After several attempts I finally made it back to my favorite squid shop to take some photos.
Night shots of the shop:
Fried jumbo squid before / After, bite sized & ready to be served!:
Cute little fried dessert balls:
These were like mini donuts. They were sugar coated, crispy on the outside and soft inside. What a combination!
Although I was quite full I had to take in the famous snowflake ice. I managed to try 2 other flavors this time. I did not get the names so I will try to describe the flavors.
This tasted like a 7-UP (or Sprite) slurpee:
Brown sugar ice with red beans:
The popular green tea with red bean:
All the flavors were great. The 7-UP/Sprite slurpee like ice brought back childhood memories. They used to have 7-UP/Sprite slurpees way back in Canada. Good memories!
The green tea flavor was strong yet not too sweet. Worth a try if you like green tea!
As I walked from the Japanese restaurant to my favorite squid shop I passed a new building. Here is the new & improved Guang Hwa Computer Market (光華商場/Guānghuá Shāng Cháng):
Shop name (店名): SUMMER snowflake ice (夏日雪花冰(光華店))
Address (地址):
No. 2-2, Xinsheng South Road, Sec. 1, Lane 12, Zhongshan District, Taipei City
台北市中山區新生南路1段12巷2號之2
Xīnshēng NánLù, yì Duàn, shíèr Xiàng, èr Hào Zhī èr, Zhōngshān Qū, Táiběi Shì
Telephone (地址): (02) 2394-8328
URL (網址): http://tw.local.yahoo.com/biz.html?bizid=644160ecb83daf8e&sid=152959585&city=%E5%8F%B0%E5%8C%97%E5%B8%82&b=13&sort=-rating
Menu (菜單): Chinese
Operation Hours (營業時間): 12:00 pm - 10:30 pm
Another web site (Mobile01 in Chinese) talking about the fried squid, chicken and other delicious bites: http://5i01.com/waypointtopicdetail.php?f=189&t=445699
MRT (捷運/Jiéyùn) Directions:
Take the blue MRT line (Banqiao-Nangang; 板橋站-南港/Bǎnqiáo-Nángǎng) to Zhongxiao Xinsheng station (忠孝新生站/Zhōngxiào-Xīnshēng Zhàn). Take exit 1, turn right, walk a few meters and then take a left. Walk into a small dark lane with DVD signs above. You will soon reach a lane with a lot of food stalls.
Bus services: I took service 505 back home. Only a 10 minute wait and another 10 minute ride. Some other buses that serve the area:
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Queuing for Japanese food
It is 5 pm and a fellow foodie runs to my desk and asks if I want to try a popular Japanese place for dinner. How could I resist? Turns out a long queue forms due to it's popularity. The only way to beat the queue was to get there earlier.
Shop front with no queue:
All the food we had were of good quality. I particularly loved the squid as it was cooked to perfection! The other highlight was the miso soup. It had a unique and almost alcohol like taste to it. Go early if you want to avoid queuing.
Everyone had the eel rice / My favorite dish for the night:
Other popular dishes:
More photos at another blog. You can see how long the queue can get!
Shop name (店名): 肥前屋//Féi qián wū
Address (地址):
台北市中山北路一段121巷13-2號1樓
No. 13-2 Zhongshan North Road, Sec. 1, Lane 121, Taipei City
Zhōngshān Běi Lù, yī Duàn, yīèryī Xiàng, shísān Hào Zhī èr, yī Lóu, Táiběi Shì
Telephone (地址): (02) 2562-8701 or 2561-7859 (fax: 2541-1768)
URL (網址): n/a
Menu (菜單): Chinese
Operation Hours (營業時間):
Lunch (午餐): 11:30~14:30
Dinner (晚餐): 17:30~21:00
Shop front with no queue:
All the food we had were of good quality. I particularly loved the squid as it was cooked to perfection! The other highlight was the miso soup. It had a unique and almost alcohol like taste to it. Go early if you want to avoid queuing.
Everyone had the eel rice / My favorite dish for the night:
Other popular dishes:
More photos at another blog. You can see how long the queue can get!
