A CUT

a recent birthday dinner to A Cut.

i started with a seared foie gras. served with a fruit compote, and crispy flatbread. good portion sizing ( smaller size, suitable for foie gras) and served with a reduced balsamic glaze. delish.

mushroom cappuccino soup. this soup was chewier than i remembered. i think i’ll order the tomato soup next time.

assortment of salts to accompany our steaks. my favorites are the white sea salt and the pink himalayan.

the “A Cut Steak,” ordered rare. i have to say i was not impressed with this cut recommended by our waiter.. it was a bit stringy, and in my opinion, was not the best eaten rare. next time i would stick with something i know, like the wagyu ribeye or top sirloin. the roasted garlic bulb on the side- delicious as always.

side of corn. yum. i skipped greens on this meal altogether.. i usually would order a baked potato, but since i started with a foie gras instead of a salad this time, i thought it would be too heavy.

my faVe- souffle. their flavor of the day was vanilla bean. sO good. served with a scoop of frozen raspberry yogurt.

complimentary chocolate birthday cake topped with fruits.

 

Ambassador Hotel, B1,63 Chun Shan North Road, Sec.2, Taipei, Taiwan

xx

cyclo.

pHo at cyclo.

i had heard good reviews about the newest pho in taipei.. and finally had the chance to try it out.

needless to say, it wasn’t as good as the pHo i’m used to in the states.. its mostly the soup base that needs improvement.

all the other ingredients were right.. theres sriracha + brown sauce.

order sheet above. you can choose 3 meats. below, the additions for your noodle soup. ( i asked for more lemon.. i usually use lime, and alot of it… more onions would have been nice too)

fried pork spring rolls. this was my favorite part of the meal. crispy, with the sour fish sauce based dipping sauce.

finally, the pHo. i ordered rare steak + beef balls, with original rice noodles. i asked for “no” on the soup base- which the waitress told me meant “original taste, not heavier” … but the soup was a bit bland, so maybe the “yes” choice would have been better.

all in all, cyclo was oK. not especially amazing, but if i was craving spring rolls or pho, i’d return here.

 

No. 377, Section 4, Rén’ài Rd, Daan District (its a side street near, not on main renai rd)

xx

high tea at a3.

a3 at bella vita for high tea.

i’ve heard good things about the high tea sets at a3, and have tried to come here a few times before, but it was always full. we walked in yesterday at 3pm, and there just happened to be a high table available. a3 is a bar/lounge setup- the interior is clean and modern, white with touches of silver and black. nice contemporary decor.

the high tea set (for 2) comes with the 3 tiers, and 2 drinks.

latte for me!

top tier, savories. mini burgers, cream cheese + salmon finger sandwiches, ham and egg rolls with caviar, shrimp toast.

all pretty good, (but as usual, i didn’t eat the shrimp toast)

middle tier. savory + scones. crab balls, mini quiche, raisin scones.

i wish there was a dipping sauce offered for the crab balls.. the quiche was delicious.

scones were oK- flaky and a bit dry, but good one the wilkins and sons jam + creamed butter was loaded on.

i prefer a heavier scone to savory ratio- for me, the scones would have been better if they were a bit more substantial in size- which would also allow the inside of the scone to retain moisture when baked.

bottom tier. sweets. so i wasn’t really sure what i was eating here.. they were mostly cake/bread based sweets- no chocolate-heavy option, creme brulee or a panna cotta, or fruit tart as traditional high teas would usually offer.

i think i ate a “cupcake”- with the white cream frosting atop? this was good, mildly sweet and moist. the green matcha cake was quite dry- the flavor was a bit off.. did not like. the bread-like roll with cream + a chocolate piece atop- was bland, just ok.. again not sure what i was eating.. the last offering with mixed fruits atop was pretty good. there was just too much carb/cake.bread based desserts. a little variety would have been nice.

all in all, nice ambience, great presentation, yummy savories ( rare for high tea!)

will be back again to try some other set or dessert.. i eyed a banana trio that looks tempting..

xx j

1F at BellaVita: No.28, Song-ren Rd., Taipei 110