night market: i strongly recommend SHIH LIN NIGHT MARKET

SHIH LIN NIGHT MARKET
Between end of Wenlin Rd., Jihe Rd. and Zhongshan N. Rd.
(near the movie theaters)

MRT: Jian Tan

$

afternoon to 2-3am

Wikipedia

date reviewed: 11/24/2006



Back in the 90s when I used to be a visitor rather than a part time resident of Taipei, I would always make sure to visit Shih Lin night market sometime during my trip. There is so much to see, eat, shop- you could spend all night fighting the crowds on a busy weekend night and not even cover half of it. One of the most popular destinations to buy souvenirs and bargain for goodies and eat everything and anything- it can also be a great people-watching spot as you'll find everyone there- students, families, couples, tourists.

A few years ago, they moved the main eating area to a enclosed space near the MRT Jian Tan exit, but disjointed from the main part of the night market. If you are looking for stinky tofu, oyster omelette, giant slabs of fried chicken or sausages wrapped in sticky rice sausages (YUM!!)- head over there (and I'll return to review another day!)



But you can also find lots of cheap good eats inside the main section of the night market- specifically the side near the movie theaters where there is a cluster of stands and shops, which is where we went on this night.

One of my favorite snacks is the pan fried dumplings (NT$10)- first steamed in this giant pot and then the bottom is fried to a delicious crispness. I think that the prices are the same as when I first ate them almost 10 years ago!

pork and green onion filling

There are about 3-4 bao places- they are all pretty good, but there is one located next to the shaved ice place that usually has a line which is my favorite. The bao is almost too hot to hold and thankfully it's too big to eat in one bite so you can enjoy all the bites after the first. The skin is thicker than xiao long bao, with a steamed doughy texture accompanied by the crispy bottom. The ground pork is tender and juicy, so watch out for the juices dripping down your chin or to your shirt!

Jien bao or pan fried dumplings. Buy 10 get 1 free!
NT$10 for one??!?!?! YUM!

I love shaved ice. I rarely find good shaved ice at the malls- instead you find it at the night market with the whirring machines and big blocks of ice and larger selection of toppings. They were out of some of my favorite toppings (rice mochi balls) so I opted for a red bean with evaporated milk (NT$40) and my cousin had green bean with evaporated milk (NT$40).

Hong doh/lyu doh bing or red bean/green bean ice

When it was brought to our table, I was pleasantly surprised at how huge it was!! It's definitely enough to share with a few people and yes, it's just ice, but you'd be surprised the varying sizes of shaved ice you'll get for the same price at different places.

There's something about the crunchy ice and the mushy beans and the overly sweet milk that combines into a irresistible treat. The ice here is shaved the way that I like- not too fine and not too coarse. Some places have shaved ice that seem like you are eating the ice from your soda, and some have powdery ice that melts too quickly- this one falls somewhere in between.

They also have aiyu bing or lemon jelly ice, with boba and extra lemon juice (NT$40). It's more soupy than like shaved ice and the extra lemon gives it an extra sour punch.

You just wander around and navigate the crowds to find what you like. Since there's not a lot of English signs, but everything is on display, you can usually get by with just pointing and finger signs if you don't speak fluent Chinese. There's also lots of food on sticks, fruits, sausages, noodles, roasted corn and even a stand offering wraps made with freshly made naan and Indian flavored chicken, beef and lamb kabobs.

sausages

As the biggest night market in Taipei, it is PACKED on weekends, sometimes you can barely squeeze through the aisles through the people. But it's also a great place to go if you want to hang out- it's open late sometimes until 1am - 2am (but remember to head out earlier if you need to catch the MRT). Some shops have a place to sit, but most of the stands in this area you eat and walk. If you need to sit down, head over towards the enclosed area. If you want to avoid the crowd, go during the day, on a weekday or earlier in the evening. Just exit the Jian Tan/Chien Tan MRT exit and look for the crowds- or ask the taxi driver to take you to "Shih Lin yeh sih." (yeh sih= night market!) If you only have a few days in Taipei, definitely try and save one night to check it out!

american/snack: i recommend MCDONALDS fried apple pie

McDONALDS
Hsi Men Ding
and almost everywhere!

