italian/event: i strongly recommend CHEF BATAVIA at TOSCANA at SHERWOOD HOTEL

TOSCANA
at Sherwood Hotel
111, Min Sheng E. Road, Sec. 3,
02-2718-1188

MRT: Zhong Shan Jr. High School

website:

$$$

Kid friendliness: high chairs available. fine hotel dining atmosphere.

Visit reviewed: 6/11/2011

When I first started this blog almost six (!) years ago, I had never heard of or knew about Michelin stars, palate cleansers or foie gras, much less experienced that kind of fine "wining and dining." Even Top Chef wasn't on the air back then to teach us about amuse-bouches and sous vide!

But after many seasons of Top Chef and the Food Network and blogging, I've picked up enough to not feel out of place at those fancy restaurants. And after eating my way around Taipei (and a few other countries here and there), I still believe that a meal that costs $1 can taste as good as something that costs $100. Good food is good food, no matter what. (After all, a high price tag doesn't guarantee good food!)

If you can afford to splurge, then you should make your reservations at Toscana while Chef Nicola Batavia is a guest chef there, from June 8- June 24th. I was lucky enough to be invited to the Taipei Sherwood Hotel where I enjoyed an amazing meal and got to peek in the busy kitchen. His dishes are available as sets or ala carte, for lunch or dinner.

I didn't know until after the meal that Chef Batavia has two restaurants in Italy, Ristorante Birichin, which was awarded a Michelin star, and La Kava, and recently opened a third in London, Casa Batavia. I've never been to Italy, but after this meal, I know I have to make the trip one day! 

The first amuse bouche was a cold tomato and vegetable soup. The second amuse bouche was sweet shrimp presented four ways, including with frozen fresh mint on top. Two were kind of citrusy, but only the one with the mint was cold- all were super fresh and had that melt in your mouth sea bite that I love about sweet shrimp.

So many parts of the meal were so memorable, but hands down, this was my favorite dish of the night- split pea soup with brown sugar flavored foie gras.

The startling bright green soup had a sweetness and almost milky texture, not grainy at all from my previous experiences with split pea soups. The sweetness was accented by the carmelized brown sugar on top of the creamy foie gras which was cut into a super thin layer that might be mistaken for a crouton. It was the perfect amount, which means I savored each bite and after I was finished I was left wanting more.

I loved the taste of the freshly made pasta in the Paccheri filled with prawns and pecorino cheese sauce dish. It was cooked perfectly and the sweetness of the prawns here echoed the earlier sweet shrimp. It wasn't drowned in sauce or cheese, rather they were accents to highlight the flavors of the pasta. 

Everyone oohed when the monkfish, parma ham and potatoes served with red piedmont sauce and pistachio and crispy onions with the vertical plating. I thought the onion rings were a little out of place tasteon the dish, but I ate them on the side. It was also my first time having monkfish, which surprisingly had a shellfish springiness and taste to it. It didn't flake like fish, rather it was firm and sweet like lobster.

One diner at our table asked why we were getting dessert in the middle of our meal when the tomato strawberry sorbets arrived, and our friend explained about the palate cleanser, which is supposed to refresh and stimulate your tastebuds for the next dish. The tomato flavor was stronger than the strawberry, so the ice was almost savory.

I would have never expected for tuna to be used in a sauce for veal, but in the veal with tonnato is a variation of one of Chef Batavia's signature dishes, vitello tonnato. The tuna flavor was very subtle and I almost thought the sauce was a bland mustard, until I tasted the tonnato by itself. The veal was very tender, but being used to heavier seasonings, my only complaint about the entire meal was that the meat could have used a touch of salt.

One of my friends that night had a vegetarian set so it was cool to see how his dishes contrasted to mine. He had an asparagus, poached egg appetizer I had my eye on, and the plating of his "pasta" dish was gorgeous, with super thin slices of eggplant and sweet potato. 

He said that these deep fried flowers tasted like crab, as they were stuffed with some sort of creamy cheese and the long petals almost like the legs of a deep fried soft shell crab. Haha!

I was also impressed with the creativity of the pearl barley dish. Most of the time, vegetarian options are  a creamy pasta tossed up with mushrooms or sliced bell peppers, or veggie pizza, but all the elaborate dishes in the set course were unlike any other vegetarian dishes I'd seen before. It's too bad my mom wasn't in Taipei, as I would have treated her to it to see what she thought, as she's been vegetarian for over 20 years.

