not Taipei/LA: KOGI TACO and GET SHAVED TRUCKS

Mmmmm. I don't know why there isn't Hawaiian Shaved Ice in Taiwan, but it would be the perfect extension to the already popular top-it-with-anything shaved ice places in Taiwan. Sweet, fruity and colorful, I headed to the trucks at T-Lofts on Olympic after finding about Get Shaved's Shave Ice from twitter.



After looking at the extensive menu, I decided on Root Beer, Strawberry and Dreamsicle (Orange + Vanilla). I loved how the ice was finely shaved (rather than chunky) and the flavors were sweet but distinctive. It started to melt as we were waiting in line, so I had to eat it quickly.



I had already eaten lunch so I was took a tiny bite of my friend's tacos. It was different than I expected- I thought the meat would be sweeter and there would be kimchi, like my own little experiment. Instead there was some spicy shredded lettuce atop of the diced and grilled meat. There was no sweet and savory combo.





I think I'll stick to the carnitas and carne asada with guacamole that I've been craving when I'm not here since that's a lot harder to come by for me. But if you're still curious, you can find out where to line up for the Kogi tacos or Get Shaved by checking out them out on twitter: kogibbq or getshaved

A few days after this, I found out that Diddy Riese in Westwood also has shaved ice- and only for $1!! For $1.50 you can get it topped with ice cream or get an ice cream sandwich with two cookies. Mmmm

Unfortunately, I'm having trouble uploading pics from my camera to my computer... so until then, all pics are from my iPhone.

teppanyaki/fusion: i strongly recommend BEN TEPPANYAKI

BEN TEPPANYAKI
No. 2 Lane 102, An Ho Road, Sec 1
(02) 2703-2296

website: ben-teppanyaki.com.tw

hours: 11:45 AM - 2:30PM; 5:45PM- 10:30PM

$$$

Kid friendliness: high chairs available

Visit reviewed: 7/4/2009



Foie gras and warm molten chocolate lava cake. Drool, drool, drool. Both decadent, melt in my mouth dishes that make me happy.

With those two things on the menu, everything else just faded into the background. Not to mention that I'll always remember Ben Teppanyaki for giving me the biggest piece of foie gras I've ever had. EVER. It's hard to tell from the pictures how huge it was, but it was crazy.



With teppanyaki, you watch the chef cook everything in front of you, making it look easy- letting things rest at the grill, putting the right amount of oil and seasoning to bring out the flavors. And in past experience, things are diced and sliced and passed around the table, so often if you see a few lobster tails, the amount that gets back to you is only a portion. That's why when he put the hunk of foie gras on the teppan, I thought it was going to be split amongst the table.



But no, it was ALL for me! No complaints, except from my arteries. It was so good and worth it, as I took each quivering, succulent bite. Definitely needed the sauce and the sweet pear to offset the richness of the foie gras.

Good thing the veggies were next- I needed to balance out the meal with some tender asparagus and mushroom. The juices from the mushroom were hot and as I munched away, I wished there were more.



I arrived late to the huge family dinner at Ben Teppanyaki so I didn't get to see the menu, but there was plenty of seafood and steak around the table (shrimp, fish, lobster). I'm guessing that this meal didn't come cheap, but it was worth it!

Ben Teppanyaki seems to take French dishes and serve it teppanyaki style with an elegant flair, fusing an east west menu. As the four generations laughed and talked, I played catch up with dishes- a pumpkin soup; garlic bread; cubes of steak with crispy, thin slices of garlic, and fried rice that I had to pack to go. I think there were more, I can't remember- all my focus was on the foie gras.



When the dessert arrived, I had mixed emotions. I love chocolate cake, but I was pretty full.



Then warm chocolate sauce broke free from the cake when I sliced it with my fork and made a little pool for the vanilla ice cream to take a dip. I devoured the whole thing- I couldn't resist! If you're planning on coming, make sure to save room for dessert!