$

date visited: 11/24/2006

Does anyone else remember when they used to make fried apple pie in the US? It came in a funky shaped green cardboard box, with an warning in small print about how hot the filling would be on the side. The crispy fried goodness of a crust, the sticky sweet sugary filling and the bite-sized chunks of "baked" apple? It was probably one of my favorite desserts as a kid and suddenly McDonalds was health conscious and switched to baked apple pies with a stiffer, drier crust.

If you do remember and ever have a craving for it- they actually still make fried apple pie (NT$20) in Taiwan!! I think it was almost ten years ago we first started re-appreciating it in Taipei, and thankfully, it hasn't disappeared here like it has in the US.



It's not the healthiest thing in the world, but who eats at McD's to be healthy? Although the portion seems much smaller and there's less apple in the filling, it's just enough of taste to make a good snack on the go. If you need something salty after eating something sweet, you can try their new steak fries. They are over crispy and fatter than their well-known fries, but don't provide the same satisfactory salty crunchy oomph. Stick to the original for the fries.



As for the rest, everything is pretty standardized compared to other McDonald's I've tasted in other parts of the world and on occassion, I like to eat a Sausage egg biscuit and hotcakes and hash browns. Mmm. I heard tha they might start serving breakfast all day at some McD's in the US.

japanese: i strongly recommend SABOTEN

SABOTEN
Mitsukoshi Tien Mu, 7th FL
No. 68, TienMu East Road
Taipei, Taiwan
(02) 2874-3971

Mitsukoshi XinYi, A9, 6th FL
No. 9, Song Shou Road
Taipei 110 Taiwan

$$

date visited: 10/22/2006 and 11/11/2006

so delicious

I've eaten a lot of tonkatsu. Most of the time, I thought, wow, that was pretty good tonkatsu. But after tonight, I felt like- you have not had the ultimate tonkatsu experience until you have eaten here! From waiting to get a table to figuring out everything on the table, to me, it was a little bit like unraveling a mystery.

quite an intimidating line

When we got there, around 8ish pm, there was a lot of people waiting outside. I went inside and asked how it worked- did I take a number? leave a name?- but it was pretty simple, you just "wait in line." I went back out and figured out where the end of the line was, along the wall with the row of chairs, and waited. And surprisingly, it moved pretty quickly. We probably were seated within 10 minutes of waiting after playing musical chairs- getting up and sitting down repeatedly, every time a new party was seated.

You also order while you wait in line, so that the food comes a little faster after you are seated and drooling over the menu and trying to decide makes the time waiting in line seem like nothing. Unfortunately, the menu is ONLY in Chinese and Japanese. But it does have a lot of pictures and there are the pretty plastic models in the window near the entrance.

browsing the menu while waiting
or you could check out your plastic options in the window
But I was still thankful to have someone who read Chinese with me because there were a lot of different selections. There were different cuts of the pork, there's plain tonkatsu, curry tonkatsu, mushroom tonkatsu, tonkatsu with cheese, tempura shrimp... lots of various choices and set menus. The average set is around NT$320-$390, so it's definitely more expensive than your average mall tonkatsu, but it's worth it!

Once we decided- curry tonkatsu for me, plain tonkatsu for him, a set of deep fried shrimp to share- and we seated, I explored the various things on the table.

I saw a small bowl of black and white sesame seeds, a short fat wooden stick, some dipping sauces and pretty quickly our free all-you-can-eat shredded cabbage came.

what the heck is the stick for?

left: japanese mustard, right: tonkatsu sauce

pickled vegetables and radish, and all you can eat shredded cabbage!
My friend had seen how to do it from a magazine review, so I followed his lead in using the stick to grind the sesame into the serrated bowl to add to the tonkatsu sauce. I asked my friend, Why? Can't I just add the whole sesame seeds over the top? He said, Smell the difference between your whole sesame seeds and my grinded up seeds.

getting to work
And to my surprise, there was a BIG difference. Crushing the seeds released a slightly nutty sesame aroma that aroused my palate. Mixing it into the tonkatsu sauce gave it a richer, deeper flavor that went well with the tender, perfectly fried cutlet.

