Monday, December 08, 2008

CLOSED chinese/fusion: i strongly recommend YOGUDO



YOGUDO
No. 20, Lane 50, Yixian Road
(02) 8789-2338
Sad to pass by this location awhile back and it was closed. It may have moved elsewhere

website: www.yogudo.com.tw Chinese only

hours: 7:30 AM-9:30 PM

$-$$

Kid friendliness: Booths, no high chairs. Room for strollers. Kids will especially like the yogurt drinks and desserts

Visit reviewed: 11/6/2008



To be honest, I thought I was in trouble when I entered Yogudo with my dad and aunt. Even though it was bustling with locals, I took one look at the busy looking Chinese-only menu with weird sauces zigzagged on food and thought, another local place that only locals could love.



There are salads, combo plates, baked gratins and pastas and mini-hotpots, most meals ranging around NT$199. You could also make your plate a set by adding NT$40 which gives you a small drink and dessert. I reluctantly chose the grilled pork dish.



But guess what? It was actually good! And good for you. Yogudo's whole concept is about healthy eating, using yogurt almost every dish- in marinating the meats, as sauces, in the hotpot, in the drinks, as well as more fiber and city garden grown vegetables. It's actually a concept that I could see working in the states with the whole organic foods/health trends. Every dish has a sweet and savory combo to it.



In my pork combo plate, there's the good sized baked pork, purple/red rice, salad with corn, black beans, tomatoes, and cucumber (I pick out the sprouts), vegetable soup and if you get the combo, drink and yogurt jelly or pudding. The pork is tender and bit savory and salty. I think I heard that the meat was marinated with yogurt to help tenderize it, but someone might have to back that up for me. The vegetable soup tastes freshly made and is full of chunky carrots, potatoes, and a sprinkling of sprouts.

Having gone back now a number of times, I like the green drink the best- over the cantoloupe-ish orange drink, while the Yogurt drink is a close second. Dessert wise, the milk pudding is great, as well as the jellies topped with yogurt.

My aunt got what I thought was a salad, but it turned out that there was a bowl of spaghetti hiding underneath. There's also baked gratins and pastas for those that like their pasta with a lot of cheese on top.




My dad got a combo that had a hotpot with vegetables and a seafood gratin inside a papaya. I do NOT like papaya, so I didn't try it, but I thought it was so unique that instead of water, they give you this yogurt milk to cook inside the hotpot. I should have given it a try, but I was too wrapped up in my pork and rice.



For those of you giving up on white rice, you should try this rice! This reddish-purple rice has a texture and taste that makes me want to buy a bag and replace all the white rice in my diet. Nutty, soft, but with a bite. It's like I'm more conscious of chewing the rice since it's got texture. I'm not sure the name, but it's not the purple rice I've often had in Korean soondubu tofu restuarants, nor the brown rice that is in some Southern California cafes. I've been researching Wikipedia and trying to match up pictures, but it's a mystery. Is it Bhutanese red rice? Is it akai rice? Anyone know?



In any case, it's quite addictive. Since eating here the first time, I've ordered the same pork dish to go two or three times and gotten a few other friends wanting to try it as well. Recently, I went back and tried the grilled beef wrapped asparagus- a bit greasier than the pork, but maybe the asparagus balances that out.

Look for this storefront across from the Ikari Coffee, in the lanes behind the Zhong Xiao and Keelung intersection. Take your health nut friends and see what they think.




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Saturday, December 06, 2008

CLOSED! mexican: i strongly recommend EDDY's CANTINA



i'm not teasing you.. these pictures are from Taiwan!


(edited 3/2012 This location was closed in 2012, but they have a second location in TianMu)

EDDY'S CANTINA
151-1 Zhongshan Rd
Danshui or Tamsui
(02) 2628-2638

Nearest MRT stop: Danshui

website: eddyscantina.com

hours: Weekdays 11:30 AM-2:30 PM; 4:30PM-10PM (closed Tuesdays)
Weekends 11:30 AM- 10 PM

$ - $$ Cash only

Kid friendliness: High chair available. Restaurant above a stairway, so would need to fold up or lift strollers.

Visit reviewed: 12/5/2008



chicken enchiladas


If you're visiting Taiwan, you're probably headed over to Din Tai Fung for some xiao long bao, to Yong Kang Jie for some beef noodle soup or niu rou mien and mango shaved ice, to the night market of your choice for some oyster omelette or stinky tofu or giant fried chicken ji pai, or to Ximen Ding for some Ah Chung mien shien or vermicelli that you can eat only standing up. That's what I always ate when I visited. These are the places I usually take my friends when they visit.

