dessert/frozen yogurt: YOGURT ME

YOGURT ME
No. 4, Lane 216, Alley 27, Chung Hsiao E. Road, Sec 4
(02) 8771-4210

website: www.yogurtme.com.tw

hours:

$

Kid friendliness: no high chairs or boosters, but lots of lounge areas. Yong Kang branch is to-go.

Visit reviewed: 10/29/2007 and 2/4/2008

If you've ever thought, hey, someone should bring Pinkberry (or list copycat franchise name here), Yogurt Me has beat you to it. Although it doesn't quite have the elements that I think make Pinkberry so successful, I think that with a few tweaks it could be the next trend in Taipei.

First (and most importantly), where are the BERRIES and MANGOS? When we visited, it was a stack of non-cut fresh fruit behind a glass- a pineapple, grapes, oranges, kiwis, passionfruit, bananas- not exactly toppings I pictured on top of my tangy yogurt. Yes, it was October when we first went, but I think part of what makes Pinkberry so successful is the array of fresh cut fruits available year round- not frozen, but still sweet. My staple yogurt toppings are strawberries, white yogurt chips and either raspberries or blueberries, so I was out of luck- I chose banana and kiwi. Their "classic" set (NT$135) is a yogurt with three fruit toppings, and it's quite sizeable to share.



Second, it is too slow when you have to wait for them to chop up the fruit. I understand their volume/turnover is not as high for them to have fruit sitting around and then waste it if they don't do good business, but if you have a group in your party, you have to wait for them to bring out each yogurt one by one which is kind of a drag. They need pre-cut fresh fruit and they need strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and mango (though I think their Yong Kang location does have pre-cut fruit).



Third, they should show off their non-fruit, untraditional toppings, like cereal, cookies or chocolate chips in a candy-store style display near the fruit, so people know that they can choose it. We got some in a side dish and I wasn't sure if it was because it was a slo-o-o-w night for them or if they usually did that for everyone. I also think that's one of the big draws for Coldstone's.



Since October, they've added waffles (NT$180) and other set menu items to their menu. The waffle set comes with a small yogurt, side of fruit and coffee/tea. The waffles were too doughy/cakey and a disappointment although they looked very nice. My friend finished it though, though he agreed it was a bit dense.



Kind of cute, but kind of funny, their menu is presented in a scrapbook like cover, but in Chinese only. You have to look at their to-go menu for English.

As for flavors, they have the original (tart), green tea as well as chocolate and strawberry. They misunderstood me the second time I went asking for a small with strawberries and oreos. Instead I got a small strawberry yogurt w/ oreo (NT$105).



It's kind of weird that you get 1 oreo, rather than oreo bits broken up already as a topping for your yogurt, but I guess you have to use some elbow grease.

They also have huge smoothies (NT$105) available in about nine various flavors. I didn't have any though it again, looked good... Maybe similar to Froot, which is the Jamba Juice-ish smoothie place around town.



Could be a fun place for afternoon tea with various coffee/tea options available, or to grab some yogurt after eating nearby. We walked over from Chili House with some visiting friends who were excited about the yogurt trend in Taipei as HUGE fans of Yogurtland (in Irvine, CA). Overall, it was a disappointment for them because of the lack of selection of toppings and flavors (though it really is hard to compete with Yogurtland which is self serve and has 10 flavors or so and TONS of toppings available to choose from).

Other locations:

Yong Kang branch
No. 2, Lane 14, Wing Hong Street
(02) 2396-0237
M-Th 11:30 AM - 10:30 PM
Fri, Sat 11:30 AM - 11 PM

No. 49, Nanjing W. Road
(02) 2550-7398

japanese: i don't recommend YABU SOBA

YABU SOBA
106 Nanjing E Rd, Sec 1
(02)2511-8017

hours: 11am to 2:30pm

$

Kid friendliness: no high chairs. lots of booth seating.