CLOSED! middle eastern/turkish: TRUVA

CLOSED a/o 2012

TRUVA
No. 3, Lane 181, An Ho Road, Sec 2
(02) 2737-0037

website: wretch.cc/blog/truvataipei

$$-$$$

Kid friendliness: 5/29/2009

Visit reviewed: high chairs available




What is more important? First impressions or last impressions?

If it's first impressions, Truva gave us great first impressions. The waitress (and owner?) patiently went through the extensive menu with us, explaining different things and making recommendations. The restaurant was smaller than I expected, but elegantly designed with rich colors and a prominent bar. The restaurant was nearly empty when we arrived for dinner, but it gave us a more private feeling.



But if it's last impressions, well, let me know what you think. Some reviews I had read about Truva complained about the bottled water charge (that they serve bottled water without asking and then you are charged for it), so I was prepared for that- it's pretty common in a lot of the nicer restaurants in town (and nothing could be worse than the one time my friends and I ended up paying US$40 for just Fuji bottled water in Vegas when we didn't know we were getting charged by the bottle rather than by the person).

Instead, I happened to catch multiple charges for pita bread on the bill (it was complimentary as part of the appetizer as well as the shrimp dish) and the waitress apologized and looked like she was going to fix it. But then the owner came back and said something along the lines of, "I gave you extra pita bread with your appetizer. It usually comes with 1, but I gave you 3."



Ummm... Wait a second, if he gave it to us (rather than us requesting it) then isn't it a gift aka free of charge? I was a bit annoyed, but we paid the bill rather than debating with him. I had raised the point and he made his. It couldn't have been more than a NT$160 charge, but the more I thought about it, the more it bugged me. As you might remember, I don't like it when the restaurant "upsells" you with a smile without a heads up. Eventually it left a bad "aftertaste" in my experience on the meal and restaurant, which was too bad because there is some decent food at Truva.



The pita bread in question was good. Turkish pita bread is different than pocket pita bread that you might picture from the more familiar Greek pita bread or pita sandwiches. It was soft and chewy and went well with the mixed dip plate that we got with creamy hummus, eggplant (mashed and grilled) and spicy vegetable salad (with tomato, onion and parsley).

If I had to do it over again, I wouldn't order the mixed pita(NT$560) and the baked shrimp casserole(NT$620)- both were overpriced for what you are getting. The mixed pita was the least favorite of the table, a bit dry and bland with an overcooked egg.



And the shrimp in the casserole seemed to be frozen rather than fresh shrimp, and just too expensive for the portion. The sauce was a bit oily and the shrimp themselves didn't seem to have been marinated for long.



Instead, check out the mixed grill (NT$860) with turkish meatballs, lamb shish kebap, chicken shish and adana kebap with sides of rice pilaf and french fries. My favorite from this plate was the grilled chicken- it was the most tender and juicy.



and the beef Iskender (NT$760) with slices of rotisserie grilled beef in a thick, sweet tomato paste sauce and huge portions of yogurt and pilaf on each side. This was a crowd pleaser at the table.



I think at one time maybe people would pay a premium for an "exotic" food like middle eastern or Turkish food. But now with the growth of the casual chains Doner Kebab and Sababa, I can get a filling and equally delicious entire meal and drinks for two or three people for the price of one entree from Truva.

I'd be curious to see how differently priced the lunch menu is- maybe there are some deals to found there? Otherwise, for the value of what we got, it's hard for me to see myself going back, with so many options to eat around town. But if you're looking for new place to romance a date or try something new like Turkish ice cream, the fine dining ambiance can definitely set the mood.

headed to LA: what to eat?

Headed back to LA this week! Very excited about trying out all the places I've been reading about on the LA food blogs, as well as eating at my neighborhood favorites.

I've packed my laptop, business cards and photos so I'll try to do some catchup posts while I'm away.. lots of catching up to do. SIGH!

