chinese: i strongly recommend AH-CHUNG NOODLE SHOP

AH-CHUNG FLOUR RICE NOODLES
Hsi Men Ding

$

website: ay-chung.com Chinese, English and Japanese available

There's only one thing on the menu- and it comes in either a Small (NT$40) or Large bowl (NT$50). How are you going to find it? Head to Hsi-Men Ding, wander past the McDonalds and the Watsons and just look for the shop with all the people crowded in front, standing or squatting, slurping their hot bowls of noodle soup. I forget how I first heard about it- it must have been a friend who said I had to try it, or was it seeing the long line of people waiting for their turn?


When you get to the front of the line, the chef asks (1) small or big bowl and (2) how spicy? You should also let him know if you want to eat it there or get it to go. The chef skillfully scoops up the right amount and cuts the long noodles with the ladle against the huge pot. And then you get your piping hot bowl of melt-in-your-mouth rice noodles, the thick flavorful soup, and occasional bite of pork intestine. Yes, it sounds not appetizing, but it's actually quite good, and meshes well with the consistency of the soup and noodles. You can even make your noodles more spicy or salty with the mini-station of spices off to the side. This type of noodle soup is often served with oysters, known as "oyster noodle strand" soup. I've had it in Orange County with squid.


Once you have your bowl, you can claim your spot nearby, stand or squat or sit. Once you're done, you put your empty bowl and spoon the bucket with all the others and resume your shopping/sightseeing/workday/fill-in-the-blank. It's fast, it's ultra-cheap, it's filling and it's delicious- the ultimate must-try Taipei experience in a bowl.

Other locations:

Shiling Branch
No.24, Lane 101, Wenlin Rd.
02-2388-8808．2388-8182

Zhongxiao Branch (newest)
No. 2, Alley 17, Zhongxiao E. Road, Sec. 4
(alley right next to Sogo, next to Watson's)
(02) 2721-9899

thai: i recommend SPICE MARKET

SPICE MARKET
Eslite Mall (XinYi)
11, SongGao Road, 6th Floor
(02) 8786-0029

Weekdays 12-2:30 pm NT$550, 6-9:30 pm NT$680
Weekends/Holidays 12-4 pm NT$600, 5:30-9:30 pm NT$780

$$

kid friendliness: high chairs available, ice cream and dessert buffet, some of dishes on spicier side so check for varying spiciness

last visited: 3/7/2006 & 4/19/2006

The first time we went to Spice Market, I was very impressed with its wide array of mini-stations including a curry bar, a seafood bar, a noodle soup bar, a bbq meat bar, appetizer and salad bars, and a dessert bar; its earthy, pretty and clean decor with lots of cherry woods and Asian-inspired designs and variations in seating; but most of all with the spring rolls- they were crisp, freshly made and satisfying. I was very excited to come back- after all, I barely skimmed the surface of the buffet and left stuffed.

When you enter, there are rows of tables for parties of 2-4 with the typical wooden tables and chairs, but off to the right, there are mini-patio style seating areas with cushions, each with its own area for larger parties where you see a lot of families. When you turn the corner, there is a very long row of food, with hot foods to one side and drinks and desserts to the other side. Everything is self serve, including the drinks, but they are pretty timely about whisking away your dishes.


As I wasn't allowed to take pictures of the buffet area, you'll have to see the food from my plate. Spice Market has a lot of the popular fare- such as crispy spring rolls and shrimp cakes, the triangle shaped deep fried appetizers, as well as some stir fry vegetables of different variations. I liked that they seemed to refresh the areas often, perhaps because they kept the heat-lamp bowls smaller than typical trays of food, so that the food didn't sit out as long. But I liked the result- unbuffet-like hot and crispy eggrolls and vegetables that weren't soggy from sitting out too long.


The seafood bar at the end of the long buffet row had piles of crab, shrimp and mussels, for which I just sampled the mussels. True seafood buffet lovers might opt to get their hands dirty and dig into the shellfish. I went instead for the bbq meat station, which on my first trip featured very tender and delicious chicken, beef and lamb. On my second trip, the meats looked like they had been sitting out longer than they should. Perhaps because we were there during the last hour of the dinner buffet and not during the height of lunch? I don't know if I had requested to the bbq guy if he would have made me some fresh bbq grill. Anyways, the thing that I did not like from the grill was this mysterious sausage on a bone- but it was not really a real part of a distinguishable animal and it tasted like it had been cobbled together.


