thai: VERY THAI

VERY THAI
at Neo 19
22 SongRen Rd, 2F
(02) 8789-6200

MRT: Taipei City Hall

website: verythai.com.tw

hours: 11AM- 3pm; 5PM to 11PM/ Fri-Sat til 12AM midnight

$$

Kid friendliness: high chairs and kids dinnerware available

Visit reviewed: 11/5/2010



I'd always pass by Very Thai on the way to Momo Paradise or Chili's in the Neo 19 building, but never felt the urge to try it until one day I wanted pad thai for lunch. I could have went to the nearby Thai Town, but I thought I'd give Very Thai.



The English and Chinese menu has an assortment of appetizers, rice/noodle dishes, curries and seafood dishes, desserts and drinks.



Despite the decor and setting of Very Thai being very pop/modern/American- with magazine cut outs of American movie stars along one wall and the MTV's the Hills playing above the bar on another, the food is not Americanized Thai food.




After living in Taipei, some people miss Americanized Chinese food- orange chicken, beef and broccoli or mu shu pork. Sometimes I miss Americanized Thai food- the pad thai in LA comes on the sweet side, tinged pink or orange and that's how I like it. I don't mind the more natural tasting pad thai here, but it just seems to be missing something.



In this case, the Thai fried rice noodles was missing noodles! There seemed to be more bean sprouts than noodles and the taste was all savory with no hints of sweetness. For the price NT$250, the portion was on the small size. At that point, I missed the heaping portions of delivery Thai food in LA for the same prices.





Luckily, the chicken satay was a lot better- fat juicy tender pieces that were nicely grilled with the cucumber and peanut sauce.



Is it fair to judge a place on two dishes? Usually I get to eat at places with relatives or friends, so we get to order more and I get to taste a little bit of everything. But what if I'm dining alone- there's no way I'm going to be able to order a tableful of food and there was no lunch special option for lone diners like they do in the states. Not busy at all on a weekday lunch, Very Thai could be a fun spot for dinner and drinks and ordering other dishes to share in a larger group. There were other things on the menu that looked tempting, like the Deep Fried Soft Shell Crab with Thai Sauce, but it was a little disappointing that pad thai wasn't good.

OTHER LOCATIONS

Sogo Tianmu
77, ZhongShan N Rd, Sec 6, 8F
(02) 2831-0188

319 Fuxing N. Rd
(02) 2546-6745

italian/fusion: i recommend WHIPLE HOUSE

WHIPLE HOUSE
No. 34, Lane 252, DunHua S. Rd, Sec. 1
(02) 2775-1627

MRT: ZhongXiao/FuXing

website: whiplehouse.com

hours: 12PM- 9PM

$$-$$$

Kid friendliness: no high chairs spotted

Visit reviewed: (all photos with Canon S90)

Taipei is full of these strange and interesting little restaurants- a little bit Japanese, a little bit French, a little bit Italian, a little bit Chinese- and a little bit of a furniture/clothing shop? Whiple House has the unique quality of being a restaurant hidden on the second floor of what appears to be a woodsy clothing store- look for this storefront if you ever give it a try.



Once upstairs, the kitchen is tucked in the corner and family style seating takes up most of the second floor, with some interesting displays of vintage looking goods off to one side.



The menu is unfortunately only in Chinese without photos, so I relied on my friends to order- especially the ones who had been before and chose the place.



My favorite dish and the main reason I'd come back is for the uni spaghetti with crab (NT$480). Creamy with a balance between the sweet and salty, a bite of the uni spaghetti is complimented by the chunks of sweet crab meat. I kind of wanted a whole plate to myself.



Less interesting was the mentaiko spaghetti(NT$320) which seemed to lose its fishy bubbles of roe after it got to me. I could taste more of the seaweed and olive oil than anything else and even had to double check with my friend that it had mentaiko in it.



If you get a salad, get the one with the mountain yam and poached egg and tofu (NT$280) over the one with beef, bacon and beans (NT$360). The bacon was hard rather than crispy and the elements of the first salad worked better together.




