CLOSED! japanese/food court: i recommend JIKA UDON

(CLOSED :( a/o 1/2011)

JIKA UDON
at Vie Show Cinemas Foodcourt, 2FL
20 Song Shou Road
(02) 2723-9101

MRT: Taipei City Hall

website: http://www.jikaudon.com.hk/

hours: 12PM- 10PM (their website says they open at 11am, but I got there at 11:45am and they wouldn't serve/seat until noon)

$

Kid friendliness: high chairs and kids dinnerware available

Visit reviewed: 11/19/2010 (all photos with iphone 4g)



Jika Udon is a solid, quick place to grab a bowl of udon to eat as one of the newer additions to the Xinyi Vieshow Food Court. They have their own separate seating area, so if you want to eat alongside your friends ordering Burger King, you'll have to get your order to go, as I did, and eat in the main food court area.



I uncapped my tempura as soon as I picked it up, so that the delicate crispiness wouldn't get soggy and laid out my lunch- tempura, cold udon and dipping sauce (NT$220). They only give you one sauce for both the udon and tempura, which is fine, since they also include a small bit of wasabi, grated radish and green onion slices.

The udon is quite chewy and QQ and the crispy tempura (with two shrimps) provided a satisfying crunch. It's good to have a sanuki udon place in the area, especially after my original go-to place at Vieshow, Tenpura Sanuki Udon, moved and shut down. I was surprised by the amount of udon that I got- it would have filled a large bowl and was quite filling.



Jika Udon's menu (in English, Chinese and Japanese with lots of photos) is worth exploring- with hot udon soups or cold udon, or options like curry udon, udon with cod fish caviar or udon with chicken or seafood salad which caught my eye, most from NT$100-NT$230.

japanese: INAKA UDON at SONGYAN ESLITE SPECTRUM

INAKA UDON
稻禾烏龍麵
at SONGYAN ESLITE SPECTRUM
No. 88 YangChang Rd.
信義區菸廠路88號
(02) 6636-5559

MRT: SYS Memorial Hall

website: Inaka Udon's FB page

hours: 11AM - 10PM

$-$$ Cash only

Kid friendliness: seating is first come, first serve.

Visit reviewed: 3/8/2014

Ever since people lined up for Marukame Udon at Mitsukoshi's food court, I've been seeing the self serve tempura cafeteria style udon outlets pop up everywhere. Inaka Udon at the newly opened Eslite Spectrum Songyan is very similar with its menu of assembly line hot and cold udons, tempura by piece offerings and popularity.

When the line is long, you can be entertained by watching the noodle maker pull and cut the udon at the front window.

So for first timers, you basically get in line, grab a tray and then grab whatever looks good while shuffling forward along the line. First are the drinks and cold appetizers. Skip the kimchi which on that day was a little sticky and off tasting. The seaweed salad was good though.

Then grab a plate or two and start getting your fried stuffs. I didn't realize until it was too late that they were out of tempura shrimp and I should have asked/waited for some, but I ended up grabbing some fried chicken skewers instead. 

At this point, you have to glance up at the menu and decipher the photos to see what you want to order before the people behind you get antsy. No English here, but hot udon soup choices range from tonkotsu pork broth, to curry, to the popular garlic beef (NT$100-160) or a cold udon with a dipping sauce (NT$90). I considered getting the mentaiko udon but the raw egg freaked me out a little. So I ended up with the curry udon (NT$130).

After you order, a flurry of scooping, pouring and condiments go together to make and hand you your bowl. You pay at the end and then find a seat in the food court area unless you already designated someone else in your group to lock down some seats first. 

Garlic beef udon (NT$160) has a nice flavor in the soup enhanced by the garlic, while the beef is mostly fat.

Cold udon (NT$90) is good for when the weather is hot and you just want to dip and slurp. I love the chewiness of cold udon, but this is a super bare bones version. For a more souped up version, you could consider the cold udon at Fu Yu Wu, or making your own like it by adding in tempura shrimp and soft boiled egg.

When I have time, I definitely want to do a little write up about Songyan Eslite's food court and the whole mall in general. If you get a chance, I'd recommend visiting it as well as the neighboring Songshan Cultural Park and the nearby alleys which have new cafes and shops popping up. This whole area is going to be insane when the new stadium is also open. 

