brunch/western: CARNEGIES

CARNEGIES
No. 100, Anhe Road, Sec. 1
(02) 2325-4433

website: carnegies.com.tw

hours: Sat/Sun 10 AM - 5 PM (weekend brunch)

$$

Kid friendliness: high chairs available. room for large groups.

Visit reviewed: 5/29/2010



I have fuzzy memories of going to Carnegie's once when I first started spending more time in Taipei in 2004. Mostly I remember that it was dark and loud and there were lots of drinks. So even though I'd heard for years that they had a weekend brunch, I never managed to make that connection of wanting to go there for brunch over its next door neighbor, the Diner. Bar by night, brunch by day?

So when one day a friend chose it for brunch for our large party of 12, I was excited to finally give it a try. Inside, there's lots of tables and room for big groups, though the lighting is still a bit dim if you're not sitting near the patio- perfect for those who had too late of a night out, I suppose.



Their brunch menu includes English and American breakfast plates, cheekily called "The Big One" or the "Not So Big One" as well as pancakes, french toast, eggs benedict, omelettes, sandwiches and desserts.



I ended up ordering the "Not So Big One" (NT$320) which had plenty of English breakfast on the plate, with 2 eggs, sausage, bacon, fried mushrooms, baked beans and toast. The breakfasts also come with a small glass of fresh orange juice and choice of coffee, tea or soda.



My favorite thing about the dish was the bacon- fatty and juicy, over the slightly dry sausage and underseasoned mushrooms. I only had one half slice of toast- four half pieces was definitely too much for me.

My friend V ordered the pancakes, (NT$260) which looked a lot more like blintz or crepes, rather than the fluffy round golden pancakes that you'd expect. One is stuffed with apples and raisins and the other with bananas and bacon. I didn't give it a try (as you know, I abhor raisins), but my friend finished it and said that the dish worked.



They do have the typical American pancakes (NT$180), at least on the kids' menu and were pretty fluffy and tasty.

Other orders around the table included the ham and cheese sandwich with fries (NT$180), American breakfast and french toast. I didn't get a photo of the plate of large french toast, but it was pale and dry and didn't look like it touched a griddle or had any egg on it. My friend who ordered it was quite disappointed and didn't finish the dish.



The verdict on brunch at Carnegie's after all these years? Well, if you don't want to wait at the Diner and have a large party, then you could consider it. Otherwise, next time I'd probably still stick to other brunch places unless you're craving an English breakfast which is a unique offering for them in Taipei. I think we had the bad luck of also having a new server for our large group- orders were dropped, food came out at different times and he brought us a tray of orange juice and coffee/tea to only come back and take it away since it was for another table even though some of us had already drank the beverages. We had a hard time waving down the staff as their eyes seemed to look every way but our table.

Have you tried the brunch at Carnegie's and was your experience the same or different than mine? Where is your favorite place for brunch in Taipei?

japanese/tonkatsu: i recommend PIN TIAN TONKATSU

PIN TIAN TONKATSU
No. 45, MinSheng E. Road, Sec. 4, B1
(02) 2718-6566

(This branch closed a/o 2014. Now Chili Crab)

website: http://www.pintian.com.tw/ Chinese and Japanese only

$$

Kid friendliness: high chairs available. kids meal sizeable

Visit reviewed: 5/1/2010



If you don't mind cafeteria style service, then Pin Tian Tonkatsu is a lot of food for a good price. That's probably why it was packed on a weekend evening and we had to wait almost an hour for a table for six without a reservation. For under NT$300, you get a set menu meal that includes a steamed egg, a drink and small shot of vinegar, on top of the tonkatsu, miso soup, rice and dessert other places also offer.



Once you get a seat, you have to check off what you want to order by yourself after browsing the menu. I much prefer the Saboten style- where you place your order while you are waiting in line, so your food is nearly ready after you are seated. If you can't read Chinese, there are a few photos, but try matching up the characters to check off what you want. Besides fried pork cutlets, they also offer variations like cheese tonkatsu (stuffed with cheese and seaweed and bacon), takoyaki style tonkatsu (topped with squid and bonito flakes) or topped with grated radish.



I found it hard to wave the waiters down, as they were busy rushing around getting trays to give to customers and loading up trays to a tall rack that had dirty dishes that they rolled around the restaurant. They weren't particularly friendly or unfriendly, they just seemed too busy to really give you any service. Perhaps it would be better experience on a weekday lunch.



I got the tonkatsu with curry which was crispy and juicy and not too fatty. I quite liked the apple cider vinegar drink that came with the dish- it was sweet and sour and tasted just like apple cider with vinegar mixed in.



I was most impressed with the kid's meal which seemed to have an equally big piece of tonkatsu as an adult's portion for half the price. And with french fries! This is definitely the best sized kid's meal that I've seen at all the fried pork restaurants.



I didn't even realize that our set came with a steamed egg until they brought it to us when we were nearly done with our meals. I was too full to really even try it.



The fruit ice tea was way too sweet with too much fructose, but the green tea ice cream was a nice way to end the meal, with some red beans on the bottom.



The restaurant is in the basement, so you descend the stairs to get there. It also makes the restaurant quite dark since there are no windows.



OTHER LOCATIONS

Banciao
No. 7, Zhongshan Rd, Sec. 1, 2F
(02) 2964-2661

No. 146, Nanjing E. Road, Sec. 2, 2F
(02) 2507-7279

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?


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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.


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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?


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