CLOSED! mexican: i strongly recommend OOLA MEXICAN GRILL

CLOSED!

OOLA MEXICAN GRILL
No.3 Ln. 136, Alley 1, Roosevelt Rd. Sec. 4
(02) 2363-1111

MRT: Gongguan

website: Oola's Facebook page

hours: SUN-THU: 11AM-10PM
FRI-SAT: 11AM-11PM

$ Cash only

Kid friendliness: no high chairs. but quesadillas available off the menu for kids

Visit reviewed: 6/2/2010



Let's be honest. If you're craving Mexican food in Taipei, you're kind of out of luck. The options here are slim and imperfect and not to mention, on the pricey side. And as much as I liked Eddy's Cantina, it's hard to get to Danshui for a craving unless you have a couple hours to get there and back.

But hopefully Oola Mexican Grill will change that.

Tucked behind the movie theaters in Gongguan, it just opened last week and already has good word of mouth. Even though it was already on my to-do list, I received emails and comments with raves. So did I have high expectations? I tried to keep them in check- after all, this is a city where Mexican food often comes with a side of fries, or nachos consist of Doritos with a side of salsa (real experience!).



Let's start with the good, and there's a lot that is good.



There's burritos, burrito bowls, tacos, fajitas and salads, all for about NT$120-$150. If you've never been to a Chipotle, this is how it works- You pick what form you want your Mexican, you pick your protein, you pick what else you want in it or not (ie rice, salsa, cheese, lettuce, sour cream, guac) and then you eat!

I was definitely excited to see carnitas! Stringy, soaked in juices, braised carnitas. There's also steak in large bite sized chunks, grilled chicken and barbacoa, which here is beef. I was unsure between the carnitas and barbacoa and was offered a small taste of each to decide. I stuck with my original carnitas order as the barbacoa was a bit spicier.



There's lots of salsa- mild pico de gallo with mostly tomatoes and onions, a corn salsa and two spicier salsas- red and green salsas- and you can have any combination of the salsa. The first time I went I got the mild and the corn salsa and the second time I asked for a little of the green salsa. There's also fresh guacamole, made with Haas avocados, which will cost NT$20 if you want it added in burrito. Everything is behind the counter, so there's no self serve salsa bar here, though the drinks are self serve and refillable.



The space is clean and casual with two floors and an open patio. Perfect for the summer days and nights and there's free wifi.




The burrito comes out to be a decent size. You can also add chips and a salsa and drink to your meal for an extra NT$29. The chips I had were better the second visit than the first, and definitely go great with the spicier green and red chile salsas.



The first time I went, by the time they put together my burrito, which wasn't very long, and I unwrapped it, the burrito was cold. Not even lukewarm, but cold to the touch. It was strange considering that they warmed up the tortillas on the grill, but I was more sensitive to it because the owner asked if he could reheat it for us (without us asking). Even after it was reheated, it was still only warm, not steaming hot, but I was pretty hungry so I wanted to eat it.



And my carnitas burrito tasted good! The rice soaked up the juices from the carnitas and salsas and the touches of cheese and guacamole made it taste like LA.



On my second visit, I told them I wanted a hot burrito and so the owner asked them to make it quicker and indeed it tasted much better hot.



I also had a bite of a chicken burrito bowl and the bite sized grilled chicken was tender and flavorful.



Many people will compare Oola to Chipotle, which is a good thing since there's basically no other place like it in Taipei. I've only been to Chipotle once, but the idea of casual place where you can pick up burritos is definitely needed here. The owners are quite enthusiastic and seem to be open to hearing what customers like and don't like, so you can't help but to root for them to succeed. They are from LA so I'd say that the flavors and style of the food here is more California Mexican than Tex Mex or sit down Mexican, but there's already places for that here. They are still going through some opening kinks, but I'm sure with time and feedback that they can work them out.

Some people will be missing the pinto and black beans and mexican rice, but I'm okay without it- they state that they are figuring out an affordable solution to bring it to the store. I'm also okay with the jasmine white rice, which they flavor with cilantro and lime, though I'd prefer Mexican rice. (Have I been here too long?) For those looking for spicier flavors, consider adding the spicier salsas to your dish, which have a great kick and flavor to them.

What do you think? Have you been waiting for burritos to come to Taipei and is Taipei ready for burritos?


