CLOSED french/crepes: i recommend LA CREPERIE

LA CREPERIE

No. 45-2, Lane 187, Dunhua S. Road, Sec. 1
(02) 2775-3949
bummer closed 2016

MRT: ZhongXiao/DunHua

website: La Creperie Taipei's FB page

hours: 12PM - 11PM

$$ (about NT$250-500/person)

Kid friendliness: lots of savory and sweet crepes available, as well as pastas.

Visit reviewed: 9/19/2014, 10/26/2014, 1/15/2015

Eating crepes in Taipei has kind of been like Goldilocks trying to find the perfect bowl of porridge. The Taiwanese versions are "too crispy" and the Japanese versions are "too soft"-- finally La Creperie gets it "just right." And for a salted caramel lover like me, you will definitely have to save room for dessert.

Founded in 2007 in Shanghai, La Creperie serves Brittany style crepes and has branches in Hong Kong, Saigon and Phnom Penh.  Since it is a chain, the Taipei branch has a fairly glossy look, menu and presentation. It's tucked into a side alley near Zhongxiao Dunhua, so they were smart to add some signage and banners to the corner to wave you down. 

Inside is a bright, nautical theme with blues and yellows and cute lighthouse salt and pepper shakers. There are two floors of seating- the first floor faces the bar and kitchen and the second floor is roomier for larger groups and families. 

La Creperie's menu of salads, savory galettes, pastas and dessert crepes feature over 40 crepes to choose from. The menu is in English and Chinese, with clear sections for appetizers, pastas, classic crepes and dessert crepes. Vegetarian crepes are marked with a red "vegetarian", as well as house specials with their little red spiral logo. There are over 20 savory crepes with toppings like emmental cheese, ham, egg, spinach, mushrooms, ratatouille, creamy chicken and scallops, and over 20 dessert crepes.

During my last visit, at the corner table to my left, two women sipped their cups of tomato soup while conversing in rapid fire French, while the four tables to my left were a mix of English and Chinese. I realize that not only did I grab the last table on the first floor- a narrow strip of seats along La Creperie's long bar, but also every single customer that day was a woman.

I've tried several over the crepes over three or four visits. My favorites are the ratatouille, the creamy chicken and egg ham cheese. I liked the La Paimpont (NT$260) with chunks of chicken breast and mushrooms in a creamy mustard sauce, but it's a bit heavy so more suitable for sharing than eating a whole one by myself.

I also really liked the La Brestoise #43 (NT$260) which had a tomato, vegetable ratatouille atop a crepe with egg and cheese, as well as the La Bigoudene #41 (NT$250) which has emmental cheese, egg, ham, and choice of a veggie (spinach, mushroom or tomato).

If you like seafood, my dad and family liked the clam vongole pasta as well as the scallop crepe (with bacon!).

 

La Creperie sorts their dessert crepes into classic, simple, gourmet (with ice cream) and flambées. For the dessert crepe, my favorite is the Le Defi #55 (NT$240) pictured at top of the post. On my most recent visit, I was trying to do without the ice cream and got the Le Pecheur (NT$220) instead, asking for the chocolate sauce to be changed to caramel. It was good with the crunchy almond flakes, but I did regret not having the ice cream when I saw the whipped cream.

The downside of La Creperie is its slightly higher price points- if you are dining alone and want to order both a savory and a sweet crepe, then it will be about NT$400-500 per person (and a bit too much food). That being said, I think La Creperie serves up some of the best crepes in town and has been consistently good in my multiple visits there. 

revisited/street food: KO FU SHUI JIAN BAO at XINYI/GUANGFU

KO FU SHUI JIAN BAO 口福水煎包 
LONG XIANG SHUI JIAN BAO 龍香水煎包
No. 355 XinYi Rd, Sec. 4 (XinYi/GuangFu intersection)
台北市信義路四段355號(光復南路口)

MRT: XinYi/AnHe

$ (NT$14/bao)

Kid friendliness: kids probably prefer all pork fillings. scallion pancakes also available

Visit reviewed: 2/3/2015

Recently an anonymous reader asked on an old post from 2008 about an address for the shui jian bao shacks on the corner of Xinyi and Guangfu, and since I had revisited it recently I thought I'd throw up photos of that corner's new look. The baos look (and taste) the same, but the shops got a facelift in the past few years with brighter red and orange signage. 

