burgers/american: I strongly recommend BURGER AND CO.

BURGER AND CO.

No. 49, Tong An St.

台北市大安區通安街49號
(02) 2784-0182

MRT: XinYi/AnHe (new MRT line!)

website: Burger and Co.'s FB page

hours: 11AM- 10PM

$-$$ Cash only

Kid friendliness: limited seating but some room for strollers; kid friendly burgers and fries

Delivery: Available with minimum NT$250 order and NT$50 delivery fee

Visit reviewed: 12/16/2013 and 12/26/2013 (returned twice in 1/2014 and upgraded my review to strongly recommend)

Opened a few months ago by a New Yorker, Burger and Co. serves a limited, but tasty menu of handmade burgers, wings and fries. Some readers have compared it to  Shake Shack or In N Out when telling me about it. I found myself comparing it to the also new-in-Taipei BLT Burger which I had also recently tried. I liked Burger and Co's food better, at half the price of trendier BLT, but of course BLT has foot traffic and visibility at their Vieshow location and BLT name, which some may recognize from Hong Kong, NYC or Vegas.

Burger and Co.'s space is tiny, but cozy with pops of ketchup red and mustard yellow. There are only three tables inside and a row of counter bar seating so groups bigger than four would have to split up, and there are a few tables outside open for seating when the weather is nice out. Look for happy hour specials for beer and free wifi. 

After two visits and trying a few things on the menu, my favorite things were the bacon cheeseburger, the BBQ pulled pork sandwich, the buffalo wings and truffle cheese fries. The menu keeps it simple- burger, wings or fries.  Choices include burger, cheeseburger, double stacker (two patties), veggie burger or bbq pulled pork sandwich; three types of wings, classic fries, cheesy or with truffle cheese. At lunch, if you order a burger with fries, you can get a soft drink for free. I wouldn't mind seeing milkshakes on the menu too.

Burgers are made to order and you can see the patties sizzling away. Burger and Co. makes everything in house (except their buns which are made for them), so their wings and fries are never frozen.

While waiting for my friends, I ordered the truffle cheese fries (NT$150). The truffle flavor isn't dominant, but enough to give the handcut fries the extra layer of savoryness. The fries are mostly soft with a touch of crispness since they are made from fresh russet potatoes unlike the golden fries (previously frozen) prevalent at most Taipei eateries. 

Burgers come playfully branded with a mustache atop each bun and are served with a wrapper you can wrap around to help minimize the mess. Our bacon cheeseburger  (NT$170) was a good size and the proportion of meat and veggies to bun are nice and even. They don't have a lot of add ons (I asked if there was avocado and the answer was no), but you can opt for a fried egg topper.

A bit spicy, a bit sweet, I really enjoyed the BBQ pulled pork sandwich (NT$150) with the red cabbage slaw, though I noticed the sweetness of the bun more with this sandwich than the burger.

Both of the Buffalo Wild Wings (NT$140/6 wings) and Wild West Wings (NT$140/6 wings) are tangy and spicy, with the buffalo wings having more of the tabasco spiciness and the wild west wings had more smoky bbq flavor. The wings are fried then lathered in sauce so bring your wet naps. My friend who had come before our lunch said she ate a set of six wings by herself. I could definitely see why.

The second time I got my order to go and I felt that the patty on my burger was softer than I remembered from the first visit, but the wings were still excellent. The key for Burger and Co. will be consistency and word of mouth (with their location being a little off the beaten path, but near the Tonghua night market). Thanks to readers Paul, Sean and others for the heads up.

Happy new year!

Happy new year! Even though sometimes it doesn't feel very "Christmassy" in Taipei (people have to go to work and school that day, generally don't exchange Christmas cards and we get gray rain instead of snow), Taipei does know how to pull off New Year's Eve. 

Even though I've been lucky enough to see 101 exploding with fireworks in person the past few years, it never gets old. It's best watched when squeezed with the crowds, hearing everyone ooh and aah and feeling that electric anticipation and collective hope that the next year will be better than the last. 

So wishing all of you a happy healthy and delicious year ahead. I'm grateful to still be having food adventures everyday and having all of you discover Taipei's eats with me. Happy 2014!

taiwanese/beef noodle soup: LAO WANG JI BEEF NOODLE SOUP

LAO WANG JI BEEF NOODLE SOUP
老王記牛肉麵大王
No. 15, TaoYuan Street
台北市桃源街十五號
(02) 2375-8973

MRT: Ximen

hours: 10am-9pm

$ (about NT$180/person)

Kid friendliness: old school two story noodle shop, no high chairs spotted

Visit reviewed:10/2/2013

Finally got a chance to try the infamous Lao Wang beef noodle soup, although it was by accident. I was with some out of town friends in Ximending and we lost half our group who were off to "that famous beef noodle place on Tao Yuan Jie" when they turned a corner. So we hopped in a taxi, exclaimed our destination and he drove half a block and stopped at this signless shop. Doh! 

From the outside, the shop looks like it's been here forever (ok, over 50 years). It doesn't have any fancy signage, much less signage at all to signal that it's a beef noodle shop. Once you step closer you can see the front of the house kitchen dishing up bowls to serve (with a giant no photos allowed sign) and inside is packed despite it being past the prime lunch hour (which I hear there is often a line). 

We make our way upstairs where everyone is busy eating, hunched over on stools. When the staff takes our order, we have the choice of ordering the braised beef noodle soup or the clear broth beef noodle soup- I opt for the classic braised beef broth (NT$180). The pickled vegetables, self serve chopsticks and condiments are already on the table, although the owner might grab the vegetables once you're done to share with another table. 

We also try to order the steamed pork rib (NT$110), but they've run out, so we share with our friends who've gotten the last order. (Yong Kang St Beef Noodle Shop's steamed pork ribs and intestines are more memorable as it also comes with sweet potatoes)

The braised beef noodle soup (NT$180) is impressive looking when it comes to the table, with several thick slices of beef piled atop the huge bowl of noodles and soup.  Because I had heard how amazing the beef noodles were here, I wanted to love it. While the beef was tender and plentiful, I found the soup to be on the salty side for me so I couldn't drink more than a few spoonfuls with the noodles. But Lao Wang is the favorite of quite a few people, so if you're in the Ximen area, you could give it a try.

The search for my favorite beef noodle soup in Taipei continues! So far my favorites are still Shan Xi Dao Xiao Mian (knife shaved noodles, get the broth with tomato!) and Little Shanghai (half tendon, half beef). Where should I try next?