taiwanese/dessert: CHILDHOOD ICE

CHILDHOOD ICE 小時候冰菓室 
No. 39, Lane 51, DaAn Road, Sec. 1
台北市大安區大安路一段51巷39號
(02) 8771-9521

MRT: ZhongXiao/DunHua

website: Childhood Ice's FB page

hours: 1PM - 10PM

$-$$

Kid friendliness: yes for fruit and shaved ice lovers

Visit reviewed: 3/28/2014

Opened for almost one year, this shaved ice shop in the East District has a retro feel complete with a Street Fighter arcade game in the front. My eyes were first drawn to the cans of condensed milk stacked on the tiled counter then to the simple red and white menu above. When I tried to decipher the menu, they pointed me to the photos of their popular bowls taped up on the wall behind me. The decor is simple, but themed- reminders of our youth- with faded movie posters of A Better Tomorrow and hopscotch squares chalk outlines on the cement floor accompanying a few metal tables with colorful stools.

I was here for the strawberry adorned shaved ice I had spied on instagram, with strawberry halves carefully laid out in rows atop a small mountain of shaved ice. Other options include mango (when in season), peanut milk ice, green mung bean milk ice, red bean milk ice and fruit smoothies.

Strawberry shaved ice with condensed milk and panna cotta (NT$200)

The shaved ice was like eating a huge bowl of crunchy, small shards of ice rather than the finer kind that melts in your mouth. The ice itself was flavorless despite being soaked in brown sugar and condensed milk, and because it wasn't powdery, it didn't absorb the sweetness. I also prefer it when the condensed milk touches the ice rather than the fruit, but since the strawberries weren't super sweet, it probably needed the extra boost. If you are the type of person who likes to crunch the ice in their drinks, then you won't mind this kind, but we ended up not finishing half the bowl, and we can usually finish a bowl of shaved ice. If I came back, I would try the smaller matcha strawberry ice available for half the price at NT$100, although the texture of the ice would probably be the same. So I'd probably end up back at my favorite, oldie but goodie Tai Yi Milk King, or at one of the snowflake ice shops instead. 

At least I got in a couple free games of Street Fighter afterwards. Funnnnnn! Definitely reminds me of my childhood.

news: IN-N-OUT TAIPEI POP UP 2016 (PART 2)

my lucky friend S's double double. she got a 12PM bracelet at 9:30AM and started waiting in line at 11:30AM and sat down at 1PM.  she let me use her pic because i told her about the pop up! 

By chance, I got a heads up about today's In-N-Out pop up in Taipei and so I did a blurb on the blog yesterday and posted it on Facebook. And man, were you guys excited. 53K excited. Over 53,000 of you saw and shared the Facebook post and hundreds of people showed up at Goodies Cuisine this morning. 

So many people were in line that I could even see the long line from the RenAi circle while I was going somewhere else. So I had to stop by and get some pictures since SO MANY of you guys were so crazy about it (and some pissed off that it was on a freakin' Thursday since you weren't about to ditch work or school for a burger. Even for In N Out). 

The In-N-Out event was advertised for 11AM, but the event manager told me that the people who got the first batch of wristbands had started lining up at 6AM. The last batch of wristbands were completely given out before 10AM. So people who showed up even an hour before the event started were out of luck. One wristband per person, one burger per wristband. Those who got their golden ticket wristbands in the morning and came back to wait in line to order and get their burgers around their designated time slot. Few brands could inspire such devotion-- if In N Out did ever open permanently here, odds are that there would be four hour plus waits like there were for Krispy Kreme when they first opened.

Today was a HOT day to be waiting in line around the block, but everyone seemed patient in their anticipation. In the 10 minutes I was there taking pictures, I overheard several people who dropped by being turned away by the In N Out door bouncer, since they did not show up early enough to get a wristband. 

