a journal of finding good food and restaurants i love to eat in Taipei when I'm not in Los Angeles. looking forward to hearing from other food lovers about where your favorite places to eat are, so i can try them next!
Friday, September 24, 2010
snapshot/revisited: i strongly recommend the chocolate marshmallow cake at VVG BISTRO
VVG BISTRO (or HAO YANG)
20, Alley 40, Lane 181, Zhongxiao E. Rd, Sec. 4
(02) 8773-3533
MRT: ZhongXiao/DunHua
$$-$$$
Visit reviewed: 9/22/2010
It's been awhile since I've been to VVG Bistro and written about it (FOUR years!). It's kind of fun to look at old reviews and old photos- not only is it a snapshot of the blog at the time, but also of the restaurant. My visit this time was a lot better than the last- the service, the portions and the overall experience.
Usually I end up at VVG Table for their brunch set on the weekends, but I'm glad I got a chance to revisit the OG VVG.
They still have some of my favorites there- the roasted chicken dome, the pesto and bread and various linguine pastas- but what I want to talk about is the chocolate and marshmallow cake (NT$220)!
Those of you who live in Taipei know that a good chocolate cake is hard to find here. Of course, everyone has a different idea of what makes a good chocolate cake good, but if you are a chocoholic then you shouldn't be disappointed.
The top part is rich and dense like eating a huge oversized truffle with the airy marshmallows for contrast, but since dark chocolate was used, it wasn't overkill sweet. The bottom part is a moist cake that you can eat separately or together with the top. I scooped a bit of each along with the vanilla ice cream to make the perfect bite. The slice is big enough that I shared it with three other people and still had enough satisfaction.
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
events/exploreTaipei: i strongly recommend HUASHAN 1914 CREATIVE PARK
HUASHAN 1914 CREATIVE PARK
華山1914文化創意產業園區
No. 1, BaDe Road, Sec. 1
台北市八德路一段1號
MRT: Shandao Temple or ZhongXiao/Xinsheng station
hours: most shops/cafes don't open until 11AM but open until late
Free to explore/ $-$$ for eats and exhibits
website: huashan1914.com/en/
kid friendliness: yes
visit reviewed: 12/28/2014
In 1997, a Taiwanese theater company discovered an abandoned wine & sake factory and was drawn to staging plays there. It grew into a cultural art center as local artists and the creative community used it over the years as a work space, and it became official in 2005-2007 when they restored it and it became Huashan 1914 Creative Park. The collective of buildings provides space for rotating exhibits and events, restaurants/cafes, as well as concert/music venue Legacy and SPOT Theater which shows many independent films and hosts various local film festivals.
The Beatles exhibition and other ones are running from December to March 2015 so if you want to have a leisurely gander then I recommend going on a weekday morning, when it will be least crowded.
A little walk down memory lane and the history of Sony Playstation products.
Ahead of its time? Could have been the iPod? Haha.
1994 was a good year!
Repurposed areas like Huashan and the Songshan Cultural Park in the Xinyi District remind me a bit of 798 Art Zone in Beijing, both taking previously industrial spaces and transforming them into cultural hubs and creative spaces for the community. Restaurant and cafe owners like VVG's Grace Wang play a role in that as well, as the Wall Street Journal noted in their article about how Taipei is "Asia's Answer to Portland, Oregon."
And if you're in the Huashan area and you are a gadgets person, just across the street from Huashan is Guanghua Digital Plaza, as well as the new electronics mall and surrounding streets of gadgets, electronics and accessories. When I left my camera battery charging cord in LA, my dad guided me through a few random shops where I picked a replacement AV cord for a few US dollars. Not the easiest areas to explore if you don't speak Chinese or know what you want, but good if you're looking for something like Fry's Electronics in Taipei.
Monday, April 18, 2005
French in Taipei
Make your reservations here
VVG BISTRO
20, Alley 40, Lane 181, Zhongxiao E Rd, Sec 4,
(02) 8773 3533
$$
PAPILLON
at San Want Hotel
No. 172, ZhongXiao East Rd, Sec. 4
(02) 2781-7063
$$$
JOYCE EAST
128 Xin Yi Road, Sec 5
(02) 8789-6128
$$-$$$
You could also try...
VVG TABLE
14, Lane 40, Alley 181, ZhongXiao East Road
(02) 2775-5120
$$
MAMM GOZ
12, Lane 112, AnHe Rd, Sec 1
(02) 2709-6636
$$
Quick fix
MAISON KAYSER
at Breeze Shopping Center, B2
39, Fu Hsing South Rd, Sec. 2
$-$$
Maybe they were having an off day? As a last resort...
BOLERO
No.308, Minsheng W. Rd.
Datong District, Taipei
(02)2559-1251
$$-$$$
On my to do list
- Chez Jimmy
- La Petite Cuisine