my kitchen: happy turkey day!

A snapshot of last year's Thanksgiving in Taipei where I took the time to make all the sides that I loved to go with the smoked turkey that a relative ordered- corn, garlic mashed potatoes, stuffing, sauteed mushrooms and candied yams'. This year, I'm trying Thanksgiving dinner with a group of friends at a place I'm hoping doesn't disappoint... If it doesn't hit the spot, I'm going to be busy trying out my friend's sweet potato casserole recipe and baking some cornbread Friday.



Figuring out last minute options for turkey dinner in Taipei this year? Check out what the Taipei Times suggests with its handy list, or you can call up some of the restaurants I've listed in the past posts...

What places have you guys tried for Thanksgiving dinner out or where do you get stuff for making it at home (canned pumpkin? cornbread mix? recipes for your favorite thanksgiving side?) or is it too much work (and expensive) trying to celebrate such an American holiday in Taipei?

CLOSED! japanese/sushi: i recommend TON SUSHI

TON SUSHI (this location closed a/o 2011. Similar menu featured at Ton 28 located in Bellavita)
at Neo 19
No. 22 Song Shou Road
(02) 2345-6879

MRT: Taipei City Hall

website: Neo 19 Ton Sushi Website Chinese only

hours: 11am to 2pm and 5:30pm to 10pm

$$-$$$

Kid friendliness: high chairs, kids dinnerware available. private rooms available.

Visit reviewed: 11/14/2010 (all pics from my iphone 4g)



With a little bit of everything on the menu, in addition to its sushi/sashimi, Ton Sushi is a surprisingly good spot for family dining for Japanese food. You might not spot it, hidden in the back of Neo 19, around the corner from Macaroni Grill or if you head straight up the escalator for Chili's/Momo Paradise/Watami, but that's what enabled us to grab a table on a busy Sunday night. After checking in with Chili's (1 hour wait) and Macaroni Grill (30 minute wait) for a party of 5 at 6:30pm, Ton Sushi was able to seat us right away. The space is modern and sleek, with a seating area apart from the sushi bar as well as several private rooms.



The English and Chinese menu has plenty of photos for reference, likely of its most popular items- including tempura, hot pot, rolls, sushi, grilled items, sashimi and appetizers. Besides some of the traditional items you might spot at other places, they have some unique items like, foie gras sushi, truffle beef sushi, black toro sushi, or Uni and Salmon Roe Sushi served upon a romaine lettuce leaf (NT$560).





The uni was fresh and sweet, with a tiny bit of rice underneath, but it was weird eating it with the romaine. After a few bites, I still savored the uni apart from the lettuce and then finished the lettuce afterwards. (I'm not the biggest fan of salmon roe, or ikura, so we had my portion shifted to the other side.)



The salad with fruit comes dressed with a sweet and citrus Japanese soy dressing underneath and is topped with chopped mountain yam, tomatoes, avocado, apples, kiwi and cucumber.



Or you can try the mountain yam which is grated and placed carefully like a bed of noodles.



The stir fried udon had sliced fish cake, chinese cabbage, straw mushrooms and another dark green leafy vegetable I can't place. It was slippery and well seasoned, perhaps bordering on the salty side for some.



I was craving the Soft Shell Crab roll (NT$300) which came with six pieces- the soft shell crab was fried with expertise, though I found the romaine lettuce an unnecessary addition.



The Rainbow Roll(NT$420) is listed and pictured on the menu to be topped with salmon and avocado, unlike some places which includes tuna and to give it that 'rainbow' look. I asked before ordering if they were using Taiwan avocado, and they said yes, but the texture and taste still turned out to be ok. (While less noticeable next to the tempura shrimp, more romaine lettuce! Okay, the rolls here are a bit localized...)



As I've been learning more about sashimi by eating at sushi bars with friends, I've discovered a new love- broiled anago (NT$380), or salt water eel. If you are a fan of unagi (fresh water eel), you have to try anago! I feel like it tastes less rubbery than how unagi can sometimes be, more creamy and sweet.



And Ton Sushi offered up one of the biggest pieces of anago sushi I've ever seen! It almost belonged atop of a bowl of rice.



The bowl of steamed egg with scallop (NT$180) disappeared quickly.



