CLOSED! burgers/new in town: i strongly recommend CALIFORNIA GRILL at Dun Hua

CLOSED! (a/o july 2010)

CALIFORNIA GRILL
No. 1, Lane 238, Dun Hua S Road, Sec. 1
(02) 8771-9423

website: californiagrill.blogspot.com hasn't been updated in over a year

hours: 11:30 AM - 10 PM

$-$$ Cash only

Kid friendliness: very small space, about 10 seats on booths.

Visit reviewed: 10/23/2008 and 11/13/2008



I had been wanting to try California Grill for awhile- with my first attempt at the Yong Kong Jie branch before they were ready for business.

So lucky for me, a friend introducing a friend from out of town chose this newly opened Dun Hua branch for lunch- a tiny nook right behind the Dun Hua S Road Sogo. I didn't know they had opened a new branch, though I probably would have spotted it sooner or later as I'm in that area a lot.

California Grill makes classic burgers without too much frills- they do have a few house variations, such as the Mofo Burger (topped with two slices of bacon, garlic mayo, american cheese and bbq sauce), teriyaki chicken, salmon burger, or even a tofu burger. You can add fries or salad and ice tea or soda for extra NT$50.



If you can't decide, you can order the Sliders (NT$250), which are mini-burgers where you can sample four different types of burgers.

Like their menu states, it's a classic burger- hot, beefy, juicy grilled patty, two hearty slices of tomato, and each part of the burger is proportional to its parts, unlike other places where the lettuce is bigger than the patty.

I love that California Grill gives you TWO slices of tomato and it's probably how I would make a burger if I was having a bbq. They serve it open faced and you can see the grill marks, and then you assemble it together and try to make it fit in your mouth!



I got the Western Bacon Burger (NT$205) which comes topped with not only bacon, but also onion rings, bbq sauce and cheese.

The first time I went a few weeks ago, they didn't offer a set lunch combo. But now they have a pretty good weekday lunch special- 1/3 pound beef or teriyaki chicken or tofu burger with fries or a salad and ice tea for NT$155 (which is like getting the side and tea for free). I got it today with the side Valley Girl salad (mixed greens with diced tomato, cucumber onions and sprouts with oil vinaigrette) and ice tea and extra side of onion rings.

I'd choose their onion rings(NT$40) over their fries- as the rings are fried just right, crispy with a thin layer of batter and served with a side of bbq sauce (which you could also put on your burger).



For those that don't eat beef, there is also a grilled or panko fried chicken burger (NT$155) as well as a grilled or fried tofu burger (NT$135). This is not a ground up pretend garden burger- it's a grilled slice of tofu with sesame and ginger glaze for the vegetarians out there. Have you ever wondered why vegetarian fare offers things that look like the "real thing"- doesn't that sort of defeat the purpose of being a vegetarian? I dunno.



There's also a few salads to choose from, as well as milkshakes, beers and sodas (Dad's Root Beer) to guzzle down.



For those of you missing your hometown (LA) burger joint while in Taipei, you should definitely check out California Grill. Though the space is small, it's a cool classic diner-like atmosphere with shiny red seats and white tables. If you're in a rush, you might to call in your order as sometimes (like today) they are handling large to-go orders.



other location:

53-1 Yongkang St, Taipei
(02) 2343 5111


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japanese/food court: i recommend AJISEN RAMEN

AJISEN RAMEN
A4, Shin Kong Mitsukoshi
19 Sung Kao Rd, B2
(02)2723-8691
this location closed a/o 9/2009 :(
Moved to Xinyi Eslite food court. Spotted in 4/2010

website: i couldn't find a site for Taipei= here is Ajisen.com.hk

hours: 11 am- 9 pm; fri/sat 11 am- 9:30
$

Kid friendliness: booths/chair only.

Visit reviewed: 6/12/2008 & 8/15/2008



There was nothing not to like about the ramen here- I devoured my bowl of Ramen with corn (NT$170) as well as the little side of seaweed salad with sweetened vinegar (NT$60). It was on the better side of the experiences of ramen I've had here, although mall ramen here in Taipei is probably better than lots of mall ramen in the states.



If you don't like seaweed, they also offer cold tofu, gyoza (pan fried dumplings) and some other sides.

After ordering at the counter from a picture menu, you get a number. I noticed that almost everything had the girl mascot- from their number to their seasoning on the table, to the spoon, bowl and napkins.



They offer about six different types of ramen- Ajisen Ramen, Miso Ramen, Ramen with Corn, Tenderous Ribs Ramen, Vegetarian Ramen and Curry ramen, and a handful of sides like cold tofu and gyoza (pan fried dumplings) (everything is in Chinese but with pictures).