Visit reviewed: 11/28/2007

After some bleary eyed typing, copying and pasting, I created an index page for all the restaurants reviews so you can look up a restaurant by name and I'll try my best to keep it updated as new reviews come along.

Very friendly service in a casual, old school Japanese restaurant, though the food was very disappointing. The soba was soggy instead of chewy, the tempura and agedashi tofu were not served crispy hot, and the oyakodon had strangely too much corn starch in it. It was one of those cases where we were hungry, wandered in, finished the food because we were hungry and got out of there. I guess you could forgive the kitchen if one thing is off, but if everything we were served was not good, then I have give it a "don't recommend." I've eaten better soba from boiling it from a package at home.

This Taipei Times article says that dinner seems to be the izakaya small dishes are the way to go. Maybe some of you who have happened to eat here can let me know if you agree or disagree. Menu was with pictures in Japanese and Chinese with some items written in Japanese on the walls.

italian/taiwanese: GERGE's/GIORGIO's

No. 8, Lane 640, Bei An Road
Dazhi, Taipei
(02) 2533-0698

$

Visit reviewed: 12/14/2007

See, I told you I was catching up on old posts... but three posts in a row with ZERO comments. I'm so sad. :(

If you want to try the epitome of localized "Italian" food for Taipei, this is it. We all know that many many, let me repeat, many restaurants here adjust their food to the Taiwanese tastes, but some places (many of them the local pasta places) were never meant to be for people other than the locals. From the typos to the flavors to the baked pastas/rice dishes, I had to just go with the flow that night. I have to say though that the service was very friendly and it was pretty full of Taiwanese families enjoying the night out.

First off, the name of the place is "Giorgio's." Or is it? On the sign outside, it is. But on the menus and business cards, it's "Gerge's."




What the heck? They can't even get the name of the place spelled right? Or maybe someone took over the store and renamed it, but was too cheap to redo the sign outside. Note the clues: on the outside sign, it's pasta and curry, on the business card, it says, pasta and gratins. Who knows, it makes me laugh out loud.

Second, who wants some "scurf and tart"? It can be yours for NT$400...



While I didn't get the fancier set menu, we got pasta/gratins to which you could turn into a set menu which included a small salad and the typical mystery slightly watery chowder and choice of tea/coffee for an additional charge. The rest of menu is in English and Chinese, filled with mostly pastas, a few gratins and soups/salads.



Third, my spaghetti with pork chop and tomato meat sauce (NT$120) was so strange tasting I couldn't get past a few bites. I watched everyone eat up their baked gratins and I was sad that I happened to feel like red sauce that day. I don't know what it was about it- it was a bit too acidic or had some weird spice in it? It wasn't sweet like bolognese and it wasn't salty like plain meat sauce. The pork was okay, but tasted like sweeter pork chop that you might find on rice, so the two flavors didn't really match at all. But after mentioning it to the servers, they quickly took it away and offered to replace it with something else of my choice, free of charge.



I got a baked gratin with penne, chicken and mushroom (first picture) and I liked it... it was cheesy and hot, the pasta with cream sauce was probably put in there just before they topped it with cheese and baked it, but it was better than a frozen dinner and it was a LOT better than the meat sauce. Overall, I wouldn't go there again on my own, but if my relatives said, hey, let's go back to that Italian place, I would know that I'm not really getting Italian food, but I'd go along for the ride and stick to the gratins.

Other location:
No. 6, Lane 93, Shi Da Road
(02) 2369-9136

american/mexican: GOOD DAY

GOOD DAY
No. 18, Lane 177, Dun Hua South Road, Sec 1
(02) 8771-0703

hours: TBA

$-$$

Kid friendliness: like a fast food place. no high chairs. stairs leading downstairs (where the restrooms are) so slightly hazardous for running toddlers

Visit reviewed: 11/29/2007

Don't confuse this Good Day with the other G'Day cafe, which I think I heard also had some Mexican food offerings (but haven't been). Picked as a lunch location by a friend, it was relatively empty during lunchtime except for us- it's a clean, bright fast food setting where you order over the counter and pay, but the food is made to order so it's not particularly fast. We had about five people and everything came out separately so some people were eating ahead of others. The menu is above the counter in English and Chinese although they told us (when asked) that the pictures are only for reference and not of _their_ actual food. The menu includes burgers, mexican food, pizzas, salads and other snack type fare.



