western/swedish: i strongly recommend FLAVORS

FLAVORS
No. 13, Alley 26, Lane 300, RenAi Rd, Sec. 4
(02) 2709-6525

website: flavors.com.tw

hours: lunch- reservations must be made in advance; dinner-

$$-$$$

Kid friendliness: no kids allowed.

Visit reviewed: 5/1/2009



Ever since Flavors Swedish Restaurant won for "Best Unexpected Find in Taipei" in my reader's poll last year, I moved it up on my to-do list to visit. After all, who would expect to find Swedish food in Taipei?

First things first, dessert! If you decide to go, you MUST remember to order the apple cake. It's moist, crumbly, sweet, flaky- just SO good. The picture doesn't do it justice and I would go back to Flavors for the dessert alone. It's more like an apple pie than what I pictured as an apple cake, but either way it was my favorite dish of the night.



I've never had Swedish food before (and I don't think Ikea counts). Flavors does have the Swedish meatballs (in a much more home cooked and delicious way), but they also have a full menu with changing appetizers, sous vide meats and seafood main dishes and drinks that reflect the simple, but hearty cuisine.

The English and Chinese menu is pretty huge and can be a bit overwhelming. If you choose a main dish, it comes as a set with the soup of the day, bread, salad, apple cake and coffee. There are also a few multi-course set menus to choose from- "Taste of Sweden" (NT$1700) with aquavit (a flavored spirit) and snapas (small shots of snaps), or Chef Ola's "Summer Gourmet Menu" which included 3 appetizers and 2 desserts (NT$1100).

We ended up wanting to try as much as we could, so we got the Taste of Sweden (though in retrospect, I would have gotten the regular meatball set since I am not a big alcohol drinker and it would be a price difference of NT$900 or so).

The atmosphere is romantic and intimate, with an elegant bistro like quality. They have a no kids policy so that adds to the "romantic dinner out" atmosphere that you can take a date. It's run by a couple who love food so the service is personable although the waiter spoke on the soft side so I didn't get everything he was saying.



The starters include the homemade bread which come with an olive tapenade and garlic spread. The bread is doughy and I like the rustic feel of the plating.



The lighting was dim with candles, so my camera was having trouble focusing on some pictures. So sorry in advance! The soup of the day was an orange and pumpkin soup had a nice savory and sweet touch.



The amuse bouche was swedish caviar on what seemed like a cream cheese mousse and bread. And it came with the frosted flavors aquavit. I'm not crazy about creamy mousses, but I do like caviar!



Next was your choice of appetizer- I got the grilled rosemary scallops which again were beautifully presented. They were juicy and wrapped in bacon- who would complain? I probably could have eaten more than three.



The 3 x snapas had three different shots with bite sized treats on cool looking forks. Smoked salmon and proscuitto. Imagine serving something like this at your next dinner party.




As each dish came, I was looking more and more forward to the main dish. And I wasn't disappointed. The meatballs and new potato with brown sauce and lingonberry jam was awesome. I think I heard the waiter say that the lingonberry jam is brought in by Chef Ola from Sweden.



The potatoes were roasted until the skin was crispy and the meatballs were plentiful and browned so they had a crispy and tender combination of textures. I was unsure to dip the meatballs in both of the sauces or in only one, but you end up mixing it all together, sort of like Thanksgiving gravy and cranberry sauce (although I never liked cranberry sauce before) and everything is on the sweet side. I would have loved more potatoes or vegetables.



My date got the sous vide venison which I wasn't crazy about. I stuck to my meatballs.



And then the 3 x dessert which included tiramisu and although our favorite by far was the apple cake. Next time, I'm going to just get a huge apple cake.



Flavors is open for weekday lunch by reservations only, but also offers brunch on the weekends. Flavors won"Best Unexpected Find in Taipei" on my blog's reader's choice poll.. and I have to agree. I don't know if I ever would have tried Swedish food in the states, but I'm glad it's available here.


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romantic/dessert: happy Chinese valentine's day- 10+ taipei romantic sweets for your sweet

Happy Chinese Valentine's Day! I can never remember when it is every year, but someone somehow reminds me about it. I sometimes get some emails asking for advice for suggestions for very special occasion places and there are definitely a lot of suitable places to woo your date.

I'm a dessert girl (if you couldn't tell) and always give a restaurant brownie points if they have a memorable or delicious dessert. So I'm just gonna throw together a little list of places you can see if you can make last minute reservations (if you haven't planned something spectacular or sweet already) for tonight.