Lots of wine on the table, as Gianni Gagliardo red and white wines were paired with the various dishes.

I loved the delicate pistachio and white chocolate ladyfingers that came with the Italian Sabayon, as well as the chocolate dipping sauce. While the sabayon had too much alcohol for me to have more than a few tastes, I secretly spooned all the chocolate into my mouth when no one was looking.

The meal was a taste of Italy transported to Taipei and Chef Batavia's light touch on all the dishes showcased the quality ingredients and made for a memorable meal. I don't always get to hear about these special events, but I'm glad I caught this one. Toscana also offers a luxe weekend brunch and a big salad/antipasti/dessert spread for lunch, dinner and afternoon tea. Maybe I'll have to return before it's over for a bowl of soup.

snapshot/Chinese: ZONG ZI

Last week during Duan Wu Jie was time for these pockets of sticky rice filled with savory or sweet. My friend spent hours making these to share with us- stuffing the sticky rice with abalone, egg, fatty pork, mushrooms and chestnuts and then wrapping them in bamboo leaves.

Do you have a favorite place to buy zong zi from, or do you make them at home with your family? I had a chance to make them a few years ago, but when the craving hits I usually go to Jiu Ru or Little Shanghai, though I'm sure everyone likes their mom/grandma/family's version the best. When my mom used to make them when we were little, she would put in extra mushrooms for me since she knew I liked that part the best.

my kitchen: banana nutella cornbread waffles

I've been addicted to making my waffles with Trader Joe's Cornbread mix lately after discovering it makes the perfect crispy waffle. So today I decided to warm up some nutella in the microwave to drizzle on top with sliced bananas and it was decadent. It's surprising what you can put in the waffle maker- blueberry muffin mix, chocolate chip cookie mix- it makes all the sides nice and crispy for those of us who like eating the muffin tops- and cooks up a lot faster too!

And after making a few waffles, there's enough batter to put in the oven for cornbread.

Or add in some regular waffle batter to extend the cornmeal and put in the fridge for another morning.

I'm sure any cornbread mix would work, but I love the sweetness and texture of Trader Joes enough to bring boxes back. Haven't spotted cornbread mix of any brand in Taipei- has anyone found it in Taipei?

CLOSED/dessert/japanese: DAZZLING CAFE-SUNSHINE

DAZZLING CAFE (SUNSHINE)
at A11, Xinyi Mitsukoshi, 2FL
(02) 2723-0767
(updating in 2019. closed many years ago. now a MIA CUCINA)

MRT: Taipei City Hall

hours: 11AM- 11PM (last order 10PM); Fri/Sat 11AM-12AM (last order 11PM)

$$

kid friendliness: high chair available

visit reviewed: 5/3/2011 (all pics from iphone 4)

It's a pretty brillant move of Dazzling Cafe to open their newest location in the middle of a shopping mall. Its glossy white, glittering decor and honey toast reputation would be sure to draw in any casual shoppers passing by, like it did for my friend and I, who were wondering why Paul (across the walkway) was so unusually empty during afternoon tea hours.

In the middle of the afternoon, Dazzling was packed with diners.

The founder of Dazzling Cafe actually had Dazzling stores first, selling jewelry and accessories. This location combines both, with a small shop adjacent to the dining space, which is between Club Monaco and Pandora Jewelry. The decor of the shops stand out, with the sunny yellow accents on the stark black and white. (I hear their other stores have similar color accents and are named accordingly)

But let's say you're not buying any bling today... you're just here for your sweet tooth. There is a lunch/dinner menu that includes seven or so different spaghetti dishes, or an all day menu for honey toast, tea and coffee.

We were lucky enough to get a seat right away at 4PM on a weekday the week after Dazzling Sunshine opened- I think it would be a different story on the weekend and once news about the new location spreads. Upon seating, the waiter lets us know that there is a 90 minute limit at our table and a one drink minimum per person. The drink menu includes hot and iced teas, lattes, juices, slushies (NT$90-160).

There's about ten varieties of honey toast, including toppings like classic honey, chocolate banana, strawberry, caramel, blueberry or tropical fruit, ranging from NT$200-250, . You can also opt for a fondue style, or you could go all out and get a "Party in Your Mouth." Tempting... but we ended up deciding on chocolate banana.