On my quest to try every Mexican food (or Mexican-ish with a Taiwanese take) in Taipei, I ordered the chicken taco combo (NT$220). I had a side chips, drink and a sauce, for which I chose nacho cheese. I was going to get the guacamole, but it was not an option as a freebie. I asked if it was made in house with Haas/American avocados and they said no, so I opted against paying for it. The taco was harmless enough though very very far from authentic- the strangest thing was that it had a double layer of flour tortilla which sandwiched a layer of cheese. Pretty pricey for one taco- unless it was an awesome taco, and it wasn't.



The cheese sauce actually made for tasty dipping for my store-bought chips, though not enough. Nacho cheese, believe it or not, is harder to find than you'd think in Taipei- most of the places when I order nachos give us melted cheddar or mozz or mysterious cheese atop of chips instead of the movie theater style nacho cheese that is more melty and suitable for dipping. Mmmm, that makes me want to request that some Tostitos con queso dip get sent back in my next care package (even though it's something I never eat in LA.. don't you think it's weird the things and places you eat at in Taipei that you NEVER eat in the states?)

I didn't get to try the burger, but it actually looked pretty decent (bacon cheeseburger with onion rings) with fries. Lots of the local places here have been pretty capable of putting out good burgers.



Located in a little alley near Dun Hua, I spotted a lot of features in Taiwanese magazines/papers about them, so maybe they had a little publicity in the past few months. Its "American/Mexican" specialties are more likely to impress locals than those who are looking for the real thing.



PS. Speaking of THE REAL THING? Can it be?

I was browsing the forumosa.net boards and spotted this thread about a little stand for burritos, quesadillas and sopapillas up in Danshui run by Mexican couple who uses recipes from their family with FRESH tortillas and sauces and prices like NT$79 a burrito.

I am crazy excited.... I may be making the trip there to find Eddy Burrito since the word of mouth on the forum is so positive. And.... handmade corn tortillas!

Check out their website for hours and info.

CLOSED! western/american: BELLE FUSION

BELLE FUSION
149 Dunhua S Rd, Sec 1
(02) 2777-3322

Hours: 1F & 2F 10 am-12:30 am;
Rooftop bar/lounge bar 5F & 6F 8 pm-3 am

kid friendly: high chair available.

$$

Visit reviewed: 4/24/2007 and 8/2007

I have a lot of half written posts/reviews in "saved drafts" folder at blogspot- sometimes because I'm missing the business card/addresses or prices of the food, sometimes because I've started writing it and visited the place again and my experience was different, sometimes because it's been so long since I've eaten the food that I've forgotten the details, sometimes because I'm working on the blog from one place and the pictures are in another place, or maybe I'm just wondering if the place has changed since I've been there and if it's a fair review from the initial visit that I made. What's the point in posting pictures if you don't know where to go or how it tasted?

I eat at new places every week, take the snapshots, scribble some brief notes and when I have time upload the pics, translate the Chinese to English and type type type- and then the old ones get pushed further and further back. It frustrates me to no end, but apart from having a solitary confinement week-long catch up marathon, it's a deadly cycle.

Belle Fusion is one of those reviews... I saw it recently and thought, "Oh yeah, never got around to finishing it. Sigh." I actually went there shortly after Belle Fusion opened almost a year ago and wrote something up, but then changed again when I ate there a few months later. Honestly, I don't know if my reviews are what the menu and food is like now since it's been a good six months since I've been, but here is a snapshot of what my experience was then:


Unique decor, outdoor patio and eclectic menu of cross-fusion offerings should provide a place for repeat visits either for their set lunch, afternoon tea or lazy weekend brunches. For hot summer days, there is an airconditioned pink and green themed room on the second floor, seemingly filled with ladies that lunch.

