chinese: i don't recommend HWA YOUNG GOURMET AND BANQUET

HWA YOUNG GOURMET AND BANQUET
at MIRAMAR MALL, 5th FL
22 JING YE 3rd ROAD
DAZHI, TAIPEI
(02) 2175-3888

$$-$$$

hwayoungtaipei.com.tw

visit reviewed: 11/18/2007


sau mai, chicken feet and shrimp balls

When the Miramar Mall or Mei Li Hwa first opened a few years ago, it was a popular destination for its shopping, movies and IMAX theater, but mostly the ferris wheel (the third largest in Asia). Families, couples and tourists waited for over an hour for a 17 minute ride in a private seat for a sky high view of Taipei. Nowadays, you can hop on the ferris wheel for less than a 10 minute wait.

While visiting Miramar, our family wanted to eat somewhere decent, but not at the food court. While checking out our options on the 5th floor, there was a 20-30 minute wait at Hwa Young which seemed packed with customers eating amidst dim sum carts, a Japanese restaurant and a steak place. We ended up putting our name on the list for Hwa Young- thinking it must be worth the wait- it must be good if that's where everyone is eating. The wait sped by as we shopped nearby and waited for our cell to ring.

The inside was booked with a wedding, so the seating was limited to the outside seating area, sort of like a patio that provided a view of the escalators and the mall. After checking out the website, apparently much of their business is offering wedding banquet services.

The extensive menu, in English and Chinese, had a lot more to choose from than I expected- lots of main dishes, dim sum options and specialty appetizers with nouveau sounding names. We stuck to dim sum with a few side dishes- kon ching tsai vegetables, fried tofu and duck.

I was excited by the first few bites of duck, but overall the dim sum was a disappointment. Partially because I expected more with the higher mall prices, but everything tasted flat and lacked the right flavors. I wouldn't go there again and I wouldn't recommend it to others.

rice noodle

The sauce inside the cha sau bao or bbq pork bun was so thick and overly sweet while the bun was dry that I couldn't finish it after one bite.

The vegetables were not bad, though the fried tofu was totally not what we expected- not the classic cubes of deep fried tofu. Instead, it was if the chef mashed the tofu into chunky bits, reformed it with some vegetables and then pan fried it. It would have been okay if it tasted good, but it didn't.

kon ching tsai


chinese broccoli


fried tofu?

I don't know if it was because they were busy making the better food for the wedding banquet, or if that is just the style of their dim sum or if we just ordered the wrong things off the menu, but I'm sure there are a lot of other better options to choose from nearby. The search continues... any recommendations?

sesame balls and puff balls

other locations

HWA YOUNG BOUTIQUE CUISINE
at 101 Mall
No. 45, Shih Fu Road
(02) 8101-8666

HWA YOUNG GOURMET AND BANQUET
No.209, Sec. 3, Civic Blvd.,
Jhongshan District, Taipei
(02) 8772-9666　

CLOSED/afternoon tea/dessert: SAZABY AFTERNOON TEA

as of October 2007, Sogo Dun Hua location CLOSED/REMODELING!

SAZABY AFTERNOON TEA
Sogo (Dun Nan store) B1
No. 246, Dun Hua South Rd, Sec 1

also at Taipei 101, B1

$-$$

date visited: 11/28/2006

afternoon-tea.net (official site)



A chain of eateries with Japanese style pastas, salads and cakes, with afternoon tea specials. You can also get the cakes to go or shop in their store which sells colorful and cute tableware, towels and random accessories. The Afternoon Tea cafe space in Dun Hua Sogo is very airy and bright with the high ceilings and windows. The space is spread out so you can enjoy your space and has high chairs for babies. I didn't get a chance to take a lot of pictures of the space because we were busy manning and feeding the three kids under the age of 3 we had in our group that day, but there is breathing room for them to eat, walk around and even lay down and sleep on the booth if lunch runs into their nap time, as it did ours.