View Larger Map

dessert: i strongly recommend LAETITIA

LAETITIA
No. 11, Lane 49, Anhe Road, Sec. 1
(02)8771-7720

MRT: Zhongxiao/Dunhua

website: laetitia.com.tw mostly Chinese

hours: 11 AM - 8 PM

$

Kid friendliness: shop is strictly to go, but kids will definitely love the cream puffs

Visit reviewed: 5/28/2010



I have a serious sweet tooth. Give me red velvet cupcakes with clouds of cream cheese frosting, a slice of lemon meringue pie, or warm chocolate chip cookies out of the oven and I'm an extremely happy camper. But actually, it's hard to find a lot of perfect desserts here in Taipei unless it's a bowl of shaved ice.

But if you're a fan of cream puffs, you're in luck. You might have heard of Beard Papa which makes a cream puff so popular it's found its way to the US and of course has shops all across Taipei.

But who would have expected the perfect cream puff to come out of this tiny little shop called Laetitia that will have you back for more. Step inside the shop and you'll be hit with the smell of deliciousness. Opened by a Japanese chef trained in France, Laetitia imports a lot of their ingredients from Japan, France and



At the counter, you can see their menu- besides cream puffs, they also sell (tiny) fruit tarts and pudding. The cream puffs come with custard cream (NT$45), bitter chocolate cream (made with Valrhona chocolate NT$50) or the changing flavor of the month, banana mango cream (NT$55).



Once you figure out how many cream puffs you have to bring back and share with everyone, they'll take the puff, pump in the cream and dust it with the right flavor so you can tell which is which.




On my second visit, I can't even wait to get home to eat my cream puff. The puff itself is light and crispy on the outside without being too dry and moistened with the cream on the inside, which my friend likened to tapioca pudding. If you're looking for vanilla flavor, then Beard Papa's has a stronger vanilla bean flavor. This one tastes like custard that oozes out of an eclair. Every bite I took, I asked, how do they make it so freaking good?!



The chocolate is worth trying too- it's not totally bitter like the name, but it's got a deeper dark chocolate flavor than you'd expect, courtesy of the Valrhona. I thought it would be a grown up's cream puff flavor, but my friend's kid devoured his faster than we ate ours.

If you purchase some to take home, definitely try to eat them the same day, as they soften and are definitely not the same experience the next day.

That is, if you don't eat them all before you get home.


View Larger Map

OTHER LOCATIONS

at KMall
No. 50, ZhongXiao W. Road, Sec. 1
(02)2370-6796

Banciao Train Station
No. 7, Xian Min Da Dao, Sec. 2, B1
(02)8969-3469

CLOSED! western/french: JUST IN BISTRO & WINE BAR

Just In Bistro & Wine Bar
No. 33, Lane 181, ZhongXiao E. Rd, Sec. 4
(02) 8771-9297

(edit 6/2012 this location is closed, but the new location at Neo 19 remains)

website: Just In Bistro's facebook page

hours: Tues-Sun 12 PM -5:30 PM (closed Mon lunch)
dinner 5:30 PM -12 AM (tapas available only after happy hour)

$$

Kid friendliness: no high chairs spotted

Visit reviewed: 10/14/2009



If you go to a restaurant, then you should eat its specialty right? If you go to Lawry's, you should order the prime rib. if you go to Mos Burger, you should order the rice burger. If you go to a seafood restaurant, you shouldn't order the steak and vice versa.

But unfortunately, when we ended up at Just In Bistro and Wine Bar, it turned out they didn't serve their tapas at lunch, which is what they are known for and why we picked that restaurant. So if you're looking for tapas, go at dinner time.

So instead, we had some gourmet Western and French fare from their lunch menu. I was about 20 minutes late to the lunch so I didn't order.




Just In Bistro was opened by chef Justin Quek last year and his second restaurant in Taipei. I had heard a lot about La Petite Cuisine, but have yet to give it a try. For me, it's always tricky trying restaurants with famous chefs because then I have a lot of expectations, but then what if the day you are there, it's not even the "famous chef" cooking the food? Or is a measure of a good chef/restauranteur how well he trains his other chefs to maintain that consistent quality?



Starter salad was mixed greens and chicken.