A few months ago, I was quite excited to try out Belle Fusion after hearing about it- a new place to offer Western style breakfasts/brunches and seeing its large patio next to the bright white stand alone building with a cool rooftop with cathedral architecture. The menu offers a wide array of choices though it has changed since I've been back.



Originally, it had sandwiches ranging from pork katsu to steak to roasted vegetables and other region's cuisines such as Indian curry chicken and foie gras risotto which definitely represented an offering of a wide array of cuisines. But having just visited Belle Fusion again, many things I spotted on the menu back in April were now replaced by other pastas, meats/seafood and lunch sets which were equally tasty but not extraordinary.

Lunch sets range from NT$300ish to NT$500ish, depending on what main dish you order and comes with the daily soup, salad, dessert and drink. The soups are generally better than the salads (made with lettuce and overly dressed) and the dessert changes often.





The indian chicken curry I ordered had the right spices and portion, but pairing it white jasmine rice seemed kind of an incomplete experience. I was eyeing the risotto that someone else had ordered (but not an offering on the lunch set menu) but by August of 2007, neither of those things were available on their revamped menu.

Now, your drink is a coffee or tea, but back then, you could have your choice from the menu. I chose the refreshing sounding mint and lemon frappacino, but got an unbearably SOUR drink. After sending it back and requesting that they make it sweeter (and edible), it came back not much better.



Overall, it's not a bad price for what you get- though the drink I ordered was awful. I would have expected more from a cafe/bar, but maybe the bartender that is there doing the day hasn't learned all the drinks yet from the night bartender. I ordered a more unusual drink- mint and lemon- expecting some dreamy mojito-like drink, but non-alcoholic, but I got this lime green smoothie that was too sour to even taste. I guess they had blended the mint leaves and lemon together? Even after sending it back with the request of adding some sugar, it still came back like tasting like you were sucking a green lemon.

I've never been here for anything other than lunch, but after dark it turns into one of Taipei's many lounge spots. With each floor having a very stylized theme and decor and its unique rooftop to hang out and people watch on the busy street below, I'm sure it's worth a try if you are into the nightlife here. It's just down the street from Cosi o Cosi or Haagen Daaz, and you can't miss the bright white three story building with the outdoor patio.

where can you find: lemon meringue pie in taipei?... or other American style pies

I finally made it to Jake's Country Cafe a few weeks ago (before I got hit up with just not feeling so hot and upset stomach and needing to lay in bed for 24 hours and sleep)... and now I am craving some Lemon Meringue Pie... They have it on the menu there, but just didn't have any that day. Boo hoo.

So my friends, where the heck can I get some Marie Callendar-esque lemon meringue pie? Fluffy white pillows uptop a sweet and sour lemon filling and graham crust.

You know who else has some amazing lemon meringue pie- Gulfstream in Los Angeles.

It's torture thinking about it actually. And I'm too lazy to make my own. So if anyone can point me in the right direction, I'd be so happy.

CLOSED western/australian: OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE

OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE
97, SongRen Rd, 1F
(across the street from Neo 19, near Brown Sugar)
(02) 2345-8818
CLOSED a/o 2015

website: www.outback.com.tw

Hours: Sun-Thu 11:30 am - 11 pm
Fri & Sat 11:30-12 am（last order 11 pm)

$$

Kid friendliness: Kids menu available with chicken fingers, cheeseburger, jr ribs and the like w/soda for under NT$200. high chairs available and coloring paper/crayons

Visit reviewed: 2/21/2008

What to say.. Outback is the latest Western chain restaurant to open in the Xinyi area. While they have had a restaurant location in Holiday Inn for quite a few years, their new digs which opened last December across the nearby Macaroni Grill and Chili's will be sure to draw some new customers.