Flavors Swedish Restaurant
Truva Turkish Restaurant
Anzu Tonkatsu
AO+ private kitchen
Saveurs French Restaurant
Tan Hua Tou
Ben Teppanyaki
Chef Showtime
El Toro Spanish Restaurant
Primo Trattoria
Mcafe
Saffron Indian Restaurant
Sashimiya
Suzette Crepes

Otherwise, I might send some snapshots of what I'm eating in LA.

So LA readers, any places I gotta try this time around? Help a hungry girl out!

my friend's kitchen: july 4th bbq in taipei

Happy 4th of July! This year was the first time I ever celebrated July 4th in Taipei, much less with a full on bbq on a grassy lawn! Much thanks to my friends J and A for inviting me over and making all the rib fingers and grilled pineapple chicken sooo delicious! Grilled bbq corn, potato salad, cornbread and then fruit and brownies (my small contribution) for dessert.

Yum! I'm totally going to start grilling up some pineapples now on my George Foreman grill (he he) and buying the Stubb's bbq sauce from Costco.

What are you guys eating on your 4th? And does anyone know where to get sparklers in Taipei?

not taipei/hakka: i recommend LAO DI FANG

LAO DI FANG
or "The Old Place"
No. 489, Yuan Lin Road, Sec 1
Ta Shi, Taoyuan County

(03) 390-6863

$$

Kid friendliness: high chairs available

Visit reviewed: 6/21/2009



A few weekends ago, I went on a road trip with a ton of relatives and family friends. The kind where you sit on a bus and listen to them karaoke to pass the time (whether or not you want to). The kind where you end up in other parts of Taiwan and you have no idea how to blog about where it is or how you'd get there. The kind where the day ends with a family dinner where the relatives do the ordering, you never get to see the menu and then huge platter after platter of food come out until you have no idea where the next plate will go.

We went up and down some mountain to take a bunch of pictures and then ended up in Ta Shi at Lao Di Fang, a Hakka or "Ke Jia" restaurant that was bustling with families chowing down. The food arrived as soon as we sat down (might have been a pre-order by my aunt or the tour guide) and never stopped. Mostly everything was good, though some dishes were more oily or salty than we might be used to.

In case you're curious, Brian Webb does a great job explaining in a summary about Taiwan's 3 ethnic groups: Aboriginal, Hakka, Hoklo, and Immigrant.

My favorites were the

stir fried rice noodle



vegetables with thousand year old egg



and tofu with vegetables pot.



Also pretty good was the oysters



and chicken



and eggplant.



Surprisingly, I didn't like the Hakka stewed pork belly over simmered preserved mustard greens (similar to "gua bao" when put into steamed buns) and the soup with the "tang yuan" (or rice balls). I'm used to having the "tang yuan" over shaved ice, so I couldn't get used to it in a salty soup, especially the pink ones. The Hakka pork and mustard greens were too salty for me and I missed the Taiwanese version with the condiments of the ground peanuts/sugar powder and cilantro to balance out the flavors.



Also, it didn't help that these dishes arrived at the end- the shredded "si gua" or loofah and the Hakka stir fried squid. Too stuffed to try it.




I don't think this was my first time having Hakka food, but I'm definitely not familiar with it. But send some huge hot fragrant plates of Chinese food to our table, and we're happy customers. Especially after a long day on the bus. Any big fans of Hakka food? Any recs for inside Taipei city?

snapshot/coffee: STARBUCKS coffee jelly frapp

I like that Starbucks Taiwan is willing to experiment. I think I even saw this last year or the year before and thought that I should give it a try. I thought I'd just walk in and drool over the chocolate muffin and enjoy some AC and walk out, but the sign caught my eye and before you know it, I'm ordering a Caramel Coffee Jelly Latte Frappuccino.



Yes, I said, Caramel Coffee Jelly Latte Frappuccino. Dude, if you are going to have a calorie bomb, you gotta go all the way.