Their pastas tasted better than these pictures look, but there are a lot of better pasta places in Taipei. The portions are good though and they have some unique options, such as the popular pink mentaiko eggs Spaghetti. The tables next to ours had three out of four orders of the pink spaghetti. The menu is in English, Japanese and Chinese and features a few salads, soups, sandwiches, pastas, and desserts, with quite a few teas, coffees and drinks, and you can get a set menu of pasta/sandwich/salad with drink and dessert for NT$299.

The cakes have never made me go "wow" since they are very light flavored with too much frosting for me, but they had a cheesecake that was not bad.

It was hard for me to find any information about the chain in English, but I've enclosed the official Japanese website as translated by Google. I don't know if there are any other locations besides the ones in 101 and Sogo Dun Hua, but I'm sure there are, as I remember spotting the Afternoon Tea shops elsewhere.

It's a good choice for a group of friends or moms or a casual lunch, with affordable prices and a nice relaxing atmosphere.

And you can even shop for new tea cups after you pay your bill.

indian: TANDOOR

TANDOOR
No. 10 on Lane 73, HeJiang St.
(02) 2509-9853

lunch: 12 pm-2:30 pm
dinner: 6 - 10:30 pm

$$-$$$

website: tandoor.com.tw

date visited: 9/24/2006

Tandoor is one of the oldest Indian restaurants in Taipei. You can often find other Indian families or customers there, which is a good sign (don't go to a Chinese restaurant in LA that has no Chinese people there!). And I have had good experiences there in the past, except that I was thrown by the fact that the samosas (NT$120 for 4) are made out of won ton paper skin. They are still tasty, it's just an example of how they tweak the food here for Taiwanese customers.

On this night, we had a large group, some who had never eaten Indian food before. I was excited because then we could order a lot and share. The menu is English and Chinese and has all the usuals.

my plate: clockwise from the top- lamb korma, aloo gobi, mushroom rice, chicken curry, eggplant, chicken tikka masala

Like most of the other Indian eateries here, the portions are bit small for the price. But on this night, everything was SO spicy, even the Tandoori chicken (NT$480 full/NT$240 half), served on a sizzling plate with four pieces of thigh-legs on a bed of onions.

if my tastebuds could cry from the spiciness, they would have

I've never had Tandoori chicken that was spicy at all, much less THIS spicy. We didn't specify to the waiter about the level of heat we wanted, and he never asked-- but it seemed like either (1) we were being tested or (2) someone in the kitchen lost their tastebuds. Everything we ordered was painful to eat, I had to gulp down with lots of rice (NT$80) and naan and water- the chicken curry (NT290), chicken tikka masala (NT$350), lamb korma (NT300) and eggplant and aloo gobi. Only the rice was not killer spicy, but it was a bit dry. It's not really worth it to pay extra for the mushroom pullao rice (NT$200) since the mushrooms seem like they are canned and it doesn't taste that much different. The lamb was also a bit stringy.

I want to say this is an "off" situation because it didn't happen to me on the previous visit. So until I try it the next time, I can't offer a recommend since my tummy didn't feel well from the spiciness that night and the next day. It also made me like the flavors of Aaleja in contrast to our experience here, even after I was disappointed with their last visit.. maybe I wasn't having the best luck with Indian restaurants that month. I just couldn't enjoy the curry's flavor. So far warning- be clear about what level of heat you can handle, even if the wait staff doesn't ask you when they take your order. In addition to that misstep from our servers that night, I have to note that they are hard to wave down.

It seems that quite a few other people have had the same experience with inconsistency of their visits. It's tough since there are such few good places to eat good Indian food in Taipei- but there are few more around that I haven't tried yet, New Delhi and Ali Baba's, and even some that I've been hearing good things about- the Spice Shop. For the best value, I guess you should check it out during their weekend lunch buffet (12:00~2:30PM or 6:00~ 10:30PM) to see if it's for you. You can also check their website for different coupons each month.

markets/chinese: i recommend NAN MEN MARKET

NAN MEN MARKET
At Roosevelt Rd and Nan Hai Rd
Taipei

$

date visited: 12/22/2006



To mark the beginning of winter, I guess it's a tradition to eat tang yuan or boiled round rice glutinous balls. Why? Maybe to keep your stomachs full and warm for the cold? I'm not exactly sure.. but it's tradition. If you didn't eat any last friday, then you can hurry to Nan Men Market and buy a pack to take home and boil yourself.

