Monday, April 07, 2014

CLOSED! brunch/dessert: i strongly recommend LES BEBES CAFE

  

LES BEBES CAFE  貝貝西點
No. 10, Lane 295, DunHua S. Rd, Sec. 1
台北市大安區敦化南路一段295巷10號1樓
(02) 2784-7460

CLOSED a/o 2015

MRT: ZhongXiao/DunHua

website: Les Bebes' FB page

hours:  M-F 11:30AM- 9PM; weekends 10AM- 9PM (saturday until 10PM)

$$

Kid friendliness: no high chairs available. Kids will love cupcakes and minis, and pastas and finger foods available

Visits reviewed: 5/10/2013, 9/4/2013, 1/2014 & 2/13/2014; 4/4/2014


I love Les Bebes' cupcakes. Love. So I definitely had to check it out when I heard last year that Les Bebes had opened up a new cafe/bakery in the DaAn district near DunHua/RenAi (neighboring Bianco and the also new to eastside Season). And I've gone back again and again, and finally finished up writing this post to share with you.


The bright, sunny vibe that was at the original cupcake shop is echoed and expanded at the cafe location. Even though the cupcakes are front and center of the shop, there a whole menu to be eaten at the cafe's roomy seating hidden in the back.









Don't mistake it as "just a cupcake shop" as my friend recently did and miss out on the great food.



It's been almost a year since my first visit to Les Bebes Cafe and with Les Bebes' founder Elaine at the helm, I feel like it's grown so much and the menu is constantly evolving and getting refined. There's a new brunch menu I'm especially excited about, with fried chicken and cornbread.

The lunch menu focuses on salads, sandwiches, pastas and a new brunch menu, while the dinner menu has more risottos/pasta and entrees like cajun spiced salmon or roasted spring chicken. Cupcakes anytime of the day. While the menu is on the pricier side, everything is made in house with quality over quantity with flavor profiles and combinations that you might find at fancier restaurants.

Everyone gets a complimentary mini espresso cup of the soup of the day to start and always leaves me wanting more. I think these were beet soup, pumpkin soup and pea with mint. 




I love how the salads at Les Bebes Cafe have a mix of hearty, housemade ingredients that are hard to find in Taipei, where you usually just find caesar or greens with japanese vinaigrette. 





What to order? The Provence salad (NT$410) is a MUST ORDER. With balsamic glazed roast vegetables piled atop the plate with a dash of buckwheat salsa, there's a lot of contrasting textures and flavors that not only tastes good but is good for you. The pumpkin is so sweet with a caramelized skin, there's roasted peppers, tofu, baby corn, bamboo, mushroom, zucchini, even roasted baby cabbage. I haven't found a roasted vegetable salad like this anywhere else in Taipei, so I order this every time I come. It's also vegetarian friendly and deceptively filling, even if you share it.


Be sure to try the grilled baby romaine and the meaty mushroom. SO good.




I crave this salad.  I have to order this every time, which makes it hard to try new things on the menu, but bring friends and share plates.


I also liked the Tomato Confit Salad (NT$430) with sundried tomatoes, house pickled tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and tomato confit as well as slices of tender roasted pork loin hidden underneath the Mizuna greens and arugula. Crispy lotus root slices instead of croutons. 



My dad's ahi tuna salad with couscous and poached egg LBB Signature Salad (NT$440) comes with a light citrus dressing.


It's funny to note the difference from the first visit in May 2013 where the egg was scrambled (photo below) instead of poached. 


The new brunch menu is definitely worth trying. I loved both the crispy Fried Chicken and Cornbread (NT$430) and the Petite French Toast (NT$400), which comes with two options.


Two pieces of fried chicken with ultra crispy skin, a few potato wedges, salad and a nice hunk of cornbread. Don't forget to spread the maple butter on top of the cornbread. Yum.



The Petite French Toast (NT$400) with bacon, banana and salted caramel drizzle is practically a dessert. The french toast is cut into sticks which makes it easy to share and dip into the airy salted caramel whipped cream. Every piece is topped with bacon and banana and perfect for those who enjoy the savory sweet combination. The other french toast option includes a side of hash brown sausage and brown butter apples.



As someone on Instagram commented, almost looks like a stack of bbq ribs! 


I also love the pastas here - they aren't too heavy and while they are on the smaller side, they are pretty filling.  Both the olive pesto seafood and the sausage carbonara are delicious. The rosemary sausage carbonara farfalle (NT$400), which has layers of flavors with the arugula, fresh parmesan cheese and sausage along with the creamy carbonara sauce. It's a kid friendly dish if you pick out the dots of red peppercorn or order it without.



The seafood olive pesto farfalle (NT$400) had a briny savoriness that was different from typical basil pesto and perfect with the clams and chopped squid. It was my first time seeing pesto made from olives and I loved it. And the fresh parmesan shavings atop- try to scoop some into every bite.


The appetizers tended to be on the smaller side for the price (NT$120-280), so I'd skip them and save room for cupcakes instead. But if you were to order them- my favorite out of the bunch was the smoked salmon & roe dip (NT$260), my least favorite the fried calamari (NT$270) because of the size for the price.