But I immediately regretted getting it after I took my first sip. I think I'm so used to the chewy Q consistency of boba, I felt that the coffee jelly didn't have any spring in its step. It was a bit flavorless and lost in the icy snowstorm of my Caramel Coffee Jelly Latte Frappuccino. I think if the coffee jelly was a bit stronger in flavor, it's a good concept. After all, I'm a huge fan of the coffee jelly topped with coffee ice cream dessert from Sawtelle Kitchen, and this is pretty much the same thing, but blended.

But for the price of one frapp- NT$150- I can get three "Yuan Qi Q Nai" and chew on brown sugared boba to my heart's content.

This hasn't hit the states yet, has it?

hotpot/organic: QI-MIN ORGANIC HOTPOT

CLOSED! a/o 2013

QIMIN ORGANIC HOTPOT
128, Zhongxiao E Rd Sec 4, 2 FL
(02) 2772-5123

MRT: Zhong Xiao/Dun Hua

website: qi-min.com

hours: lunch: 11:30am to 2:30pm
dinner: 5:30pm to 10:30pm

$$=$$$

Kid friendliness: spotted an older kid there. roomy but calm atmosphere

Visit reviewed: 6/2/2009




If you're crazy about organic foods and don't mind paying a premium for it, then Qi-Min Organic Hotpot is the place for you. I had passed by Qimin many, many times, but always thought it was too pricey to eat at. My friend wanted to check it one day while craving hot pot, so we agreed to go.

A lone menu and staircase is the only sign that there's a restaurant upstairs. Before you get to the actual restaurant, there is a room with display cases of their organic goods, as they also have a home delivery service of meats and vegetables you can use to cook with at home. Their motto is "from farm to table" which is also a movement going on in the States, eating more things grown locally.




Once you step in, the atmosphere has to be one of the most spartan and regal hot pot places I've ever seen.



Their set menu runs from NT$600- NT$2680(! for two) which includes seasonal appetizer, a choice of broth, a basket of seasonal organic greens, your main protein, a choice of two sauces, a choice of starch and vinegar disgestif and dessert. There's also an English and Chinese menu full of pictures of additional or ala carte sides you can add such as dumplings, squid balls, veggies, seafood.




I ended up choosing the Prime Beef Shortrib in the Organic Vegetable and Mushroom Broth, with Qimin and Lemongrass sauces. There's also a bonito and dashi broth or a Lushan Chicken broth.



The appetizer was delicate and stylishly presented. The bite of pork I had was good.



We chatted and waited for our water to boil. For hard core shabu-shabu'ers, you should cook the meat first and then throw in the veggies. But we were hungry, so put in some veggies first.




Once in awhile, nature sounds from a CD they played would come on the speakers. My friend was startled by the frog sounds that came out of the blue- we all giggled at her reaction.

I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of meat I got. Long sizeable slices that made for some delicious beef consumption.



I was going to get the Organic Noodles for my starch, but the picture in the menu looked like such a small amount, I got what my friend who had been here before got- the Steamed Rice with Shrimp. Good call.



The Lemongrass sauce gave the meat and vegetable a sour, citrus flavor that I haven't had with hotpot before.. double dipping it in the lemongrass and the soysauce and garlic flavor gave the right salty, fragrant kick. At Qimin Hotpot, it's quality over quantity, so I savored the food I got, instead of wolfing down everything like I usually do at all-you-can-eat shabu shabu Momo Paradise.



The lunch ended with a pumpkin pudding and plum-like vinegar drink. Both flavors I happen to dislike, so after a tiny bite and sip, I left it alone.



Would I go back? With so many hotpot options in town, probably not- there's mala spicy hotpot and the jazzier Orange hotpot if I want to splurge. Or even the mushroom overload Bai Gu Yuan, where the broth is so flavorful from the different mushrooms, it's good for even non-vegetarians. But if you've got an organic health nut friend you gotta impress, Qi-Min should do the trick.