Everything was shared and the piece of beef bourguignon that I got was a tad dry, though I heard some the other pieces were not. Trying this dish made me think about the bourguignon at La Cocotte.




The much heard about gourmet burger with gruyere cheese and mushrooms (NT$360) was a bit soft- the bun was soft, the patty was soft. I've had better burgers for less.




My favorite dish was the snow crab pasta - slippery noodles that had great sauce and bits of crab hidden in bites.




Once all the food cleared from the table, the waitress brought out the dessert tray. There was a card on the tray that indicated that there was a baked apple tart and that was what was recommended, so we ordered it.



Instead of a small apple tart a la mode that I had pictured, it was almost like a dessert pizza. Just In Bistro's version of a baked apple tart (NT$280) was flaky layers of phyllo underneath super thing slices of apple and almonds. Served in a hot pan, we each had one piece, but the waitress said sometimes couples order one to share, or one person could eat one by themselves. I definitely could have eaten a couple pieces, but I don't know about the entire pan!



After lunch and my group of friends went their separate ways, one friend and I wandered down the alley and mutually agreed that we needed a snack because we were still hungry. We ended up at the stinky tofu vendor sharing a bowl of vermicelli and stinky tofu that seemed more satisfying and at a fraction of the cost that the pricey lunch we had just had.

Of course, this is just one lunch on one day, and hopefully I'll get to return to try the tapas or one of Chef Quek's other restaurants and have my expectations met. Have any of you been to any of his restaurants and which would you recommend?


View Larger Map

revisited/french: i strongly recommend PAUL

PAUL
at Shin Kong Mitsukoshi, A9
No. 9, Song Shou Road, 2FL
(02) 2722-0700

website: paultaiwan.com

hours: 11 AM to 9:30 PM; bakery opens at 9 AM

$$

Kid friendliness: high chairs available at this location

Visit reviewed: 5/20/2010
Previous review: 10/7/2008



Lately, I've been on a Paul streak... not for their delicious but pricey raspberry tarts and flaky napoleons, or their oversized macarons or assortments of breads, but for their extended brunch menu that includes lighter fare like crepes, quiches and sandwiches. (And I'm happy to report that the sandwiches are their full size again after spotting them having shrunk temporarily in 2008).

The sets include a soup, salad and drink (coffee or tea) for about NT$300-400. At first glance, the crepes look like not a lot, but the meal is quite satisfying. My only complaint is that 1- for ice tea options, they only have bottled options of jasmine and lychee, and 2- for the coffee, if you want refills, you have to pay for a new cup.

First comes a bowl of soup- the past few times I've visited it was a hot vegetable soup with chunks of veggies and pasta- the right blend of acidic and sweet.



My favorites from their lunch menu are the tuna sandwich or the mushroom cheese crepe (NT$385 for the set) or if you want something sweet, the chocolate crepe. The crepe is perfectly thin and moist, stuffed with mushrooms and gooey emmental cheese which tastes like a fancy swiss cheese. I eat it together with the sunny side egg and then alternate between the roasted tomato and salad.



When Paul first opened, everyone wondered how long they would last with their pricey baked goods with ingredients shipped from France, with so many bakeries in town. I think they were smart to offer light French cafe fare to keep people coming back, which is a rarer find in town among all the Chinese, Italian and Japanese eateries. Paul's second Taiwan location at Mitsukoshi opened up only last year and is always filled with afternoon shoppers, even on a weekday. My recent visit to the Paul on Ren Ai had a 10-20 minute wait for a table at weekday lunchtime.


View Larger Map

OTHER LOCATION

No. 107, Ren-ai Road, Sec. 4,
(02)2771-3200

afternoon tea/western: i strongly recommend SMITH & HSU

SMITH AND HSU
No.33, Zhong Xiao E. Road, Sec. 5
(02) 2747-4857
this location is closed but there are other smith and hsus around taipei. google maps

MRT: Taipei City Hall

website: smithandhsu.com
hours: 10 AM - 10:30 PM

$$

Kid friendliness: no high chairs, fragile items in store section

Visit reviewed: 5/17/2010



If you've never had a buttery scone, then you need to book your next afternoon tea date at Smith and Hsu. For years, I equated the word "scone" to "dry biscuit" because of my past experiences in the states at American coffee shops. Make that "rock hard, super dry biscuit." But Smith and Hsu makes their scones like warm biscuits and even gives you some fancy Devonshire clotted cream and farm jam to spread in its luscious center.