Our drinks came fairly quickly and I was really happy with my fruity Iced Strawberry Tea with Cherry (NT$140), though the drink prices are kinda highway robbery and the fact that each diner MUST order one.

My friend's fancied up latte.

Our truffle french fries (NT$200) came first and they might have spoiled our appetite for the honey toast. Crispy, hot and adorned with truffles, my friend and I agreed we'd probably come back here for the truffle fries alone. Wait, and our two required drinks. Wonder if we could get the truffle fries to go?

Then the honey toast came. If you haven't seen honey toast in person, you might be surprised, like my friend, to see how huge it is in person. I think she might have gasped, seeing the mammoth dessert come towards our table. It's easily shared by four people, and between the two of us, we didn't make it through half of ours.

I had high expectations after hearing about the legendary lines and wait to get a seat, and because they won for Favorite Dessert on the 2010 Readers' Favorites poll and seeing all the drool worthy pictures of decadence.  I really wanted to like the honey toast, but I found Dazzling's version to be too dry. I know you're supposed to smother the ice cream and cream onto the cubes of toast, but the previous versions I've eaten (in both Taipei and the states), they've drizzled honey onto the bread before toasting to make a caramelized effect so that the honey toast itself is kind of a revelation without all the other stuff. While there was some dusting of sugar on the toast, we had to ask for more honey to get that flavor. I don't know if the classic honey toast flavor would have been prepared differently, or the other locations, but I was sadly disappointed because I was comparing them to my other experiences.

But I can see how the atmosphere and presentation could lure in curious diners as well as the ladies that lunch/afternoon tea crowd. Dazzling would be an appropriate place for a birthday celebration, or as a tourist stop while shopping in the area. If someone wanted me to go again and share honey toast with them, I'd give it another try. Maybe next time I'll have better luck with a Party in my Mouth.

OTHER LOCATIONS:

Reservation number: 02-8773-9229

PINK:
No. 11, Lane 205, Alley 7, ZhongXiao E Road, Sec 4,
(02)8773-9238

MINT:
No. 3, Lane 248, ZhongXiao E. Road, Sec 3,
(02) 2731-5199

japanese/snack: i strongly recommend JAPAN BOAT TAKOYAKI at GONGGUAN NIGHT MARKET

JAPAN BOAT TAKOYAKI
or ZI CHUAN
at Gongguan Night Market
at Luo Si Fu Lu or Roosevelt Rd, Sec. 4

MRT: Gongguan

website: japanboat.com.tw

kid friendliness: kids might like this, but be careful it's hot!

visit reviewed: 4/3/2011 (all pics from iphone 4)

If you've never tried takoyaki before, it might sound kind of strange. Little fried balls of batter with pieces of octopus, covered with drizzling of mayo and bonito? There's even a takoyaki pizza at Taipei's Pizza Hut that has the same effect, with bits of octopus, zigzags of the sweet japanese mayo that catch the bonito fish flakes from flying away.

There's something mesmerizing about watching takoyaki being made- the batter poured in long rows, quickly being cooked and masterfully flipped over to brown the both sides. Think of it as a grilled hush puppy or savory donut hole.

And to eat it hot off the griddle is a must- the takoyaki (NT$40) from this vendor at Gongguan night market is perfect. Crispy, hot, airy, starchy, chewy, with touches of sweetness from the mayo, spiciness from the wasabi (optional) and fishiness from the bonito flakes. The box design is kinda brilliant too- it's shaped like a boat, with crisscross ventilation on the cover so the morsels don't steam and get soggy when you're taking it to go.

There's lots to explore at the Gongguan night market too, which has two long rows of stalls of goodies- sticky rice and chinese sausages, spring onion cakes (which has a crazy long line), giant fried chicken... I even spotted some Vietnamese sandwiches banh mi. But the takoyaki is not to be missed- you're gonna want your own box!

Japan Boat is actually a franchise- so you might be able to spot it at other night markets, as well as other countries- including Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong- but this is the first time I've seen/had it.

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my kitchen/snapshot: almost cobb salad

I love cobb salad, but it's seems like a tough salad to find done right in Taipei. I had good luck at Gordon Biersch with their seafood version, but this week I had many of the ingredients on hand to make one at home- tomatoes, ham, cucumbers, avocado, hard boiled egg, cheese, romaine.

