CLOSED! chinese/dessert: i strongly recommend SAN YUAN CHINESE CUISINE

SAN YUAN CHINESE CUISINE 三源
(closed and moved to Neihu, renamed Dancing Chili)
at ATT4FUN
No. 12, Song Shou Rd, 5FL
台北市松壽路12號4F
(02) 7737-5088

MRT: Taipei City Hall

website: www.ace168.com.tw (Chinese only)

hours: 11 AM - 11 PM

$$ (about NT$400/person)

Kid friendliness: high chairs and kid dinnerware available. lots of kid friendly items on menu

Visit reviewed: 1/29/2012

Whenever I feel like eating out last minute on a weekend, it's kind of a pain. Most places are booked in advance or have crazy lines not worth waiting in. So on a recent weekend, my friends and I figured we'd head to ATT4Fun and walk around until we saw something without too long of a wait. On the 5th floor there's plenty to choose from and we picked the first one that could seat 8 people without a wait. A few doors down, the ramen place had a line of at least ten people, so we vowed to come back to try it out at a less busy time.

With the modern purple touch, Sanjin looks like it might be too fancy or expensive to eat at, but their menu of xiao long bao, dumplings, noodles and other Chinese food are affordable and surprisingly tasty. I'd previously spotted another branch at Bellavita's food court and heard about their chocolate dumplings. Yep, you heard me say CHOCOLATE!

dinner with a view of Taipei 101

Menus is both in English and Chinese thankfully, though a few descriptions still need further explanations. There are a few unique items besides the chocolate dumplings, like spicy oil fried hand cut noodles, or rice cake with kimchi, or handmade steamed buns that look like porcupines. San Yuan's house specialties are marked with a gold character on the left of the items on the menu, and we ended up ordering quite a few of them.

super hot xiao long bao anyone?

The waiter brings appetizer dishes for us to choose from- I think the group settled on edamame, taro and fried tiny fish.

The kitchen works fairly quickly and dishes start arriving- stir fried cabbage...

ketchup fried rice (NT$ which seemed to be more popular with the adults than the kids, contrary to expectations with the sweet tang...

squishy stir fried rice cakes, cooked to the right chewy-ness...

The steamed pork xiao long baos(NT$160) arrive and disappear quickly, one per person with 8 in a basket, so we end up having to add a few baskets... Hot and juicy, it is a crowd pleaser as much as Din Tai Fung.

We also try the house specialty Lee Xue mild spicy xiao long bao (NT$320), but they look exactly the same on the outside as the regular ones. On the inside, the pork is dotted with what seems like super finely diced chilies and a nice kick. There's a "super hot" one with three chilies pictures as well as a "superb xiao long bao" at NT$520.

The other dumplings are just as good... steamed vegetable and pork (NT$160)...

shrimp and pork shumai (NT$180) which floats a shrimp above a juicy pork dumpling (unlike the ones filled with sticky rice at Din Tai Fung)...

Don't miss the handmade steamed small bun (NT$90 for 3), which doesn't describe how adorable these buns are. 

Up close, I admire the handiwork and wonder how they make all the little spikes.

We weren't full, so we ended up adding the Lee Xue spicy oil fried handmade noodle(NT$200). The pan fried knife cut noodles were thick and chewy and had a nice flavor. A bowl for one would make a nice meal.

Be sure to order the steamed chocolate bun (NT$220 for 5) ahead of time and save room. Bite sized, these are like fat mochi dumplings filled with warm, melted chocolate. Try not to fight over them, or order extra.

chocolate + dumpling = mmmmmm

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by San Yuan. Even though we ordered some of the pricier things on the menu, sharing it allowed everyone a taste and it ended up being affordable at about NT$400 a person. IS a good family style restaurant with speedy service and a nice setting, and most importantly, delicious enough to make a mental bookmark to consider another trip back, before it's as packed as the other restaurants in the area.

OTHER LOCATION

Bellavita, B2
28 Songren Rd
台北市松仁路28號B2
(02) 8729-2739

hotpot/taiwanese: i recommend TAI HO DIEN

TAI HO DIEN 太和殿麻辣火鍋
No. 315 Xinyi Road, Sec. 4 大安區信義路四段315號
(02) 2705-0909

MRT: SYS Memorial Hall

$$ (about $500-700/person)

hours: 12 PM - 3 AM

website: www.taihodien.com.tw Chinese only

visit reviewed: 3/3/2011

Tai Ho Dien is a spicy mala hotpot restaurant on Xinyi Road, which is kind of hard to spot with all the MRT construction going on. But it's roomy with two seating sections and easier to get a big table than the more popular mala joints in town. But it's just as good, and a proclaimed favorite of a few of my friends.

My friends can eat mala hotpot all year round, which is perfect for tagging along, and of course, when they discovered I'd never tried Tai Ho Dien, reservations were made.

