chinese: i strongly recommend HUNDRED MUSHROOM GARDEN (BAI GU YUAN)

HUNDRED MUSHROOM GARDEN
(BAI GU YUAN) or MUSHROOM PARK
17, Lane 71, Ren Ai Rd., Section 4
(02) 8773-3160

$-$$

baigu.com.tw website in Chinese only

kid friendly?: high chairs available, though no room to put them in some booths. a lot of things on the table including hot pot so not for antsy kids who can't keep their fingers off the table.

date visited: 12/16/2006

Sorry for the lack of posts. I wanted to try and put up posts more often in 2007, but traveling back to LA, jetlag, getting sick and work has put a dent in those new year's resolutions! Plus I don't have all the business cards/addresses translated - but I know you just want to see pictures! So I will do my best to catch up on my backlog of half-written posts and update with the other information later.



The winter weather is the perfect excuse to go out and eat hotpot, not that you really need an excuse to eat hotpot. Maybe known to some as "shabu shabu," if it's not all-you-can-eat buffet style, then you basically order your options from the menu, and cook it yourself in a pot of hot boiling water (or broth) on the table. The options can range from spicy hot "ma-la" hot pot to a place like this- with over a hundred of types of mushrooms! We had mixed up our reservations for a busy Saturday night (the restaurants named "Orange" (the fruit) is not the same as "Orange" (the color)- a subtle but distinct difference in Chinese- left us without reservations at the trendy Orange hotpot restaurant) so we ended up finding space at the Mushroom hotpot place.

They start you off with a pot of broth with some herbs and then bring over a tray full of various vegetables and more mushrooms than you could imagined existed. There are fat, skinny, long, short, spidery, stubby, crunchy, chewy- all sorts of mushrooms that go into the mushroom broth.



so lonely and empty, just waiting for its mushroom friends

The different set menus offer different choices. I love mushrooms, so it was very exciting for me. The servers put all the mushrooms and vegetables in for you and then set the timer, which will let you know when the hotpot goodness is ready to eat.

They also gave us mini dishes of dried mushroom and mushroom floss, both which were really addictive.The floss was chewy and salty and the dried mushroom had a good crunch with an intense flavor. Both of these are also available for sale to take home. I ended up buying both and eating the dried mushroom as a snack- perfect for when I wanted something to munch on, while being relatively healthy!

In the meanwhile, we chowed down on our abalone mushroom, which was a giant long (and yes, very phallic looking) mushroom that did have a meaty texture like abalone.

It was like a duo, as they seed the same mushroom boiled and chopped, served on ice. They paired with soysauce and wasabi to dip in, so I guess it was like mushroom sashimi.

Our set menu included these two appetizers, while our friends set menu included mini mantoh or steamed buns with a sweet condensed milk dipping sauce. They came in assorted flavors and were soft and warm. I wasn't really used to the condensed milk eaten with mantoh- it belongs on shaved ice!

While the mushroom hotpot is perfect for vegetarians, they also do serve meat, so we had some sliced pork for our hotpot! They came in perfect frozen curls, like the kind you see at Mongolian bbq places that don't want you to pile a lot of meat into your bowl before it's stirfried.

They also had a little pot of meat mixture that we could scoop up into little balls and drop into the soup. This was one of their signature dishes- they were like chewy meatballs with the starchy fishcake texture. We also had dumplings, but they were not as tasty as all the other dishes.

At the end of your meal, you have a perfect broth to sip from to keep you warm to go back out into the cold winter air and all the mushrooms don't get mushy, but just get more flavorful. If you don't finish, you can even take it home- they will give you a sturdy plastic bag to put it in.

The restaurant is very clean with separated areas for seating. It's perfect for families or friends- it's not as trendy with dark decor/lighting as Orange or even Buffalo Yakiniku, but it's good. Their menu is only in Chinese, so you might have to go with the pictures or bring someone who speaks Chinese to help order. You're going to get mushrooms, any way you order! They do talk a bit about the mushrooms and their benefits which I missed out on.

If you have room, they serve a little panna cotta with some strawberry sauce on top for dessert. It's not the best panna cotta I've had, but at least it wasn't mushroom flavored!