But what about when we're no longer visitors?

When Din Tai Fung is as exciting as McDonald's and we're drooling over non-Chinese food on food blogs in LA, theOC, San Diego or more from OC? When all we want is a half decent burrito?

In the past, I tried all the Mexican places in town and then eventually end up at Chili's for the fajitas and guacamole, or make my own guacamole from the Haas avocados from Costco.

For months, I drooled over the possibility that good authentic Mexican food could fill my tummy when I read about Eddy's Burrito in Danshui and the new El Gallo in Tienmu. Perhaps I didn't want to get my hopes up, even as I read good reviews, that nothing could compare to the carnitas or enchiladas in LA. Everytime I made plans to trek to Danshui, the weather would rain me out. But I finally made it after a friend also wanted to try it and volunteered to drive.

And the drive (or MRT ride) is worth it.



Eddy's Cantina is not only THE BEST Mexican food in Taipei (and believe me, I've tried them all), but also makes me feel like I could be sitting in some mom and pop Mexican hole-in-the-wall in LA (and that is a good thing). Eddy's Cantina is run by Eddy and his wife Jo, and the food is prepared with fresh ingredients from Eddy's family recipes. The menu has been expanded from their days as Eddy's Burrito, a stand at Lao Jie.



From the English and Chinese menu to the service with a smile to the great prices, Eddy's Cantina offers almost everything a Mexican food lover could want. Burritos, soft shell tacos, chimichangas, quesadillas, enchiladas, fajitas, nachos, horchata, margaritas, beers and even dessert. Their lunch menus offer up a variety of six different bowls- carnitas, taco salad, fajitas, mexi-breakfast, rice and beans (NT$99- NT$129).

The decor is bright and colorful and the space is not huge, but doesn't feel crowded. Mariachi music playing overhead adds to the festive setting.



With each dish, you can make it a set for additional NT$80 and choose a drink and three sides (from beans, rice, potatoes, salad or chips). It was a kick getting my Orange Fanta in a glass bottle, and my friend loved her horchata. You can also order the horchata with a shot of Kahlua.




The carnitas (pork) burrito (NT$160 ala carte/NT$240 set) came first and I had to hold in my excitement. The pork was roasted and had the slightly chunky and stringy browned carnitas look that I was familiar with, and the burrito was soft and warm, filled with pork, Mexican rice and refried beans- so if you get the additional sides, don't get the rice/beans unless you want extra!




The three complimentary sauces are served separately for you to add if you find your burrito not spicy or wet enough- white sour cream, spicy red chili rojo sauce and green guacasalsa sauce. I think next time I might ask for some diced tomatoes and onions or cheese too (which are available in their lunchtime only Carnitas bowl). Or even better, if there was chunky guacamole on the menu. You can also ask for jalepenos.



The carne asada (steak) tacos (NT$185 for 2) were topped with diced tomatoes, onions, cilantro and cheese. There's even a slice of lime to squeeze onto the taco. However, as reader Dan C. reminded me with his inquiry, the tortillas are flour, not corn. It would definitely be better with corn tortillas, but I guess I've been in Taiwan too long and acclimated to making my own soft tacos when eating fajitas at Chili's or Yuma with flour tortillas. I honestly can't believe I didn't react to it right away.



Last, but not least, were the chicken enchiladas (NT$200 for 2). My go-to dish at a Mexican restaurant is chicken enchiladas- the seasoned chicken wrapped in a corn tortilla and baked with melted cheese on top is just comfort food for me. But they have been impossible to find in Taipei- only at La Casita were they decent. The enchiladas weren't drowning in sauce, but they were still moist and flavorful. The tortilla was soft and each bite made me increasingly happy. My friend who hadn't eaten Mexican food since she had come back to Taiwan over three years ago liked this dish the best.



Even though we were both stuffed, we decided to try the dessert. Two tortillas with butter and sugar in between, the Tortilla Dulce (NT$100) is served warm with chocolate drizzled on top and ice cream- it reminded me of a dessert crepe. The chocolate chip ice cream was so good and it was a sweet ending to a delicious meal.



If you can't make the trek, Eddy's Cantina can also deliver burritos and more through a 7-11 freeze/deliver service for you to reheat the next day. I haven't tried it yet, but I'll probably make the call the next time the craving hits me. It's definitely going to be better than the frozen rice and bean burritos at Costco (UGH!) or the frozen enchiladas at Jason's.