There are quite a few vendors that sell it, but supposedly this one is the most famous. And on this special tang yuan eating holiday, Dong Zhi, there was line and up to a 20-40 minute wait as the lady hand made each ball while customers (im)patiently waited. I've seen this phenomenon at other stores and it's amazing how antsy people will get over their mochi balls!


the line awaits

she can't make them fast enough!

After they are cooked, they almost look like mini snowballs bathing in water. Biting into a ball, you get the chewiness of the rice ball and the sweet oozing taste of the sesame or peanut or red bean paste. They make salty ones too, but I definitely prefer the sweet fillings.

from another vendor- 10 in a pack- this one has peanut paste inside

I ended up here while running errands and a local friend of mine thought it would be a good place to stop by. It''s definitely a sight to see... with lots of local foods available to purchase to take home- chinese style jerky, tang yuan or sesame or peanut filled rice balls, man toh or chinese steamed bread and buns, sausages, dried fruits, candy and even a huge array of cooked dishes like shrimp, fish, vegetables and meat.

Many of the stalls sell similar food to the others, so you just take a quick circle around before deciding on which vendor you like best.

I was intrigued by the vendor roasting their pork jerky over a hot grill and ended up buying NT$50 worth cut up into finger-licking good slices.

Taiwanese jerky is different from American jerky in that it's usually sold by weight and look like red plastic slices rather than sticks wrapped in plastic. They come in all sorts of flavors, such as black pepper, but I prefer the sweeter flavors. You can ask for a sample before you decide- generally, the vendor will cut a tiny piece for you to try.

My friend also highly recommended the vegetarian buns from this man-toh stall- they sold six buns in a bag for NT$70, as well as an array of different colored man-tohs and buns, including cha sau buns (bbq pork) and green onion bread. They also sold nien gao or rice cakes and rice cake noodles. There was even a cinnabun looking roll that the vendor said was coffee flavored.

Totally worth browsing if you have the time and the stomach for it, since you're likely to find some good deals, but most of the stuff is out in the open rather than pre-packaged or in a fridge which some people may not be used to. If you don't speak Chinese, I think the point and nod method will work here since there aren't really any English signs anywhere. The only thing is that I wished that the sesame rice balls were sold ready-to-eat, but this isn't the place for that. Ah well, I can always head over to Jiu Ru for a bowl.

CLOSED! mexican: LA CASITA revisited

CLOSED
a/o August 2010

LA CASITA
No. 7 on Lane 64, Song Jiang Rd
(02) 2531-9246

$$

date revisited: 12/9/2006
original visit reviewed: 7/29/2005

If you haven't seen the original review, you can scroll down to read it first if you like. LA CASITA has been around for a long time and is one of the few places you can find Mexican food in Taipei. Despite the not-so-friendly service from my last visit, I was craving chicken enchiladas and had no where else to go. All my friends know that since I have been spending more time in Taiwan, the food that I miss most when I am here is Mexican food! Some of my friends were even trying to figure out how to pack and ship some carnitas soft tacos to me. I miss the spices and flavors, the tenderness of carnitas, fresh guacamole and pico de gallo, the melted cheese inside a crispy quesadilla, a bite of mexican rice after eating a bite of an enchilada, holding a carne asada taco and trying to eat it without having it fall apart... man, even El Pollo Loco chicken sounds good when I am here.



The chicken enchiladas here are made with shredded chicken, red sauce and melted cheese, just the way I like it. You can order just one for NT$150/US$5 or get a pair with rice and beans for a combo plate which is probably the best value at NT$280. You can also order combo plates with tacos as well. The accompanying salsa is very very hot and too spicy for me. It doesn't come with guacamole though, just a dollop of sour cream, so I ordered a side of guacamole and chips (NT$180 or US$6).