I also really enjoyed the grilled fish collar which offers tender, moist fish without digging through bones or fishy flavors. The skin wasn't as crispy as I've had it at Sumie, but the inside was still great.



While this is my third or fourth time going to Ton Sushi, it was the first time I was in charge of ordering. The first time I went was not that memorable and the second time I went was delicious, but the night was a blur because food kept coming. While I've been making notes of my favorite sushi bars in Taipei, they are usually for those who can handle raw fish and Ton Sushi is a good option for parties that want something more than nigiri or sashimi. Ton Sushi is definitely on the pricier side- if it was not as expensive, it would be a strong recommend. I hadn't been back for a long time, but I can see myself coming back more- maybe sitting at the sushi bar next time and trying the omakase.


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SISTER LOCATION:

TON 28
at Bellavita
No. 28, Song Ren Rd.
(02) 27222888

Snapshot/dessert: matcha green tea and bear donuts at MR. DONUT

My favorite is still the almond pon de ring, but the bear donuts are so cute, I might have to try them eventually. Their new thing these days is the green tea matcha donuts. I also love their little giveaways that you can collect stickers to earn, but usually I can't buy enough donuts to fill up a card!

Check out my previous post for locations and more pictures!

Don't forget to VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITES in the hungryintaipei.com reader's favorites poll!

CLOSED/breakfast/brunch: i strongly recommend DAN RYAN'S

DAN RYAN'S CHICAGO GRILL
No. 8, Dun Hua N. Road
(02) 2778-8800

Moved to Xinyi Mitsukoshi A9 in 2013. closed in 2014

MRT: Nanjing East Road

website: windy-city.com.hk

hours: Mon-Thu 11am-12am; Fri-Sat 11am-12:30am; Sun 10am-12am
brunch is weekends only

$$

Kid friendliness: high chairs and kids menu available

Visit reviewed: 10/3/2010

(I don't know what was going on with the coloring of pictures that day. Something about the lighting made everything green-ish or yellow, which I tried to fix, so sorry if some of the colors are still strange/off)



Dan Ryan's is one of those American eateries that has been around Taipei for a long time- before the Diner, before Macaroni Grill/Gordon Biersch and before the wave of burger and brunch spots. I had heard good things about their weekend brunch, but didn't have a chance to check it out until now. I called morning that I wanted to go in and they warned me that the earliest reservation I could get was 1pm. But I asked that if anything else turned up earlier to please call me and while wandering Ikea, they called me around noon and I hurried over.




To be honest, what spurred my visit to Dan Ryan's was that a reader tipped me off to their bread basket having cornbread! So when someone in our party wanted to order pasta, I made sure that we got the breadbasket. While the cornbread was a tad dry, it hit the spot.



I tried to maintain low expectations since I didn't have the greatest experience at another longtime establishment, Carnegie's, but it's totally unfair to compare the two. Dan Ryan's is more akin to Chili's or TGIF, with its huge portions and American decor with room for large groups as well as booth seating for cozier parties (but without the kitsch.)



The Chinese and English menu cautions (or brags, depending on how you look at it) that they "serve American portions" and the great part is that the prices are still ready budget friendly. Brunch has all the traditional favorites and runs from NT$170 for french toast to NT$390 for crabcake benedicts. I was torn between the eggs benedicts and the cornbeef hash and eggs, but in the end I tried the eggs benedicts (NT$250).



When the plate came to the table, I could tell it was a good sign- the hollandaise size was creamy and thick, not too much or too little, and the hash browns were plentiful and crisp.

The french toast (NT$170) was also very good- probably the best I've had in Taipei- dusted with powdered sugar, not too eggy or dry, with a hearty six pieces served with warm maple syrup and butter.



If you're not feeling like breakfast, they have a full menu of appetizers, salads, burgers, pastas, steaks, seafood and ribs to tempt you. Everything I sampled around the table tasted not only authentically American, but good! The fish and chips was fresh and perfectly fried,



the creamy penne with chicken was rich without being heavy or bland (served with huge garlic toast slices),



and the minestrone soup had a side of crackers for dipping.



The thing that I would skip the next time was the creamed spinach which tasted more like a pureed spinach with butter- I'm sticking to Lawry's version.