Without a wristband I couldn't go inside, but I grabbed these shots through the glass door at the front. The bright red and white menu should look familiar to anyone who has been to In N Out and they even offered to do burgers "Animal Style" or "Protein Style," (both phrases I believe they have trademarked.) Prices are extremely reasonable-- NT$100 for a double double, NT$160 for a double double combo-- although they couldn't do the In N Out fresh french fries here and served potato chips instead. I feel like even the casual burgers here are not that cheap considering the prices --Burger and Co is NT$180 for a cheeseburger, Burger Ray is NT$195, Burger Fix is NT$185, Bing is NT$300 cheeseburger with fries, 1885 Burger is NT$195 with fries, Diner NT$310 cheeseburger with fries (approximate prices). Of course, you can't price it too cheaply, otherwise you'll go out of business, even if the food is good ie Burger Stop.

Why does In N Out do these seemingly random surprise pop ups in Asia on the other side of the world? The last few years has seen In N Out pop ups in Manila, Sydney, Hong Kong, Singapore and even London.  In N Out says it's to "promote and expand their brand and determine the best way to continue reaching customers around the world" (as they stated in their response to my Facebook inquiry about the event's authenticity on In N Out's official Facebook page) but essentially they are peeing on their territory, ie their trademarks, outside of the US. They want people in Asia who have never heard of In N Out, much less tasted it, to see this frenzy and know they are the OG and the real deal.   Raise false hopes that one day there might be a permanent In N Out in Taiwan, so that copycats can't try to use their trademarked menu names like "Animal Style" and "Double Double" without a fight. You can thank Caliburger for that. 

So did any of you get a burger today? Where are you going to get your burger cravings satisfied until your next trip to California? My unofficial poll on instagram showed a lot of love for Burger Ray, and runner up, Burger and Co.  I guess I know what my next post should be!

News: IN N OUT TAIPEI POP UP 2016

Luckily I had a friend give me a heads up about the In N Out pop up tomorrow. TOMORROW APRIL 7TH! YES, it is a real thing, not an April Fools' joke. The last time I heard about it a few years ago (thanks to Instagram), my friends went running and got their burgers after a few hours. I can't make it tomorrow, but if you have the patience and the cravings you can try your luck tomorrow at Goodies Cuisine (and that means showing up at least at 10am). Report back here if you succeed!  You're welcome!

chinese: i strongly recommend PARADISE DYNASTY

PARADISE DYNASTY  樂天皇朝

No.68, ZhongXiao E. Road, Sec. 5, 4FL

110台北市信義區忠孝東路五段68號4F 
(02)2772-6545

MRT: Taipei City Hall (exit #3)

Website: Paradise Dynasty Taipei's FB page

Hours: 11AM - 9:30PM / Thurs- Sat 11AM - 10PM

Visit reviewed: 1/18/2016

I first spotted Paradise Dynasty's colorful dumplings on Instagram before I had even heard of it, when Breeze Xinyi first opened and a flood of people started posting the newest food blogger eye candy. Then I did a walk through Breeze Xinyi's restaurant floor when I went to Crate and Barrel there, and it was pretty busy even mid afternoon. So I was excited to try it last week when a friend wanted to lunch there, and somehow managed to snag the private room they have in the back. (Later on I found out why, because there's a steep NT$8000 minimum for 8 people for the private room reservation, which is actually difficult to do because their menu is affordable).

Paradise Dynasty's signature xiao long baos are different colors because they are different flavors, though you can order individual flavors by the basket too. It is  Besides xiao long bao, they also have a full menu of Szechuan and Cantonese dishes from rice, dumplings and noodles, to seafood and vegetables to dim sum and dessert.

I also quite liked the "la mian" or hand pulled noodles -- the dan dan noodles with spicy sesame and peanut sauce (NT$130) and the dry noodles with dried shrimp and scallion oil (which was like a fragrant pork bone broth to spoon into the noodles). 

The Dan Dan noodles here were more spicy and less peanut flavored than versions I've had elsewhere, but I really enjoyed the noodles themselves. Other options for the noodles included double boiled chicken soup, minced meat and mushroom, dumpling with chili sauce, Szechuan hot and sour seafood, or spiced beef.

Looks plain, but surprisingly good. The noodles are smooth and not too soft and the broth is so slurpable.