Almost all the ingredients- next time I need to buy and crumble up some bacon and blue cheese.

CLOSED snapshot/dessert: i still strongly recommend YOFROYO

One way to beat the heat is with some frozen yogurt. Yofroyo seems to still be going strong and added specialty flavors, acai berry and lychee tart to the line up.

Spotted some new locations, including at Q Square & Ximending, and heard the tiny one in Gongguan closed awhile back.

This is combo #1 with original tart, though I tend to favor the green tea/red bean combo too.

hungryintaipei restaurant roundup- may 2011: dazzling openings and bittersweet closings

I was sick last week and have been busy this month so haven't spotted a ton of new openings this month. I need you guys to fill me in and feel free to email me or comment or Facebook me if you're a restaurant/chef or have food news! But here's a little bit of what I've gathered/heard...

- Eddy's Cantina in Tianmu is officially open and Eddy and Jo are coming into town from Danshui daily while their longtime staff holds down the original location. Review coming soon!
- Sweet Tooth Club closed its storefront, though the owner Ariel is still baking from home. Follow their facebook page for updates
- Couldn't believe that longtime Chinese restaurant Shanghai Fans was closed after reader Jane L. left a comment on the post, but I saw the emptied location with my own eyes. Sadface.
- A few days after I posted my revisit to Patio Thai, I drove by and also saw construction and an emptied out restaurant (bye bye koi pond). But a different Thai restaurant is set to open in the same location in June 2011. We'll see if it's the same owner/management or new owners- hopefully they'll still have good pad thai.
- Speaking of Thai food, Dazzling Cafe has opened a Dazzling Thai Cafe at Breeze Center...
- Dazzling has also opened another location of its popular honey toast dessert cafe, Dazzling Cafe- Sunshine, at Xinyi Mitsukoshi. Review and pictures coming soon, though I can say their truffle fries are tasty!
- Also recently opened is GooBer, a new American bistro/burger joint, opened by the chef who founded Oola and Fresh Greens, offering up sliders and shoestring french fries

western/revisited: I strongly recommend GORDON BIERSCH

GORDON BIERSCH
at Xinyi Mitsukoshi A11, 2FL
No.11, Songshou Rd.,
(02) 8786-7588

MRT: Taipei City Hall

website: gordonbiersch.com.tw

hours: 11 AM - 11:30 PM/ Fri/Sat until 12midnight

$$

Kid friendliness: high chairs available. crayons. lots finger foods

Visit reviewed: 5/17/2011
Previous visit reviewed: 6/13/2008

For some reason, I've been craving cobb salads lately. Perhaps its the lingering memory of the awesome cobb salads I had at Tender Greens last summer in LA. Or maybe the Taipei weather going from winter directly into the humid summer has me craving cool salads. Whatever reason- I was mentally going over my choices for salads in Taipei when I found that Gordon Biersch had a seafood cobb salad. 

So the next day I headed there for lunch. Squeezed into a table despite not having a reservation. The restaurant filled quickly after 12:30PM, much more full than Chili's on a weekday. They still have a full menu of eats, as well as a lunch menu which includes a drink, soup or dessert and main dish- all for around NT$400. 

The huge cobb salad didn't disappoint (along with two full cups of dressing of your choice- we picked ranch) with lots of cheese, chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, bacon, eggs and avocado as well as some shrimp and crab meat. The shrimp were kind of on the small side and we had more dressing than we knew what to do with, but overall everything was fresh and I'd definitely order this again.

I also was extremely happy with the pulled pork sandwich, overflowing with the slightly spicy and sweet meat, and the garlic fries which I requested to sub for the potato chips. I couldn't stop eating the crispy fries.

I was happy that the drinks with the lunch set included the lemonades as an option (or soda), and I got the strawberry lemonade. I opted for the dessert of the day instead of french onion soup, but wasn't crazy about the mushy apple bread pudding, though the vanilla ice cream was good.

Advance reservations are definitely recommended, even for weekdays, and Gordon Biersch is a great option for large groups, families or business meetings, as well as beer lovers. Weekend waits without reservations are typically at least an hour, though you can leave your phone number and shop around the nearby area until they call you.  Since I last reviewed it, they opened another Taipei location in Song Shan district and one in Taichung. 