If you've never had a shui jian bao, it's basically a bun typically filled with pork or veggies and is steamed and pan fried at the same time, so that it has a nice golden crispy bottom.  Shui jian baos can work as a breakfast, lunch, dinner, afternoon snack, post meal snack, midnight snack... you get the idea!

2008 Xinyi/Guangfu baos

2015 Xinyi/Guangfu Baos

The English signage at Ko Fu Shui Jian Bao helps identify the different fillings for the baos, but there's still a little that got lost in translation. Fillings include black pork, radish, squash (not cucumber), mustard greens (not green mustard), leek, cabbage and bamboo shoots. Hey, five out of seven isn't too bad! I admit I'm human too... back in 2008 I said the shop was at the corner of Xinyi and Yanji, which isn't completely wrong since Yanji ends when it hits Xinyi, but is easier to find if you go to the intersection of Xinyi and Guangfu.

There's two different bao shops on the corner, the one on the front has the fancier sign and there's another one next to it. Which one is better? 

Ko Fu also has scallion pancakes, radish pancakes and soy milk. Once a long time ago, I think I also got a huge, fried crispy red bean pancake there for a snack. It was one of those things you wolf down because it's so good when it's hot and then regret eating the entire thing by yourself when it's over. It's probably still available somewhere on that corner- I've been scared to go back and look for it!

There's also a Yong He Dou Jiang right next door (which I have yet to try!) and then further down GuangFu, there's a Mango Cha Cha for those looking for mango shaved ice.  

The baos are NT$14 now and larger than the ones you'd find at Tonghua or Shilin night market and I prefer the juicier, crispier baos at the night market, where the pork juice is going to be dripping down your chin and you usually get it hot out of the pan, but when you're having those cravings during the day, this isn't a bad option. 

If you're looking for steamed baos instead, you can also try Chao Zhou Bao Zi on Lane 216, or worst case scenario, any 7-11 in Taipei! Man, now that I'm looking at that old post, I realized their signage got bigger and fancier too!!!! I'm going to have to do an update post for them too!

not taipei/rome: I strongly recommend BONCI PIZZARIUM

BONCI PIZZARIUM

Via della Meloria 43
Rome, Italy 00136
+39 06 3974 5416

#hungryinrome

Missing the great pizza and food I had in Italy! Just got back from a wonderful 10 day trip to Italy- my very first time so I devoured the eye opening sights and the drool worthy food.  I hope to share some of my favorite eats for future trips over the next few weeks, from Rome to Florence to Tuscany to Venice. 

I definitely recommend anyone visiting Rome to check out Bonci Pizzarium (near the Vatican). Choose your slice(s), pay by weight and they will cut and reheat the pizza in the oven. So many different kinds of super supreme toppings including romanesco (this year's kale?), arugula + cheese + sundried tomato, prosciutto and tricolored cabbages. Even tried the suppli, which was a bite size, deep fried nugget of spaghetti. 

Be sure to grab a ticket with a number by the door- they will call and serve numbers in order.

Ahhh! So hard to choose! Luckily we had four people to share, so we could try both veggie and carnivore delights. Love the creativity and variety of the toppings which was much more than cheese and pepperoni, but not as manufactured as bbq chicken or takoyaki pizzas.

Once I figured out they cut quite large slices, I would ask for smaller slices so I could try more "flavors." It ended up being about €4 a slice, and about €20 for a table full of slices for four people. They would also cut each slice into smaller strips upon request after heating it, then it was served on a wooden board you could hold if you didn't manage to grab a table or a bench.