Shop name (店名): 肥前屋//Féi qián wū
Address (地址):
台北市中山北路一段121巷13-2號1樓
No. 13-2 Zhongshan North Road, Sec. 1, Lane 121, Taipei City
Zhōngshān Běi Lù, yī Duàn, yīèryī Xiàng, shísān Hào Zhī èr, yī Lóu, Táiběi Shì
Telephone (地址): (02) 2562-8701 or 2561-7859 (fax: 2541-1768)
URL (網址): n/a
Menu (菜單): Chinese
Operation Hours (營業時間):
Lunch (午餐): 11:30~14:30
Dinner (晚餐): 17:30~21:00
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Tomato beef noodles
I had a very interesting lunch with my colleagues. One of them arranged to go try this place known for their tomato beef noodles. This is the same colleague who recommended the awesome Wuxing Street beef noodles and yummy dumplings near Zhongxiao Dunhua MRT station. This makes 3 out of 3 super recommendations!
The beef cubes were thick yet tender. The hand cut noodles are chewy yet soft. Both mixed in a tomato soup made a wonderful combination. Relatively inexpensive as well. Only NT$120 for a bowl.
I did not have my camera with me so check out these blogs for some photos:
http://blog.yam.com/c87103244/article/9994840
http://blog.yam.com/sinye/article/614006
Shop name (店名): 山西刀削麵/Shān xī dāo xuē miàn
Address (地址):
No. 101 Siping Street, Taipei City
台北市四平街101號
Sìpíng Jiē, yìlíngyì Hào, Táiběi Shì
Telephone (地址): (02) 2504-2559
URL (網址): n/a
Operation Hours (營業時間):
Lunch (午餐): 11:00~14:00
Dinner (晚餐): 17:00~20:00
Well worth the 15 minute walk under the hot sun!
The beef cubes were thick yet tender. The hand cut noodles are chewy yet soft. Both mixed in a tomato soup made a wonderful combination. Relatively inexpensive as well. Only NT$120 for a bowl.
I did not have my camera with me so check out these blogs for some photos:
http://blog.yam.com/c87103244/article/9994840
http://blog.yam.com/sinye/article/614006
Shop name (店名): 山西刀削麵/Shān xī dāo xuē miàn
Address (地址):
No. 101 Siping Street, Taipei City
台北市四平街101號
Sìpíng Jiē, yìlíngyì Hào, Táiběi Shì
Telephone (地址): (02) 2504-2559
URL (網址): n/a
Operation Hours (營業時間):
Lunch (午餐): 11:00~14:00
Dinner (晚餐): 17:00~20:00
Well worth the 15 minute walk under the hot sun!
Monday, July 21, 2008
SUMMER snowflake ice and jumbo squid
My weekend ended with a cool note.
I made my way back to the Guang Hwa Computer Market (光華商場/Guānghuá Shāng Cháng) area to satisfy my craving for snowflake ice (雪花冰/xuěhuā bīng) and jumbo fried squid. It turns out my favorite squid shop also sells snowflake ice. I did not have my camera with me so I will try to get photos next time. Note some people in the shop speak English. There is a tall and very friendly lady who speaks English very well. She provides great service and recommendations of what are the best items they have to offer.
This time, I managed to try 3 flavors, green tea with red bean, milk with red bean and peanut butter, of snowflake ice. All 3 flavors were really good, both in taste and smell. I love that chewy feeling of the ice in the mouth. Oh, so good! I must go back and try the other flavors. I find it to be a super way to beat the summer heat. They have seating inside the shop where you can sit down, avoid the heat and enjoy your cool dessert.
Since this shop is my favorite place to get jumbo fried squid I had to have a bag. I love the jumbo squid as the amount of batter is just right and has just the right amount of chewiness. I had some seasoning, garlic and herb leaves added to maximize the taste and experience. What a nice ending to a great weekend!