It might be a fun treat for kids, but not for me. I would rather eat a corn dog for my mystery meat quota.

Not a part of the bbq meat area, is a lone Thai prime rib station at the end, with pre-sliced portions. It looked promising, but the meat was a little tough and bland for prime rib. I was disappointed with it both times I visited.


Taste wise, my favorite hot dish was probably the noodle soup station. You can point to the vegetables, mushrooms, meatballs or noodles you want, or ask the Chef to decide for you, to get a hot, customized noodle soup. You can choose from a wide white rice noodle, an egg noodle, or a clear thin rice noodle as well as two different soups- a clear chicken broth or a spicier curry soup. I really enjoyed the taste of the chicken broth with the chewy wider rice noodle. In Chinese, a noodle that is "just right" is very "Q"- the right amount of chewy-ness, sort of like pasta when it's al dente. The noodles there were surprisingly Q.


The curry station featured 5-6 different curries with different meats- chicken, beef, pork and three kinds of rice- white rice, Thai black rice and a curry rice. I found the tastes of the different curries to be very similar and each packed a little bit of heat. I was disappointed that the only other thing in each curry and meat were huge chunks of potato- no other vegetables or bamboo.

The dessert station featured fruit, lots of little cakes, an area where you could put together your own jellies, tapiocas, beans or fruit into your own soupy dessert (similar to toppings you would see for shaved ice without the ice or Filipino halo halo drinks) and a Movenpick ice cream freezer, with sugar cones and chocolate and strawberry syrups on the side. You can even choose your own drink with their small silver cups- with a fountain featuring Calpis, Rose and Fruit Ice Tea, Mango juice or Thai Ice Tea.

The second time I went to Spice Market, I still devoured the spring rolls, the noodle soup bar and the desserts. I just felt that the level of "wow a buffet that has food that seems made to order freshness" was not the same, especially for the meat bbq station. As with any buffet- Spice Market offers eaters a chance to sample and choose from a huge variety of foods that they typically wouldn't be able to order in one sitting as an individual or couple. On my second trip, I found myself wishing they had other Thai favorites like Pad Thai or Pad See Yew or Pineapple Fried Rice, but I could also see why a buffet would choose not to have sticky noodles that wouldn't sit out well. So I definitely recommend that one could try Spice Market at least once, perhaps for lunch, because you will definitely come away full.

dessert: i recommend BEARD PAPA CREAM PUFFS

BEARD PAPA CREAM PUFFS

Eslite Mall, B2 Food Court
No. 11, Song Gao Road

Mitsukoshi Mall, A8 building, B2 Food Court
No. 11, SongGao Road
(02) 2345-6190

website: beardpapa.com.tw Chinese only

$

visit reviewed: 3/2/2006

The first time I had heard of Beard Papa was during my first trip to Tokyo early last year. There was a sweet pastry smell in the winter air, and then we spotted a line in front of a trailer-like store, with the line full of kids in their school uniforms. WIth the smell drawing us near, we decided to wait in the line and try the cream puffs from the bright yellow trailer. It was worth it- warm and fresh- the cream puff had an airy combination of the crispness of the skin and the softness of the inside of the puff, along with the melt in your mouth vanilla bean creme which tasted more custard than a frosting whip cream.



The Beard Papa experience in Taipei is a bit different. Though they have the same logo smiling at you, the countertops of cream puffs have already been baked and have been cooled off- piled waiting to be filled with your choice of the original vanilla bean creme, or sometimes daily special such as chocolate or coffee.


They are located in the mall food courts instead of outside. There is no fresh baked hot puff smell wafting towards you or hot puff for you to bite into. There is no line. Not to say that the Beard Papa puff isn't worth eating here, it's still good. Just not melt in your mouth delicious. As anyone who has experienced both a "hot" freshly made Krispy Kreme donut and one that was not, you know what I'm talking about.

As cream puffs go, it's still a good treat. At NT$40 a puff, it's not cheap and it's not expensive. The original vanilla flavor is my favorite, you can see the vanilla bean specks in the creme. Not being a fan of chocolate ice cream or milkshakes, I prefer the vanilla over the chocolate. The coffee flavor tastes like chocolate with a smidge of coffee flavor. I really like how the cream is a custard and sweet, but not too sweet, rather than like whipped cream that you might find in tiramisu or a donut which often tastes too much like frosting for me.