The chips were a bit stale (who can ask for freshly fried chips in Taipei, yes I know that's asking for a bit too much!) and the guacamole was made with Taiwan avocados which gave it a lighter green color and slightly stringy texture rather than the sweeter creamy taste of Haas avocados that I love in guacamole. They said that they make it from the imported avocados when the Taiwan avocados are not in season, but they are more expensive. But I'm guessing that the imported avocados is reflected in their prices already, so you're out of luck if the Taiwan avocados are in season. Personally, I don't think it's worth the NT$180- you'd be better off ordering the nachos.

It was nice that they put a little tree in the entrance. As we were pretty much their only customers while they were there, the owners were quite chatty and friendly today, mentioning that they could make dishes that weren't available on the menu, like chicken mole, on request.



I have yet to find any other place that can make chicken enchiladas that compare to La Casita's, so until I do, I will probably be back. If you are craving some too, then look for this sign outside in this little alley near Song Jiang Road.



I have heard about Mexican food at Bongos and Citizen Cain, but haven't had a chance to try it yet. Have you ever eaten Mexican food in Taiwan and what has your experience been like? Where would you recommend as the best place to eat Mexican food in Taipei?


ORIGINAL REVIEW:

The first time I went to La Casita was earlier this spring, after craving Mexican food for weeks and not knowing where to find it in Taipei, a quick google named about 3-4 places. I called first, asked when they closed, and they said if we came over that they would stay open for us (I think it was about their afternoon siesta time). I went there with a friend, and he asked the owner for his recommendations for us. We had nachos to start, chicken enchilada for me, and beef burrito for him. He said that his ground beef burrito tasted similar to a meximelt from Taco Bell (which he likes, so it was sort of a compliment, meaning that what the owner chose for him was appropriate). I also was craving chicken enchilada, so we were quite pleased with what the owner recommended. We left satisfied and happy to return again to this mom and pop mexican hole in the wall. We also thought it was a funny coincidence that the owners were relatives of a friend of a friend.

Our most recent experience however, was unfortunately not quite the same. I called first, confirming the address and asked if we had to make reservations for 4-5 people. She asked when we were coming and I said that we were leaving soon- and she said that she would set the table for 4 and add a seat for the 5th person if we needed. I said that was fine. We arrived in different taxis and I was excited to introduce this hidden place to three friends. When we arrived, there were about 4 other customers there occupying 2 tables, and the place is pretty small, with about 4-5 tables in total.

The menu has a selection of appetizers, including chips, nachos and quesidillas, then an assortment of burritos, chimichangas, tacos, enchiladas and combo plates which include a side of rice and beans. There are also fajitas, margaritas and desserts.

Like most mexican or tex-mex places in Taiwan, they charge you for chips, salsa or any accompaniments. We ordered nachos to start, with beef, guacamole and salsa (all additional separate charges) which made them about $10 US. The chips were crispy and topped with nacho cheese, beef and jalepenos. The cheese was like nacho cheese, maybe like the kind you would find at the movie theater, or melt yourself at home from a jar, rather than shredded cheese that was melted on top. The guacamole and salsa looked homemade, and the portion came in a small side bowl. The salsa was pretty spicy, but you can tell them what level of spiciness you want when you order your dishes. It was a decent sized plate of chips, but not enough for five people to share, so we had to order another set.

Because La Casita is a smaller place, everything is basically run by the two owners and their family. They take the orders and then go back to the kitchen and make it. They have two daughters (I think) who come and bus the tables and bring over dishes when they are ready. So you have to have an open mind with the service and be patient since each dish is being made by one person.

The atmosphere is cute and quaint with murals along both sides of the wall, and signatures of previous customers raving about the food or their visit, and making their mark that they were there. It's entertaining to read while you are waiting and you may find a name or two that you recognize.

I ordered a chicken enchilada and chicken chimichanga combo. Overall, I enjoyed the dish- the chimichanga was crispy and the shredded chicken in both were tender. The enchilada had a good amount of cheese and sauce and last time the owner said that the corn in the corn tortilla were made from purple corn. However, the dish was topped with sour cream, which I don't like, but scraped to the side, and no guacamole and a tiny bit of salsa (which I thought I saw came with enchilada).