my curry tonkastu set comes with miso soup
The tonkatsu is not greasy while being perfectly crispy. One cut of the pork is a bit leaner and drier, while the other cut is more tender and chewy.

deep fried shrimp and tonkatsu

We ordered a dessert because we didn't know our set menus already came with a scoop of ice cream, otherwise we wouldn't have ordered it... but the green tea ice cream did have more interesting flavor.

green tea ice cream with red beans

set menu vanilla ice cream

My friend said he had heard about this place for over 3 years, but we never made our way there. Then a few weeks later we discovered that there was another location at the Xin Yi Mitsukoshi and decided to try it at a later date. This time, we waited 45 (!!) minutes. Being seasoned customers, we went directly to the end of the line though it was hard to tell where it was since it was broken in a couple places. After waiting in line for about 20 minutes or so, we amused ourselves by watching the shock and surprise appear on faces of new people who tried to get a seat by going to the hostess and was sent to find the end of the line (which now snaked around all the way to the back near some elevators).



The tonkatsu was still great, even though the experience was no longer new. The service still efficient, the sesame still left to be ground by yourself. The only complaint I had is that the green tea ice cream that came with our set course was not freshly scooped, but pre-scooped and refrozen into an icy ball that no longer had that aromatic flavor. It's also weird that since eating there, I've heard about other people raving about it and about their rite of passage of waiting an hour or so for their japanese style fried pork. So take a magazine, your ipod, or have someone in your family hold your place in line while you shop, and head over to Saboten- just hopefully not on the day that I'm waiting in line.

notice any changes?

I've moved my blog over to the "new" beta.blogger in order to have labels and other features on my blog. So I hope you will take advantage of searching for reviews of your favorite type of food while the "what are you hungry for" section is being updated. I also bought a new camera a few days ago- the Canon Digital Ixus 800- and retired my old Canon 110- so hopefully you will enjoy better pictures (for reviews after 11/18) as I test out all the new features on my new camera! I heart digital macro and white balance!

breakfast/brunch/buffet: CAFE at HYATT TAIPEI

CAFE at GRAND HYATT TAIPEI
No.2, Sung Shou Road, 1FL
Taipei, Taiwan
(02) 2720 1234

Breakfast 6:30am - 10:30am
Lunch 11:30am - 3:00pm
Dinner 5:30pm - 10:00pm

$$$

date visited: 11/16/2006

(Can I just say how much I LOVE my new camera?? It's a Canon Digital Ixus 800 and only a few days old and I've taken so many food close up photos already. Hope you enjoy the new and improved photos.)

porridge closeup

The buffet at the Hyatt doesn't come cheap at NT$650/person, but it does offer a large array of both western and eastern style breakfast and brunch. From scrambled eggs, omelettes and eggs made to order and sausage/bacon/ham to dim sum and congee/porridge with all the sides such as pickles, thousand year old egg, dried pork, mushrooms, peanuts, and more to lots of doughnuts, pastries bread and made-to-order pancakes, french toast or waffles station with honeycomb honey- you shouldn't leave hungry.

porridge with chinese pickles, mushroom, dried pork, 1000 year old egg and chinese doughnut

I started out with the bowl of porridge- they have plain or the one with spareribs and bamboo. After getting all the sides and tasting it, I had wished I just got the plain one. Either the bamboo or the meat made it taste a bit sour, and I just found something off about the flavor overall.



Next I had some corned beef hash and fruit. The fruit was very fresh and naturally sweet, unlike the overly sugared fruit from Pearl Liang in the Hyatt on the 2nd floor.