They also are launching a new mochi cream puff. They are smaller and chewier, as the puffs are made with a gluten flour. Being smaller, you get less of the cream, which is a minus. They taste similar to the ring donuts from Mr. Donut, which is an interesting blend of chewiness and doughiness. I prefer the original cream puffs to the mochi ones, which run for the same price.

If sounds good to you, they are in lots of locations in Taipei, but I only know of these two off the top of my head, and now all over the world. There are locations opening all across California besides their locations in Gardena and Hollywood, and have locations in NY, NJ, Boston, Honolulu and have a store set to open in San Francisco.


OTHER LOCATIONS:

Sogo, B2
No. 45, Zhong Xiao E. Road, Sec 4
(02)2778-1488

Sogo at Fuxing, B3 (green sogo)
No. 300, Zhong Xiao E. Road, Sec 3
(02)8772-3582

Sogo at Tianmu, B1
No. 77, Zhong Shan N. Rd, Sec 6

Taipei Main Station Breeze Food Court, 2F
No. 3, Bei Ping W. Road

afternoon tea: i don't recommend CHA LOUNGE

CHA LOUNGE
Grand Hyatt Hotel
No.2, Sung Shou Road
Taipei
(02) 2720-1234

Hours: 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm (Monday - Friday)
1:00 pm - 6:00 pm (Saturday, Sunday and Holidays)
Evening dessert buffet: 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm

kid friendliness: no high chairs, but room for strollers in certain areas

$$$

visit reviewed: 2/28/2006

It was a promising idea- catching the last day of afternoon tea during a featured month of special strawberry themed desserts. Mmmm, strawberry desserts. But there were a few problems in our afternoon- (1) we got there at 5:20 or so, which left 40 minutes of time to wander and consume the items from the buffet area and (2) the strawberry desserts I had imagined were much yummier than the ones that were actually there.

The setting could actually be quite romantic or fun with a small group of friends- an open lounge on the 2nd floor of the hotel, dimly lit, with cushy couch area seating. The service is not bad- they whisk away the unwanted plates and offer the typical hotel type of emotion. The price is NT$600 plus service fee, which at US$18 is a bit pricier than I like to pay for an afternoon snack, even if it's a buffet. But we made the special trip and decided to try it out.

There were three main tables aligned in a U shape. The first one had all the desserts- cakes, cheesecakes, chocolate mousses, ice cream, even sauteed strawberries. The second table had finger sandwiches with different breads and fillings, fruit and salad bowls. There were some areas with bowls that were empty and not refilled, like one which I think used to have guacamole in it. The third table had a row of heated steamers, featuring an assortment of dim sum including gyoza and sau mai.

Because the servers repeated warned us that we only had until six o'clock for the food, I loaded up anything that looked interesting onto the plates to take back to our tables. True to their word, at six, they quickly cleared the buffet area, allowing you to lounge in the area, but if you hadn't responded to their last call, you were out of luck. At about 630, they started placing the items for their dinnertime buffet, which I will say that they recommended/offered us to wait to eat. Timing wise, it didn't work out for us. So I would recommend, if you do want to try Cha Lounge, you go early to give yourself time to lounge and enjoy browsing and tasting everything, instead of feeling so rushed as we did.

I started with the desserts, but out of all their assortment of beautiful looking slices of cakes and sweets, the best tasting was strawberry topped square cheesecake. It was creamy and sweet with the familiar texture of a good cheesecake. The two chocolate cakes were pretty good, but very rich. One was a dense chocolate cake and the other was a beautiful dome of glazed chocolate covering the mousse inside.