I also found the dish overall to be a bit salty as did some of the other people that night. I finished most of the food, including the rice, which I liked. The refried beans were a bit dry and I left more than half of that on my plate. The other three people got various assortments of combo plates, which were mostly finished, though I have to say I was disappointed that one person's order was wrong- he ordered a beef burrito and chicken taco and got the reverse, a beef burrito and a beef taco.

Our dishes all came one at a time, and we were pretty much all finished by the fifth person's fajitas came. This was a combo of it being the fifth dish, as well as being shrimp fajitas, I think. When the shrimp fajitas finally came they were not peeled and the heads were still on the shrimp. It looked more chinese than mexican, and the friend whose order it was said it tasted that way. In addition to us all staring at him because we were done and we were curious, he later said the shrimp tasted funny so he had it packed to go. He actually also requested that we stop by Burger King after we left and he ordered a sandwich.

The other thing about that night that left a bad taste in my friends' mouth was that once our food started to come, the restaurant had emptied out. We were cramped into a table for four with five people (four guys) and asked the owner if we could move one of the empty tables to adjoin ours and create more space. He seemed to be in a bad mood and responded "You made a reservation for four." which actually was not true- I had talked to the other owner and explained the situation when I called. The table _was_ occupied when we came, but was now available, as well as the rest of the restaurant. He was more rude than accomodating, as well as when I went to order the extra nachos, he pointed towards the kitchen, rather than accepting the order himself. Later on, he went outside and stood outside grumpily and walked around. This left quite a bad impression on my friends, who felt that he shouldn't have come that day if he was in a bad mood, and it was definitely a contrast to the last time he had greeted us.

So unfortunately, I would say, that if you are really really craving mexican food- you can stop by La Casita. But don't go with a larger or odd numbered group, don't order the fajitas (if you want fajitas, Chilis and TGIF actually have good fajitas) and maybe even get your order to go. I was going to take pictures, but I was kind of scared- maybe the next time if I can convince someone to go with me!

another hungry girl!

hey! It's fun to browse and see how people come to visit my site. I started it for myself and for fun and it's really great to see responses from people who can also look at it for fun, to drool over the pictures of the food, or to actually use to find places to eat! One recent person came from a search for "hungry girl" and there's actually more of them out there! hahahah

hungry girl on yahoo

it's a very shiny cool looking blog about food in general.. *sigh.. another blog to drool over during the holidays!

what are some of your favorite food blogs out there? do you read them for restaurants to go to, to drool over the photos or for recipes to try?

happy holidays!

chinese: NONG LAI

NONG LAI
No. 1 on Alley 11, Lane 147, Ming Sheng E Rd, Sec 2
(02) 2505-0891

Lunch: 11 AM-2:30PM
Dinner: 5 PM - 9:30 PM

$$

date visited: 11/24/2006

Family dinners always come with too much food. Maybe because whoever is hosting that night wants to make sure no one leaves hungry, or maybe it's just easier to order from the family menu. I don't think it's strictly a Chinese thing- think about the holiday season, the table full of more food than you could ever digest.


fish eggs and lobster

This night was a perfect example- dish after dish after dish came to the table of what my uncle proclaimed were "Taiwanese" dishes. The restaurant was full of locals and the menu was only in Chinese with a few pictures, and the entrance to the restaurant was pretty difficult to find.

In general, the portions were huge (!), the food came quickly and the service was fast and efficient- they would switch the older dishes to smaller plates, and change the plates you had every few dishes without asking, so you didn't have to eat underneath shrimp shells and chicken bones.

I really enjoyed snacking on the fish eggs and lobster, although I hate mayo and scraped all of mine off. The boiled lobster underneath was a bit bland without it.

another angle lobster with lots of mayo and fish eggs

The chicken was tender and moist.


chicken

I don't like the taste of sea cucumbers urchins, despite the repeated insistence of my mother who asks me to taste it every time it's served. I'm not afraid of it (as some people are)- I rather not eat the rubbery, tasteless texture in my mouth. I do like the shiitake mushrooms though.

sea cucumbers and mushrooms

The shrimps were small, but fresh. It's a pain to peel them, but I usually peel a bunch at time then clean my hands with a hot towel and lemon and am done with peeling. They taste better dipped in soy sauce and wasabi.

boiled shrimps- picture taken after everyone served themselves- sorry i was too busy eating!