While the waffles weren't as crispy as I'd have liked, I was happy to have found the station since it was hidden away near the front of the entrance, sort of disjointed from the rest of the buffet area, which has a natural flow. I could have even left without eating anything from it, but I asked my mom where she got all the pastries from. When I found it, I was so excited- you could choose to have freshly made waffles, pancakes or french toast, with honey from a honeycomb or various syrups and toppings including whipped cream or chocolate sauce. I tried a little of both the french toast and the waffles and added my own bananas.

jam

french toast and waffles.. i added fresh bananas

For a hotel buffet, it's got a lot to offer. But the wide variety of selections of Chinese and American brunch options doesn't come cheap. At hotel prices similar to Vegas all you can eateries at over NT$600 (or US$18), you'd either have to be very hungry or looking for the convienence and ambience.


tea
jam

chinese: i recommend SHANGHAI SHANGHAI

SHANGHAI SHANGHAI
in Sogo (Dun Nan store) B2
No. 246, Dun Hua South Rd, Sec 1
(02) 8771-5511

shanghaishanghai.com.tw

$$-$$$

date visited: 11/14/2006

At first sight, I expected Shanghai Shanghai to be frou frou Chinese food at frou frou prices, but actually, it was one of the better chinese food experiences I've had here in Taipei. The food is very flavorful and fresh, unlike some other places which look fancy, but don't taste as good as it looks. We chose the set lunch menu where you could select 3 dishes for 2 people from a page of choices, and included soup, fruit and dessert for NT$450 each person- which is a good deal considering that you would probably pay that amount just for 1 dish. While the menu is in English and Chinese (no pictures), the set menu page was only in Chinese. They had very traditional dishes with soups, appetizers, beef, chicken, seafood, and noodles. I also spotted some other dishes that my relatives would like, but I wouldn't eat, like frog legs.

Even though we had two fussy toddlers, the service was friendly and helpful towards us- with high chairs and toddler plates/cups/spoons. Everyone else in the restaurant were older Chinese patrons or businessmen, and we were thoughtfully seated further away so the kids could be their noisy selves.

I told what my friend what I generally liked and didn't like and she ordered some braised tofu and mushrooms, greens with shrimp, and beef and bamboo. All the dishes arrived about the same time, with sizeable dishes, especially for just us two. Dishes come with large bowls of rice and a soup.

I liked all the dishes- they were perfectly seasoned and I would have finished the dishes if I weren't so full.



It would have been enough food to share with 3 or 4 people. I would pop the baby shrimps quickly into my mouth and the lighter flavors of the vegetables were a good match with the hearty flavors of the tofu and mushroom.


The paper thin slices of bamboo and beef were also a good combination of textures of crunchy and tenderness.



The lunch ended with a sweet green bean dessert soup and fruit plate. I would definitely take my family or friends here again. My friend said their soup dumplings or xiao long bao are also very good here. If you ask your Chinese speaking friends about it- it's Chinese name is actually "Red Bean." It's a chain restaurant with 5 Taipei locations, so if you see it the next time you are out and about, you should definitely consider giving it a try.

other locations in Taipei

SOGO, 11FL
No. 45, Chung Hsiao E Rd, Sec. 4
(02) 2778-1088

Shin Kong Mitsukoshi A9
No.9, Song-Shou Rd.
(02) 8789-2929

Far Eastern Shopping Mall, B2
No. 203, Dun Hua S Rd., Sec. 2
(02) 8732-1536

No. 129. Ming Sheng E Road, Sec 3
B1
(02) 8770-6969

chinese: Vegetarian restaurant (name/address TBA)

VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT
name and address TBA

$$-$$$

date visited: 3/12/2006

"sashimi" closeup. yup, it's vegetarian!

Earlier this year, we went in search of a vegetarian restaurant and discovered this unusual but very interesting restaurant that presented vegetarian foods as if you weren't eating vegetarian food. They were known for the set menus which included sushi and sashimi-like textures on a bed of ice and mushroom steaks on a sizzling stone.

"sashimi" assortment on ice


mushroom "steak"

It was definitely some of the most unique and beautiful presentation of food, much less vegetarian food, I'd seen in awhile, although for above average prices as well. While there were some hits (anything with mushroom for me- the mushroom steak, the sashimi and the tempura) and some misses (the cold appetizer soup and the starter salad), it's worth a try if you have a vegetarian in your family or want to try something different.

It's also fun just to admire the detail in each dish and discuss in amazement how much something tastes like what it appears to be, or at the chef's creativity. I'm sure that the restaurant probably changes their set menus depending on seasonal ingredients, so if you get a set menu course, it may not be the same as the one I had.

starter salad

herbal soup

mushroom "steak" on sizzling stone

vegetarian sushi with edible orchid!


