my kitchen: EASY HONEY BUTTER BEER BREAD

hi. it's already September and we survived 3 months of Level 3 self quarantine and restaurants doing takeout/delivery only. 

After finishing 2 weeks of mandatory quarantine after returning from my first trip in a year and half, I saw this on Half Baked Harvest's instagram, and NEEDED to BAKE SOMETHING, and an hour later I was devouring freshly baked carbs. This recipe really is RIDICULOUSLY easy to make, with no complicated ingredients. I used a Apple Cider Pipsqueak from Little Creatures Taipei (thanks Ashley!), and I thought it went so well with the butter and honey. 

The texture is dense and spongy, and the crust is so crunchy, buttery and amazing. 

As always, there's so many more things I want to say and share, but I have to get over my own obstacles of feeling like things need to be perfect before I post them, to get that done and uploaded. So for now, enjoy the recipe and the warm carbs. 

EASY HONEY BUTTER BEER BREAD

(Thanks  Half Baked Harvest !) 

INGREDIENTS

- 3 cups all purpose flour

- 1 Tablespoon baking powder

- Pinch of salt

- 1 pint beer (12 ounces)

- 1/4 cup honey 

- 6 Tablespoons of cold salted butter, sliced into 8 slices

1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees C / 375 degrees F. 

2.Add flour, baking powder, pinch of salt to mixing bowl. 

3. Pour in beer and add honey. Mix until just combined. 

4. Spoon batter into baking pan. Add slices of butter on top in two rows. 

5. Place loaf pan onto a rimmed baking pan (to catch splatter from butter). Bake for 45-55 minutes or until top of bread is lightly browned. Slice when cooled and enjoy! 

burger: I strongly recommend EVERYWHERE BURGER CLUB

EVERYWHERE BURGER CLUB 

No. 21號, Lane 420, Guangfu South Road, Da’an District, Taipei 

(02) 2704- 6825

MRT: SYS Memorial Hall

hours: 11:30AM - 3PM; 5PM - 10:30PM 

$$ 

 Visit reviewed: July 2021

Scanning their Instagram, it looks like Everywhere Burger Club has been around for awhile since 2016. Starting out as a food truck, they took their burgers, well, everywhere, around Taipei and so the name is fitting. I had heard about them for awhile, but hadn’t had a chance to try them until our months long lockdown and ordered a few for takeout when I couldn't get my usual spot on the phone. 

Their Classic Pickles comes with a layer of relish which gives the burger a refreshing bite. (I got mine without cheese and a double patty. I was also a little confused when I was ordering on the phone without a menu and when I ordered the hamburger, they said pickles in Chinese "huang gua"). I also had my eye on the Double Smash Burger with melted cheese. I did kind of miss the crunch of lettuce on the burgers, but the burgers look more consistent in photos and photograph really well. Luckily, they did taste as good as they looked. 

They were out of French fries that day (!?) so I just tried the burgers. But they also have mashed potatoes and sweet potato fries on the menu, as well as milkshakes. Can Everywhere Burger Club become a serious contender for best burger in Taipei? Based on the response on Instagram from just one photo, looks like everyone is still looking for burgers. 

Everywhere Burger Club also has a few unusual burger flavors- along with a vegetarian bean and edamame burger, there is also an almond bacon peanut butter (Peanut butter burgers were all the rage in Taipei maybe 10 years ago and now are a consistent option here, but I wonder if the almond is almond slivers or almond butter or where does the almond come in?), grilled garlic sour cream and mushroom, spicy jalapeño salsa, guacamole club (which sounds kind of good as long as they are using Haas avocados) and fried pineapple/grilled pineapple butter. I might have to try a few of those. 

And just to note, looks like their prices are slightly more on Ubereats than if you pick up yourself. 

takeout: 8 NEW MUST EAT DESSERTS IN TAIPEI RIGHT NOW

Social distancing and staying at home the past few months can take a toll on us all. With the ban on dining in restaurants in Taipei extended to August, we could all use a little pick me up. 

There's always been plenty of places in Taipei to grab dessert, shaved ice or cakes, but these are the newest and best sweets that might be harder to find in Taipei that I've been telling my friends to try. Cherry galettes, boston cream pie, confetti cake - if you're like me, these words are music to my ears. (I added one after I posted! Never too many dessert options!)

8 MUST EAT DESSERTS TO TRY IN TAIPEI RIGHT NOW

1. CHERRY GALETTE by AVENUE TAIPEI

2. CONFETTI CAKE by SUGARPEA 

3. BASQUE CHEESECAKE by CAFE DE RIZ

4. BOSTON CREAM DONUTS by AVENUE TAIPEI 

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A post shared by AVENUE | Fast Casual Eatery (@avenue.taipei)

5. CINNAMON ROLL BOX by SALT AND STONE

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A post shared by Joan (@hungryintaipei)

6. MULBERRY WAFFLE by BOTTLESS

7. MARSHMALLOW 5 SPICE BROWNIE by CHINOIS

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8. PINEAPPLE PASSIONFRUIT CANELES by SAM LIU

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16 years!

16 years! Thanks for following! 

And how cute are these ice pops from Ice Monster. Super tasty too. 

hawaiian/taipei takeout: I strongly recommend KAME HOUSE

How do I have 157,930 photos on my phone? Every time I feel my phone struggle with the load of that many photos, I start deleting photos but then I wonder how do I delete photos from my phone without deleting them from the iCloud. The dilemmas of being tied to technology. 