It was kind of surreal, finding authentic Mexican food in Taiwan and at totally affordable prices. Sure it's almost an hour away from where I live in Taipei, but that's a lot closer than LA!


PS. BY THE WAY- don't forget to vote for your favorites
in the Reader's Choice poll!!!
I'm really hoping you all will help me give it a try-
it's your chance to share your faves,
especially if you've disagreed or agreed with me before
even if it's for a few of the categories!!! Thank you!

Thursday, December 04, 2008

CLOSED! afternoon tea: i don't recommend DEAN AND DELUCA afternoon tea set



CLOSED! there is still a deli/coffeeshop in the same space, but very local. not Dean and Deluca

DEAN AND DELUCA
at Breeze Center, B2F
No.39, Fuxing S. Road, Sec 1
(02) 6600-8888 ext 7301

$$

Sun - Wed 9 AM - 9 PM
Thur-Sat: 9 AM - 10 PM

website: deandeluca.com

Kid friendliness: finger foods. area to sit down

Visit reviewed: 10/21/2008
Review of their lunch sets here



After walking around with a friend around Breeze, we decided to find a place to sit down and catch up. We didn't want to squeeze into the crowded Starbucks area and spotted a sign for the afternoon tea set at Dean and Deluca with two coffees or teas (no special lattes).

We lined up at the coffee bar, but when we asked for the afternoon tea set (NT$450), they said we had to order from the middle counter instead. So we placed our order there and grabbed a seat.



All in all, everything on it was just okay. The only thing I really liked was the pudding. Everything else was disappointing- the fruit was not sweet, the pastries were dry, the finger sandwiches forgettable. I guess I expected more from Dean and Deluca.





The next time, I'd just get some of their sandwiches or sides from the counter or sweets from Maison Kayser and make my own little afternoon tea set.

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

hotpot/japanese: i recommend ORANGE SHABU SHABU



ORANGE SHABU SHABU
No. 135, Da An Road, Sec 1, B1
(02) 2776-1658

website: orangeshabu.com.tw

hours: 11:30AM - 11PM (other location open til 2 AM!)

$$-$$$

Kid friendliness: high chairs available

Visit reviewed: 11/8/08



A lot of the shabu shabus in Taipei are probably interchangable- after all, how hard could it be- give your customer a pot of boiling water, a plate of meat and vegetables and let them cook it themselves. But some places, like Orange Shabu Shabu, offer some unique things to set themselves apart from the rest.

I had been to Orange Shabu Shabu (in Chinese, it would sound like the color Orange and not the fruit Orange) a long time ago- maybe around the time I had started my blog. I remember the space being on the dark side and with semi-private sectioned seating, as if you could make a shabu-shabu space look like the cousin of a lounge bar. Its menu also offers a lot of fresh seafood- Emperor crab, oysters, scallops, shrimp- as well as sashimi. Dinner will probably be about NT$1000-NT$2000 per person, depending on which set you order.



They also have imported copper pots that you share to cook your meats and veggies.



Make sure you get an order of the super sweet corn. It's already cooked, so you just need to let it boil in the water for a little bit before you eat it. It's crisp and addictive.



Someone at the table ordered seared oysters and I'm glad they did! I love oysters and usually prefer eating them deep fried over raw or steamed, but the grilling gave the skin a nice semi-crispy finish that was a nice contrast to the mushy insides.



For dessert, you can choose between pudding or almond jello. But their almond jello is like the kind at Shin Yeh and a few other places, where it's more like mochi-gelatin than firm gelatin. A lot of people like it, but I don't like the texture in this dessert.




The atmosphere is perfect for date night or romantic night out, but still good for eating out with friends or family. Orange is a popular place, so definitely make reservations in advance. Their new location is open until 2am at night!

Other location:
29, RenAi Rd, Sec 4, 2 FL
(02) 2771-0181
Hours:6 PM - 2 AM


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Monday, December 01, 2008

1st Annual 2008 Best of Taipei Readers' Choice Poll



So we all know that Taipei is filled with tons of good eats. Here's your turn to tell everyone else about your favorites!

It's long, but we're always eating! Please fill out as many as you feel like it and post in the comments section! It's probably easiest to copy and paste the area below and fill it out...

Mull it over.. I will run this until December 20th and then tabulate all the info. I will announce the winners by January 1st.