Didn't try the herbal soup, but it was HUGE.


herbal soup

Tried just a bite of the fish- it was tender, but bland.


the fish -almost all gone

Too full to eat anymore vegetables, but...


vegetarian mushrooms and chinese broccoli


seafood with vegetables

I left room for some unagi! It was sticky sweet and tender and delicious.


unagi with eel sauce

I had a little bit of crab- I thought it was a bit dry- even the eggs, which I like to eat, were also dry. It's not worth all the work of peeling the layers of getting the crab if it's not going to be moist and sweet.

fresh crab

The fried mushrooms and oysters were good, crispy and hot, especially dipped in the sweet wasabi salt. These were the smaller oysters and again the portions are HUGE!

fried mushrooms and fried oysters

Finally almost done with the dinner- a dessert is served. I've never seen this- sweet green mango under crushed ice, but the taste is refreshing and almost addicting. The mango almost tastes as if it was pickled in a sweet syrup.

sweet green mango under crushed ice

Overall, it was a good dinner- although I was a bit disappointed some of my favorite shellfish weren't as moist or tasty as I would have liked, there was SO much food, it was hard to complain. Nong Lai offers set menus at NT$5000-8000 and we had eleven people. I don't know which set menu my uncle got, but you can see from the amount of plates and the portions of the dishes, it can be a great deal per person. Of course, you can always order from the menu as well. Perfect for huge family get togethers with round tables and the lazy susans to make sure everyone gets a chance at the food.

if you see this sign on the corner, you are steps away from the entrance

chinese: i strongly recommend LITTLE SHANGHAI

LITTLE SHANGHAI
68 Ming Sheng E Road, Sec 4
(02) 2718-5783

lunch: 10AM-2:30PM
dinner: 4PM-9PM

$

visit reviewed: 11/20/2006

Long before I had even heard of Din Tai Fung, I would always crave the dumplings and beef noodle soup I had here at Little Shanghai, near my grandmother's house. I think my grandmother was sort of amused at how passionate my cousins, my sister and I would insist (separately) that eat at least one meal at this very local, unflashy and cheap (nothing is more than NT$150) spot. Actually, once I heard about Din Tai Fung, I refused for the longest time to eat at the more trendy, popular chain, insisting on eating at the hidden gem. Now that I've been to both more often- I would say that their xiao long bao are very comparable, but Little Shanghai definitely beats DTF in the beef noodle soup department.

From the outside, you can see a team of people busy wrapping, cooking and serving the food. At lunch, it often gets very crowded, but off peak hours, it's not too hard to get a seat inside.


the menu on the wall- only in Chinese

The menu is pretty simple, although it's only in Chinese on the wall and on the order sheet- xiao long bao (with pork), vegetable and meat dumplings, zhong zhi (rice dumpling- sweet or salty), sesame buns, fried bread, beef noodle soup (with beef or tendons or half and half), and small sides. If you are living in Taiwan, I think one of the first characters you learn to recognize is "niao ro mien" or beef noodle soup!

We grabbed a bunch of side starter dishes (NT$30 each) from the front while we waited for our food to come, and quickly devoured them.

small dishes from L-R clockwise: cold tofu and thousand year old egg, bamboo, cucumbers, tofu slivers with celery and carrots, gluten

The steamed basket of xiao long bao (NT$100) quickly comes, with the hot, juicy, bite sized pockets of deliciousness. I am getting hungry again looking at these pictures. Sometimes the flavor of ginger is too strong, but today it is just right.