This mushroom hot pot restaurant is actually a part of a chain, so there are quite a few locations around Taiwan. It's been very cold in LA, so I imagine it's been cold in Taipei still- the hearty hot broth and mushrooms will definitely help.

others who recommend eating 100 Mushroom Garden
-Jim Standard from Food and Wine Magazine
- Bayside Village Diary

More locations (in Chinese) on website here

Tien Mu location
No. 91, Chung Cheng Road, Sec 1
(02) 2832-2146

No. 60, Ming Sheng E Road, Sec 5
(02) 2753-0625

No. 16, Jin Shan S Road, Sec 2
(02) 3322-2648

MuZha location
No. 67, Mushin Road, Sec 3
(02) 2937-7333

afternoon tea/latte/dessert: STARBUCKS

STARBUCKS
on Badu Road
and almost everywhere

starbucks.com.tw

$

date visited: 12/30/2006

Starbucks Coffee is strangely addictive- I prefer to get a vanilla latte (although I do like Coffee Bean's vanilla ice blendeds better, but there isn't one in Taipei) although there was one a few years ago and it mysteriously vanished. Their bagels, cookies, cakes, sandwiches, salads are also a quick snack fix while you grab your overpriced but usually consistent coffee anywhere around the world. I'm definitely guilty of purchasing something to eat at the airport, convention, hospital, or on the run... in this case, we had an impromptu afternoon tea of sorts on the way to the new Taipei Apple reseller store that just opened.



The ham and cheese sandwich was actually pretty tasty- it definitely benefited from being heated up and the bread was all warm with the melted cheese.



The cheesecake looked good, but unfortunately tasted awful. It was dry, bland and the crackly creme brulee-looking top was just a facade. It made me sorely miss the decadent creme brulee cheesecake at Literati in Los Angeles which has melt in your mouth creaminess and real vanilla specks and flavor.

In Taiwan, one of the best NY style cheesecake I've had so far was at NY Bagel, which has Junior's cheesecake flown in from NY, or Macaroni Grill. A more local style, but still delicious, are the cheesecake cups they have at Milkhouse or the cheesecake at the bakery at JASONs Supermarket at 101.

The vanilla latte was good for a rainy afternoon, and apparently when we were there, with the purchase of the sandwich they upgrade your drink a size up for free as an "afternoon tea" special, or "afternoon latte" i should say. I also spotted someone with a pasta... Most of the Starbucks have cozy tables and sofas to encourage some lounging and makes a great space for afternoon tea.

Not this time, but once I had the pre-made chinese chicken salad in a box. The dry chicken and odd tasting dressing ruined the salad and made it so terrible I threw it away after one bite.

But anyways- check out the new Apple store if you get a chance. It's not technically an "Apple Store," but it's the closest thing for now as an official Apple reseller with all the tech goods and accessories in the pristine white space.




There's no genius bar, but the associates are quite friendly and helpful. There's even a coffee shop upstairs if you are going to wander over with your laptop. I didn't get to try it, but that's for another day.



If you're not an Apple person, the whole street is filled with shops selling computers and accessories, like cables, printers, cds/dvds and even cameras at prices better than mall stores like fnac.

It's pretty amazing that there are so many Starbucks around the world, even in Taipei there's practically one on every block. The funny thing is that many of the local companies knowingly capitalize on their branding, mimicking the round logo, bold sans serif lettering, and even the Starbucks shade of green. Maybe it's just a coincidence?

A friend of mine recently had to choose from three different coffee shops at 101- Barista Coffee , some french sounding coffee place and IS Coffee- he said he was comforted by the round green logo of IS Coffee and bought his coffee there.

Another amazing thing is that Starbucks plans on doubling their stores here in the next five years to 350 stores. Hopefully, they will keep working on their cheesecake!

happy new year from taipei!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Can you believe it's 2007 already??!!!