Bread and taramasalata dip (NT$260)- focaccia slices with creamy smoked salmon and roe dip


Bread and vegetable dip (NT$180) 


The house made LBB potato chips (NT$150) are addictive with the house made shallot aioli. 


Calamari (NT$270) - much smaller than expected portion for the price. 


I also was pleasantly surprised by the Cranberry Cheese Chicken sandwich (NT$400). It isn't something that I'd typically order off the menu at first glance, but I'm glad Les Bebes' owner Elaine suggested I try when I met her the second time I visited. It's like Thanksgiving in a sandwich, though it's house cured chicken rather than turkey. The creaminess of the camembert cheese married with the crunch of the apple slices and walnuts alone would be great and then you get the sweetness of the cranberry sauce and the spiciness of the arugula- it's great.



My friend's Chili Burger (NT$490), the chili unexpectedly on the side. One of the more "guy" things on the menu.


Some unique coffees to try that sound almost like cupcake flavors- like Iced Lemon Coffee, Pink Rose Salt Latte or Honey Banana Coffee. 



Always so hard to decide which flavors to get, but my favorites are the popular red velvet with cream cheese frosting and the chocolate with peanut butter frosting. There's also a a few unique flavors with matcha green tea, earl gray, carrot cake, salted caramel banana chocolate, chocolate cream pie and lemon pie.



Cupcakes come in regular and babycakes sizes and come in adorable boxes to take home once you pick them out. Otherwise you can pick some to eat with your meal or for afternoon tea. But you find yourself, like me, coming back for the food and not just the dessert. Salads and cupcakes, what's not to love. 



Tuesday, March 25, 2014

dessert/bakery: i recommend 1789 CYRILLE COURANT



1789 CYRILLE COURANT
No. 97-1 RenAi Road, Sec. 2
台北市中正區仁愛路二段97-1號
 (02) 3322-2089

MRT: ZhongXiao/XinSheng

website:  http://www.1789.com.tw and FB page 

hours: 11AM- 8PM

$-$$ (average NT$120/eclair)

Kid friendliness: buy an extra so you don't fight with the kids over your favorite flavor

Visit reviewed: 12/31/2013




1789 Cyrille Courant is a little shop specializing in French pastries and chocolate truffles, opened last December. The shop was opened by Cyrille Courant and his wife, fulfilling a life long dream for them. Previously, Chef Courant worked in Germany and Shanghai and won several prestigious awards in London and France. Of course I didn't know that when I stopped by the shop when I was in the area, but the pictures of the eclairs that I spied on @starvingchef 's instagram were enough to entice me.



If you could only pick one eclair, get the salted caramel eclair (NT$120), otherwise I definitely recommend splurging on a box to share with friends so you can try the different flavors. At first, they told me the salted caramel was sold out and I thought I would leave empty handed, but luckily there were a few more in the kitchen.  Good thing since it did turn out to be my favorite flavor.


Eclair flavors include N. 1 Chocolate Sugar Free, N. 2 Tiramisu, N. 3 Vanilla, N. 4 Salted Caramel, N. 5 Mango, N. 6 Raspberry, N. 7 Lemon, N. 8 Black Forest, N. 9 Mont Blanc and N. 11 Blueberry Mascarpone. New flavors come out seasonally and can be spotted on their Facebook page, such as N.16 Pink Grape Fruit Éclair with Korean Yuzu, topped with fresh Wasabi Mascarpone Cream or bright green Granny Smith Apple.


Truffles also for sale with unique flavors such as Earl Grey (NT$65), Litchi, Sesame, Hazelnut, and Framboise (Raspberry) chocolate ganache. 



You might spy Chef Courant in the kitchen filling the eclairs or making new creations. 


There's a few tables in the back of the shop for a cup of coffee or tea.


 

From left to right, lemon, raspberry cream, mango, salted caramel, chocolate and tiramisu (NT$750/box of 6). The eclair's shell tastes more similar to a cream puff than a doughnut and I loved how the fillings tasted actually like lemon or raspberry rather than just cream or sugar. The eclairs aren't super big, so you might find yourself wanting to eat two in one sitting. 

 

The Cat in the Hat red and white stripes are fun for the raspberry cream (NT$120).






Super cute to take a box to a dinner party or use instead of a birthday cake, or instead of waiting in line for Krispy Kremes (haha). The royal purple and white packaging is simple, but elegant. I picked up this box to take to a New Year's Eve dinner, or you could get a box of just two for yourself.