Chocolate mousse cake and melted ice cream

Assortment of strawberry cake, a chocolate and cheesecake

The other cakes were lackluster- with too much frosting, or tiny slices of strawberries adorning them. Even at the serving table, they looked a bit as if they had been sitting out too long, the mousse cakes falling over a bit. What happened to the promising strawberry theme? There were some mousse and tarts, but looked like any dessert buffet staple. Even the freshly sauteed strawberries disappointed- even after the chef worked his pan magic- the strawberries were unattractive plate of soggy strawberries that didn't taste sweet or have the luscious strawberry flavor. They tasted like watered down cooked berries. There were three smalled tins of ice cream over ice, vanilla, mango and strawberry? The flavors were good, but they were melting in the serving area and quickly became of an unfortunate pool of melted ice cream in my bowl. Maybe I expected too much? Like bowls of fresh sweet strawberries and a chocolate fountain? I wondered why I expected that and realized it was because of a picture that was featured in the ad I had seen and perhaps that was only for Valentine's day? I don't know. Nevertheless, the dessert table was just okay.

Gliding over the sandwiches table, none of them looked quite appetizing. I would have liked maybe a simple club or tuna sandwich to munch on, but they were all a bit more adventurous, on rolls and with interesting combinations of fillings. The bowls of fruit looked picked over- again a result of us coming so late to the buffet, but it's too bad that they did not refill the bowls that had been emptied.

The dim sum table ended up being the most tasty. The gyoza were pan fried and tasty, and I ended up eating a near plateful of them in attempt to get my money's worth. They were also a good balance to all the sugar I was sampling.

I suppose I will have to try more different afternoon teas to be a better judge of how this one compares, but in general, I would probably not come back to Cha Lounge, I'd probably make my date at JOYCE CAFE. For a better value, you could either get an assortment of tastier desserts elsewhere; for sandwiches, you could wander over to CHEERS which is also in the Grand Hyatt; for a buffet, you could fill up with three times the amount of food selections for the same price at the new SPICE MARKET in Eslite.

breakfast/American: NY BAGEL CAFE

NY BAGEL CAFE No. 122, Xin Yi Rd, Sec. 5 Taipei 110 (02) 2723-7977 $-$$ open: usually 24 hours www.nybagelscafe.com review visit: 2/27/06 I had heard about NY Bagel Cafe's American style breakfasts for awhile when they only had their Ren Ai location- after all, pancakes, french toast, eggs and bagels are quite a contrast to the standard breakfast here which is usually porridge with sides of dried pork, pickled cucumbers, spicy bamboo, salty egg and sweet gluten; or hot soy milk with yo-tyow (long deep fried bubble sticks) to dip in. And I LOVE breakfast. Last year when I was with my cousin, we taxied to over 4 different places in search of the perfect waffle breakfast in Taipei. I love to make waffles and omelettes at home and it's tough finding other places that can serve it as satisfying to my tastebuds as when I make it myself. When the new NY Bagel Cafe XinYi location opened last fall nearby, I finally got a chance to see what all the fuss was about. They have a good range of bagels (NT$50) to choose from, including plain, wheat, blueberry, cinnamon raisin and onion, as well as various flavors of cream cheese, which come for an additional NT$20-40. They are all pretty good, with the right amount of chewy denseness, but fresh rather than hard. I prefer to get mine to go and toast them at home. Offering various set menu breakfasts, which you choose from french toast or pancakes with corned beef hash and eggs as your main dish and you get a drink/coffee, side of apples, small glass of OJ for . Go for the french toast- it's not the best I've ever had, but it's eggy and sweet enough to satisfy. The banana chocolate walnut pancakes sounded so promising, but they were so dry as if they chef forgot to add enough milk to the mix- the opposite of fluffy or melt in your mouth. A huge disappointment. The eggs were slightly greasy, but the corned beef hash was even more greasy and artificial tasting. The side of apple slices are a little strange, but refreshing. The small glass of OJ is tiny and the latte looks pretty but has the burnt bitter coffee taste- but then again, I am not a regular coffee drinker. My coffee drink of choice is typically a vanilla latte or ice blended from Coffee Bean or Starbucks and compare all my coffee experiences to that. They have various sandwiches and pastas, but I've found their steak sandwich (NT$240) to be surprisingly good. It comes with toasted ciabatta bread and fat steak fries, which makes for a filling and satisfying meal. The fries taste baked rather than fried. The texture of the bread fits perfectly with the steak, and the sandwich is almost too tall to take a bite. I've also tried their roast beef sandwich which is a disappointing couple slices of roast beef on a roll. I've heard the roast beef sandwich is better at the Ren Ai location. They do have a tasty selection of Junior's cheesecakes- brownie, key lime and original. I tried the key lime which had a slight lime flavor and was not too sweet. The slices are small for the price NT$145, but the right portion if you don't want to eat too much for a late night snack. The menu has chinese and english and pictures of some of the items, such as the breakfasts. The area is casual with lots of booths and high ceilings, as well as outdoor tables to sit when the weather is good. With loud music playing, it's definitely a diner atmosphere. It's a very popular late night hang out and often there is a waiting time at night. All the times I've been there, I've found the service to be unbearably slow and unsatisfactory. The order slowly comes to the table, one dish or drink at a time, even when the restaurant was not particularly crowded. We also had to frequently wave down the servers to get assistance and in general, I've found that they are not particularly friendly or helpful. Hopefully, if you are there with a large group, you can use the conversation to make the time pass by. You can also order to-go and just enjoy it somewhere else. other location: 147 Renai Rd, Sec 4, Taipei (02) 2752 1669