OTHER LOCATIONS
No. 21, Lane 16, Zhongshan N. Rd Sec 2
台北市中山北路二段16巷21號
(02) 2536-2828

at Xinyi Eslite 誠品信義店
No. 11, Song Gao Rd, B2
台北市松高路11號B2捷運大街 
(02)2723-5252

Banqiao Eslite 誠品生活板橋店
No. 46, ZhongShan Rd, Sec. 1, B1
新北市板橋區中山路一段46號B1
(02)8953-5298

Tainan Shin Kong Mitsukoshi 新光三越台南小西門店
台南市西門路一段658-1號B2 
(06)213-6989

勤美誠品綠園道店
台中市公益路68號1F 
(04)2326-2186

CLOSED! revisited/japanese: i recommend TENPURA SANUKI UDON

TENZEN- TENPURA SANUKI UDON
Bistro 98
No. 98, Zhong Xiao E Road, Sec 4

(02)8772-6769

$$

Kid friendliness: no high chairs available

Visit reviewed: 12/24/2008
Previous review: 3/2008

First off, please note that Tenzen Tenpura Sanuki Udon has MOVED! It was lunch and I had a craving for tempura udon, so I headed to my favorite place for udon, near Vieshow Theaters/Neo 19- but it was closed! I was nearly traumatized, but my friend noticed the sign that they had relocated- to the Bistro 98 building. So rather than eating nearby, we hopped into a taxi to Bistro 98. Crazy right?



So I was pretty hungry when I got to the new location. I don't think I had high expectations- I just wanted what I grown accustomed to. The new location was empty. The menu was different- they had added sashimi, yakitori and dishes like unagi don to the menu, as well as taken off some udon samplers that I had always had my eye on. The focus was no longer on udon noodles, but rather offering a wider menu (although still in just Japanese and Chinese, with lots of pictures), perhaps to compete with restaurants like Watami.



And the service was sloooow. Sure, they were in a new location. But we were the only ones there (before another customer trickled in). I can't imagine how much slower it would have been if it was even halfway full. Did they totally fire everyone from the old location? Or was it opening week?



The sashimi (NT$420) and shrimp tempura roll was not bad, but probably not something I'd order again. With the extended menu, Tenpura had diluted itself... instead of being awesome at one thing, it was good or just fine at a bunch of things.



What disappointed me the most was the the tempura cold udon set (NT$220) had 1 shrimp instead of 2, and they didn't have any options for people who wanted more. You can clearly see from the last review the robust pile of tempura with 2 golden fried shrimp.

When I asked if I could order another shrimp, they said it wasn't possible. What about ordering another tempura ala carte? Again, they refused- if I wanted another shrimp, I had to order a whole tempura udon set. If this was my first time to their restaurant, I might have been none the wiser. But I was the only customer in their new location, and they didn't have the ability to adjust and appease a loyal customer. Sometimes the rigidness of Taipei restaurants frustrates me to no end, but I know that there are plenty of other places with amazing customer service to balance it out. I ended up ordering the fried shrimp roll instead- which I figured out on my own and not from the suggestion of the waitress.

The udon was still good- served cold and chewy- the way I liked it, unlike some places that offer soggy noodles that tasted like they came from a NT$40 frozen pack. That's why I still recommend Tenzen Tenpura Sanuki Udon, although I no longer "strongly recommend" it. Hopefully they found their legs in the time after they opened- I haven't had the heart to go back. I wonder how they'll do with the fierce competition in the Bistro 98 building.

my kitchen: udon

Udon is one of those things that I don't like to order in restaurants because I feel like I could make it better the way I like it at home. Especially when I'm paying US$7 or something like that for a bowl of noodles. Same goes for ramen. Or hotpot in LA which can go up to $15-20 and pretty much includes all the things that I like in my udon.

And it's so easy!

But what's great is that I found really fresh tasting "QQ" udon! Once you taste chewy al dente style udon, you won't want to eat the soggy, soft udon again. I picked some up at the new green Sogo (Zhong Xiao - Fu Xing MRT) after getting suckered by the freeee samples they were handing out. I think part of the key to making really chewy udon is to (1) buy the frozen kind and (2) don't boil it for too long. It's already cooked, so you just have to cook it for a minute or so.