1. Joyce East or Joyce Cafe - SOUFFLE



I love, love, love their souffle- you just have to make sure to order it in advance before you finish your meal so they have time to make it. Not too sweet, always fluffy, it will always be the first place I've ever had a souffle. Choose chocolate, vanilla, Grand Marnier or green tea, or get more than one! Their warm lava cake ala mode is also amazing.
Joyce Cafe- No. 22, Ching Cheng St, (02) 2713-8362;
Joyce East- No. 128 Xin Yi Road, Sec 5, (02) 8789-6128

2. Flavors Swedish Restaurant - APPLE CAKE



No kids allowed at this restaurant- so you will definitely have a nice night out without having to deal with food thrown on the floor or seeing other kids running around. The meatballs and new potatoes are fantastic, but their apple cake is like the best apple pie/crumble you will ever eat.
No. 13, Alley 26, Lane 300, RenAi Rd, Sec. 4, (02) 2709-6525

3. Saveurs - WARM CHOCOLATE CAKE



A recent find- this place is a steal at lunchtime for NT$400 for a full rustic French lunch set including full sized desserts. It's hard to choose between warm chocolate cake, apple tart, meringue or creme brulee, but you know what my pick is! The lamb shank and duck confit and sauces will blow you away.
No. 14, Ln 219, Fuxing S Rd, Sec 1, (02) 2751-0185

4. Patisserie La Doceur- APPLES AND CARAMEL MOUSSE MILLE-FEUILLE



You don't have to spend a lot to get something memorable- pick up a freshly made mille-feuille to-go for something different. Best eaten chilled, so deliver it to them right away, or keep it in the fridge for an after dinner surprise. This place is desserts and coffee/tea only, so come after lunch or dinner.
No. 5, Lane 41, Yong Kang St., (02) 2393-8098

5. Ben Teppanyaki- WARM CHOCOLATE CAKE (and Foie Gras!)



Splurge on some surf and turf and foie gras, but save room at the end of your meal with Ben Teppanyaki's warm chocolate cake.
No. 2 Lane 102, An Ho Road, Sec 1, (02) 2703-2296

6. Macaroni Grill- LEMON PASSION CAKE



Feeling something other than chocolate? Then try the Lemon Passion at Macaroni Grill which is ultra-moist because it's soaked in a sweet cream and then topped in a lemon mousse. It helped when I was craving Lemon Meringue and needed something different. Of course you can order any of their other super sized desserts- tiramisu, cheesecake, chocolate cake or apple crisp.
at Neo 19, 30 Sung Shou Road, (02) 2722-4567

7. Tai Yi Milk King- SHAVED ICE



Okay, so Tai Yi isn't quite a romantic hang out (maybe the opposite), but it's so hot and humid outside, the thought that someone would bring shaved ice to me so that I didn't have to sweat it outside myself is pretty noble. Who wouldn't want some shaved ice relief? One of the pleasures of living in Taipei is the ability to get shaved ice almost everywhere (thanks to Meet Fresh), but I still think Tai Yi is the best! My favorite combo is the red bean and rice ball with condensed milk.
No. 82, Xin Sheng S. Road, Section 3, (02) 2362 3712

8. Big Tom's Ice Cream- ICE CREAM AND WAFFLE



Go for dessert or take home a few scoops, Big Tom has lots and lots of flavors without being too sweet. Plus their waffle is delicious- crispy on the outside, soft on the outside, without being too cake-like. My favorite flavor is peanut butter.
No.505, Ren-ai Rd., Sec. 4, (02) 2345-4213;
No.233-2, Jhongjheng Rd., 2 FL, Danshui, (02)2626-1622;
No.1, Lane 63, Sec. 7, Jhongshan N. Rd., Tienmu, (02)2875-5511;
No.219, Sec. 2, Chang-an E. Rd., Songshan, (02)2772-2658

9. Ginjer Cupcakes- Cupcakes



I overindulged in the cupcake craze back in LA (Sprinkles, Auntie Em's, Yummy Cupcakes, Crumbs), but somehow it hasn't hit Taipei yet. But you can still get American style cupcakes at Ginjer - my favorites are the ones with cream cheese or chocolate frosting. Pick up a few or plan ahead next time and get custom order designs.
No. 20, Lane 233, Dun Hua S. Rd, Sec 1, (02) 8773-3061

10. Paul- TARTS OR NAPOLEONS OR MACARONS



Pay the price that you normally wouldn't for the apple tart, strawberry napoleon or macarons. They also have a full menu now with crepes, sandwiches, omelettes and eggs, so you can also eat before you indulge in your desserts.
No. 107, Ren Ai Rd, Sec. 4, (02)2771-3200

So some quick suggestions from the top of my head. Of course, we don't have to have a fancy dinner or dessert. No matter what, just take a few minutes today to express your love with some hugs and kisses. I always loved getting handwritten cards. But something sweet to make the endorphins rush and the heart beat a little faster never hurts.