CLOSED! american: i recommend TONY ROMA's

TONY ROMA's
156 Min Sheng East Road, Section 3
(02) 2719-0992

11:30am ~ 10:00pm (Last Order 9:30pm)
Mon - Thu & Sun
11:30am ~ 11:00pm (Last Order 10:30pm)
Fri. & Sat.

$$
review visit: 2/22/2006

About eight years ago, I made a trip to Taipei after not having visited for over 13 years. One of the first places my uncle to me to eat was Tony Roma's. It's sort of funny that he assumed that I would want to eat American food when at that time as a tourist, I wanted to eat Taiwanese food, night market food, beef noodle soup, dumplings. Now as a often-resident of Taipei, I can enjoy the luxury of eating both Asian and American foods here.

The first time I ever ate at a Tony Roma's was in San Francisco, with a group of friends- all but one who had never been there before. Each of us ordered something other than the ribs, except for the seasoned friend, and when our orders came we each regretted it and eyed his ribs instead. So the same applies here- order the ribs- regular slab, original flavor, with a side of corn on the cob and a baked potato. At least that's what I usually get.

They have a small selection of starters (NT$210) and salads (NT$320-380), some sandwiches and burgers (NT$330-350), and a large selection of meats- ribs, steaks, chicken, seafood.

The Carolina Honey Wings are a stingy 8 pieces for NT$210 (about $6). The skin is a nice crispy and sticky sweet crunch in your mouth, but you definitely need the wetnaps afterwawrds.

The caesar salad is pretty ordinary but relatively fresh.

The Santa Fe Salad comes with a crispy tortilla shell that looks like a giant taco shell is surprisingly tasty, while the salad is underwhelming with a weird mustard dressing.

Everything is a tad more expensive than in the states, but the ribs are worth it (half slab NT$520, regular slab NT$660, full slab NT$860).


The ribs are usually fall off the bone tender, with a sweet bbq sauce slow roasted flavor. Two of three times I've eaten here, all the ribs were tender and delicious and perfectly flavored. The third time, some of the meat on the ribs were a little tougher and slightly overcooked compared to the moist ribs of my previous experiences. The baked potato is a good medium sized potato with the option of having it loaded with all the toppings (cheese, sour cream, butter, bacon). The corn is usually pretty good too, but on this same third occassion, it was very dry and starchy and also not hot at all- as if it was frozen after being microwaved too long and then plated after it had been thawed. I took a few bites and disappointedly left the cobs on my plate. I almost wanted to complain.

The first time I took take out from Tony Roma's I actually did complain. I was craving baked potato (for some reason) and ribs and got an order to go. After picking it up, returning home, and plating it up, I noticed that all the sides for my potato were there, but not the potato itself. I was pretty upset to tell you the truth- I did not want to drive back just for a potato, but I also really wanted to eat one. I called and complained because I did want them to know and the hostess was very nice and said that they would take my name and "replace" the potato the next time I went in. I thought it was sort of silly, but we actually did that, and in addition to the free baked potato they offered a 15% off discount from that night's meal. I thought that was service that made me want to go back. The service is generally friendly, but not perfect. Sometimes all the waiters are grouped nearby and sometimes they all disappear together. Sometimes they refill your mug of water and sometimes you have to wave them down.