OTHER LOCATION

No.102, Dun Hua N. Rd.
(02) 2713-5288
11:30AM-11PM

CLOSED! mexican/new in town: MAYAN GRILL

MAYAN GRILL
No. 6, Lane 65, Zhongshan N. Rd, Sec. 2
(02) 2511-6292

CLOSED a/o 2014

MRT Shuanglian

website: mayangrill.com

hours: 11:30AM - 11PM (Closed Mondays)

$$

Kid friendliness: high chairs available

Visit reviewed: 3/29/2011

How can you not be excited that another Mexican restaurant has opened in Taipei? Opened in late March 2011, Mayan Grill offers a range of Mexican eats beyond tacos and burritos in a beautiful, two story restaurant near the Ambassador Hotel. Brunch is also available on weekends and I heard chorizo was going to be on the menu!

Mayan Grill's all day dining menu includes crispy and soft tacos, burritos, salads and rice bowls in varying lunch sets including soup, salad and rice, while a slow set would also include chips and salsa, coffee/tea and daily dessert (NT$249-499). They also have a dinner menu with other entrees that we didn't get to check out since their menus hadn't come in from the printers yet! 

It's always hard to judge a restaurant during its soft opening- service and food is still getting worked out, staff is getting trained and it's a time for the restaurant to get feedback and adjust, so keep that in mind that things might be different since I've eaten there a few months ago. I was also an invited guest, and the things I ate were mostly items that the owner thought we should try from their lunch menu and the dishes were plated to be shared with a large group. (Disclosure- I received this meal for free from Mayan Grill, but the opinions expressed are my own. No compensation was received.)

My favorites were the hot, crispy flautas and baked enchiladas, which would make a good meal by themselves. I'd definitely order these again and these are hard to find items around Taipei. A long time ago in 2004/2005, I used to order the taquitos from Cheers at the Grand Hyatt, but they've long disappeared from the menu there.

The enchiladas weren't as "wet" as I was used to with extra sauce on the plate, but I dug the baked in flavors of the cheese, sauce and meat. You can choose between red sauce or green.

There were three salsas that we sampled with our basket of chips, and the consensus on the favorite was a red pepper salsa which had an addictive sweetness, while the three chile salsa was way too spicy for me.

The taco rice bowl is topped with shredded lettuce and sauces and the green rice can be topped with chicken, pork, ground beef or steak.

I liked the tortilla soup, but had to fish out the soggy tortilla strips out of the soup and the soup needed to be served hotter. I prefer it when the tortilla strips are sprinkled on top so that they retain a semi-crunch.

I was disappointed by Mayans' burritos and tacos, especially in contrast to my experiences with Macho Tacos (for half the price) or what I'd get in LA. The burrito seemed more like a wrap with not enough meat and fillings and each bite seemed like mostly tortilla. It needed a lot more meat. Some might be disappointed that there are also no beans available on the menu yet.

The hard shell crispy tacos were better than the soft fish tacos... 

I was not a fan of the fish soft tacos as they were made that day. At first, when we looked at it, we were unsure if it was fish or chicken, as the meat was flaky/shredded and overwhelmed by the cabbage. It would have been great if there were good sized strips of grilled fish so you could taste and see it. Again, I think I was definitely comparing it with the fish tacos from Macho where the primary focus is the fish.

The housemade Diablo sauce is try at your own risk, or if you want to "sweat, cry or both." I was too chicken to try this, but you can request that your meal come Diablo style if you're looking for some heat.

The chocolate cake dessert was sinfully good- with a moist, dense chocolate flavor that was a great way to end the meal.

With other Taipei sit down Mexican joints La Casita,  El Gallo and Yuma having closed down this past year, Mayan Grill will vie with the also newly opened Eddy's Cantina in Tianmu to be numero uno "sit down" Mexican in town. (Is it kind of sad that I've just written off Amigo and Tequila Sunrise?) The owner, Erik, brings his love for food and experiences from Southern California and seems passionate about making it work. I could imagine that Mayan Grill could be a great place for happy hour with some margaritas and finger foods, or for accommodating large groups or parties.  I spied fresh avocados/guacamole, as well as steak and sopes on their Facebook page which looked tempting and maybe worth another visit to try. Has anyone been- what did you think? Where is your favorite Mexican restaurant in town so far?