dos chinos.

dos chinos.  taipei, tonghua street area.

this new little place serves pork tacos, burgers, fries and cubanos. they’re made upon ordering, and served hot.

sO good compared to assembly line taco places currently in taipei. their capacity is smaller, but you go for their quality and authenticity.

pulled pork tacos, with onion, guac, and cilantro. lime to squeeze. i asked for the hot salsa to be served separate.

spicy chorizo tacos. my fave. they make their own chorizo.

their current menu’s succinct selection.

the mixed pork taco, (middle) is chorizo + pulled pork combined.

pork sandwich (cubano) with home made pickles, mustard and mayo. this was juicy and quite good as well.

so glad to have a place to get a taco fix! i’ll try their burgers next time.

 

xx

 

tonghua st, alley 38, #8

 

rooftop cat’s private kitchen: roy and pp’s

i recently had the pleasure of dining at roy and pon pon’s. the concept is simple. they serve a meal of 6-8 courses out of their home, and only take one party per meal. as you are guests in their wonderfully kitschy apartment, and sit among their 4 cats, the ambiance is quite warm and inviting. my friend made this booking 8 months ago, showing us that they are doing quite well.

the cuisine is a mix of eastern and western, and everything is well plated and thought out. you can tell them beforehand if there is anything you don’t eat.. otherwise they prepare the private dining menu, which can change seasonally or daily, depending on the availability of traditional market ingredients.

the warm table decor.

amuse bouche

amuse bouche with shrimp, cucumber salad and dried fish caviar.

salad with marinated pork and guava slices.

grilled salted pork with creamed red cabbage atop.

fresh iced juice blend, osthmanthus, pineapple, apple, honeydew, lemon, honey.

sesame oil chicken noodle. a gourmand’s take on a chinese classic comfort dish. i really enjoyed this.

prime beef rib

dried mushroom soup, served with a  scoop of chive egg custard. such an original dish- lOve!

poached pear with caramelized melon sugar. a great finish to the meal.

great experience, for the ambiance, company and food.

xx

屋頂上的貓私廚  http://rflower3f.blogspot.tw/

les bebes.

les bebes cupcakes.

near yongkang st.  my new favorite cupcakerie in taipei! their cakes are sweet, moist and fluffy, REAL cupcakes that i’m used to.. not muffin like- or “not sweet.”

current flavor i’m obsessing over- the Earl Grey. the cake has tea leaves and is fragrant with bergamot. the cream atop is super light and fluffy, and not thick or too sweet. it reminds me of the foam atop a latte. i could wolf down three of these in one sitting.

cupcake minis! i bought one of every flavor they had that day.. and since i couldn’t eat ALL full sized cupcakes, i went with the minis for about 2/3 of the flavors. among my favorites are the red velvet, peanut butter choco, and double strawberry.

red velvet- beautiful frosting.. earl grey, and bailey’s.

will be going back for the Chai Tea flavor on saturdays.

yuM!

 

台北市大安區潮州街149-4號1樓 (02)2358-2226

soLo pasta.

dinner at solo pasta.

we’ve been here quite a few times in the past, but this dining experience was by far the best. i think we finally ordered “right.”

i started with the asparagus appetizer, with half poached eggs and parmesan shavings. sea salt and pepper to flavor.

we wanted bread for the table, but solo pasta doesn’t do complimentary bread- so we were advised to order their bruschetta, which came with 2 pcs. tomato, and pate. the pate was quite good.

b ordered a steak of sorts.. which was sliced, and sprinkled with arugula and parmesan shavings. a quasi steak, topped with a bit of salad- but i must say these are 3 of my favorite things to eat.. so i was happy to see them all in one plate. the meat was seared medium rare, and was tender. not bad at all!

the steak dish also came with another 2 pcs of bruschetta. plain and tomato. the server failed to mention this when she advised our “bread” order..

i enjoyed the duck pasta with balsamic sauce. sO good. the creamy tart balsamic flavor is amazing. this is by far my favorite dish at solo. it never fails to satisfy.

and for dessert, they had lemon tart. creamy but still sour, a nice balance to the balsamic pasta.