Everything tasted fresh and hearty- and unlike some other vegetarian experiences I've had- which would consist of pretty slim pickings and sometimes compromising a choice in flavor or selection- this was a full and complete meal with nothing missing.

vegetable tempura

soup with tofu

chilled taro soup

chinese: i recommend KEELUNG NIGHT MARKET

KEELUNG NIGHT MARKET
(Miao Kou stands)
Between Ren 3rd Rd. and Ai 4th Rd,
near the Dianji Temple
Keelung City

$

date visited: 10/22/2006

Finally get to blog about night market food! Somehow my camera is always forgotten or out of battery everytime we go, even though I have been going a lot less than I did when I was younger- I loved to go to Shih Lin night market (but that's another entry!).

Keelung is about a half hour away from Taipei. Their night market is pretty famous- there are usually so many a lot of people there! There's two long rows of food stands where you can sit at the counter and order your food- there's a lot to choose from.

one view of the stands

Some people are scared of eating foods from stands or from street vendors, but luckily I've never had any problems with it.. In general, I think you just stick to ones that are busy or look clean- and with the Keelung Night Market having such high traffic- it means their turnaround rate is high enough that nothing is ever really sitting around.

While all the stand number/names have brief English descriptions here, ordering is most likely a point and nodding experience if you don't speak Chinese. Wander around from stand to stand until you see something that you like and see if there's a seat available. One of my favorites is the gua bao (NT$30), which is like a sandwich made with a soft steamed bun with tender pork, ground peanuts and pickled vegetables inside- I suppose you could compare it as a chinese carnitas soft taco if you really had to make the reference.

gua bao

I also like the chinese spring/summer roll- which is made with a thin crepe-like skin wrapped around cabbage, ground peanuts, soybeans and carrots.

A lot of what you like is probably personal taste- if you are adventurous, you can try the soup with intestines or the boiled various intestines at the stands. This soup has a tiny bit of chinese herb taste to it, which makes it taste "good for you" without being overly pungent. Paired with freshly fried fishcake or "tem-pu-la," it's a sweet and spicy match to the plainer notes of the broth.

rice noodle soup and tofu. on the plates: intestines and liver
fried fishcake and soup with intestines

There are also a few fresh juice and shaved ice stands. If you get a chance, you can come with an empty stomach and sample and hop around until you are full! With everything being around NT$25-100 (less than US$1-3), you could easily snack all day!

chinese: i strongly recommend JIU RU at Ren Ai

JIU RU
69 Jen Ai Rd., Sec. 4
(02) 2751-7666

hours: 8am to 10pm

kid friendliness: no high chairs, quite crowded for strollers especially during rush hours

$

date visited: 10/31/2006


wonton or "ravioli" soup

cold sesame noodles

zong zhi or rice dumpling

stir fried rice noodles

sesame and peanut balls

Mmmmmm at very affordable prices. Tiny location, but good food. Apparently, this branch is part of the Jiu Ru chain that has locations at 101 and Breeze.. but this location has homestyle wonton (or as they say on the menu "ravioli" soup and sesame balls at prices you will never find at the fancy mall locations. You can even buy freshly made wontons to-go to prepare at home yourself. The menu has English and Chinese though no pictures, and the set menu deal is only in Chinese.

You can pick up your own side dishes at the front and I passed by the lady making wontons with handiwork that was faster than my eye could catch. The wontons are made with either meat/vegetable or shrimp, and you can order them with or without noodles. Also available are cold noodles with sesame sauce or dan dan noodles which are very plain.

The dessert has boiled mochi balls filled with your choice of black sesame, peanut or red bean. It's plenty to share with five balls, or you can enjoy it all by yourself.

OTHER LOCATIONS

Taipei 101 Mall, 4th FL
No. 45, Shih Fu Road
(02) 8101-8598

Breeze Center
(02) 6606-6859

No. 68, Tien Mu East Road, 7th FL
Tien Mu, Taipei
(02) 2874-3675