I will also randomly select 1 LUCKY Reader to give away a NT$1000 gift certificate to whichever restaurant wins Best of the Best. (If the restaurant that wins Best of the Best doesn't have or won't let me buy a gift certificate, then I'll make it something equally yummy or a Starbucks card!) Try to comment with your name or initials- so I'll be able to identify you when you email me if you win after I announce the winner! So I hope everyone will participate and campaign for their faves!

1st EVER HUNGRYINTAIPEI.com's BEST OF TAIPEI READERS' CHOICE RESTAURANT POLL
(categories inspired by San Francisco Magazine and other best of lists, as well as the historic elections this year!)

Best of the Best Restaurants
Best New Restaurant in 2008
Best Super Cheap Eats (Meal NT$100 or Under)
Best Splurge Restaurant

Best Breakfast/ Brunch
Best Late-Night Bites
Best Family Dining
Best Romantic Restaurant
Best Buffet
Best Night Market
Best Restaurant to take Tourist Friends
Best Unexpected Find in Taipei
Best Bar Scene
Best Delivery
Best Food Court
Best Fast Food

Best Uniquely Taiwanese Restaurant
Best Chinese Restaurant
Best Japanese Restaurant
Best Sushi/Sashimi
Best French
Best Italian
Best Indian
Best Mexican/Latin/Spanish
Best Thai/Vietnamese/Southeast Asian
Best Korean
Best American/Western

Best Noodles
Best Xiao Long Bao
Best Dim Sum
Best Hamburger
Best Hot Pot
Best Pizza
Best Steak
Best Vegetarian
Best Afternoon Tea
Best Desserts
Best Ice Cream
Best Shaved Ice
Best Coffee/Tea shop
Best Bakery

Best Fill-in-the-Blank (Whatever I forgot. Let me know! Vote for it!)

happy december!

hi! Just a shout out to my 11 (count them, eleven! Yay!) followers and other readers (especially the ones that let me know you're reading by leaving comments! :) out there.. If you want to get regular updates as soon as I post them, just click on the "Follow this blog" on the bottom right side panel.

Thanks to everyone who has ever stopped by or regularly read my blog... I have many more posts/new restaurants coming and walking around town, I'm always thinking, there are wayyy to many places to eat and blog about!

I am also thinking about doing something special for end of the year, like a Top 10 list or survey or something, but I would love to hear from you guys too about what your favorite restaurants/finds in Taipei are.. So once I gather my ideas together, I'll post up the categories. It could be a lot of fun, but I'll definitely need y'alls help!

In the meantime, I'd love to hear- what were you looking for when you first ended up at my blog and/or any recommendations from the blog that is now a part of restaurant crawl?

Sunday, November 30, 2008

costco/dessert: i strongly recommend JULIE's ORGANIC ICE CREAM SANDWICHES



COSTCO
No. 268 Jiu Zong, Sec 1
Nei-Hu, Taipei
(02) 8791-0110

website: costco.com

hours: 10:00 am - 9:30 pm

Kid friendliness: they're organic! but still taste the same

Visit reviewed: 10/24/2008

Sadly, I haven't seen apple pie or cake donuts at Costco in awhile, but if you're like me and you like to eat ice cream when it's cold out, you should definitely pick up a box of Julie's Organic Ice Cream sandwiches.

I had passed by them for many months, but after hearing from a friend that they were good, I decided to pick up a box. It works out so it's about US$1 a sandwich- a lot more than a box would cost in LA, but about the price you would pay for any ol' ice cream from 7-11. Plus with Haagen Daaz ice cream bars running around NT$100 these days, this was a bargain.



And I'm glad I did! It tasted just like the classic ice cream sandwich, with the melt in your mouth chocolate wafer.

I had tried a local brand of ice cream sandwich awhile back and it was not good- the wafer was dry and crumbly and the ice cream was too sweet. It was so bad I couldn't get past 2 bites, believe it or not.


avoid this brand!



looks promising right?

Friday, November 28, 2008

CLOSED! american/new in town: i strongly recommend YUMA SOUTHWESTERN GRILL


CLOSED a/o 2/2011

YUMA SOUTHWESTERN GRILL
No. 21, Alley 11, Lane 216, ZhongXiao E. Rd, Sec. 4
(02) 8773-8895

website: yumasouthwesterngrill.com

hours: 12 PM - 11 PM (last orders at 10 PM)

$$

Kid friendliness: high chairs available. lots of room for strollers

Visit reviewed: 11/14/2008



Yuma Southwestern Grill has arrived into town offering a huge menu of Southwestern style (think TexMex or Chili's) grilled ribs, chicken, shrimp, nachos and sides to be eaten family style.