Paradise Dynasty's most instagrammed dish is their photogenic 8 treasures xiao long bao (NT$320). The flavors are distinguished by their colors- from the center- original (white), garlic (gray), Mala (red), ginseng (green), foie gras (brown), truffle (black), cheese (yellow) and crab roe (Orange). I thought the flavors were good, but the skins broke easily, spilling out the precious "soup" and the pork is better at DTF. Between the truffle xlb here and DTF, I might have to give an edge to Din Tai Fung since DTF's is more aromatic and just peppered with truffle bits. You can also order baskets of a single flavor. 

If you're not sure what the flavors are and the server doesn't give it you, you can request a little placard that states the flavors, as well as lists the order that they recommend you try the xiao long bao from original flavor counter clockwise to the spiciest red mala dumpling.

Cheese soup dumpling 

Truffle xiao long bao 

Scramble Egg white with Fish and Conpoy (NT$240) 

Stewed bamboo shoots in oyster sauce (NT$90)

Pork dumpling with hot chili oil vinaigrette (NT$120 for 6)

Massive bowl of poached beef in Szechuan chili oil (NT$450) with mushrooms, bean sprouts and glass noodles. I accidentally bit into one of the chilis and my whole mouth went numb and tears streamed from my eyes. Had to eat a sweet stuffed red date to counteract it!! This dish is good for spicy lovers- one of my friends drank the soup like it was ramen broth! Lol! I thought the price of this was quite reasonable for the size, though most of the bowl is the chili oil broth. It's hard to capture how huge this bowl was in the photo, I'd say you'd have to hold it with two hands.

Poached chicken in Szechuan Style (NT$280) 

Stir fried la main with pork and black fungus

Crispy garlic pork ribs (NT$280) 

Radish pastry (NT$100 for 3) 

Pan fried Shanghai Pork Bun (NT$90 for 2) This was one of the few things on the menu that I didn't like. I didn't feel like the bottom was crispy enough- save room for other things and get your pan fried pork buns at the night market for less. 

Lotus paste bun with salted egg yolk (NT$80 for 2 pieces)

All in all, I really liked Paradise Dynasty. I had no expectations coming in, didn't know that it was a popular Chinese restaurant from Singapore , opened by a restaurant conglomerate there. Once you get past the gimmick of the rainbow dumplings, there's actually a broad spectrum of Chinese cuisines and  reasonably priced dishes to choose from, to share family style or to even order if you are dining alone. In a weird way, it sort of reminded me of Chinese restaurants back in LA, with the fried crispy pork ribs and the soy sauce covered stir fried noodles. The menu was clear and beautifully photographed and the food we got mostly looked liked the photos in the menu. I can see why the restaurant got an early start with the crowds and lines in Taipei- not an easy feat to accomplish in a city already full of Chinese restaurants.

modern/french: i still recommend RAW (WINTER 2016)

RAW

No. 301, Lequn 3rd Road, Zhongshan District
台北市中山區樂群三路301號
(02) 8501-5800

MRT: Jianan Road

website: www.raw.com.tw

hours: Lunch: Wed- Sun / 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM
Dinner: Tues - Sat  / 6 PM - 10 PM
Closed Mondays

$$$$ (NT$1850/per person plus 10% service)

Kid friendliness: only set menus available so only probably only foodie kids will appreciate

Visit reviewed: 1/21/2016
Previous visit reviewed: spring 2015

RAW is still one of the hottest tickets in Taipei, and will be even harder to book since it's been named as one of the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants. RAW squeezed in at #47, and Chef Andre Chiang's other restaurant,  Restaurant Andre in Singapore, bookends the top of the list at #3.

Thanks to my friend who managed to get a reservation in January, I was giddy with excitement to be able to try the latest menu, not too long after they had made the switch from their one year anniversary "Best of the Year" menu. The new menu seemed to have more seafood on it than previous seasons, and felt more Taiwanese as well, with the bamboo, "bottarga" sweet potato and braised pork rice dishes.

The menu ingredients are read across- there are 8 courses and they list the three main ingredients per course.

OYSTER / SAGO /RED KOMBU 

This was one of my favorite dishes, with the oyster hidden under a bed of savory miniature sago pearls. Every oyster has a pearl? Well, this one has a whole mouthful of them.

Bread and buckwheat whipped butter (NT$150)
This is a must order for us, even though it costs a little extra than the set menu price of NT$1850 per person.

