei Hotel
17th FL
No. 12, Chung Hsiao East Road, Sec. 1
(02) 2321-5511

$$

date visited: 8/06/2006


A family friend invited us out to dinner last night at THE GUEST HOUSE where one of their specialties is Steamed Pork Dumplings or Xiao Long Bao. As their website states, they feature Szechwan and Yang Zhou cuisine in its "chic modern" atmosphere that is modern and classical at the same time. Located on the 17th floor of the Sheraton Taipei hotel, THE GUEST HOUSE features an open kitchen with a glass window that you can watch them make your meal. While the 18th floor features a number of private rooms if you want to have your own space for larger groups, the atmosphere of the 17th floor is actually a lot more inspired and fun.


The xiao long bao were good. The skin held in the pork and broth until you stuffed the dumpling into your mouth. Since I had just eaten at Din Tai Fung for lunch, I could hold a slight comparison and I think I still like Din Tai Fung's dumplings better.


The vegetable dumplings were also really good, with minced vegetable, tofu and mushrooms inside. They are slightly drier than the pork dumplings, but still disappeared very quickly.


A few of their unique dishes include Braised Green Beans wrapped in Pancake and Braised Noodle with Yellow Fish Broth. I suppose sort of a vegetarian variation on Moo Shu Pork, the braised green beans were very soft and flavorful, while the pancake was delicious! I found the green beans to be a tad salty, but I could probably eat a stack of the soft, yet slightly crispy thin pancake. I found the braised noodle to be so-so, while the broth was mysteriously good with a seafood stock flavor without being fishy. We also had a beef braised in soup that was very very tender and flavorful without being mushy or dried out.


There were also other assorted small plates of eats on the lazy susan that I didn't get the names of. There was one dish of bamboo (I think!)(pictured above) and another of boiled pork with a spicy sauce that I quite liked.

After dinner, we walked around the hotel, I spotted quite a number of other restaurants that I want to try, including Pizza Pub and Sukhothai. The Sheraton Taipei is quite a nice hotel with all the rooms overlooking the center atrium, and glass elevators to see buffet located on the lobby floor. I heard that it went under major renovations the last few years, and is a lot nicer than Sheratons I've stayed at in the states!

Speaking of Xiao Long Bao, for lunch we dropped by DIN TAI FUNG and I have never seen it so packed! I suppose it's because I've also gone there off-peak hours on weeknights. It was Sunday lunchtime, and every single table was occupied as well as a line of at least 30 people outside waiting in intermitting downpouring rain. While I like their pork dumplings, I think I like their dessert red bean dumplings even more!

my lunch in a packed house at Ding Tai Fung

So if you don't want to wait in the rain for an hour for a table at Din Tai Fung, you can give The Guest House a try.

CLOSED/bakeries: i recommend BREADTALK

CLOSED! a/o 2008

BREADTALK
218-2, Lequn 3rd Rd
(台北市樂群三路218-2號)
Carrefour, 1st FL
Dazhi district of Taipei

(02) 8502 0177
www.breadtalk.com

$

date visited: 8/5/2006



After running some errands at Carrefour (which by the way is pretty cool), I passed by Breadtalk on the 1st floor of the supermarket's building. The buttery smell of freshly baked bread caught my attention and I wandered in. There are a lot of bakeries all over Taipei, but BreadTalk stands out for a couple of reasons.

The signs detailing most of the breads had both English and Chinese, which made it easier to tell what it was. Also, there is a large glass window into the kitchen, where you can watch the chefs make lots and lots of bread.


Also their selection is a little more unique than the average Taiwanese bakery's. I think they change their selections everyday (since the counter had a stack of signs that were not in use) and today BreadTalk actually had three types of Naan- cheese, curry and yogurt flavors. There were huge loaves of bread, mini- loaves, the pigs in a blankets, puff pastries and sweets. By the counter, they even had a presentation of their new feature: a huge loaf of white bread, with 2 chicken legs in curry, wrapped in aluminum foil in the middle. When you unpacked the curry, you could dip your bread in it. It was unique and the first time I ever saw anything like that anywhere. At breadtalk.com, the Singapore based chain calls themself a "revolutionary boutique bakery" and a Taipei Times article declares them "bread designers." After seeing that, I would have to agree.

I ended up getting 2 naans, 1 loaf of white bread with garlic butter, 1 small loaf of sesame bread with cheese inside, and 1 butter sugar bread (all NT$30-$35) Waiting in line, I was tempted to get a few slices of garlic bread and something with hot dog in it, but I didn't- the line was getting long. The butter sugar bread was soft, and the sugar inside was like a hard brown sugar. The curry naan was spicier than I expected, though it probably would have tasted better heated. The cheese naan was a tad bland- soft and chewy- rather than crispy on the outside like you would get at an Indian restaurant. I'm saving the other ones for tomorrow, but I think they will not disappoint. If they taste as good as BreadTalk smelled, I might have to go back for the garlic bread.