The decor, menu and food is much the same as the Australian grill restaurant in the US, with a Chinese and English menu with pictures- red meat offerings like sirloin, rib eye, prime rib, NY Steak, lamb, baby back ribs, along with pasta, seafood, salads, appetizers and desserts.

We had to try the signature appetizer- Bloomin' Onion (NT$280)- although it is wayyy to big for only two people to share.. more like 5 plus. It was deep fried, crunchy and addictive, and sort of a mystery how they make an onion unfold into such a cohesive unity of onion pieces. They have other things like fried 'shrooms, Kookaburra (chicken wings), aussie cheese fries (boy was I tempted by this), and a combo plate.



We also ordered the sirloin against the server's recommendation of getting the more expensive filet which is more tender. The sirloin (NT$480) was pretty tough and chewy... Not the best steak I've had, but it was the cheapest one on the menu. I really enjoyed the baked sweet potato though! It had a bit of butter and cinnamon as well to bring out the natural sweetness. The steaks come with your choice of either a baked potato or sweet potato or two sides: aussie chips, fresh steamed vegetables, rice pilaf, or mashed potatoes. It kind of sucks that if you pick a baked sweet/potato that you don't get a 2nd side of veggies or something.

Lastly, the starter caesar (add NT$70) had a kick to it along with the pile of buttery croutons! It was either very peppery or had a bit of paprika or something in the dressing.

I wanted to show the difference in the pictures when you white balance in the camera-- the lighting in Outback is sort of pinkish-romantic (?) and after I white-balanced the food colors looked a lot more accurate. I don't have the time to photoshop my pics to crop, beautify or fix them, so I gotta get it when I get it in the camera.

AFTER:


BEFORE:


I've had their dessert before (which is huge)- which I would still pick Chili's warm chocolate cake still, but want to try their prime rib. I've been to Outback once in the states, where I was not that super impressed to return, but I think I would give Outback in Taipei another try. It seems like it could be a fun group dinner place or setting for a romantic couple's dinner. They have an extensive drinks menu and bar, and aren't SUPER crowded yet like Chili's can get. The service is definitely eager to please, constantly refilling our drinks and answering questions, although I have to note that our server was a bit confused by some of my questions in English, but we worked it out.

OTHER LOCATION:

OUTBACK
at Holiday Inn Taipei
100 Tun Hwa North Road,2nd Fl.,
(02) 8712-8818

revisited/american: i recommend CHEERS

CHEERS
at Grand Hyatt Taipei
2 Sungshou RD, 1st FL
(02) 2720-1234

website: taipei.grand.hyatt.com

hours: 11:30am - 1:00am (Sun-Thu), 11:30am - 2:00am (Fri-Sat)
Salad Bar Lunch from 11:30am - 2:00pm,
A La Carte Menu from 11:30am – 9:30pm

$$

Kid friendliness: much more kid friendly with revamped decor. Previously too smoky and more like a pub- now more like a lounge/cafe- though smoking is still allowed.

Visit reviewed: 11/11/2007
Old review: 7/14/2005

I'm sad to say that a lot of my favorites from Cheers from a few years ago (the steak sandwich with sundried tomatoes and taquitos) are now non-existent now that they have revamped everything (sometime in 2006) from their menu to the atmosphere to be "contemporary yet classic” and multicultural.

But the food is still fresh with a wide range of good eats that are above most Taipei hotel eateries. Menu is in English and Chinese and service is good.

The space feels a lot lighter, airy and less bar/lounge than before. Still great for business meetings, or a relaxed lunch.



They have a daily set lunch menu (around NT$500-600) that includes their salad bar, soup and dessert. Their salad bar is a small array of cold and hot appetizers and salad. Their daily soup (I think it was pumpkin) was okay.