The country bread was surprisingly good- you can get it with an orange marmalade and butter (NT$80)...



or with this hot cheese and egg (NT$280). The server put a raw egg into the hot cheese and stirred, and then recommended that we spread it atop the bread while hot.



The result was kind of like a soft scrambled egg with cheese spread and something I think I might experiment with at home.



The mushroom soup (NT$150) was good and they had split a bowl into different cups for us.



The risotto was very al dente and reminded me of the risotto from Bianco, but the Bianco's risotto had more layers of flavors.



If I could make a recommendation, that would be to skip the steak/beef or even the meats in general. They run on the pricey side and are not as satisfying. We had the waitress help us order, and since we had a large group she decided we could sample a bit of everything.

The roasted chicken was probably my favorite of the three meats- though it tasted comparable to my George Foreman grilled chicken...



The grilled pork (NT$480) had a side of saukeraut and veggies.



The steak (NT$880) was my least favorite- a bit tough and chewy and definitely not worth the pricetag for the portion (though I can't remember if there were two plates of this size at the table).



So give it a try if you're looking for something a little bit different, or like to do your window shopping while you eat.


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last day to vote for Readers' Choice!

Please don't forget to vote for the HungryinTaipei.com Readers' Choice Awards! It only takes a few minutes, and you only have to fill out (at least) 5 of your favorite Taipei restaurants/eats...

TODAY IS THE LAST DAY! So please vote HERE .

Thanks!

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.

CLOSED! snapshot/mexican: i still strongly recommend EDDY's CANTINA

This location is closed a/o 2/2012. There is still a branch in Tianmu

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

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: 11/20/2010
Previous review : 12/5/2008

It's been awhile since I've been able to make the trek out to Danshui for Mexican food at Eddy's Cantina. Of any foreign food in Taiwan, especially Mexican food- there will be lovers and there will be critics- all relative to what you're expecting and what you order and how long you've been in Taiwan and if you've tried the other places in Taipei that serve "Mexican" food. I hadn't been back for a couple of years so I was curious to see how it would compare to my first few visits.

For me, the chicken enchiladas (NT$250) still hit the spot- seasoned chunky bites of chicken, tortillas soaked in a sweet and tangy red sauce and melted cheese on top. If it's not spicy enough for you, spoon some of the chunky salsa atop. After devouring my portion of the nachos, I actually couldn't finish the good sized enchiladas and had half of one as leftovers the next day and it still worked.

The cheese quesadillas (NT$130) were like the ones I often make myself at home...



New additions to the menu included fish tacos which I might have to try sometime.



The nachos had plenty of chips underneath the cheese and taco seasoned ground beef. I could have used more cheese, but then again, I also like goopy nacho cheese cheese.



The bite of carnitas I had was still good, but got lost a little bit in the carnitas burrito with the soft rice and refried beans. It would have been nice to have more carnitas to rice/beans ratio (and tossing in some pico de gallo and cheese).



With the opening of Oola and closing of La Casita, I've been fulfilling my burrito cravings a little bit closer to home and there's nowhere else I know of in Taipei that I can get enchiladas anymore. Here's to hoping Eddy will someday open a place in Taipei that's a bit closer than Danshui!


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my kitchen: happy turkey day!

A snapshot of last year's Thanksgiving in Taipei where I took the time to make all the sides that I loved to go with the smoked turkey that a relative ordered- corn, garlic mashed potatoes, stuffing, sauteed mushrooms and candied yams'. This year, I'm trying Thanksgiving dinner with a group of friends at a place I'm hoping doesn't disappoint... If it doesn't hit the spot, I'm going to be busy trying out my friend's sweet potato casserole recipe and baking some cornbread Friday.



Figuring out last minute options for turkey dinner in Taipei this year? Check out what the Taipei Times suggests with its handy list, or you can call up some of the restaurants I've listed in the past posts...

What places have you guys tried for Thanksgiving dinner out or where do you get stuff for making it at home (canned pumpkin? cornbread mix? recipes for your favorite thanksgiving side?) or is it too much work (and expensive) trying to celebrate such an American holiday in Taipei?