A few other ideas to-go:

- Macarons from Paul, Franciacorta or VVG Bon Bon. (I'm not that familiar with macarons in Taipei- any suggestions??)
- Hello Kitty dessert from Hello Kitty Sweets
- Blueberry cheesecake from 85 Degrees C
- Room for Dessert's waffle
- Pozzo's chocolate ganache cake
- Black as Chocolate chocolate cake
- Movenpick ice cream
- Beard Papa cream puffs
- Napoleons or tarts from Paul
- Fondue? (Is there fondue in Taipei?)
- Frozen yogurt from YoFroYo
- Warm brownie from the Diner
- Dessert tofu from Sweet Dynasty
- Warm chocolate cake from Chili's
- Egg tarts from Parent's Restaurant
- Nutella crepe from Crepes Suzette at NYNY

I know I haven't eaten everywhere in Taipei! What are your favorite desserts or romantic spots?

back to taipei from LA

hi all!

So I'm back in Taipei, slowly adjusting to the time difference, the humidity/heat and the lifestyle.

The first day back, it was sort of surreal walking around Vieshow again and I was sort of in a daze having landed at 5 am and slept most of the day. The crush of people, everyone speaking in Chinese, the relief of stepping inside an air conditioned space. I wonder why it's different this time around- it's not like I haven't gone away for a month or more before. But I'm so exhausted this time around, going to bed at 10pm, up at 4-5am.

Maybe because I didn't sleep well on the flight, or the few nights before leaving LA.

Maybe because of the heat.

Maybe I'm getting old. Haha. Hopefully it will just take the usual week to adjust back.

Well, just wanted to let you know the blog will soon be back to its regular programming (Taipei eats!) though I still do have a lot of LA eats that I'd like to mention. It was a great trip- a couple weddings, a few birthdays/anniversary parties, lots of catch ups with friends, new restaurants to eat at, some home cooking and baking, a little shopping and even made it to the beach. Easing back to life in Taipei, so hopefully I can refocus my brain to the stuff that I enjoyed before I left and can't wait to share with you. Somehow I just couldn't write about it when the tastes of LA/OC/SD were fresh on my mind when I was away.

Any new must eats in Taipei pop up while I was gone?

not taipei/los angeles: i strongly recommend Animal

"I'm an animal. I'm an animal. I'm an a-a-a-a-a-a-a-animal." The lyrics to Far East Movement's "Animal" echo in my mind when I'm thinking about what to say about the restaurant Animal.

I'd been reading and hearing about Animal for months and after taking an informal poll on Facebook, I decided I had to try it for myself. Animal's menu changes daily and features all sorts of (ahem) animal parts- from the unusual (pig's ears and chicken liver toast) to fusion (kimchi pork belly or scallops with black eyed peas).



I made reservations for dinner a few days before and chose an early 6:30pm dinner over 7:40pm. When we arrived, I was pleasantly surprised to find the restaurant not packed. More elbow room for all the dishes we were going to order.



The waiter we got was exceptionally friendly and enthusiastic- happily making suggestions and answering questions and checking in on our table, without being over the top or fake. It might be some of the memorable and best service I've had in LA.

I hate it when I ask the waiter to recommend something and they say something like "Depends on what you like" or "Everything is good." Obviously, if I knew that, I wouldn't ask. But our waiter was helpful and steered us in the right direction.

We ended up getting mostly appetizers and one main dish and sharing. The more people you come with, the more you can order to share. Unless you can eat a lot like me and my very good friend.

I appreciated that the waiter did a great job pairing the appetizers that we chose and spacing them out so we could enjoy the dishes, rather than crowding up the table with everything we ordered like some restaurants do.

The first two dishes were two dishes I heard a lot about and deservedly so- the pork belly with kimchi, peanuts, chili soy, scallion (US$12) and the melted petite basque, chorizo and garlic bread(US$11).