Shop name (店名): SUMMER snowflake ice (夏日雪花冰(光華店))
Address (地址):
No. 2-2, Xinsheng South Road, Sec. 1, Lane 12, Zhongshan District, Taipei City
台北市中山區新生南路1段12巷2號之2
Xīnshēng NánLù, yì Duàn, shíèr Xiàng, èr Hào Zhī èr, Zhōngshān Qū, Táiběi Shì
Telephone (地址): (02) 2394-8328
URL (網址): http://tw.local.yahoo.com/biz.html?bizid=644160ecb83daf8e&sid=152959585&city=%E5%8F%B0%E5%8C%97%E5%B8%82&b=13&sort=-rating
Menu (菜單): Chinese
Operation Hours (營業時間): 12:00 pm - 10:30 pm
Another web site (Mobile01 in Chinese) talking about the fried squid, chicken and other delicious bites:
http://5i01.com/waypointtopicdetail.php?f=189&t=445699
MRT (捷運/Jiéyùn) Directions:
Take the blue MRT line (Banqiao-Nangang; 板橋站-南港/Bǎnqiáo-Nángǎng) to Zhongxiao Xinsheng station (忠孝新生站/Zhōngxiào-Xīnshēng Zhàn). Take exit 1, turn right, walk a few meters and then take a left. Walk into a small dark lane with DVD signs above. You will soon reach a lane with a lot of food stalls.
I made my way back to the Guang Hwa Computer Market (光華商場/Guānghuá Shāng Cháng) area to satisfy my craving for snowflake ice (雪花冰/xuěhuā bīng) and jumbo fried squid. It turns out my favorite squid shop also sells snowflake ice. I did not have my camera with me so I will try to get photos next time. Note some people in the shop speak English. There is a tall and very friendly lady who speaks English very well. She provides great service and recommendations of what are the best items they have to offer.
This time, I managed to try 3 flavors, green tea with red bean, milk with red bean and peanut butter, of snowflake ice. All 3 flavors were really good, both in taste and smell. I love that chewy feeling of the ice in the mouth. Oh, so good! I must go back and try the other flavors. I find it to be a super way to beat the summer heat. They have seating inside the shop where you can sit down, avoid the heat and enjoy your cool dessert.
Since this shop is my favorite place to get jumbo fried squid I had to have a bag. I love the jumbo squid as the amount of batter is just right and has just the right amount of chewiness. I had some seasoning, garlic and herb leaves added to maximize the taste and experience. What a nice ending to a great weekend!
Shop name (店名): SUMMER snowflake ice (夏日雪花冰(光華店))
Address (地址):
No. 2-2, Xinsheng South Road, Sec. 1, Lane 12, Zhongshan District, Taipei City
台北市中山區新生南路1段12巷2號之2
Xīnshēng NánLù, yì Duàn, shíèr Xiàng, èr Hào Zhī èr, Zhōngshān Qū, Táiběi Shì
Telephone (地址): (02) 2394-8328
URL (網址): http://tw.local.yahoo.com/biz.html?bizid=644160ecb83daf8e&sid=152959585&city=%E5%8F%B0%E5%8C%97%E5%B8%82&b=13&sort=-rating
Menu (菜單): Chinese
Operation Hours (營業時間): 12:00 pm - 10:30 pm
Another web site (Mobile01 in Chinese) talking about the fried squid, chicken and other delicious bites:
http://5i01.com/waypointtopicdetail.php?f=189&t=445699
MRT (捷運/Jiéyùn) Directions:
Take the blue MRT line (Banqiao-Nangang; 板橋站-南港/Bǎnqiáo-Nángǎng) to Zhongxiao Xinsheng station (忠孝新生站/Zhōngxiào-Xīnshēng Zhàn). Take exit 1, turn right, walk a few meters and then take a left. Walk into a small dark lane with DVD signs above. You will soon reach a lane with a lot of food stalls.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Beef noodles in Xinyi District
I had a craving for beef noodles suddenly. As my friends never tried my favorite beef noodle shop we gave it a try.
Apparently, this shop is quite popular. I believe they even won some award. It is a very small shop with seating on the main and basement levels. Go early if you want a seat as the place fills up during the lunch and dinner times. I like the place so much I lost track of how many times I visited it.
The beef roll and beef noodles are really good. There are different types of soup, noodle and beef mixtures you can try. My personal favorite is to have beef and tendons with machine cut thin noodles in a spicy (dark) soup. The beef roll is super tasty. I think of it as Peking duck style but with beef instead of duck. The bread they use is made fresh on the main floor. It comes packed with raw green onions. It is a perfect blend of flavors and texture.
Yummy beef rolls (highly recommended):
Various types of beef (very tender!) noodles:
This time, I decided to try a new dish. According to the Chinese name it is a spicy mixed beef cold dish. I love mixed beef dishes so I wanted to give it a try. The dish was not very spicy but there were a lot of white onions. The dish was good overall.