Located in the alley parallel to Chung Hsiao East Road, you would have spotted its bright orange and blue storefront if you made it around the corner past the busy 248 lane filled with Alleycats, Toasteria, Chili House and Mary's Hamburgers.

I had been graciously invited to the Grand Opening by the owner (who previously founded the successful and delicious Alleycats), and the menu and concept definitely picqued my interest. I couldn't make it that night, but I wanted to try it out as soon as I could.

We made our reservations for the following week and were greeted by its friendly host/manager. Our waiter spoke fluent English and was helpful in helping suggest what to eat.

If you're not sure what to order, they make it easy by offering some sample menus for larger groups that will give you the right amount and mix of food. We decided to try the menu for 6 which included half order of ribs, half order of prawns, whole chicken, steak fajitas, calamari, chicken salad, and a side of rice. We also added the nachos.



Along with deciding if you want ribs, chicken or shrimp, each one has 3 different kinds of seasoning to choose from... if you like it spicy, then you could get the Peri Peri or Garlic and Chili Butter. We chose the cranberry and honey baby back ribs, dry rub chicken and rosemary and lime prawns. Yuma was inspired to make everything to be shared family style, but of course, you could order things individually as well.

Along with all the grilled meats, there's also an array of margaritas, wines, cocktails and beers and lots of sides to choose from- coleslaw, fries, corn, tortillas, rice.

How great would it be if they made sweet potato fries or cornbread (as asked recently by reader Christopher T.- where can you find cornbread in Taipei)? Mmmm. I'd be in trouble!



Everything arrived quickly to the table, maybe a little TOO quickly for family style eatings.. my mouth couldn't keep up with all the food on the table, and some of it was cold by the time I got to it. In the future, I would ask the servers to ask the kitchen to pace it a little more, or at least put some room between the appetizers/salads and the main meats.

The Arizona Chicken and Roasted Corn soup- hearty broth based chicken soup that you couldn't really find in Taipei before now, sweetened with the corn and fragrant with cilantro- a happy discovery since everywhere the soups served here always seems to be creamy and indistinguishable.



It's more than a week later and I'm still thinking about this soup. I could make a meal out of the soup and the nachos.

The Porky's Pulled Pork nachos (NT$240) were huge and piled with toppings, the way nachos should be! It was a good mix of toppings and melted cheese with the crispy chips, not served individually like some of the chain restaurants around town (and not Doritos with salsa like at some local eateries. Doritos with salsa is NOT nachos!)



The blue cheese in the Flame Grilled Lime and Rosemary Chicken Salad (NT$280) is not for everyone, but I liked its pungent taste mixed in with the salad and ranch dressing. Unfortunately the chicken in the salad that night was unbearably dry- I didn't eat it and instead saved room for the main courses.



I was not crazy about the Texas style calamari (NT$190) which was spiced batter then fried, but it seemed to do okay around the table.



The steak fajitas (NT$390) loses to Chili's on only one factor (no guacamole!)- with large slices of steak, warm tortillas, cheese, fresh corn salsa and pico de gallo, you have everything you need to make your own mini soft tacos, or pile in some rice and make a mini burrito. They also offer a trio shrimp/chicken/steak fajitas.




With so many things on the menu, I would say I wouldn't order the shrimp again. I was a bit surprised when our half order of butterflied prawns came and I saw six regular looking shrimp on 2 kabobs (NT$320/half dozen). That's like almost $5/US for each kabob!



I guess I expected them to bigger when I saw the word prawns.

Instead, put your money towards the ribs and get them with the sweet cranberry and honey glaze. We got the half rack, but should have gotten the whole. (NT$370 half/680 whole)



For dessert, you can choose between their crumb cheesecake or their Tijuana and Vanilla Lime flan. The group was split over which they liked best, but I didn't like the crumbly crust (which may have been its feature). Rather, I liked the sweet and tangy flan, which had a hint of lime and vanilla.



One waitress seemed confused when we asked for plates (to split the desserts around the table) and she said they didn't have any extra small plates. Oh well.

Yuma Southwestern Grill has the perfect location and bright colorful space to become a neighborhood hangout for great grilled fare that is competitive taste-wise and price-wise with not only its neighbors around the corner, but with the Western chains. Inside its brightly styled interior with large spacious tables and a table full of food, you might forget for a moment that you're in Taipei.

I will definitely have to come back for the lunch menu which offers a variety of wraps (NT$150-195) with a side of chips and additional soup for NT$30. It could be the perfect meal... with an order of nachos.


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:)