xiao long bao


self serve vinegar and soy sauce

The beef noodle soup (NT$100-150 or US$3-5) is still what I think one of the best in Taipei. The hearty broth is so flavorful and a bit spicy while not being too salty or oily- you could drink the whole bowl. Also, the noodles are handmade and thick, providing a satisfactory bite to spoonful, or you could slurp it down. They also have a choice of tendon along with the beef, and often run out of the tendon if you go later in the evening. You can order a serving of everything that looks good to you and eat it family style to get a sample of everything and order more if it's not enough.

beef noodle with beef and tendon

Their vegetable dumplings (NT$100) used to vegetarian, but now they include a bit of ground meat inside. Today, the dumpling skin is a bit thicker than the ones on the xiao long bao and taste a little gummier. Unfortunately, their vegetable dumplings are not as consistently good as their other dishes.

vegetable dumplings

So the vegetarian options here are limited to the fried bread or the sesame buns, in addition to the side dishes. When I was a kid, I used to devour these fried bread. They are have a slightly sweet crispy crust and steaming hot soft bread rolled up inside. MMMMMMMMM. I don't usually see this served elsewhere.

fried bread

I would definitely pick the bread over the sesame buns ($40 for 2). The sesame is a bit too sandy and sweet for me. I'd also rather have the red bean dumpling dessert at Ding Tai Fung, which uses the xiao long bao skins to wrap either taro or red bean and steam them.

steamed sesame buns


black sesame filling inside

Everyone has their favorite "local" and authentic place to eat- this one is mine. Nearby the old downtown district of Taipei, a few blocks away from Tony Roma's and Ruth Chris', this is an awesome alternative for those who are looking for a new xiao long bao or beef noodle soup spot. Every friend I've taken there has always left with a full and content stomach and asked to go back again another day. If you do go, be prepared to memorize the characters of the dishes you like in Chinese or recite it to the waitress. It'll be worth it!

CLOSED! american: TAHITIAN NONI

TAHITIAN NONI CAFE
No. 108, Xin Yi Rd, Sec 5
(02)8788-1987

CLOSED!

hours: 9AM-7PM

official website: tncafe.com

$

visit reviewed: 11/16/2006

One day walking near 101, the bright blue, yellow and white store front sign for Tahitian Noni caught my eye. Inside, there seemed to be an array of displays of spa-like merchandise and in the back, a counter with models of salads, sandwiches, shrimp bowls along with a menu of hot and cold drinks, including their branded Tahitian Noni teas and juices.

It's an interesting lunch option for a city short of good places for good salads and wraps- most of the places that have decent salads, such as Macaroni Grill or Chili's, have huge family style portions at family style portion prices. Here the portions are still enough to split between two people, but quite affordable for a quick lunch (about NT$400 for 2).

My friend and I ordered a chicken quesadilla and a sesame chicken salad at the counter and took at seat near the window. The website asks you to enjoy the food in the "Tahitian" decor which is warm and simple, yet inviting, sort of like the food.

But as much as I wanted to LOVE the food, I didn't. The salad was mostly lettuce, with a pile of shredded carrots on top, with some sprinkling of peanuts, red bell pepper slices, broken ramen noodle pieces and smoked chicken cubes. I found the chicken to be dry and hard, and the ginger sesame dressing to be more oily than flavorful.



The chicken quesadilla fared a little better- while they used the same smoked chicken (if it wasn't smoked, it tasted like it)- and the tortilla looked as if it was grilled. But the other ingredients inside looked as if they might have been assembled from canned beans, corn and salsa from a jar from Costco.



After browsing their website, which mysteriously lacks listing a location in Taiwan, yet has the Taiwan phone number under "locations" in the USA section of the website, there are other locations in Germany, Japan, Brazil and in the US, Atlanta and Dallas. The menu here also seems more limited than the menu on the site- perhaps they will bring in more options as the cafe gets more popular? I'd love to try their Kalua pork sandwich or crab cake salad and their shrimp bowl seems popular. They also have breakfast options in the morning, such as breakfast sandwiches and wraps.

I would definitely give them another chance, especially to avoid the overwhelming madness of the food courts during lunchtime- their lunch set menus offer a good deal with a drink with the salad or bowl of the day. They are practically across the street from 101, next to Peony Japanese restaurant, but somehow inside, you feel much further away.