CLOSED/bakery: i strongly recommend BREAD SOCIETIE

CLOSED! a/o March 2015 as well as the one on RenAi

BREAD SOCIETE
No. 267, XinYi Rd, Sec. 4
(02)2701-1598

website: thebread.com.tw

hours: 7AM-10PM

$

Kid friendliness: great options that aren't too sweet

Visit reviewed: 2/16/2011



With so much competition in town, a bakery has to be pretty good for me to keep going back. So after passing by Bread Societe and its unique logo for months, I finally stopped in one afternoon. When I found myself stopping by Bread Societe again and again, I knew that I had to try different things in the store to see if it could become a new favorite.

If you pick up one loaf, the one that had me addicted was the walnut bread (NT$38) which is dusted with sugar on top to give nuttiness an extra layer of sweetness. The bread is soft and usually devoured by the time I get home. There's also quite a few healthier loaves that aren't as sweet, including cranberry walnut bread and multigrain wheat bread.



I also love that most of their items feature English as well as Chinese signage so I'm not guessing like I often am in most bakeries around town. The shop is also very clean and modern.



I also like their soft garlic cheese bread (NT$36) and pineapple bun.




And how could I not pick up one of these adorable panda breads (NT$35)? I've seen a lot of cute bread, but this one rivals Mr. Donut bear donut cuteness. I just noticed that the sign says that the it is a raccoon, but I think it looks more like a panda. LOL.



The bun is heavier than expected with a firm exterior for the crust.



There's also pudding breads, loaves of sliced bread made with soy milk, cookies and cakes. I even spotted Boston Creme pie and three types of cheesecake by the slice. (Try the lemon cheesecake for creamy, thick cheesecake with a citrusy topping).



There's also coffee, teas and soup (priced somewhere between Starbucks and 85 degrees) and mellow interior seating in some shops for those looking to afternoon tea or grab an early breakfast.

OTHER LOCATIONS

SYS Memorial location
No. 449, RenAi Rd, Sec. 4
(02)2751-8185

No. 511, ZhongHe Rd, Yonghe
(02)2922-0132

Taida shop
No. 331, Roosevelt Rd, Sec. 3
(02)2368-0080

No. 92, MinQuan W. Rd
(02)2552-9940

No. 36, DeXing W. Rd
(02)2832-2132

Tianmu shop
No. 20, Lane 38, TianYu St.
(02)2872-9517

No.121, MinSheng E. Rd, Sec. 5
(02)2760-9877

No. 85, BaDe Rd, Sec. 3
(02)2570-8008

Shida shop
No. 45-2, Shida Rd

XinDian shop
No. 217, Xinzhuang Rd.
(02)2911-6718

No. 763-5 Xinfu Rd.
(02)8991-1396

Neihu shop
No. 2, ChengGong Rd, Sec. 2
(02)2790-8166

my kitchen: French toast

My new favorite for french toast is using the French baguette toast loaf from Donq in Xinyi Mitsukoshi, A8. Perfect with fat slices and airy pockets to soak up the milk.

Ever since spotting the chef at the Le Meridian buffet soak the slices in milk only first, then egg mixture, I discovered a new favorite. Soaking the bread in milk first ensures a moist bite, without having to worry if the egg is cooked through. Dusting it with powdered sugar by tapping some through a strainer, if you have it on hand, makes it look more dressed up without a lot of effort.

CLOSED snapshot/dessert: I strongly recommend HONEY TOAST at FU DINER

I swear the room fell silent when the honey toast (NT$180) came out from the kitchen. Maybe the other diners didn't see the new item on the seasonal menu, or maybe they didn't expect it to be big, or smell so good. Either way, the space in Fu Diner seemed to shrink even smaller when all eyes were on us as the heaping dessert floated towards our table.

If you haven't heard of honey toast yet, imagine cubes of crunchy toast spread with honey, topped off with ice cream, pudding and more honey. The first time I had it was at Ichiza in Las Vegas a few years ago, and I haven't eaten it since. The popular place to get it now in Taipei is Dazzling Cafe, where you might spot a line of fashion forward girls waiting outside, but I haven't had the patience to try that out yet.