There are many booths and tables so it's good for large groups or those with families. There are also many couples and people in business suits. The red neon Tony Roma's sign out front makes it a little easier to find, as the entrance is on the side. Noticeably, the third night I was there, they played a collection of old songs that seemed like a blast from the past including "Rush Rush" by Paula Abdul and "Wannabe" by Spice Girls. It wasn't bad, just amusing- like they were playing an old corporate cd from six years ago or something.

The two desserts we got (NT$100-250) were the Skillet Cookie Sundae and the Apple Crisp.


The Apple Crisp has a layer of mystery granola crisp stuff that is a little too crispy and sweet over the apple filing which tastes good with the scoop of vanilla ice cream.


The Cookie Sundae which only comes in chocolate chip, looks a lot bigger in the menu's picture and should probably be eaten hot. We ate ours lukewarm and it was dense and had hardened and all the ice cream melted over it. I'd stick to the Pizookie from BJ's.

So the rule of thumb from my very first visit still applies here too- don't order anything else, just the ribs. That's what they are known for, and everything else is not as good and not worth the prices that they charge.

pizza: i recommend Pizza Hut- delivery

Pizza Hut
Taipei, Taiwan
delivery
(02) 2729-2789
(02) 2393-9889

ED Note 7/9/2007: Yay! Pizza Hut revamped their website to have lots of browser friendly English complete with restaurant addresses and phone numbers here

$

website: www2.pizzahut.com.tw

review ordered: 2/9/2006

Anyone who has eaten pizza in Taiwan has probably noticed the different toppings that are popular here such as corn, peas, squid and seafood. Often, it's not not good, just weird. As a kid, I loved pizza from Little Caesars and Pizza Hut. As a college student, I loved pizza from Zachary's and Fat Slice (go bears!). As a working 20 something, my pizza choice was CPK and Papa Johns. So what to do when none of those places are here in Taipei- except Pizza Hut? Order delivery!

I haven't stepped into a Pizza Hut restaurant here, although it always looks very crowded and I believe they have the lunch buffet option. I'll have to try it sometime. But the delivery here is surprising quick and easy.

They have special "set menus" if you are ordering for one or two, which is NT$398 (about US$12) which includes a small pizza (with 6 slices), buffalo wings and a liter of Pepsi. Their bigger pizzas range from NT$340-650 depending on the sizes. They also have pan crust or thin crust. I like Pizza Hut for their pan crusts. There's a crispy, chewy texture that is slightly greasy but fulfilling at the same time that is uniquely Pizza Hut. Also, why I prefer Pizza Hut over Domino's, which they also have in Taipei. They have different sides like wings, garlic bread, waffle fries, pasta, and potato skins.

I got the set menu with a Hawaiian pizza (pineapple plus canadian bacon) and added mushrooms (+NT$45).



The first time I ordered it, I devoured the pizza and was extremely satisified with it, except that I accidently ordered the original BBQ wings instead of the spicy Buffalo wings. The second time I ordered it, I accidentally ordered the BBQ flavor again. The wings/legs are decent- slightly sweet BBQ flavor instead of the traditional spiciness that I will have to remember to distinguish to order next time. The pizza the second time, I noticed that the mushrooms were canned instead of fresh mushrooms which have that watery canned mushroom taste and the canadian bacon seemed like regular ham. I guess I didn't notice the first time under all the cheese. If I order again, I'll probably try it with pepperoni instead of ham or just try a different flavor entirely. I've also had the seafood flavor with local friends before which I personally don't prefer- it comes with a cream sauce instead of tomato sauce and is a bit too rich for me. You gotta have pizza with tomato sauce!

The first time you order, you can browse their English website which you can check out all the toppings and see pictures. You can then browse the store list to see which one is closest to you to order. Because a lot of foreigners order from them, they usually can speak enough English to take your order. With your delivered order, you'll get a mini delivery menu with pictures to keep handy for the next time you have a craving and don't want to deal with cooking, driving or parking!

dessert: i recommend LITTLE SOUTH GATE

LITTLE SOUTH GATE
Food Court, B2, ESLITE Mall (XIN YI STORE)
11, SongGao Road
(02) 8789-3388

Hours:10 am-2 am Bookstore (2F/3F/4F) ;
10 am-10 pm /Shopping Mall (B2/ B1/ 1F/ 5F/ 6F)

$
review visit: 2/18/2006

The XinYi area is full of shopping and eating experiences- 101, the Warner Village and movie theaters, NY NY and Neo 19 buildings and the multi-collective Mitsukoshi shopping malls. When the new Eslite building opened up across the way, I figured it would be another one of the same, but actually it does offer a variety in experience- there is a multi-level bookstore, stationary section and a tasty looking food court.