But I know this is not why you came here. You came here to find out where to find legit poke in Taipei. Because when you search "poke in Taipei" online, an array of shops that show very not-poke-like-at-all-or-least-not-seen-ever-in-hawaii-or-LA poke bowls with toppings like corn, carrots, chicken, tomatoes, okra, and *shudder* raisins. They basically fill the need for build your own salads bowls in Taipei, but that's not what poke is.  I won't name names, but you can see for yourself and shake your head along with me. 

But this is not that. 

This is poke that reminds me of Foodlands or Alicia's Market in Honolulu- Hawaiian poke that is just marinated fresh, raw fish. 

The poke bowl (NT$400) here ahi tuna three ways- spicy mayo ahi poke with avocado, shoyu ahi poke and Hawaiian style ahi poke with macadamia nuts. A poke trifecta that's onolicious and so good over rice and side dishes (I usually pick salad or roasted veggies and fries). SO GOOD. 

Besides the poke bowl, my must orders are the garlic shrimp (NT$350), the spam musubi (which they don't usually have everyday but is on the takeout menu, 8 for NT$400) and the loco moco (NT$350). All the main dishes come with sides. Auntie's Fried Chicken is also tasty and they have teppanyaki fried rice with steak and seafood options (NT$599). The half lobster is also such a good deal!!! (NT$500). 

But if you could only pick one dish, try the poke. Hands down my FAVORITE poke bowl in Taipei. 

Kame House and its sister restaurant Kamekona are more known for their teppanyaki, but my favorites are from its a la carte menu. The reason why everything tastes as it should is because the  owners are from Hawaii so they've brought the taste of Hawaii to Taipei and making sure it stays true. (Did anyone else see how fast Eggs N Things in Taipei came and went?) They worked at teppanyaki restaurants in Hawaii and have also brought back the tricks and fiery displays that teppanyaki chefs do more often in the states than here. 

I've been a fan of Kame House since I first went over a year and half ago, though I always go for their poke (at least once a month) and have tried the teppanyaki only at Kamekona. Their shops have a cute Hawaiian vibe inside and the staff has always been so friendly and welcoming. They even sing and play ukulele when its your birthday. The owners also have donated meals to frontline workers during this last month during the pandemic. With two shops, it's been tough for teppanyaki and other restaurants to pivot and I want them to survive the pandemic, so that's why I'm sharing my secret favorite poke spot with you. Because life is too short to eat bad poke. 

KAME HOUSE 

No. 13號, Lane 32, Yixian Road, Xinyi District

台北市信義區逸仙路32巷13號

(02) 8786-9466

MRT: Taipei City Hall 

$$ 

Takeout reviewed: 5/2021

Poke bowl 

Spam musubi

Garlic shrimp

Loco Moco

Auntie's Fried Chicken

Teppanyaki Lobster

Teppanyaki Ribeye with fried rice 

Hawaiian feast at home in Taipei 

Kame House 

Kame House takeout menu during lockdown 2021

burgers: i recommend MOTHER FLIPPIN BURGERS

You cannot find it on Google maps or Instagram, but if you're lucky enough to be in delivery range, you can find it on Ubereats. This is the restaurant of the future, especially in Taipei- ghost kitchens that don't have to worry about servers, decor or space- just the food (and having enough delivery drivers to go around.) 

Tried this new burger in Taipei, Mother Flippin Burgers, last week- double patty, smashed, dripping with cheese and sauce over lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and onions- this burger is not for those wearing white shirts or afraid of a mess. 

Paired with all the fun fried sides (waffle fries, tater tots, onion rings, bbq wings, mozzarella sticks), it was a recipe for a food coma. 

The next time I get it, I will try switching out the Cheddar for the American cheese on the MF'n Classic (NT$168) or try the MF'n Jalapeño Cheddar since I prefer the way Cheddar melts over American. And get the fresh onion rings (NT$130) and wings. Drooling looking at these photos, and based on all the messages I got on Instagram, you guys were too! 

In case you missed it, here was my Best Burgers in Taipei round up from earlier this year. 

takeout/new american: I strongly recommend BOTTLESS

my kitchen: EASY BOX BROWNIES FROM SCRATCH

I’ve always thought it was too much work to make brownies from scratch because melting chocolate seemed like an extra step that could go wrong and add extra pots and bowls to wash. But after finding this recipe, I love how it skips all that, yet has the same chewy yet fudgy box brownies result. I usually use Ghirardelli Triple Chocolate box brownies, but after they were sold out at Costco, I went searching for a recipe and was so happy this one still gives you that crinkly, box brownie taste. 

EASY BOX BROWNIES FROM SCRATCH  

Recipe adapted from Love and Lemons

Recipe tested 🧡 11/2020 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup granulated sugar*
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder, sifted if lumpy
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• 3/4 teaspoons sea salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (I use avocado oil)
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F** Lightly spray an 8x8 baking dish 

2. In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients- 1c sugar, 3/4 flour, 2/3 cocoa powder, 1/2 powdered sugar, 1/2 chocolate chips, and 3/4 tsp salt.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients- 2 eggs, 1/2 c olive oil, 2 Tbsp water, and 1/2 tsp vanilla.

3. Sprinkle the dry mix over the wet mix and stir until just combined.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and use a spatula to smooth the top. (I like to make mini brownie cupcakes then it’s easy to share and eat. Reduce time if you do that)

5. Bake for 40 to 48 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with only a few crumbs attached. I prefer to undertake the brownies than to leave them in too long, as they will still continue to cook a little, and better gooey brownies than dry ones! 

NOTES

*I cut the sugar from 1.5 cups sugar to 1 cup granulated sugar. 

**The original recipe was 325F, but it was too low for me.