I wished there was a tad more ice cream to share, but we were sharing between four people while the other table was sharing between two. Also order it before you're done eating if you don't want to wait. We were there on a busy Sunday night and there was only one server running around and we were waiting after we were done because we didn't order dessert until the end. I also like the Indian curry omelette more than the chicken teriyaki omelette now, especially since the recipe seems to have changed since I've first had it.

FU DINER
No. 119, MinSheng E. Road, Sec. 4
(02) 2547-5276

last review: 10/23/2010

bakery/desserts: i strongly recommend BONJOUR

BONJOUR
No. 101, Dunhua S. Road, Sec. 2
(02) 2709-3986

website: e-bonjour.com.tw mostly Chinese

$

Kid friendliness: lots of kid friendly options and samples

Visit reviewed: 1/31/11 (all photos from iphone 4g)



One of the upsides to Taipei is the crazy number of bakeries in town that offer freshly baked breads and sweets everyday- you can't really walk down the street without passing one and its window of goodies catching your eye. One of the downsides to Taipei is the temptations from all those bakeries and carbs and sugars saying, "Buy me! Eat me! I'm so delicious!"

Eventually, you'll have a list of your favorites and what's best at which bakery, like I do. I love the chocolate mini croissants at Mini One. I love the cinnamon buns and chocolate cake at Original Bakery. I love the olive bread and apple tart at Maison Keyser. I love the garlic bread, the mentaiko bread, the sesame soy milk cake, caneles and chocolate ganache cake from Pozzo at San Want Hotel. The list could go on and on- it could fill a book.

So let's talk about Bonjour.



The first time I tried Bonjour was at its Dunhua Eslite food court location. They had plenty of samples, which soon got me hooked onto their caramelized, crispy pastries, like a round palmier, which you can often find near the counter. They are deadly addictive.



And their onion rolls which are moist to the point of almost being oily, with a crisp crust.



And their delicious caneles which also come in orange and cinnamon flavors at the location near the Diner.



Unfortunately, there's not much signage in English, but you can read with your eyes and ask questions for things you are unsure of- like these cinnamon buns DO have raisins.



There's even sampler bags for the indecisive. I remember seeing at the Dunhua Eslite location that they sold day old bread at a discounted price.




You might not love everything you try, but you know a bakery is in your shortlist when you find yourself going back there again and again for those special items. I've tried their quiche as well which were quite tasty when warmed up at home. There are decorated cakes at some of the locations as well, though I have yet to try them.


OTHER LOCATIONS

No. 132, Dunhua S. Road, Sec. 1
02-8773-5252

No. 41, XinZhong St.
02-2528-9906

Dunhua Eslite, B2
02-2775-5977#619

My kitchen: couscous salad

I was so happy to spot couscous on the pasta shelf at Carrefour. I hadn't seen it before, but hopefully i'll find it the next time. I ended up making it for lunch today right after buying it.

A couple tips that I found worked well after searching recipes online.

1- I toasted the couscous before boiling it, using a touch of olive oil and medium low heat. Stir a couple times or it might burn. This reminded me of how I'd do this with Rice A Roni. After a minute, I'd just add the hot liquid directly in the pot. I used chicken stock today and think it definitely adds a layer of flavor that water doesn't. 1 1/2 cup water/stock to 1 cup couscous. It really does cook in five minutes and look fluffy after stirred up with a fork.

2- Chop up whatever you want to add. I used grape tomatoes, olives and cucumber. If I had some, I'd use sundried tomatoes too.

3- I adapted a recipe I found online from Bon Appetit, June 2006: 1/2 tsp diced garlic, 1 tbs fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp mustard, 1/3 cup olive oil, salt/pepper to taste- stir together to use as a dressing for couscous. I was thinking about using wasabi instead of mustard next time. Drizzle onto couscous and top with veggies. I ate it warm, but could be served as a cold salad too.

Next time I want to try making the box of quinoa that's been in my pantry!

My kitchen: hello kitty candy from butterscotch chips

When I saw these Hello Kitty silicone molds a few days ago at the Sanrio store, I couldn't resist! Cheaper (and hopefully better tasting) than eating at Hello Kitty Sweets and endless possibilities. I was surprised when the sales person said they were for the microwave- I guess because people in Japan and Taiwan don't often have ovens in their homes so they bake using their microwaves.