Suppli con spaghetti €2.50. They also had suppli for lasagne and risotto! 

New pizzas are constantly being baked and brought out-- I spotted completely different types of cured meats and veggie toppings including potato, broccoli, spinach when I left from when I first came.

The crusts were thick, but airy and crunchy. I even bought a couple slices and sandwiched together to eat on the plane for dinner! Very happy I managed to find it after a morning tour of the Vatican and it was one of my favorite meals of my trip to Italy!! 

Craving pizza by the slice in Taipei? You can try Piazza, Pizza Denise or Square Pizza al Taglio... which one is your favorite?

not taipei/singapore: 8 PLACES TO EAT/VISIT IN SINGAPORE

I've been to Singapore a couple times before, but never had that much time to explore. Thanks to all of your great recommendations, I had a chance to explore some new Singapore must eats! There's nothing like going to a new place to get overwhelmed by all the information out there. You want to maximize your time in the short amount of time that you are there, but sometimes you don't even know what areas to go to, much less what restaurants. So here is a shortlist of the places I visited and would return to again - it's more of a four day itinerary of where I ate and went. Hope I get to return to Singapore again soon!

8 PLACES TO EAT/VISIT IN SINGAPORE!

(1) ONE FULLERTON ROAD PHOTO OPS
Sure, it's going to be a bit overpriced and a bit touristy, but if you want a lot of photo ops, then you can't beat the view of the Marina Bay Sands from across the river. If you walk along the pier, you can also get a picture with the iconic Merlion or the One Fullerton Road sign. If you don't have time or budget for a full meal, you could grab a coffee at Starbucks or dessert, or go for a stroll. Be sure to go around 9 or 11PM to catch the laser show that happens nightly from the Marina Bay Sands. I had chili crab at Jing the first night there, but thought the crab was slightly overcooked and tough to shell, so would opt for crab elsewhere, especially since you are paying for the view to eat there.

(2) SKY ON 57 at MARINA BAY SANDS

Opened four years ago in 2010, the Marina Bay Sands is an impressive hotel/casino/shopping center destination. I didn't get a chance to try the full buffet on the 1st floor, instead my family opted to eat at the smaller buffet area housed at Sky on 57. There's the typical array of hot western and Asian hot foods, continental breakfast items, porridge and sides and fruit and juices. You also got a choice of ordering two made to order items per guest- I loved the slow cooked farm eggs and enjoyed the spicy laksa (yup for breakfast!). My dad liked the ramen and the french toast was also really tasty. Didn't really get much of a view where we were sitting, but since we were hotel guests, we got to enjoy the infinity pool which is pretty amazing (and freaky for those of you with fear of heights) that feels like the water is spilling over into nothingness with a panoramic view of Singapore.

(3) HAINAN CHICKEN RICE at CHATTERBOX / MANDARIN ORCHARD
I had mixed feelings when our hosts chose Chatterbox as our place for Hainan Chicken Rice. It's listed online as one of, if not the most expensive places for Hainan Chicken Rice at S$27. The environment is upscale in the Mandarin Hotel, and there's lots of other things to eat like lobster laksa, but Chatterbox definitely has a smooth running operation. You can also shop or walk around Orchard Road afterwards.

This was a fun drink- Lychee juice with shaved ice with lots of lychees inside- but it was super sweet almost like drinking a version of canned lychees and the juice inside.

Hainan chicken rice (S$27)

(4) WHITE PEPPER CRAB at SEAFOOD REPUBLIC

I LOVED the white pepper crab that we had at Seafood Republic, a restaurant at the Resorts World Waterfront in Sentosa, which is Singapore's version of Universal Citywalk with a shopping/entertainment/retail area in front of Universal Studios. The white pepper crab was 10x better than the chilli crab we had the first night at Jing at Fullerton Road, and was worth getting your hands dirty for. The meat was sweet and the sauce had a lot of garlicky, peppery flavor, but wasn't prohibitively spicy. Also good to order were the cereal prawns, wasabi prawns, fried mantou, mee goreng.