What I love about mala hotpot places in Taipei is that they come with the dual sided hotpots, so that you can stick to the non-spicy side, or flirt with the tongue numbing heat as much as you feel comfortable. You pay for the soup base and then for the additional dishes- sliced meats, vegetables, tofu, intestines.. Just give me some red meat to swish around and some you tiao to dunk and eat and I'm pretty happy. I like to soak it for just a few seconds to soak up the spicy broth, but not long enough for it to get soggy.

The broths also get continually replenished, so the blood cubes, tofu, chinese cabbage are all-you-can-eat. For mala beginners, you can get xiao la or low spicy, which is already pretty fiery.

Be sure to try the fish and shrimp fishballs which are freshly made and scooped into the hotpot.

We had some sunshine over the weekend, but it's getting cold again - perfect weather for hot pot! There are also locations outside of Taipei in Taichung, Jhongli, Hsinchu, Zhubei and Kaohsiung. Do I have any readers there? Hungry in Hsinchu? Hahahaha.

seafood: i recommend OYSTER BAR at BELLAVITA

OYSTER BAR
at Bellavita
28 Song Ren Rd, B2
(02) 8729-2731

MRT: Taipei City Hall

website: bellavita.com.tw

$$$

hours: 11AM- 10PM/ until 10:30PM on Friday and Sat

kid friendliness: bar stool seating only and all seafood menu

visit reviewed: 11/14/2011

Raw oysters are definitely not for everyone, but if you taste a really good fresh oyster, it could become an expensive addiction. I LOVED fried oysters growing up- my mom would fry up a batch of crispy, fat, juicy oysters from a jar from Ranch 99 every time I came back home from college. But it definitely took me a lot longer to want to try raw ones. The first time I probably tried it was ten years ago at McCormick and Schmick's, with some lemon and cocktail sauce. The jelly-like texture and stronger smell still doesn't compete with the fried oyster for me, but I've grown to appreciate the taste.

And while there are a lot of seafood buffets and sushi bars in Taipei, there aren't a whole lot of raw bars. So of course there's one in the euro-luxe Bellavita, aptly named Oyster Bar. The sleek barstool seating winds all the way around, so it's a relatively casual atmosphere with fine dining quality and prices. I've never seen it have more than a few customers (if any), so it's also relatively chill and quiet.

The menu is fairly straight forward- the first page describes the various types of imported French jet-fresh oysters available, while menu also includes seafood platters, maine lobster, caviar, smoked salmon, sea whelks and iberico ham.  To the uninitiated like me, the names like Tsarskaya Oyster No.2 and Belon oyster may not mean much, but we're always learning. You can try them all with a Home Run Oyster Platter (NT$1680 for 6), or ask them to recommend a few to try as I did.

My new friends that I met with decided to each have a Home Run Oyster Platter and some bubbly from the Wine Bar right next to the Oyster Bar. I wasn't sure if I was going to be full from just oysters, so I decided to have them choose 2 oysters for me and an order of crabcakes.

We were served a complimentary appetizer- the tiny cup of chicken consomme opened up my appetite.

Oyster Bar chose Royal Oyster No.3 (NT$300) and Escaille Oyster No. 2 (NT$320) for me and plated it with little labels, which the food blogger in me appreciates. It's hard to describe the taste, but they tasted creamy and smooth, almost sweet. Enjoy it while it goes down- one slurp is worth a whole meal at about US$10 a pop.

The deep fried crab meat cake with sea urchin tartar (NT$360) were different than the traditional kind one might expect, deep fried and plated standing, but they were full of crab meat inside and the sweet, paper thin, dried apple was an interesting touch.

My friends' Home Run Oyster Platters plated beautifully.

If I were to come back again, I'd bring a few friends to share the Deluxe Seafood Platter that includes a maine lobster, sea shrimps, six oysters, clams, whelks and cuttlefish (NT$3980).

kicking off 2012

Happy new year!

Thanks to everyone who voted for me in the 2011 Taiwan Best Blog Awards. I won in the Travel category! I love that people who love food as much as I do get to discover along with me all the amazing eats that Taipei has to offer and it's always nice to know that you are appreciated.

To be honest, it gets harder and harder for me to write the blog as the years pass. I overanalyze what I'm writing, I try to include as much accurate information as possible, I want my pictures to look drool-worthy, and I eat faster than I can think of new ways to say "delicious" and end up with an overwhelming backlog of photos to transform into posts. So this year, I'd like to be more productive, not be so self conscious and just write like I'm writing for myself. And to get the 2012 Best of Taipei results done before March. Haha.

Wishing everyone a healthy and happy new year and lots of memorable meals with friends and family.

mexican/new in town: i strongly recommend MACHO TACOS- SHIDA

MACHO TACOS- SHIDA
No. 15 Pucheng St
(02) 2363-7518

MRT: Taipower Bldg Station

website: machotacos.com

$

hours: M-F 11:30 AM - 3PM; 5PM-10PM
SAT: 11:30AM - 10PM
SUN 11:30AM - 9PM

kid friendliness: more room for strollers, kids

visit reviewed: 11/4/2011
previous visit: 12/2010 at DaAn branch

Macho Tacos opened a new branch of their popular Baja style Mexican eats in the Shida neighborhood late last month. Almost twice the size of the original DaAn branch, there's more room for all your grub and friends.