Spicy mixed beef parts cold dish (涼伴麻辣滿漢牛雜/liángbàn málà mǎnhàn niúzá):
Shop name (店名): 穆記小吃牛肉麵館/Mùjì xiǎochī niúròu miàn guǎn
Address (地址):
No. 239 Wuxing Street, Xinyi District, Taipei City
台北市信義區吳興街239號
Wúxīng Jiē èrsānjiǔ Hào, Xìnyì Qū, Táiběi Shì
Telephone (地址): (02) 2732-9372
URL (網址): n/a
Menu (菜單): Chinese
Operation Hours (營業時間): n/a
Notes:
It is across the street from Taipei Medical University Hospital (台北醫學大學附設醫院). They do not sell any drinks but you are allowed to bring your own with you. There are a few dessert places nearby.
Apparently, this shop is quite popular. I believe they even won some award. It is a very small shop with seating on the main and basement levels. Go early if you want a seat as the place fills up during the lunch and dinner times. I like the place so much I lost track of how many times I visited it.
The beef roll and beef noodles are really good. There are different types of soup, noodle and beef mixtures you can try. My personal favorite is to have beef and tendons with machine cut thin noodles in a spicy (dark) soup. The beef roll is super tasty. I think of it as Peking duck style but with beef instead of duck. The bread they use is made fresh on the main floor. It comes packed with raw green onions. It is a perfect blend of flavors and texture.
Yummy beef rolls (highly recommended):
Various types of beef (very tender!) noodles:
This time, I decided to try a new dish. According to the Chinese name it is a spicy mixed beef cold dish. I love mixed beef dishes so I wanted to give it a try. The dish was not very spicy but there were a lot of white onions. The dish was good overall.
Spicy mixed beef parts cold dish (涼伴麻辣滿漢牛雜/liángbàn málà mǎnhàn niúzá):
Shop name (店名): 穆記小吃牛肉麵館/Mùjì xiǎochī niúròu miàn guǎn
Address (地址):
No. 239 Wuxing Street, Xinyi District, Taipei City
台北市信義區吳興街239號
Wúxīng Jiē èrsānjiǔ Hào, Xìnyì Qū, Táiběi Shì
Telephone (地址): (02) 2732-9372
URL (網址): n/a
Menu (菜單): Chinese
Operation Hours (營業時間): n/a
Notes:
It is across the street from Taipei Medical University Hospital (台北醫學大學附設醫院). They do not sell any drinks but you are allowed to bring your own with you. There are a few dessert places nearby.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Shilin Night Market & Jiantan hiking trail
Taipei Shilin Night Market (台北市林夜市/Táiběi Shìlín Yè Shì)
The weekend started with a night at the famous Taipei Shilin Night Market. A friend told me about snowflake ice (雪花冰/xuěhuā bīng). It was described to me as shaved ice made with various liquids like milk, egg, tea, coffee and others. The ice is shaved, layered and looks sort of like snowflakes.
A particular shop was recommend as a 'must try'. With some help I managed to get a bowl of green tea with red bean (NT$70). It is difficult to describe the feeling of this special ice. It was sort of a mix between ice from a popsicle and ice cream. When I tried to bite into a spoonful it felt chewy. A very unique experience!
My green tea & red bean snowflake ice:
The shop:
Shop name (店名): Xinfating Crushed Ice and Fruits (辛發亭/Xīnfàtíng)
Address (地址):
No.1 Anping Street, Taipei City
台北市安平街1號
Ānpíng Jiē yī Háo, Táiběi Shì
Telephone (地址): n/a
URL (網址): n/a
Menu (菜單): Chinese
Operation Hours (營業時間): 12:00 pm - 12:00 am
MRT (捷運/Jiéyùn) Directions:
Take the red MRT line (Danshui-Xindian line; 淡水/Dànshuǐ - 新店/Xīndiàn) to Jiantan Station (劍潭站/Jiàntán). Take exit 1 and walk along Wenlin Road (文林路/Wénlín Lù). After the Yangming Theatre turn left into a very narrow street, Anping Street.