While I think you could do practically anything with pork belly and it would be delicious (think of the Taiwanese gua bao), I loved how the outside of the meat was crispy and crackly and then the inside fatty pork melts in your mouth.



The toasty garlic bread was perfect for dipping in the cheese, but the chorizo got a little lost in all the gooeyness.

Round one winner: kimchi pork belly!



I don't know what the look was like on my face when the second round of appetizers came out, but I was amazed that the foie gras was so huge!

We decided after asking the waiter to get the foie gras appetizer over the main dish (foie gras loco moco) since he said that there was a lot going on the main (hamburger, egg, spam, rice, sauce) which some foie gras lovers felt that the foie gras flavor got lost in it. And I think it was a good choice.



I've definitely never had foie gras over a country style biscuit and maple sausage gravy,(US$22) but it worked. Kind of like having fried chicken and waffles, I suppose. The sweet mixing with the salty with the fat and the starch. Just enjoy the dish and don't try to think about it too much!

The scallops (US$12) were perfectly seared and I think it was my first time having black eyed peas, sort of a cross between lima beans and edamame.



Round two: very very close, but winner is foie gras.

Next was the huge rack of balsamic pork ribs, blistered corn and zucchini (US$37). I don't know if I was still trying to savor the taste of foie gras and scallops, but the pork ribs just didn't do it for me. They were tender and sauced up, but I only wanted to eat a couple ribs. The corn and zucchini were great though- sweet and fresh- tasting like they were dressed in a heap of butter.



And like true animals, we gnawed and chewed the meat away until only the bones were left.



For dessert, one of their most popular and unusual selection is chocolate covered bacon. But having just sampled it and fulfilled our curiosity at the OC County Fair, we decided to stick to something lighter and get the tres leches cake with dulce de leche sauce (US$7).



Like a spongecake soaked in milk, the tres leches was sweet, but not overwhelmingly so. It was a nice end to a memorable meal.

As we walked out of Animal, the twilight sky was a perfect indigo with clouds adrift. I thought about how amazing it was that we had things like food blogs and Yelp to help us discover awesome little places like Animal- which I doubt I would have ever visited otherwise- it's in an older neighborhood aways from my house and there isn't even a sign to capture your attention if you happened to drive by. So I'm glad I didn't miss out and maybe this post will help some of you discover a new favorite restaurant.

ANIMAL
435 N Fairfax Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 782-9225

animalrestaurant.com

Hours: Sunday - Thursday. 6pm-11pm. Friday - Saturday. 6pm-2am

not taipei/los angeles: i recommend Westside Tavern

Yum, yum, yum and yum.

I have been enjoying a lot of the new places that have cropped up since the last time I was in town earlier this year. I don't know if I would have found Westside Tavern eventually when watching a movie at the revamped Landmark theaters at Westside Pavilion, but we ended up there when a friend chose a place for dinner.

Westside Tavern has a menu full of appetizers, soups/salads, sandwiches and burgers, mains and desserts served with a modern California flair.

It was my first time eating burrata, which we mistakenly thought was a type of proscuitto for some reason when reading the menu. When the Gioia burrata and heirloom cherry tomatoes (US$14) came, we thought, where's the proscuitto? Oh.... it's cheese!



But a lovely cheese it was, like a softer, creamier buffalo mozzarella. If you like that sort of thing.

My friend got the lamb french dip and I got the Spit Roasted Chicken Cobb Salad (US$16)- which after falling in love with the yummier (and cheaper) Cobb salad at Tender Greens, the Westside Tavern's Cobb Salad just didn't compare.



We did however throughly enjoy the Lemon Meringue Pie, which was like a crown of baked egg whites on the perfectly tart and sweet lemon pie. Something nearly impossible to find in Taipei.



The second time I visited Westside Tavern was about a week later with a couple girlfriends I hadn't seen since middle school. Yes, MIDDLE SCHOOL! Craziness. Westside Tavern was the perfect place to catch up on our lives and split an appetizer and a few desserts.

The baby artichoke and smoked mozzarella flatbread with roasted tomatoes (US$14) was like a fancy pizza- baked to the right crispiness and topped with a dressed arugula.

We couldn't decide between the warm sticky toffee cake (US$8) or the hot fudge pudding cake (US$7) and we ended up with both. It's hard to tell from the photo, but we couldn't finish because one dessert could easily be shared between 3-5 people!