yum yum.

xx

 

No. 29-1, Section 1, Ānhé Road, Daan District. (02 2775 3645 )

Qi Ming Organic Hotpot.

dinner at qi ming shabu shabu.

their veggies are organic, local and fresh, with farm to table being the restaurant’s concept. price wise, its on the higher end, but for the quality offered, i think its fair.

we started of with cold sake.

the pot: b and i ordered different broth bases- he had the tomato oxtail, and i had the vegetarian vege broth. i like that qi ming has quite a few options.. theres also a kombu, and a chicken broth.

i ordered a mix veggies basket, beef short ribs, and an extra order of frozen tofu. (not pictured) i wish there was more enoki- next time i think i’ll get an extra/side portion because the teeny bit in the basket is just not enough for me. there was a piece of mochi in the basket- which was a nice addition that cooked up chewy and gummy.

the prime beef short rib. tender, and lightly marbled. deLish. their dipping sauces consist of a ponzu, to which i added scallions and garlic. theres also a cardamom paste based sauce, which is a bit heavier, and goes well with the mochi.

cheers!

xx

2 F, #128,Zhongxiao E Rd, Sec 4.  02) 2772-5123

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

da wan bbQ.

another favorite.

da wan bbQ. its a small restaurant, with mostly bar seating.

there are tons of bbQ restaraunts all over da an district in taipei, but to me, what makes da wasn special, is their cooks/waiters. they’re trained to cook the meat in a certain way, and it makes all the differance. usually there will be a cook/waiter grilling your meat for you- and that’s when it turns out the best. they wait for high tempatures, for a nice sear, and a medium rare inide. the seasoning used is light and minimal, and enhances the meat flavor, instead of covering it like many bbq places that use lower quality meat.

to order, we ask them to arrange some meats for us and give them an amount.. 1500 has been good for me so far! as for meat, i ask for mostly beef, with some chicken and veggies.

i’ve been there several times already, since i found that im discovering this gem a bit late .. but every time i go i’m so excited to eat, that i forget to snap photos… so here’s a compilation of pics from my last 3 visits.

beef with minced onions. seared medium rare, rolled up and served. dip in freshly squeezed lime juice. one of my faves.

below: steak in its process! here you see it marbled and rare, ready to grill.

grilling. smells so good..

sliced and ready to eat.

another wagyu steak ready for the grill.

this is another favorite, they serve it with a bit of wasabi- which makes the meat taste sweeter and adds a refreshing kick.

sigh…

lastly, chicken cartilage. crunchy, with bits of meat still on.. yuM yum.

i’m salivating just posting this..

xx

 

No. 22, Lane 177, Section 1, Dūnhuà South Rd, Daan District

thai made.

thai made, on dong feng st in taipei.

went once last week, and again today. it’s quite possibly my favorite thai restaurant so far. their dishes are flavorful, spicy,  but not too much, and definitely not greasy.

this dish below was a first- i’ve never had anything like it before.. its a dish consisting of egg, coconut milk, veggies and seasoning (originally this should have seafood, but we asked for a vegetarian version.) it’s soft and fluffy, yet a bit creamy.. a sort of thai chawanmushi, i guess? goes really well with rice. sO good.

thai beef salad with onions. the meat was soft and medium, the onions, scallions and some crunchy onion type veggie i think complemented the spices and beef well. this dish would be great for leftovers- put between some bread as a sammy.

chicken in yellow curry. creamy and amazing. the chicken was tender and fell off the bones.

green chicken curry. with basil, peas, and green tomatoes. a little heat, a little coconut milk.

all these dishes are for downing rice with- i could eat 2 bowls when i’m here. below, some “hollow center veggie”

pad thai. the noodles themselves were of note- chewy/glutinous.. with a nice consistency.

b and i enjoyed every dish here. definitely going back regularly. a few things on the menu i want to try- their shrimp cake, minced beef with basil, and the pork cold salad. i haven’t been able to order dessert yet, because always i’m so full from the rice and curries.. next time!

xx

 

No. 34, Dōngfēng St, Daan District