Had a nice dinner at the Ambassador Hotel and then some late night snacks at a company party.

finger foods




shark fin soup


shabu shabu pork- super tender- try both dipping sauces...


and shabu shabu broth and vegetables..


dessert- peanut soup and chinese doughnut sticks

I was an invited guest, so I don't know how much the dinner was, but everything tasted delicious and the service was great. So I would recommend Szechuan Court also since this hotel has been around for a very long time- probably one of the first international hotels in Taipei.

angel cakes

I must be getting old... it's not even 2AM and I'm probably going to turn in for the night. I'm just glad I'm not stuck in the traffic.. it was madness after midnight.

crazy crazy traffic jam near taipei 101


people going on the subway

SZECHUAN COURT
at AMBASSADOR HOTEL, 12 FL
No.63, Chung Shan N Road, Sec 2
Taipei 104 Taiwan

(02)2100-2100 Ext.2383

ambassadorhotel.com.tw

Lunch: 11:3AM~2:00PM
Dinner: 5:30~9:00PM

$$-$$$

date visited: 12/31/2006

CLOSED/french: i strongly recommend PAPILLON

PAPILLON
at San Want Hotel
No. 172, ZhongXiao East Rd, Sec. 4
(02) 2781-7063
(no longer a french restaurant)

Breakfast 6:30-9:30 am
Lunch 11:30 am-2 pm
Teatime 2:30-5 pm
Dinner 6-9:30 pm

website: sanwant.com

$$$

date visited: 12/25/2006




I didn't know what to expect since I had never heard much about PAPILLON, but I was pleasantly surprised- even amazed by the beautiful presentation and exquisite tastes of dinner that night. I had been invited along on a company dinner to sample a set dinner menu for the PARIS Je'TAIME film, which turned into a lovely quiet holiday celebration.



Located in the back of the lobby past the elevators of the San Want Hotel, the entrance is very unassuming and we were seating in a large elegant private room. The private rooms are for set menus only, while they have ala carte and buffet options outside. Papillon also services the all day buffet which has an entrance on the right front hand side of the hotel lobby.

They started us off with a cheese wonton that has served warm and crispy with a soft cheesy center, which whetted our appetites.





The experience was everything a fancy French restaurant should be- decadent, romantic, beautifully presented, mouth-watering and good service. Each dish had a combination of textures- soft and crunchy, sometimes sweet and salty. The sighs of happiness could be heard around the table.

The appetizer was a plate of mini-bites of seafood and jelly. I am not a big fan of jelly, but it was so beautiful to look at. The seafood was also propped up with tiny pillows of mashed potato. The flavors were enhanced by the diced mangos and apples in the center which also provided mini-bursts of crunch and sweetness.





The tuna tartare was almost like a spicy tuna roll with a base of rice at the bottom, but without the spicy and seaweed. I didn't think I would like it, but each bite was addictive- the tenderness of the tuna with the equally soft rice and the crunch of the salad above.



The waiters then delivered to us each a slice of bread that they said was shipped in from Italy especially for the holidays.. It was a sliver of a very large loaf and some googling revealed it is probably panettone bread.



The cauliflower soup was light, creamy and again perfectly flavored- served cappuccino style. I gave my smoked salmon sliver away because I don't like smoked salmon. It would have been cool if they had served them in cappuccino cups with little handles so we could have drank the soup that way.



I can't remember the last time I had lobster THIS good. While the menu said "lobster stew," it was actually broiled and tender and sweet and flavorful. I savored every bite and chewed slowly even though it was quite a sizeable portion. The fried wonton flower that it came in was slightly sweet and weirdly, it made a great partner to the lobster and the wisps of saffron sauce.




i could probably eat way too much of this

Practically after our friend at the table mentioned that they often served a refresher before the main dish, the waiters brought out a zesty lemon sorbet scoop for us to cleanse our palates for the filet mignon.




While I definitely enjoyed the filet, it was not as hot or as rare as I would have liked it. I asked for a 5 to 6, on the scale of doneness, and I guess I should have stuck to a 5. In Taiwan, they ask you for a number, 1 being raw and 10 being well done- most of the time the waiter will recommend medium or a 5. I also might have taken too long taking pictures. The vegetables on the side were also delicious, but my favorite was the eggplant.




can i order more lobster?

While our stomaches and tastebuds were reeling from the overload of flavors and courses of the night, the desserts arrived. Again, we ate with our eyes first, and we all oohed and aahed over the prettiness and girliness of this chocolate mousse. While I love dessert and I love chocolate, I don't really care for mousse, so unfortunately, this was one of my least favorite dishes of the night. But I definitely polished off all of the handmade vanilla bean ice cream.




But it was still amazing to look at-- as far as food porn experiences go, this one was definitely lived up to its appearance- it was orgasmic tasting as it looked. I was surprised, but I guess I should have been- another restaurant in the same hotel, Sumie, has been a favorite of ours for always having beautiful and original presentation of their delicious food.