They also offer a little row of booth seats independent from the mall food court seating, which is great when you don't feel like circling the filled seats for a spot (though I do like their food court neighbor Indian Palace).




The ramen is on the looser side, so it's not as wavy as some ramen places, but it soaks up the soup adequately so it's not bland.



Only recently, I tried the Tenderous Ribs ramen which include large braised chunks of pork (instead of the sliced cha siu in the ramen I usually get). I thought the pork was tender and well seasoned and something different than what's offered at other ramen places.



The menu is limited, so I don't know if there's more options at other locations in Taipei, but on the Ajisen Hong Kong menu there is a TON of more stuff. They have over 120 locations around the world, including in Australia, Canada, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and US.




other location:

No. 43, Nanjing W Road
(02) 2559-8726


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japanese: KIKUGAWA

KIKUGAWA
No. 259, Chang An East Road, Sec 2
(02) 2740-3151

website: kikugawa.network.com.tw Chinese only

hours: 11:30 AM - 3:30 PM; 5:30 PM - 10 PM

$$- $$$

Kid friendliness: high chairs and private rooms available

Visit reviewed: 6-11-2007



It was one of those dinners where everything was a blur. Good food and good company- lots of conversation and eating, with pauses only to take pictures. Kikugawa is another one of those modernly styled Japanese restaurants with fresh sashimi and sushi and differently priced set menus served with style that are great for special occasions.

It was awhile ago and I didn't take a lot of notes, so you'll just have to enjoy the pictures. While my impression was that I liked the sashimi and nigiris, it still didn't beat Sumie at San Want Hotel off of my list of top Japanese restaurants. I also didn't pay the bill, but I think this range of dinner was over $1500/person.



The california rolls were not as great.



Lots of great seafood like the abalone salad, as well as other options like grilled whole fish.



The most memorable dish of the night was the fried durian. For those of you that have never endured the smell of durian, count yourself lucky! My mom used to buy it in the states, and even frozen it still had a stench that all of us would immediately recognize and stay away. It's a tropical fruit in a huge spiky shell and it looks like a fleshy yellow organ inside. I took a tiny bite of the fried durian (which didn't smell as strong), but could still not appreciate the flavor. My mom was happy though.



For those less adventurous, there's still options like stir fried udon, steak and tempura to keep everyone in the family happy.





And of course to end the meal, a mochi-fied dessert and some fresh lychees.




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CLOSED! western/new in town: i strongly recommend L'IDIOT

Closed spring 2013

L'IDIOT
No. 156, MinSheng E Rd, Sec 3
(02) 2545-6966

hours: 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM、5:30 PM - 10:30 PM (Fri/Sat until 12 AM)

$$ - $$$

Kid friendliness: high chairs available. friendly service.

Visit reviewed: 10/28/2008



I haven't figured out what to say everything I want to say yet about L'Idiot, but I wanted you to hear it from me first. A great new addition to the ever-growing scene of restaurants in Taipei, L'Idiot has a varied and seasonal menu offering salads, grilled meats, seafood, pasta, risotto and desserts. (Or as they put it with a sense of dry humor, Aquatics or "Cows and baby sheep")



Everything tastes fresh and they have some original offerings (pumpkin and crab risotto, fig brownie) that will become fast favorites, like the arugula & candied lemon salad (light, tangy and sweet) and vodka seafood fettucine.




Their other salads were also great- one with beets and goat cheese, the other a green salad with fresh figs, but I loved the sweet and tart flavor of the lemon and arugula combined.



I was too busy eating to take a picture of their cool interior sculptures that are covered in mosiac, but the airy, bright space is totally different from the previous tenant, the dark woody Tony Roma's. Also, there isn't a lot of signage, so it's definitely easy to miss, with their front entrance to the side of the street. Just look for the restaurant across from the huge McDonald's and Ruth Chris.

Once you're seated, some warm olive bread comes to the table with butter. We also got some complimentary appetizers that had ricotta cheese on toasted baguette. I don't care for ricotta cheese, so I preferred the bread.




Their lunch menu set offers an affordable option to try something you normally wouldn't, like salad with headcheese. What's headcheese? I didn't know either until it came to our table, and after googling it, I'm kind of glad I only took a tiny bite.



All the lunch sets looked appetizing (Reuben sandwich, Capellini with clams and pesto for NT$390 includes salad and dessert or Pan Seared Seabass with Balsamic Reduction or Pumpkin Risotto with Crab Meat for NT$590 includes salad, soup and dessert).




I ended up getting the seabass, but I was drooling over the Reuben sandwiches I spotted at a lot of the other tables. The pumpkin risotto my friend ordered had bits of pumpkin in it and I preferred the smoother uni risotto instead. We had a group of 9 and everyone was willing to share family style, so I got to taste a lot.