BURI / CUCUMBER / WATER BAMBOO

You can't help but to admire the curves and delicacy of the Frank Gehry-esque design of the thin bamboo slices, which hid small cubes of buri sashimi and cucumber gelatin underneath. Crunchy, chewy, acidic, sweet, this dish was layered textures and flavors together into one bite like many of RAW's dishes. Love seeing this dish from all the angles, though wish there was more buri.

PRAWN / CAPELLINI / MUSSEL

I always love hearing the stories behind the dishes, if there is one. Luckily, we got a waiter that told us (after some inquisitions) that Chef Andre Chiang liked eating Prince Instant noodles, or 王子麵, as a kid so that was the inspiration for the crispy fried capellini and the prawn with seven spice, evoking that memory and taste in this dish. Some of the dishes I don't know if I would order again if a la carte, but as an experience and tasting the layers of textures and flavors in new menu for the first time, I enjoyed it. The capellini were tough to pick up with a fork, you'd be faster using your fingers, perhaps the same way kids eat those instant noodle snacks? 

SWEET POTATO / "BOTTARGA" /  BUCKWHEAT
The bottarga, or mullet roe, in this dish is actually made of salty egg yolk. It was extremely creative, it was very Taiwanese, but again, not a dish I would necessarily order again if given the choice. Taiwan loves the sweet potato so much that some say that the shape of the island resembles a sweet potato. This dish was an interesting, but odd combination with the mushy texture of the sweet potato and the crunchy  toasted buckwheat and oozing egg center.

the "bottarga"

SQUID / KOMBU / LOVAGE
At first glance, the dish appears to be a sheet of sliced, translucent rice paper (like the kind that's used to wrap Vietnamese spring rolls), but then the waiter starts to pour hot broth onto the dish and the squid "noodles" come alive. The strips curl and start to move, which is mesmerizing and a bit unnerving at the same time, if you think too much about it. I liked the chewy texture, but couldn't help but be reminded of the squid noodles from Mume (which isn't on their menu currently). RAW's version is more subtle in flavor and the squid is sliced more thinly, placed as one sheet until woken up by the broth. The addition of the fried kombu which gets hydrated by the soup is a nice touch too. 

Looks like a regular noodle soup, but the "noodles" are long strips of squid. Chewy but not overly so,  this was a favorite dish for me and very memorable, even more so after I discovered that my instagram posts of it were plagiarized when I spotted my words on a post about RAW belonging to a food blogger from Sydney. (the post has since been deleted by Nessyeater)

"TAIWAN" RICE / PORK / MUSHROOM
Loved the presentation of this dish... "We shall enjoy rice as long as the moon shines the night" was imprinted on the lid of the bowl. I want to have a set of bowls with my own quote too... as well as a table with a hidden drawer for utensils (and the napkin, tucked all the way in the back of the drawer). #diningroomgoals.

I think this is a favorite dish of this menu for many people, though I spied the addition of truffle to the dish the month after we went!?  I really enjoyed RAW's gourmet version of lu rou fan, which is a braised fatty pork rice dish that everyone's mom (or dad) has a version of. Even though the pork was extremely fatty, I ate it all. And the rice was very fragrant and paired with the pork perfectly. My first impressions of the dish were the same after I was done eating it, I wanted more than a few bites. Even though it's a tasting menu and a dressed up version, a bowl of lu rou fan should be abundant and fill up more than half the bowl.

QUAIL / LEEK / BARLEY 

I don't enjoy quail, so RAW accommodated my request to have it switched out.. and it was switched to chicken breast. But I included a photo of my friend's quail dish, so you get an idea. I really liked the barley and the chicken was perfectly cooked, but this would be the dish you would have trouble remembering when asked to list your favorites from the meal. This is also the dish that they split the items into two separate rows when it's actually one dish. They've done this on previous menus as well, so for first time visitors, it could be misleading when you think you have more courses than there are. 

WHITE FUNGUS / SOURSOP / BERGAMOT
I've never been a huge fan of RAW's desserts and this was more of the same. Granita + sorbet + fruit, in this case, custard apple and starfruit along with white fungus.

I loved these smoked financiers. It was a good way to end the meal. So who has tried this new menu at RAW? Looking forward to the next round, if I can get seats!