CLOSED! japanese/sushi: i recommend TON SUSHI

TON SUSHI (this location closed a/o 2011. Similar menu featured at Ton 28 located in Bellavita)
at Neo 19
No. 22 Song Shou Road
(02) 2345-6879

MRT: Taipei City Hall

website: Neo 19 Ton Sushi Website Chinese only

hours: 11am to 2pm and 5:30pm to 10pm

$$-$$$

Kid friendliness: high chairs, kids dinnerware available. private rooms available.

Visit reviewed: 11/14/2010 (all pics from my iphone 4g)



With a little bit of everything on the menu, in addition to its sushi/sashimi, Ton Sushi is a surprisingly good spot for family dining for Japanese food. You might not spot it, hidden in the back of Neo 19, around the corner from Macaroni Grill or if you head straight up the escalator for Chili's/Momo Paradise/Watami, but that's what enabled us to grab a table on a busy Sunday night. After checking in with Chili's (1 hour wait) and Macaroni Grill (30 minute wait) for a party of 5 at 6:30pm, Ton Sushi was able to seat us right away. The space is modern and sleek, with a seating area apart from the sushi bar as well as several private rooms.



The English and Chinese menu has plenty of photos for reference, likely of its most popular items- including tempura, hot pot, rolls, sushi, grilled items, sashimi and appetizers. Besides some of the traditional items you might spot at other places, they have some unique items like, foie gras sushi, truffle beef sushi, black toro sushi, or Uni and Salmon Roe Sushi served upon a romaine lettuce leaf (NT$560).





The uni was fresh and sweet, with a tiny bit of rice underneath, but it was weird eating it with the romaine. After a few bites, I still savored the uni apart from the lettuce and then finished the lettuce afterwards. (I'm not the biggest fan of salmon roe, or ikura, so we had my portion shifted to the other side.)



The salad with fruit comes dressed with a sweet and citrus Japanese soy dressing underneath and is topped with chopped mountain yam, tomatoes, avocado, apples, kiwi and cucumber.



Or you can try the mountain yam which is grated and placed carefully like a bed of noodles.



The stir fried udon had sliced fish cake, chinese cabbage, straw mushrooms and another dark green leafy vegetable I can't place. It was slippery and well seasoned, perhaps bordering on the salty side for some.



I was craving the Soft Shell Crab roll (NT$300) which came with six pieces- the soft shell crab was fried with expertise, though I found the romaine lettuce an unnecessary addition.



The Rainbow Roll(NT$420) is listed and pictured on the menu to be topped with salmon and avocado, unlike some places which includes tuna and to give it that 'rainbow' look. I asked before ordering if they were using Taiwan avocado, and they said yes, but the texture and taste still turned out to be ok. (While less noticeable next to the tempura shrimp, more romaine lettuce! Okay, the rolls here are a bit localized...)



As I've been learning more about sashimi by eating at sushi bars with friends, I've discovered a new love- broiled anago (NT$380), or salt water eel. If you are a fan of unagi (fresh water eel), you have to try anago! I feel like it tastes less rubbery than how unagi can sometimes be, more creamy and sweet.



And Ton Sushi offered up one of the biggest pieces of anago sushi I've ever seen! It almost belonged atop of a bowl of rice.



The bowl of steamed egg with scallop (NT$180) disappeared quickly.



I also really enjoyed the grilled fish collar which offers tender, moist fish without digging through bones or fishy flavors. The skin wasn't as crispy as I've had it at Sumie, but the inside was still great.



While this is my third or fourth time going to Ton Sushi, it was the first time I was in charge of ordering. The first time I went was not that memorable and the second time I went was delicious, but the night was a blur because food kept coming. While I've been making notes of my favorite sushi bars in Taipei, they are usually for those who can handle raw fish and Ton Sushi is a good option for parties that want something more than nigiri or sashimi. Ton Sushi is definitely on the pricier side- if it was not as expensive, it would be a strong recommend. I hadn't been back for a long time, but I can see myself coming back more- maybe sitting at the sushi bar next time and trying the omakase.


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SISTER LOCATION:

TON 28
at Bellavita
No. 28, Song Ren Rd.
(02) 27222888