I hope my pictures captured most of the experience- it was very low "romantic" light- so I bumped my ISO up to "High," turned on my digital macro, upped the exposure and adjusted the white balance. I didn't realize until dessert that some of the pictures are a little too purple, so adjust your food porn glasses accordingly please.

So the next time you need to go out for an anniversary, birthday or celebrate something special, take a seat at Papillon. (Did I say how much I loved the lobster?) In the meanwhile, I'm definitely trying the buffet next.

CLOSED/american: i recommend CITIZEN CAIN

CLOSED a/o 2010

CITIZEN CAIN
No. 67 Dong Fong Street
(02) 2708-4557

Sunday 11am~1am
Kitchen closes at 10:30pm

Monday-Saturday 6pm~2am
Kitchen closes at 12am

$-$$

citizencain.com

visit reviewed: 10/26/2006

toscana pizza

I had been hearing a lot about Citizen Cain for awhile before we found the time to go- maybe it was their ads in English language papers, or the mentions on other blogs or forums or their "Mexi-cain" night on Wednesdays. I even checked out their website and menu to see what looked good. Their menu focuses mainly on pastas and pizza, with a few salads, appetizers, main dishes and sides- as well as full bar of drinks, but no desserts. Some of the features are very unique from other American or Western eateries in Taipei- with items like hummus.

When I finally made it there, it was almost a last minute decision to go. My friend and I headed over first, and then called over some other friends to join us later.

We walked into a candlelit lounge-like atmosphere, with purple velvet-like sofa seating along the moody turquoise blue walls. There were both locals and foreigners, though probably more foreigners than I've seen at other places. The manager came with the menus and was quite friendly, making suggestions on what to order. We ended up taking her advice and tried the stuffed chicken (NT$370) which was stuffed with pesto and feta cheese and served with tumeric mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach. It was a lot going on on one plate- sauces, paprika, tumeric, feta... the chicken was cut in half with the feta in the middle rather than "stuffed" as stated on the menu. The flavors were strong, bordering on being too salty.

With only two salads to choose from, we initially ordered the Cain's Garden salad (NT$250), which has sliced apples slivers, grilled onions, spinach, sundried tomatoes, and a warm vinagrette, and later added the caesar salad to share. I felt the vinagrette was a bit oily and the salad wasn't really blended as a cohesive taste. The dressing for the Caesar was very lemony.

I was going to order just the Hummus, but the manager strongly suggested we get the Middle Eastern Platter (NT$290) instead which also included Hummus, baba ghanoush (roasted eggplant yogurt spread) and falafel served with olives, fresh tomatoes,tahini and pita bread. It was pretty addictive, though we needed to order another side of pita bread (NT$50) to finish all the dip. The falafel was also hot and crispy, straight out of the fryer.



The pizzas (NT$220-320) are quite tasty as well, with an assortment of different toppings. It's more oblong than round and has sesame seeds sprinkled around the crust. They are quite satisfying and disappeared fast. The toscana pizza comes with spinach, but it's chopped and topped onto the pizza, not baked in. We also added shitake mushroom to ours.

pesto di mare pizza topped with shrimp, pesto sauce, tomatoes, olives and cheddar

Prices can be very affordable, especially if you go when they feature specials on different nights- Monday is two pizzas/pastas for NT$299, Tuesday is any main dish for NT$199, Wednesday's Mexican food for NT$199, Thursday features burgers from around the world, Friday NT$100 beer specials and Mexican night again, and Sunday with NT$199 set menu NY style brunch.

While the food and the presentation is more homemade than polished, taste wise and for the price, it's definitely worth a try. It's also a great late night option for a late night snack, after a movie or a semi-romantic casual date, as they are open until 2am, with last orders placed at 12am midnight. While the bar has an extensive list of cocktails, spirits and beers, Citizen Cain doesn't serve desserts, so don't go expecting to fulfill your sweet tooth.

If I went again, I'd probably stick to the appetizers and the pizza. Another appetizer they have is the hard to find Canadian snack, poutine, which is mushroom gravy, cheddar and mozzarella cheese over french fries- I suppose a Canadian version of American chili cheese fries. I'm looking forward to trying their Mexican food and their brunch! Anyone else have any favorite dishes to recommend?