A friend who had been raving about the restaurant for awhile said the grilled duck breast was a must and I agree. Succulent and perfectly seasoned, the dish just confirmed how much I love eating duck- whether it's roasted until the skin is crispy and carved to be wrapped in thin pancakes or grilled and served with balsamic reduction.



The duck breast was served medium to medium rare, which some of the diners at the table would have liked a little more well done. So if you prefer your duck less rare, you should let the kitchen know in advance.

I really enjoyed the fig brownie as well, which had bits of fresh fig inside. The textures made it interesting, but it worked a lot better than the fig cupcake I had at VVG Bon Bon. My friends also tried to order Boston Cream Pie they loved from their previous visits, but it wasn't available that day.



If you're looking for something more filling or maybe you're just missing Tony Roma's, you could order the baby back ribs. While the sauce isn't the same as their barbeque sauce and it doesn't fall off the bone quite the same way, it's not half bad.



I've also heard their brunch is quite good with offerings like crab cake benedict and blueberry pancakes, so I'm eager to make my reservation for that soon.



Whether you are a fan of pasta, grilled meats or light salads, you'll probably find yourself at L'Idiot and wanting to be the first to introduce it to your circle of friends.

Just don't forget who shared it with you first!

Does it look good? Let me know. Been here already already? What was your favorite?


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american/mexican: JAKE's COUNTRY KITCHEN

JAKE's COUNTRY KITCHEN
705 Chungshan North Road, Section 6
(02) 2871-5289

Hours: Kitchen: 6:30am to midnight
Bar: 6pm to 2am

website: jakes.network.com.tw Chinese only, though online menu has English.

$-$$

Kid friendliness: high chairs available, lots of kid options

Visit reviewed: 2/17/2008



I visited Jake's Country Kitchen all the way back in February with high hopes for good Mexican food. While I admire how Jake's has been around town for such a long time and I could see how it was a destination when there were few Western restaurants in town, I was a bit disappointed. Maybe it's because I'd heard about it for so long and it's so far away from where I live that I held it to a higher standard.

Jake's does have a large variety of offerings on their English and Chinese menu- all day breakfast omelettes, pancakes with sides like corn beef hash; burgers, pasta, pizza, fried chicken, dinner plates like turkey with mashed potatoes; Mexican offerings like chicken mole, burritos, enchiladas, chimichangas and flautas, and slices of pies and whole pies to go. Their servers crowded behind the counter and in the kitchen and would pop over occasionally to give us food. The songs from the 80s and 90s playing also gives the place a whole throwback feeling that you could imagine it being around for almost 30 years.



The nachos were just chips with melted cheese (not enough of it) and the guacamole/salsa wasn't fresh and piled on like I'd hoped. It looked and tasted like when I tried to melt jack cheese on some Tostitos at home in the microwave.



The burger (NT$115) was ala carte, but it was a pretty decent burger- served super hot, good size proportion to the bun, fresh fat slice of tomato and lettuce.



The open faced turkey sandwich with mashed potatoes and gravy (NT$250) was better than I thought it would be. It was hearty and filling and the gravy is more like country gravy than brown gravy. It could be a great alternative to a fancy turkey dinner around Thanksgiving if you don't want to slave in the kitchen. Or anytime you just felt like some serotonin from the turkey.



I got a Chimilada which was a Chimichanga Enchilada combo plate (NT$300). The enchilada fared better than the nachos with its cheese quota, but there wasn't enough sauce. The whole point of ordering an enchilada rather than a burrito or chimichanga is that it's soaked in the sauce and the corn tortilla soaks it all up. At Jake's (like many Taiwan eateries), you could barely tell which is the enchilada and which is the chimichanga (NT$160-280 ala carte).



I could have also done without all the sauce on top of the food and rather had it scooped on the side. The refried beans were also rock hard and I didn't bother with trying to eat it. The problem with eating Taiwan-ified Mexican food is that it just makes you long for the real thing even more.



The milkshake again was okay, and it was smaller than expected for the price.



I was so excited to see Lemon Meringue pie on the menu, but it turned out they were out that day. So instead we opted for Strawberry Cheesecake. I love cheesecake. But this was weird cheesecake. It had little fiberous textures inside the cheesecake that was not strawberry-like. It was very off-putting and made me not want to finish it.



The dessert menu itself does offer a huge array of pies, but they only had a few cheesecakes to offer that night. So you'd have to call in ahead to check if they had what you wanted, or order ahead if you wanted to take it home.

I'm curious to know if their breakfast/brunch menu is better, although with options like The Diner now closer to me, I don't know if I'll make the trip to find out.

Maybe for the pie.... Anyone been to Jake's Country Kitchen?


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