This day I only had the chance to have a snack- so I opted for peanut do-hwa (or soy tofu) with mini boba and my friend had red bean with mochi balls. As with many food courts in Taipei, the signs are frequently not English friendly, but there are lots of bright pictures and plastic foods to point at. Lucky for me, my Chinese for foods I like is improving, and they had a picture of what I wanted nontheless.

You can opt to have the dessert hot or cold and we had ours hot that day.

The peanut do-hwa was a pleasant warm, with the right amount of sweetness in the soup, and the soy tofu was a silky melt in your mouth that didn't taste artificial as some mall do-hwa soy tofus can (like from the dessert shop at the food court at Warner Village). The peanuts and mini-boba tasted fresh and combined to give my mouth a variety of consistencies to enjoy.


The red bean soup was much hotter (in temperature) and sweeter as well. The thickness and sweetness combined would be good on a rainy day, but I preferred the lighter textures of the soy tofu.


The service was fast, despite the mini-line, and you can choose a variety of combinations in your soy tofu and other desserts like ai-yu lemon jelly. And you can't beat the price from NT$40-NT$55, which is like $1.30-$1.90. Cheaper than most lattes and more filling. Also, a good alternative to shaved ice for a local dessert to try, especially when it's chilly outside.

CLOSED/italian: i strongly recommend MACARONI GRILL

MACARONI GRILL
1F, 30 Sung Shou Road • Taipei 110
Neo 19 Building, near Warner Village/101
(02) 2722-4567

This location has closed. New location is at No. 135, Minsheng E. Road, Sec. 3  No more Mac Grill in Taipei. Their second location closed last year and is now a Swensens

kid friendliness: high chairs available, crayons offered

$$

I just reread my review of Diamond Tony's and it reminded me of how much better Macaroni Grill is. Macaroni Grill is reliable, pleasant and tasty with a good selection of appetizers, pastas and deserts that you would find very similar to what you would eat in LA. Some people would want to be surprised, for me, I like the fact that I can count on going to dinner there knowing what to expect every time because I usually reorder what I like.

It's hard to find a good salad in Taipei, in my opinion, but Macaroni Grill doesn't disappoint with large share-friendly portions. Their Caesar is a nice twist on the original, with chopped tomatoes and raw mushrooms. I also like their other salads which are spinach based- one features pine nuts and orzo rice and the other one includes arugula and strawberries.

caesar salad

I love mushrooms, so I really like their Chicken Marsala which comes with the slightly sweet and salty sauce, a 3-4 pieces of thin chicken, and side of pasta, topped with lots of slices of shitake mushroom. I prefer this over the honey balsamic chicken because that sauce is too sweet and tangy for me. The pasta for the honey balsamic chicken also comes with sundried tomatoes. Their steak with the mashed potatoes is also quite good.

chicken marsala


honey balsamic chicken

The pizza choices at not as wide as CPK, but has the standard favorites BBQ chicken, Pepperoni and one called Four Seasons which has four different sections of one topping- mushroom, pepperoni, bruschetta and canadian ham. The first time I tried it, the canadian ham was way too salty for me, so they've been accomodating to let me have "three seasons" instead and replace the ham with more of the other flavors. The crust is chewy and crispy at the same time and it's a good sized pie for the price that you pay. The sauce is not too salty and it's the right portion of cheese and toppings. The bruschetta and mushroom toppings are a refreshing choice. It's probably the best deal and best crust of all the places I've had.

three seasons pizza

I've had most of their pastas- the lasagna, the spaghetti and meatballs, the seafood creme pasta, the shrimp angel hair. The portions are huge- usually shared family style- so you sometimes have enough to take home as leftovers. The lasagna that day was a bit too salty for me. The angel hair was a little too fine and dry for me, tasted almost like a chinese rice noodle- I'd probably order the spaghetti and lasagna over the angel hair.

lasagna


Like Chili's, the atmosphere is boisterous, booth and table style seating where families, business lunches and birthday celebrations are all happening at the same time. They have separate Chinese and English menus, upon request. It's pretty crowded, so you should make advance reservations if you have a large group and want to be seated right away. The waiters are usually pretty good about the service and understand if you order in English.