Tuesday, March 11, 2014

ramen/japanese: i recommend BUTAICHI RAMEN



BUTAICHI RAMEN 豚一族拉麵
at Hankyu Mall 阪急百貨
No. 8, ZhongXiao E. Road, Sec. 5, B2
忠孝東路五段8號B2
(02)2773-3330

MRT: Taipei City Hall

website: Butaichi's FB page

hours: 11AM- 9:30PM; Fri/Sat 11AM- 10PM

$$

Kid friendliness: boosters available

Visit reviewed: 3/2/2014


Too many new ramen shops to keep track of... ended up at Butaichi Ramen because we were looking for a quick place to grab lunch with friends who were staying at the W Taipei Hotel and had to leave for the airport right after lunch. Wandered around the food court at Hankyu mall and this shop had seats available for six people without a wait. There's actually lots of great Japanese eats to be found at this mall- the tempura shop in the corner is a hidden find (with eggporn-ilicious tempura soft boiled egg), or Anzu Tonkatsu. I'm not crazy about the tsukemen or Ramen Kagetsu Arashi even though you'll usually spot lines there too.



Tight seating quarters so people usually don't linger, but there are some adjustable table seats on the edges in case your group or family is larger.


Menu has English and photos (thank goodness) and is quite straightforward. The ramen at Butaichi is on the long and skinny side (Hakata style) with the choice of three types of tonkotsu pork broth- Shiro (original pork bone broth in a white bowl), Kuro (caramelized garlic in a black bowl) or Aka (spicy chili oil in a red bowl), with or without egg. You will also be asked if you want your noodles to be cooked al dente, regular or soft and can ask for kaedama, one complimentary additional refill of noodles which come served on a plate.


Appetizers include gyoza, deep fried chicken, fried fishcake/age, edamame or grilled chashu pork. I liked the gyoza and fried chicken (Sorry no pics though, my pictures were strangely blurry!)


The free side dishes are hidden in the buckets on the table (I totally forgot to try them)- bean sprouts, ginger, mustard greens. Fresh garlic to press.


I stuck with the classic Shiro pork bone tonkotsu broth with a perfectly soft boiled egg - Shiro Tama (NT$220). The ramen was long and thin and I found the "regular" hardness to be fine. The ramen is served with a small ball on the side which I thought was a meatball until I took a bite and my friend clued me in that it's to be added to your broth if you want the broth to have heavier flavors. Duh.



I liked it enough to eat there again. The broth was porky and rich enough to drink almost the whole bowl, without being too heavy or salty. For chashu lovers, you can order the signature ButaIchi ramen which comes covered with pork pieces, or add 2-3 pieces for an affordable NT$20-30. I think it's comparable to Ippudo even though it might not be as well known. I liked that they give you a sizable portion of extra noodles for free, so noodles aren't wasted on those that might be lighter eaters.

Sorry for the long lags between posts. Life has been so crazy and busy as I'm sure it is for all of you. I haven't given up on blogging, I've just prioritized sleep and other things over obsessing over photoshopping photos and writing posts that can never be perfect. But I recently got a new laptop and finally downloaded the past six months of photos, so I hope to be back to more posts soon. There's lots to eat and share and hopefully everything won't be old news by the time I write about it here. For those of you who can't wait, follow me on instagram @hungryintaipei!

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

CLOSED/snapshot/japanese: i still strongly recommend SUMI SUSHI



CLOSED 12/2014 -- new version at IZUMI BY SUMI

SUMI SUSHI 澄壽司 
No. 17, Lane 248, ZhongXiao E. Rd, Sec. 4
 台北市大安區忠孝東路四段248巷17號
(02) 8771-9986

MOVED April 2014 to Ximending

No. 17 lane 53, Hankou St. Sec 2
(02) 2361-5550

MRT: SYS Memorial Hall

website: Sumi Sushi's FB page

hours: 12PM- 2:30PM / 5:30PM - 9:30PM Closed Mondays

$$ Cash Only

Visits reviewed: 1/22/2014 & 12/2013 & 5/2013
Previous review: 2/2011


I have been getting my fix for Americanized sushi rolls at Sumi Sushi every so often the past few months. I love fancy omakase "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" sashimi as much as everyone else, but I hold a special place in my heart for monster rolls topped with scoops of orange roe and special sauces. While it can get quite pricey if you order a lot of rolls (expect to pay around NT$300/roll and order 2-3 rolls per person), I've tried to find the ones that are bigger and more filling like Spider or Sumi rolls to get more for my money.

Besides my go-to spider roll, dynamite and crunchy roll (with scallops atop and mysterious crunchy bits. Favorite!), I tried some new rolls that were equally delicious- Blue Gordon with tempura shrimp, avocado, Philly cream cheese (taken out on request) topped with tuna and fish roe (pictured above), guilty pleasure Sumi Sushi roll (smoked salmon, cream cheese and eel and the entire thing is deep fried). Also try the seared salmon belly as well for some melt in your mouth bites. 


Deep fried signature Sumi Sushi roll- unagi, philly cream cheese and salmon with the entire roll deep fried and topped with tobiko and special sauce- has become one of my favorites as it's served hot and is still warm even in a to go order.



Philly roll with salmon, cream cheese, tempura shrimp and avocado- not one of my personal favorites but my friend ordered it. I also wasn't crazy about the lobster roll as I had hoped.


Order of rolls to go! 


Dynamite, crispy and Philly rolls.


Bummed that Sumi Sushi will move to Ximending sometime later this spring (May 2014) since it's farther for me, but I will make the trek to fulfill my cravings.

:)