So the next few nights I spent googling "microwave cakes" and "microwave silicone molds" to see if I could use regular cake mix or if I had to adjust the recipe. Found too many different recipes so I still have to experiment. I considered making jello or almond jello, brownies or cake cookies or using pancake batter.

In the end, I decided to try to melt down some butterscotch chips I had.

First, I used a paper towel and wiped the mold with vegetable oil. This was a tip I read that said would help prep the mold and make it easier for the candies to pop out.



Next I put a layer of chips in each pocket and microwaved it for a minute at high then 20 second intervals. I stirred it but it was a creamy consistency, not runny and I was afraid of burning it, so I spread it around. I also dropped the tray a few times to try to get air bubbles out but I think it was too thick to make a difference. I tried to make them thin, but to get the shape it still had to have some depth.

Then I popped it in the freezer for about five minutes. When they were hard, I popped one out to try- since I didn't make it super thick, the ears broke off quite easily. Also there were tiny air pockets on most of them.

I even tried remelting them over a double boiler on the stove but the consistency was like peanut butter.

Not bad for my first try and it was pretty easy. Need some work to make it pretty and less sweet though! Next time I'll use a stainless steel pan and try adding heavy cream or butter and a pinch of sea salt. I also some some ideas for putting a layer of ice cream to make little ice cream balls, or cake mixed with frosting to make sort of reverse cake balls. Lots to play with!

Anyone have any good microwave cake mix or experience with detailed silicone molds?

CLOSED! japanese: i strongly recommend FU DINER

(closed as of 2/2012)

FU DINER
No. 119, MinSheng E. Road, Sec. 4
(02) 2547-5276

hours: 11:30AM - 10PM

$$

Kid friendliness: no high chairs available.

Visit reviewed: 10/23/2010



If you've wandered around enough Taipei food courts, you've probably spotted an "omu-rice" dish or two- looking like an oversized omelette drizzled with ketchup and stuffed with ketchup flavored rice. But have you ever tried one? I think before eating at Fu Diner, I've had a bite of one, once or twice, so it was with curiosity that I checked out the menu at Fu Diner, a whole restaurant dedicated to different variations of omu-rice.



With about a dozen ways to choose from, little international flags mark the flavor profile of the various omu-rices on the English and Chinese menu-- Japan flag for the traditional japanese rice omelette (crisscrossed with ketchup!) or Japanese teriyaki chicken, to the French rice omelette with beef stew or baked with cheese, to the Indian rice omelette with spicy pork curry sauce.



I order a set with my lunch, which is an additional NT$70 for soup, salad and a choice of milk tea/fruit tea/tea. You can also get a set with dessert and tea for NT$70 extra, or add everything for NT$120.

The corn soup is creamy and sweet enough, and the salad has more corn on it.




My Japanese "teriyaki" chicken rice omelette with mushroom sauce (NT$220) seems more like a mushroom, chicken stew and to my surprise the rice in the omelette is devoid of any red, ketchup coloring or flavor and there's no teriyaki sauce on the chicken. The egg is silky and runny unlike the omelettes I've seen the food courts and mixes together with the rice and the sauce quite well.




The omu-rices are made to order and come to the table one to two at a time. I notice with a bigger group at the next table, some people are halfway done with their food before the last of their table's food arrives. Fu Diner is out of their chiffon cake, so we opt for vanilla ice cream and tiramisu which has too much cream and not enough sponge cake to my liking.




Longtime readers of my blog might remember a restaurant or review about a restaurant called Moga, which served fusion Italian-Japanese fare. Turns out the owners of Moga reinvented themselves and opened up Fu Diner. The good thing is that they also put their waffle fries on the menu, which makes for a tasty side.



If you're not a fan of omu-rice, they also have a few pastas on their menu. My grandma got this vegetable pasta which I didn't try.



The decor is cheery and bright and fills up with groups and businessmen after noon- when we sat down at 11:30AM on our second visit, the restaurant was empty, but the 30 or so seats were filled to capacity when we left.



I'm not entirely sure what the name of Fu Diner has to do with the food- in mentioning the restaurant to a friend who said "What is it called?" I said, "Fu, like F-U" which of course resulted in laughter.