The desserts include tiramisu, chocolate cake, panna cotta, berries with creme and a chocolate swirled cheesecake. My favorite is probably the cheesecake with the oreo cookie crust and the creamy richness of the cheesecake. Big enough to share, but you can eat one yourself if you really have a sweet tooth. I would eat the warm chocolate cake at Chili's over the Mac Grill chocolate cake which is denser and fudgier, but the tiramisu is a not too sweet good choice as well.

chinese: i recommend DIN TAI FUNG

DIN TAI FUNG
218 Chung Hsiao East Rd., section 4
(enter from Lane 216)

(02) 2721-7890

Pricing: $
review visit: Nov 1, 2005

If you've ever been to Taipei, then more than likely you've eaten xiao long bao- or steamed 'soup' dumplings. You were probably even taken to Din Tai Fung, a popular restaurant chain that originated in Taipei, and has restaurants all over the world including in Los Angeles, Japan and Korea. It's a busy, crowded restaurant that both locals and tourists can equally enjoy with menus with English and pictures for those that request it.

The xiao long bao come in steam baskets of 10 with slight variations you can order- the classic original pork, the crab and pork, or the pork and mushroom. The xiao long bao are bite size, moist and delicious- one could easily devour half a dozen. What makes them different from other dumplings such as potstickers or gyoza, is its rounder shape, the thinner moist skin, and the soup that collects inside that gives you that "melt in your mouth" feeling when you eat it. The crab and pork dumplings were too soft for me, with not enough oomph and flavor that the classic xiao long bao has. The pork and mushroom tastes pretty much like the regular pork- I didn't even know the order had come until I asked our waitress. Upon examination, I saw tiny bits of shitake mushroom with the pork. The siu mai dumplings recommended by the waitress for the American friends we brought also were a let down compared to the xiao long bao. Stick the the restaurant's specialities- order the classic xiao long bao, and some vegetable dumplings.

Vegetable dumplings and pork xiao long bao (they go fast!)


There's also various soups and noodles you can order- the beef noodle soup is not too spicy with thin noodles, the sesame noodle is a bit bland with a wad of plain noodles in a sesame sauce. In the past, I've had good experiences with the hot and sour soup and the chicken soup- as well as side dishes of vegetables, tofu and zong zi, or a sticky rice pyramid bun.

Sesame noodles


Side dishes- vegetables and tofu


Though it's quite affordable at 150NT - 300NT, Din Tai Fung is pricier than other local dumpling houses. Why? Its established brand is so popular that they've started featuring Din Tai Fung dumplings on some international flights (I think Eva Air first class) and its crowded lines means they've established a fanbase for their reliable eats. It's worth it if you want to know what the fuss is about and you don't know where else to go.

In the past, I used to avoid Din Tai Fung because of it's popularity and instead take my friends to a busy local xiao long bao place down the street from my grandma's house. For my cousins, my sister and I, we would always ask our grandmother to take us to that restaurant every trip we came back to Taipei. Xiao long bao for 100NT- such a bargain- US$3 for a whole basket of delicious dumplings that you could rarely find in the states. In the recent years, the xiao long bao at that restaurant have become more gingery and their vegetable dumplings are no longer vegetarian, although their beef noodle soup is still very tasty, and my past two visits to Din Tai Fung did not disappoint, so I wouldn't hesitate to go again and also take my tourist friends the next time they are in town.

PS- 2/20/06
You can see the menu and photos at their official website: http://www.dintaifung.com.tw as well as the contact info for all their locations.

PS- 8/7/06
Don't forget to order a "long" or steam basket of red bean dumplings for dessert! Though it's kind of strange at first, to think of eating something sweet while looking at something salty, they are very delicious! With red bean paste inside the drier dumpling skin, it's something unique you won't find anywhere else. They also feature taro paste dumplings though personally I don't like taro.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN TAIPEI (updated 3/4/2008)

Yong Kang restaurant
No. 194, Xinyi Road, Sec.2
(entrance of Yong Kang Street)
(02) 2321-8928

Fuxing Branch
at green Fuxing Sogo, B2 FL
No.300, Zhongxiao E. Rd., Sec. 3
(02) 8772-0528