And my grandma found the baked potato and sides to be a bit dry...



But all in all, I'm excited to go back and try the other brunch items at Dan Ryan's, like the pancakes and corned beef and hash... I'll just have to make sure to call before that day to make my reservations!


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snapshot/dessert: macarons from PATISSERIE SADAHARU AOKI

A lovely surprise from a friend... colorful macarons for a sunny morning. I already ate one and it's 10:30 in the morning! Check out my previous visit at Patisserie Sadaharu AOKI Paris for afternooon tea. It's too bad they are not labeled, but I guess it makes the sampling more interesting.

Don't forget to vote in the Best of Taipei 2010 HungryinTaipei Readers' Choice Poll!!

dessert/food court: ALMOND ICE at XINYI ESLITE

ALMOND ICE at XINYI ESLITE
No. 11 Song Gao Rd, B2

MRT: Taipei City Hall

$

Kid friendliness: food court seating; lighter dessert option fare for kids

Visit reviewed: 10/8/2010



Not as good as Yu's Almond Tofu, but convenient if you're in the XInyi area- you might miss this little area near the escalator serving almond shaved ice. I probably wouldn't have known what to order if not for my experiences frequenting Yu's and being able to read the Chinese. We got red bean and almond tofu buried underneath the freshly shaved almond milk ice and found a spot to eat it at the foodcourt. You can pick other things to have with the ice, like grass jelly, peanuts or pearl barley.



My friend J from Chicago had never had almond milk shaved ice before so she was delighted to try it, but I found the almond tofu and ice not as creamy or fresh as Yu's Almond Milk. If you've never had almond milk shaved ice, it's more creamy and fine than regular shaved ice- especially the chunky ice kind. In the Eslite food court, I still prefer the Xiao Nan Men's cold soy tofu dessert, so I'd probably get that on repeat visits.

MOVED! french/crepes: i recommend ARVORIG CREPERIE BAR

ARVORIG
new address a/o 11/2011
11 Re-Ai Road,
Yin-Ge District, Taipei, Taiwan 239
0932-125-244
No. 325, Roosevelt Rd, Sec 3
(02) 2363-5600

hours: Tues-Fri 12PM-2:30PM; 4:30PM - 9PM ; Weekends 12PM- 9PM
CLOSED MONDAYS

$

Kid friendliness:bar stool seating, no high chairs spotted

Visit reviewed: 10/6/2010



When I first heard about Arvorig, I was pretty excited because (1) crepes in Taipei tend to be on the crunchy, papery side; (2) the crepe places that I had discovered before were gone- Mamm Goz and Crepes Suzette and (3) I had just gotten back from Toronto where I had some amazing crepes that reminded me how good they could be.

So for a lunch date with a friend from LA, my friend was down to try this new place with me. I called ahead just in case they were not open or had shut down or whatever. They were indeed open, though it sounded like they opened a lot later than the listed noon- the owner asked if we could come in closer to 12:30pm. I opted for 12:15pm and got there a little early at noon. Good thing there's this bright orange sign with a giant picture of a crepe because it could be a little harder to find otherwise. (And since I got there a little early, I walked around the block and ended up finding some amazing stinky tofu!)



Follow the hallway to the left of the door to the end, and you'll spot a corner bar seating area turned creperie with about 10-12 seats.




The menu has a huge selection of sweet crepes (over 40) and a few savory galettes, some topped with caesar salad. All the dessert crepes are under NT$100 (most around NT$60) and include such flavors such as sugar and lemon, chocolate, honey, banana and maple syrup, peach apricot jam and pear and honey. Topping it off with whipped cream is an extra NT$20.



We split a ham, tomato sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses and cherry tomatoes galette (NT$150), which was a bit on the dry side which emphasized the wheaty flavor and texture of the galette. Perhaps I was expecting more cheese like those I was familiar with back in California and from restaurants like the pricier Paul.




We saved room for dessert and ordered two sweet crepes to try- one with handmade caramel (NT$60) and one with chocolate (NT$60). The flavor of the crepe had an strong egg flavor which was more noticeable with the caramel than the chocolate.