Ten percent off during their soft opening period.

The inside sports the familiar wrestler logo, English and Chinese signage and red/green fast casual tables.

My favorites are still the fish tacos. Crispy fish, crunchy lettuce and creamy white sauce. You can't really appreciate how far Mexican food has come in Taiwan unless you try the fish tacos- they are the must order at Macho Tacos.

The next favorites after the fish tacos are either the steak or carnitas in soft taco, burrito, burrito bowl or quesadilla form. Don't forget to load up on the salsa at the help yourself salsa bar, and ask for the hot sauce.

carnitas soft taco

If I had one suggestion for the powers that be, Macho's nachos still need more cheese. A lot more cheese. Melty, piled on cheese. At other places, I've seen the chips bathing in cheese. That's how nachos should be.

But until then, I'm pretty happy with most of what Macho Tacos offers and the affordable prices. Chimichangas are also available now. Maybe in the future we can hope for some taquitos smothered in guacamole?

OTHER LOCATION
No. 3, Lane 126, Yanji St.
(02) 2731-4489

my kitchen: pesto, edamame & goat cheese meatballs

I made meatballs for the first time this year (spurred on by cravings watching America's Next Great Restaurant) and was surprised to find out how freakin easy it is! Maximum flavor for a little elbow grease. And the meatballs can be eaten as a side dish, with spaghetti or  for a meatball sub.

EASY PESTO, EDAMAME and GOAT CHEESE MEATBALLS RECIPE
-500 grams or 1 pound of ground beef
-1/3 cup of bread crumbs
-1 egg
-pinch of salt and pepper
-1 tbsp italian seasoning

Mix elements by hand, form little balls. Can make original flavor and then some with add-in ingredients. If stuffing with cheese, then cut cheese into cubes to form the meatball around the cheese.

I made some with just pesto, some with pesto and edamame, and some with pesto and goat cheese. I like to make mini meatballs too, but if you make different size meatballs, it's best to put them on different trays since the mini ones will cook faster.

Cook in oven for about 20-25 minutes at 180C (or 350F) or until browned and cooked through.

OPTIONAL ADD INs
-pesto
-goat cheese
-edamame
-olives
-parmesan cheese
-mushrooms

Use leftover meatballs the next day for meatball sub. SO GOOD. I just spooned some tomato pasta sauce onto the meatballs and brushed ciabatta roll with pesto sauce, added some provolone cheese (thanks to my friend M) and threw it in the toaster oven. Decadent and delicious. You cannot find a good meatball sandwich in Taipei, and no Subway doesn't count- for some reason Taipei's Subway meatballs are too processed.

4th Annual 2011 Best of Taipei Restaurants Readers' Favorites Poll!

2011 was a busy year and the end of the year somehow makes things even more insane. But it's that time of year again- time to reflect, time to stuff your face and time to vote for your favorites! Check out last year's results if you need a cheat sheet.

VOTING

Voting will be open from December 20th, 2011 - January 8th, 2012. 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! So hope all of you that have been reading and learning where the best eats in Taipei can take a few minutes to vote!

You don't have to have a google account to vote. Just enter your name or initials and 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 by February 2011 (fingers crossed!).

Thank you and happy holidays and happy new year!

Remember 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.

snapshot/dessert: i strongly recommend the ICE CREAM WITH COTTON CANDY AND ESPRESSO from COFFEE ALLEY

Looking for a place to nosh with friends after watching Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (go watch it!) the other night and the Diner is booked for a private party. Where to do we end up? After wandering around ATT 4 Fun, we decide on Coffee Alley and get in after a 10 minute or so wait. I know what I want to order since I didn't get to try it the last time and the ice cream with cotton candy and espresso (NT$140) doesn't disappoint. You might miss it on their crowded menu, but now you know what to look for.

Cotton candy has been popping up on more and more dessert menus since I first was given a bowlful at Simon in Las Vegas. From straightforward to the ultra creative (Bazaar's foie gras and cotton candy), Coffee Alley's rendition is playful yet smart. 

You pour the small pitcher of espresso on top of the cotton candy and watch it shrink before your eyes. It's like maaaaaaagic.

As the spun sugar melts into a coffee caramel sauce, you finally get a peek at the ice cream.

Three generous scoops of vanilla ice cream are coated with sticky sweet espresso sauce that works perfectly with the nuts and ice cream. Sometimes a huge cloud of cotton candy is too sweet to eat the entire thing, so I was worried this dessert would be too sweet, but somehow the espresso neutralized the sugar so it was just right.  I'd duke it out with the Coffee Alley crowds just for this dessert.

For addresses for Coffee Alley, check out my previous post.