Fried mantous to eat or dip in the sauce

(5) OSTERIA MOZZA at MARINA BAY SANDS/MALL

Sure you could eat Mozza in LA, but for those whose circles revolve around the east side of the Pacific Ocean, it was a great option to be able to have burrata and fresh pasta at Mario Batali's Mozza at the Marina Bay Sands Mall. Must orders are the burrata and the steak- so good! I felt the scallops were a tad on the salty side, but the servers were very knowledgeable and great at answering all the questions I had about the dishes when I was ordering, and good service makes up for a lot. Osteria Mozza was just included on the 50 best restaurants in Asia list, so they must be doing something right.

(6) LAU PA SAT

Thanks to you guys, I was given a heads up on these two food court areas. If you want to eat where the locals eat, then you can consider these. Lau Pa Sat is like an outdoor food court market with more international choices, while Old Airport Road felt more like Shilin night market with different hawkers and more local foods. Even though a lot of stalls were closed since it was the tail end of Chinese New Year's, it was possibly less crowded for the same reason, so easier to find seats and tables. I was pleasantly surprised at the number of Indian choices, and there were of course a ton of local options including hainan chicken rice, black and white carrot cake, hokkien mee, char kway teow and ice kachang.

"Black" stir fried carrot cake

Ice Kacang

Loved this- there's a huge pile of biryani rice underneath the naan, as well as some

Hokkien Mee

(7) OLD AIRPORT ROAD
Outdoor hawker food court, reminded me a little of Shilin Night Market in Taipei, though I have to say Taipei seems to have faster turnaround for the food than Singapore.

Wanton mee

Satay- I think we waited over an hour for these.

HK Crispy Seafood noodles 

(8) BOON TONG KEE - HAINAN CHICKEN RICE
One of my favorite meals of the trip, I would strongly recommend that you give the chicken rice at Boon Tong Kee a try. I got it to go (twice!) and while it was better the first time than the second, it was SO good. Boneless chicken with savory rice cooked in chicken oil and the sauces totally make it. I also loved the sauces so much that I brought back the extra packets that I had- the thick, sticky soysauce was the perfect balance of sweet and savory, almost like a reduced balsamic vinegar, the garlic and chili are essential complements to chicken rice.

Some great reads bookmarked for my next visit to Singapore!

30 Famous Local Foods to Eat in Singapore  - great descriptions about the dishes and lists a few places for each dish 

I eat I shoot I post's Top 10 Ten Things to Eat in Singapore: Hawker Food

10 Singapore eats from Lady Ironchef

HUNGRY IN SINGAPORE

ONE FULLERTON ROAD

1 Fullerton Sq Singapore 049178 Bayfront, Raffles Place

SKY ON 57 at MARINA BAY SANDS

10 Bayfront Avenue, Level 57, Sands Skypark, Tower1
Singapore 018956

+65 6688-8868

CHATTERBOX at MANDARIN ORCHARD

333 Orchard Road, Singapore 238867
+65-6737-2200

SEAFOOD REPUBLIC
Resorts World Waterfront
26 Sentosa Gateway 01-292 Singapore 098138

OSTERIA MOZZA at MARINA BAY SANDS

2 Bayfront Ave #B1-42/46, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands 

Singapore 018972 

+65-6688 8522

LAU PA SAT / TELOK AYER MARKET

18 Raffles Quay, Singapore 048582
+65-6220-2138

OLD AIRPORT ROAD FOOD CENTRE

Block 51, Old Airport Rd, Geylang, Singapore

BOON TONG KEE

425 River Valley Rd Singapore 248324
+65-6736-3213