This is their house brand and comes with three udon blocks in one pack with or without packet for broth flavoring.





My perfect bowl of noodles has chinese cabbage, mushrooms (shiitake and golden), tempura, thin slices of pork or beef, light seasoning in the broth and an egg with runny yolk.

snapshot/japanese: i still recommend COLD UDON at FU YU WU

FU WU YU SANUKI UDON

富玉屋 讚歧烏龍麵 

No. 14, Lane 83, DaAn Rd, Sec. 1 

大安區大安路一段83巷14號 

(02)2778-5255

MRT: ZhongXiao/DunHua

$$ Cash only  (about NT$300+ per person)

Snapshot review: 4/3/2014

Previous review: 10/2012

After my first few visits to Fu Wu Yu Sanuki Udon, I ended up falling in love with a cold tomato udon that was their specialty there. It was a unique and refreshing bowl. Unfortunately it's gone missing from their menu for the past year or so, on my past few visits (maybe the original chef is gone, or maybe it's only available during the summer?).

So instead I've ended up getting another cold udon on their menu, the Tempura cold udon (NT$340) which comes with julienned cucumber, seaweed, bonito flakes, a soft boiled egg, crunchy tempura bits, dashi broth and two tempura fried shrimp and fishcake. The hot shrimps and fishcake make it more filling than the usual salad cold noodles, 

And though this is no longer part of a set (no appetizer, no dessert), you can add refills of the QQ udon noodles for free! 

japanese: FURUKAWA

FURUKAWA
No. 1, Lane 132, Zhongsan N Road, Sec 2
(02) 2562-1115

website: furukawa.com.tw

hours: Lunch: 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM ; Dinner 5:30PM - 10PM

$$

Kid friendliness: high chairs available. friendly service.

Visit reviewed: 2/23/2008



The best thing about this dinner were the fried oysters or kaki fry. They were hot, crispy, juicy inside and what I expected. Everything else, was to be honest, sort of a let down.

I had mentioned to my friends that I was craving a good bowl of udon with tempura, but this was before we discovered Tenpura Sanuki Udon. So he did some research on blogs written in Chinese and said that he had found a restaurant that had been recommended.

The restaurant was pretty full with families and groups, with a cool modern-ish atmosphere.



The menu doesn't have any English, but is full of pictures. There is a wide variety of combos to choose from (around NT$300), as well as appetizers, sushi and sashimi.



The udon tempura sushi set was calling my name. But when I got it, the udon was soggier than I would have liked and there were only 2 pieces of tempura to eat. I was used to the fried shrimp hanging out on a mountain of fried vegetables, but this was more like 1 lonely shrimp on top of an anthill.



My friends who had gotten the cold soba set with sashimi were better off. The soba was chewy and you can't go wrong with the dipping sauce. They liked it so much (and since I ended up eating some of their soba instead of my udon), they ordered another plate of soba, though we agreed the second round was not as good as the first.




We also had a weird experience with the sha-ba or the fish chin/jaw. The first time, it was a huge piece, but wayyy too salty. Inedibly salty. When we complained to the waitress, they took it away and replaced it with no problem. But the second piece was soo bland. The chef just couldn't find the middle ground for us that night, so we just let it go.

While the service was quite friendly, the food that we had ordered didn't give us a reason to return, especially since it's farther away from my part of town. But it's too bad since everyone else seemed to be enjoying their food so maybe there are other things on the menu more worth trying out.

new in town/mall food: i recommend BREEZE SONG GAO

BREEZE SONG GAO
No. 16, Song-Gao Rd., XinYi District
台北市信義區松高路16號

MRT: Taipei City Hall

website: Breeze Song Gao FB page

hours: 11AM - 9:30PM

$-$$

Kid friendliness: lots to eat and check out, including Dairy Queen and new Ice Monster!

Visit reviewed: 11/23/2014

 

When the construction started popping up in the already crowded Xinyi area for new shopping centers, I thought, "Seriously? Do we need more malls when there's already Taipei 101, ATT4Fun, Vieshow, four Shin Kong Mitsukoshis, Bellavita, Eslite and Hankyu all in a few blocks of each other?" But once Breeze Song Gao opened with its huge hot pink sign and a new Ice Monster, I gave in to curiosity and had to check it out.