I really enjoyed the tuna sandwich (though I'm not sure if it replaces their steak sandwich that I liked so much. They do still have a steak sandwich, but I haven't tried it yet. It is a variation of their old version.) I requested that they put it on another bread rather than rye, and I was happy with the result. It didn't have too much mayo and it was the right size with a side of steak fries. I think my friend got the burger with fried egg which he polished off.



I wanted to get the other dessert, but they had run out, so we got a pear tart instead. It looks better than it tasted, since I think I expected it to be a bit sweeter or more carmelized, and the crusty was more soggy than crispy/flaky. But it overall it was a decent meal. I'll have to try the other offerings some other time or look forward to hearing what other's experiences were like.

revisited/pizza/buffet: PIZZA HUT

PIZZA HUT
No.343, Zhong Hsiao E. Rd., Sec. 4,
(02) 2776-6600

website: www1.pizzahut.com.tw

hours: 11AM - 11PM (though buffet ends at 9:30PM)

$ ($274/person at lunch)

Kid friendliness: only 1 high chair and 1 booster for the whole restaurant? all you can eat pasta and pizza usually satisfies most kids, though there can be a wait during peak hours

Visit reviewed: 11/20/2007
OId review here (for delivery): 2/21/2006

Maybe it's the cold weather or the rain, but every time I've been passing by the Pizza Hut lately, it seems to be packed, with people waiting outside the door! The last time we sat down was last November, when it wasn't too hard to get a table for 6 at a weekday lunch. The last time I went a few weeks ago, it was a 20-30 minute wait and we ended up just getting some personal pan pizzas to go (for a 15 minute wait).

I think it's pretty comparable to Pizza Hut buffet in the states- all you can eat pizza and other stuff with an assortment of various flavors, salads, pastas, hot foods and drinks- for about NT$300 (I think NT$270 for lunch and NT$300 something for dinner) . One cool thing is that if they aren't serving the pizza that you like, you can request that they make a pizza for you that they will serve to your table (for no extra charge). My friend requested the Takoyaki pizza which I never had before- it had squid, mushrooms, and drizzles of some sweet sauce and mayo.



It was, uh, interesting.. but demonstrates the extent of the local variety of flavors that even an American chain will produce. Along with Japanese Takoyaki, some other unique flavors on the Taiwan Pizza Hut menu include: Lobster Abalone; Fruity Sausage Cheesy Bite PIzza (and no I'm not making this up! Look here ), Korean Kim Chi BBQ; and French Style Seafood.

The salad bar and soups are not that exciting and the penne pasta is sometimes mushy (since it's baked and is sitting there), but if you like Pizza Hut's pizza and can eat a lot of it, then it's a fast way to try different flavors of pizzas. Since the personal pan pizzas are so cheap here (usually under NT$100), you can get that if you don't want to wait for the buffet or can't eat that much.

Personally, I like Pizza Hut over Domino's and there's something about the crust that I like and I usually get it delivered, but if you want to hit up the buffet- I think it's only at this location. It always seems to be packed with family and friends, so it's something for people visiting looking for something familiar as well as locals who just want some hot cheesy pizza (with some takoyaki on top).

where can you find: a romantic restaurant in Taipei?

Happy Valentine's day everyone!

I know that there is also a local "lovers day" in Taiwan, but Valentine's day made me think about where would one go for a romantic dinner in Taipei? I've added a "romantic" label to my posts for those places that I think could be considered so (and of course, the places are varying levels of romantic) and some places may be more setting the mood at dinner than during lunch, and I know there are probably a lot of other places that are romantic that I have yet to visit.

For me, I think the factors that make a restaurant romantic are a good dessert to share ( like the souffle at Joyce East) and an atmosphere to enjoy each other and the food (so no loud music, crowds or bright lighting) (like at Sumie at San Want Hotel or Forchetta) .

So... where you do guys take your dates/significant others/long time husbands or wives on a special occasion? Do you think it have to be an expensive place to be considered romantic?