If I came back again, I think I'd get the chocolate with bananas or maybe try one of the jam ones. Or ask for the goat cheese and honey galette without the lettuce.



While Arvorig didn't match up to my fond crepe experiences in Toronto, it hit the spot for a soft dessert crepe at a really good price- and made by a French expat in the kitchen.


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2010 Best of Taipei Restaurants 3rd Annual Readers' Favorites Poll!

It's nearing the end of the year and I figure if I give you guys a head start in voting then I can have a head start in tabulating and researching and writing and then hopefully we can have the results out in January 2011 (eek!) rather than early spring! haha. Now with Facebook and Twitter and more of you reading, I'm hoping more of you will vote!! Copy and paste the area below, fill in the ones you want to vote for and paste in the comments section. If you need a refresher, check out last year's faves.

VOTING

Voting will be open from November 5th - December 3rd, 2010. There must be a minimum of 5 categories filled out (with different restaurants) in order for the vote to be counted. For example, you cannot fill out the same restaurant in 3 categories and nothing else. But if you really love that restaurant, vote for it in the applicable 3 categories and fill out 4 other categories, then it will count.

It's okay if you haven't tried everywhere in Taipei! No one has. It does not have to be a restaurant I've reviewed. So just vote for your favorites!

You don't have to have a google account to vote. Just pick the "name" or "anonymous" option and put in your first name or initials if you don't want to put in your name. (Thanks to Booyah for recommending Google Surveys- I'm giving it a try!) Just fill out the boxes underneath with your answer and hit submit at the end.

Also feel free to campaign for your restaurant or favorite eatery on Facebook, Twitter or your website with a link to this page. But only votes on this post will count.

I will tabulate and hope to announce the winners with a write up in January 2011 (fingers crossed!).

my kitchen: elmo and cookie monster cupcakes

Who doesn't love Elmo and Cookie Monster? And who doesn't love cupcakes? So when I first saw Elmo cupcakes on justJENN last year, I made a mental bookmark, as well as shot my sister an email to find me some red sanding sugar in LA. (Where to get it? Surfas in Culver City is a good place to start, or their online store.) I guess when she spotted the perfect blue for Cookie Monster, she bought that as well for me to bring back to Taipei, as well some white chocolate chips and smaller chocolate chips.

So when there was a chance to make them for an Elmo lover this past spring, I put my handiwork to the test.

The steps are fairly straightforward- you just need to do some prep work for the eyes and mouths before hand. And for Elmo's nose, I used some marshmallows I had and cut them into shape.. Otherwise you could use orange jellybeans or soft candies.

stuff you'll need:

cupcakes
vanilla or cream cheese frosting
red/blue sanding sugar (or food coloring)
white chocolate discs (or marshmallows)
mini chocolate chips
orange marshmallows (or gummi drops or jelly beans)
oreo cookies


1. First, let the baked cupcakes cool down and frost them! Use vanilla or cream cheese frosting as I tried it with chocolate at first and the colors came out too dark. (See the first picture of the two pairs! The top is with chocolate frosting and the bottom with cream cheese).



2. While the cupcakes are cooling, pour the sanding sugar into two plates so you can dip the frosted cupcakes onto it. Also, cut off the nibs of the chocolate chips and use frosting to "glue" the chocolate onto the white chocolate. You could also use marshmallows for the white of the eyes. I also tried using a food coloring marker I had bought, but it didn't work as well. Then take apart oreo cookies and break each side in half. I scraped off the cream, but I guess you could use that as "glue" as well.



3. Assemble! Dip in colored sanding sugar, add eyes, mouth and for Elmo, a bright orange nose, using a touch of frosting underneath to make sure it sticks. Could be fun to do with friends or kids too...

For Cookie Monster, have the eyes be off center and in different directions.



4. And you're ready to party!



One thing is to be patient and be sure to let the cupcakes cool down completely. I think I rushed some of them and they were still not totally cool and the next day the sugar had sort of melted and some of the faces slid away from what they were supposed to look like. :( Or the humidity in Taipei. Or don't cover and seal them like I did in the cupcake holder until you're ready to go.

But we stuck them in the fridge for a little bit and the cupcakes were still a hit and though quite sweet with all the sugar and chocolate, super cute!

Happy halloween this weekend!