Breeze Song Gao sits next to the new-ish boutique hotel, Humble House, across from Bellavita and next to Xinyi Mituskoshi A8. You can spot the recently opened TEXAS ROADHOUSE from the front as well.

Breeze Song Gao did a good job bringing some new things to their mall that you can't find in the nearby malls or Xinyi area- the number one thing being ICE MONSTER. With a prime window spot on the first floor, it's hard to miss, and with the shortage of great shaved ice in this Xinyi area in general, I can definitely see them drawing crowds to their mall. Mango shaved ice lovers get ready to line up next summer!

AGNES B. CAFE sits in the front of the first floor for sandwiches and coffee. Their expansion has been pretty impressive- almost like a Taiwanese Starbucks, in that there's one on each corner and they always seem to be filled with customers. On the way to the MRT, you can hit two more Agnes B Cafe's at Xinyi Eslite and Hankyu.

Breeze Song Gao doesn't have a food court, but rather a floor of restaurants with each place having its own seating area. On the day that I went, the Japanese restaurants seemed the most popular, while TJB Pho, Pepper Steak, Kiwi Cafe and Liz Gastronomie offer some variety. 

Here's a quick first look at the restaurants on B2 floor. Leave a comment below if you've tried any and what you think!

OOTOYA KITCHEN/ 大戶屋- Japanese katsu, udon, katsu don, soba dishes

TIEN HSIANG LO- Hangzhou cuisine, fast casual style

OBON DE GOHAN/ 御盤 de 食堂 - Japanese set meals and desserts in cute cafe setting. Original outlets in Japan and Narita airport.

FUJI TEPPANYAKI/ 富士鐵板燒

INAKA UDON/ 稻禾烏龍麵- freshly made udon bowls with tempura options, served cafeteria style. Also near Xinyi Eslite and inside SongYan Eslite

Kiwi Cafe/ KIWI日味義麵 -  Japanese Italian pasta in valentine red and pink chaired cafe

SHENG SHI TONKATSU/ 勝勢豬排- this is definitely the next place I want to try. I spotted their black tonkatsu on instagram and they had one of the longest lines to get in.

TJB PHO - have yet to try any of the TJB Cafes or TJB dim sum so it's interesting to see that they've expanded to pho! Kind of how Dazzling expanded to Thai....

OLYMPIA/ 世運食品

LADERACH - Laderach's chocolate bark are SO good and I occasionally get them as gifts or gift to myself. My favorite is their raspberry blackberry chocolate and recently discovered their chocolate covered orange peels. It's a bit pricey, but it's made in Switzerland and imported from there. Ask for samples if you ever pass by. They also have a store in Taipei 101.

TRINE AND ZEN- at Breeze Fuxing, Trine and Zen took over the ex-Dean and Deluca space so it's a deli/cafe. Didn't get a chance to see if it's also a deli here, or just a cafe.

Wine guy

SHUI JIAN BAO - good for a snack on the go

PEPPER LUNCH/胡椒廚房 - sizzling steak on the iron plate, with various toppings.

MENYA MUSASHI RAMEN/ 麵屋武藏- I ended up here for lunch after making a circle around B2. Menya Musashi is a popular ramen shop from Japan, and also has locations in Hong Kong and Singapore. They have tonkotsu, ship and miso ramens as well as tsukemen dipping ramen. I'll post more pictures and details in a separate review.

LIZ GASTRONOMIE- bakery and desserts. Didn't spot this place behind the escalators until I went to the bathroom. Haha! It's a bit hidden, but I guess you'll pass by it if you are looking for the restroom. 

With new malls come new food courts and restaurants to explore, making the competition for everyone's dining dollars fiercer than ever. It's really insane the density of food available now in just the shopping areas alone, I think it hurts some of the nearby restaurants since it's easier to meet at a mall and walk around to find a place that can seat you when you're with a bunch of friends, than to walk across the street to the shops behind Zhongxiao. While it is convenient to be able to have so much available in the area, the downside is that it's sure to increase the traffic which was already so horrific in this area during rush hours.

I'm excited to check out the rest of Breeze Song Gao later, since there's another floor of eats on B1, including Dairy Queen, Beard Papa Cream Puffs and Favvi Cafe. I'm also curious to see what the bigger Breeze Xinyi will have when they open.