OTHER LOCATION

(closed in 2011)
No. 26, Lane 223, ZhongXiao E. Road, Sec. 4
(02) 8773-3856
MRT: SYS Memorial Hall

CLOSED/Snapshot/pizza: i strongly recommend 15 PIZZA at GuangFu

FIFTEEN PIZZERIA NAPOLETANA
No. 36, Lane 280, GuangFu S. Rd,
(02) 2721-8994
(updated 2019)

MRT: SYS Memorial Hall

hours: Sun-Thurs 11:30AM-10:30PM;
Fri/Sat 11:30AM- 11:30PM

website: fifteen.htm.tw Chinese only

$$

Kid friendliness: lots of kid friendly flavors

Visit reviewed: 2/15/2010
previous review: 12/2009


Finally got to try the Fifteen Pizza at its new location off of GuangFu, as well as its "buy large, get small free pizza to-go" deal available every month on the 15th (of course.)

I accidentally ordered the Truffle Genovese instead of my usual Portobello Mushroom when ordering in Chinese (I order a "mo goo" pizza not knowing the Chinese for portobello). But it turns out to be a happy accident. The truffle oil gives the pizza a fragrant earthiness and I easily can eat the whole pie (but I don't!). The crust is still wonderfully chewy and springy, and the pizza while thin is not dry.

The deal is pretty good considering their 8 inch is not much cheaper than the 10 inch, so it's a good time to try a new flavor on the house (and their prices have gone up quite a bit since I first discovered them in 2009). The downside is that you gotta leave the restaurant before you can dig in. Maybe sneak a bite in the car if you can't wait until you get home.

ORIGINAL LOCATION:

No. 4-1, Ln 118, Heping E. Rd, Sec 2
(02) 2377-1142
MRT: Technology Building/Brown Line

breakfast/brunch: ESLITE CAFE

ESLITE CAFE
at DunHua Eslite
No. 245, DunHua S Road, Sec. 1, 2F
(02) 2775-5977

hours: brunch menu 7:30PM -1:30PM

$-$$

Kid friendliness: quiet environment in morning, no high chairs spotted

Visit reviewed: 10/8/2010



When I'm jetlagged in LA and wanting an early breakfast at 7am (or earlier), I have a bunch of options to hit up like IHOP. But if you're looking for eggs and bacon or pancakes at an early hour in Taipei, it's a lot harder (apart from pricey hotel breakfasts or McDonalds!)

One peaceful place you can grab your coffee and toast is the Eslite Cafe which has a few breakfast options and opens at 7:30AM. Brunch sets are NT$180-200 and is available daily until 1:30PM. You can also order off their regular menu, as my friend did, getting a sandwich that had way too many sprouts for me and a hot chocolate that probably cost as much as my set.




Instead, I got set A, which has a deceiving picture on the menu, brimming with food. You're only allotted the choice of 2 of the 4 things (bacon, eggs, sausage or potatoes) and 1 choice of bread (bagel, country bread or baguette). After some convincing, the waitress let me trade my starch choice from bread to potatoes.



As you can see it's not really a generous amount, and even worse, the bacon wasn't crispy.

More filling sets are probably the croque monsieur or ham and cheese panini. Overall, the taste was not too bad, but it's most likely that they are just reheating whatever was premade since there isn't really a kitchen in that coffee shop space. But on this early morning, it's a nice space to enjoy an early breakfast and then have an excuse to browse the books afterwards.

Happy Lantern Festival! taiwanese: I still strongly recommend TAI YI MILK KING

Who eats shaved ice during the winter time?

I do!

Especially when my sister is in town for a short visit and we gotta hit up all my favorite eats, which definitely includes Tai Yi Milk King. It's also great to go when it's wintertime because then you don't have to duke it out for a seat.

To warm up, get a bowl of tang yuan as well, which you can get with either hot red bean, rice wine or sweet peanut soup.

The sesame oozing out of the chewy tang yuan is a perfect bite, just in time for the Lantern Festival.

Or get some tang yuan to go to make at home and then join the crowds at SYS Memorial Hall to check out the Year of the Rabbit lanterns.


TAI YI MILK KING
No. 82, Xin Sheng S. Road, Sec. 3
(across the street from the main entrance of Tai Da)
(02) 2362-3712

MRT: Gongguan

previous review: 5/2007