I'd stick with their signature warm sticky toffee cake only next time. The hot fudge pudding cake wasn't particularly decadent or memorable, while you just wanted to keep eating the gooey, moist toffee cake though you knew it was full of sugar.

So the next time you want to eat before a movie, skip the food court across the mall and make a reservation at Westside Tavern.

WESTSIDE TAVERN
10850 W Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90064-2132
(310) 470-1539

westsidetavernla.com

not taipei/dessert: Crumbs

The first time I spotted Crumbs was in Glendale and I delighted in the classic looking storefront and array of oversized, colorful cupcakes. I think I had the red velvet and something else, and it was a bit drier and too sweet than I had hoped for. I love the red velvet from Auntie Em's and I compare every cupcake afterwards to it.

Last week, my sister was raving about Crumbs to my cousin who had yet to try it, so I tagged along hoping the Beverly Hills location would be tastier. Sprinkles still had a line in front when we passed by on a weekday afternoon and a little bit more east on Santa Monica was Crumbs. You can get cakes as well as cookies, brownies and cupcakes (US$3.75) as well as a sampler pack of mini cupcakes.



They were out of red velvet that day, so we quizzed the girl at the counter about the different cupcakes to decide which ones they wanted to get. There isn't any descriptions in sight, so you might end up waiting behind someone like us who doesn't know what they want.

They ended up picking Brownie which was chocolate overload with brownie bites and fudge on top, Hostess, inspired by the original Hostess chocolate cupcake,



Artie Lange which is "vanilla cake with chocolate cream cheese frosting filling, topped with vanilla cream cheese frosting dipped in chocolate fondant and rimmed with chocolate and vanilla sprinkles" and Lemon Meringue which was lemon cake with meringue frosting.



I like how they packed it up in custom cupcake holding plastic containers, so that the frosting is untouched when you transport it home. There's only a few outside patio tables to eat at there, so most likely you'll be taking your cupcakes to go. I noticed a few people eating their cupcakes next door at the gelato place.



After sampling all of them, I had wished there was more whipped cream inside the Hostess cupcake (I barely saw any) and none of the cupcakes made me want to devour the whole thing. Which is probably a good thing in disguise, right? I don't think that the cake itself is as moist as I've had in other cupcakes, but I do like the variations of cream cheese frosting they have.

Crumbs has its fans and shops around LA and NY, as well as ship cupcakes via UPS, so you can decide for yourself if you are set out to give every cupcake eatery a try.

Where are your favorite cupcakes from?

CRUMBS
9465 Little Santa Monica Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90291
(310) 550-9811

crumbs.com

not taipei/san diego: i recommend El Cotixan

The California Burrito.

Diced potatoes hanging out harmoniously with carne asada, guacamole and salsa. Sounds like a weird combination, but ever since my sister introduced me to it, I was weirdly addicted. If you come to San Diego, you'll have to look for it, as well as the carne asada fries. Just sounds so wrong, yet so right, right?

I'm going to do something extremely mean to my loyal Taiwan readers, which is post pictures of So Cal Mexican food- which currently is not really existent in Taipei. So anyone thinking about starting up a business, take notes from these pictures and copy away.

Ingredients needed often missing in Taipei: guacamole (made with Haas avocados), lots of shredded cheese, corn tortillas, pico de gallo, a slice of lime and lots of perfectly seasoned carnitas (pork) and carne asada (steak).

After sampling a bit of everything, my favorites to order are the California Burrito and the rolled tacos which are fried and topped with heap of gucamole and cheese.

You can't really tell, but there's an enchilada also on the left side of the plate underneath all the shredded cheese. Next time I wouldn't get an enchilada here because it wasn't baked- more pan fried with sauce on top- so didn't have that soft melding of flavors that I like about an enchilada.



The soft tacos (about US$3) are regular sized (not mini sized) so you don't need to order as many. I also liked the steak over the pork, and the al pastor, or spicy pork was a bit too spicy for me.



Check out the huge menu the next time you're looking for a quick bite in San Diego- maybe on the way to Comic Con or Sea World- or some carne asada fries. They also have some shrimp specials handwritten on a sign on the wall if you're looking for seafood.



Can you tell I'm loading up on Mexican food before I return to Taipei in a few weeks?

EL COTIXAN
4370 Genessee Ave
San Diego, CA 92117
(858) 571-8843

gotburritos.com