The shop is the opposite of what you might expect to a tea shop- modern and glossy, rather than frilly faux Euro and old fashioned like the chain Rose House. The founder had "a passion for (both) Chinese and English tea culture" and so you can find a wide variety of both here. Often times when I passed by Smith and Hsu, I wasn't even sure that it was a place to eat as most of the shop is occupied by tea sets and tea displays.



But lucky for me, a girlfriend had picked it for a place to meet up for a late lunch and I got a chance to finally check it out. There are only about 10 or so seats at the ZhongXiao location, so be sure to call ahead if you want to ensure you have a table- our neighboring tables were full most of the afternoon.



For the casual tea drinker like me, the dizzying selections of teas to choose from can be a bit overwhelming. As are the tray of bottled tea leaves that they set on the table for you to browse. I was unsure if we were supposed to open them up and smell them or just admire them and my friends did not really touch the tray, so it would have helped if the servers explained a little bit of what to do.



By the pot, there's black tea, green tea, scented teas, oolong tea, pu erh and white tea, herbal tea, milk tea and fruit teas with about 5 to 10 choices in each category (NT$180- NT$690). The most expensive is for Green Sencha Fukujyu tea at NT$800 and I wonder if the average tea drinker would be able to tell the difference between a pot of that and whatever the local Japanese restaurant gives you.

The food part of the English and Chinese menu has mostly sandwiches, salad (NT$160-220) and desserts, but everyone's table had a tiered afternoon tea set (and camera toting customers taking photos of their food and themselves enjoying their food). I was asked not to take photos when I was walking on the store side, so I starting taking photos with my iphone, but once I noticed they didn't seem to care about everyone else taking photos of the food, I brought the DSLR back out.



Smith and Hsu offers three kinds of afternoon tea sets- a Cream Tea set (NT$240) which has 2 scones, cream, jam and one cup of tea; an English Afternoon tea set (NT$990) which has 4 scones, Devonshire clotted cream, 2 jams, 4 tea jellies, 2 cakes, cookies, six assorted finger sandwiches and 2 pots of tea; or the Sweeties set (NT$220) which is one cake and one cup of tea.

Our hungry table of three decided to get the English Afternoon tea set to share- at which point they ask you to choose 2 jams (blueberry, raspberry, honey or lemon curd (I think that's what the last one is. In Chinese, they said lemon and egg yolks)), 2 desserts from the counter and the tea that you'd like. I got a cup of Kir Royal Fruit Ice Tea, made with Kir Royal tea, lemon and apples, but tasted like it had some berries infused in it.




The best thing about the English Afternoon tea set is definitely the scones- I enjoyed both the raspberry and blueberry farm jams. The clotted cream was like a whipped butter, not like cream cheese like I expected. The inside of the scone is moist inside and golden and crispy on the outside. I ate one and half of another a little later. If you order just the scones, it's NT$130, which is a pricey NT$65 per scone, but I've paid for desserts/bagels/muffins that price that were far less tasty.



We picked the cheesecake and a caramel mousse chocolate cake and the cheesecake was definitely more up our alley with a traditional creamy texture and flavor.




My favorite of the finger sandwiches was the smoked chicken, which had a layer of hidden mango and cream cheese underneath, giving it a surprise creamy and sweet flavor. I'll eat smoked salmon, but I'm not crazy about it, it was decent. The least fave was the roast beef because the meat was lost in the huge baguette.



We also didn't like the jellies which tasted a bit medicinal (think cough syrup) rather than tasting like it was made from tea.

One neat thing about the menu is that they recommend tea pairings with the sandwiches, and though it's in Chinese, you can reference it by number.



I'd definitely recommend Smith and Hsu as a place for a light lunch or splurge for afternoon tea- they had some other sandwiches (gouda cheese and smoked ham, melted mozzarella and roasted bacon) that sounded good too.

OTHER LOCATIONS

No.103, Section 3, Minsheng E. Road
(02) 2546-6088
hours: 10 AM - 10:30 PM

No.177, Zhongshan N. Road, Section 6,
(02) 2838-1828
hours: 10 AM - 10:30 PM