Jiantan trail (劍潭山親山步道/Jiàntánshān qīnshān bùdào)
After taking dessert I decided to explore the area. I walked over to the Jiantan trail entrance to see how far it was from the MRT station. It turns out it is about 5 minutes walk if you take exit 2 of the MRT station. It was too dark to walk the trail so I was planning for the next day.
I noticed there were bus stops at the trail entrance. I noted down which buses from my area stop there (they have some major landmarks in English for each bus at the bus stop).
The next day I headed out for the trail. I took the bus and it was my first ride I planned on my own. The bus system is very similar to Singapore except for the payment system. You either pay when you get on or off the bus. One needs to look at a Chinese sign above the driver's head to find out. Alternatively, you observe other passengers to see if they pay when they board or alight the bus.
After a 15 minute bus ride (I felt it was much faster than taking the MRT from my place) I arrived at the trail entrance.
I found the beginning of the trail to be quite difficult as there are steep steps. Once you get further up it was much easier.
Just about at the top:
I noticed there were lots of temples on this mountain. There were sounds of music being played, insects and people talking all around. Did not seem like a quiet place to me.
View of the Grand Hotel from the trail:
Not a very difficult walk overall. Took about an hour to walk it quickly and exit at Beian Road (北安/Běiān Lù).
You can walk towards Grand Hotel (圓山大飯店/Yuánshān Dà Fàndiàn) along Beian Road and eventually get back to the Jiantan MRT station. The area is referred to as Yuanshan Scenic Area (圓山風景區/Yuánshān fēngjǐng qū) as shown in the map above.
MRT (捷運/Jiéyùn) Directions:
Take the red MRT line (Danshui-Xindian line; 淡水/Dànshuǐ - 新店/Xīndiàn) to Jiantan Station (劍潭站/Jiàntán). Take exit 2 and walk along Zhongshan N. Rd. Sec. 5 (6th Ave.) towards the Grand Hotel.
Bus services: From my place I can take either the 277 & 612 to get to the Jiantan MRT station trail entrance.
The weekend started with a night at the famous Taipei Shilin Night Market. A friend told me about snowflake ice (雪花冰/xuěhuā bīng). It was described to me as shaved ice made with various liquids like milk, egg, tea, coffee and others. The ice is shaved, layered and looks sort of like snowflakes.
A particular shop was recommend as a 'must try'. With some help I managed to get a bowl of green tea with red bean (NT$70). It is difficult to describe the feeling of this special ice. It was sort of a mix between ice from a popsicle and ice cream. When I tried to bite into a spoonful it felt chewy. A very unique experience!
My green tea & red bean snowflake ice:
The shop:
Shop name (店名): Xinfating Crushed Ice and Fruits (辛發亭/Xīnfàtíng)
Address (地址):
No.1 Anping Street, Taipei City
台北市安平街1號
Ānpíng Jiē yī Háo, Táiběi Shì
Telephone (地址): n/a
URL (網址): n/a
Menu (菜單): Chinese
Operation Hours (營業時間): 12:00 pm - 12:00 am
MRT (捷運/Jiéyùn) Directions:
Take the red MRT line (Danshui-Xindian line; 淡水/Dànshuǐ - 新店/Xīndiàn) to Jiantan Station (劍潭站/Jiàntán). Take exit 1 and walk along Wenlin Road (文林路/Wénlín Lù). After the Yangming Theatre turn left into a very narrow street, Anping Street.
Jiantan trail (劍潭山親山步道/Jiàntánshān qīnshān bùdào)
After taking dessert I decided to explore the area. I walked over to the Jiantan trail entrance to see how far it was from the MRT station. It turns out it is about 5 minutes walk if you take exit 2 of the MRT station. It was too dark to walk the trail so I was planning for the next day.
I noticed there were bus stops at the trail entrance. I noted down which buses from my area stop there (they have some major landmarks in English for each bus at the bus stop).
The next day I headed out for the trail. I took the bus and it was my first ride I planned on my own. The bus system is very similar to Singapore except for the payment system. You either pay when you get on or off the bus. One needs to look at a Chinese sign above the driver's head to find out. Alternatively, you observe other passengers to see if they pay when they board or alight the bus.
After a 15 minute bus ride (I felt it was much faster than taking the MRT from my place) I arrived at the trail entrance.
I found the beginning of the trail to be quite difficult as there are steep steps. Once you get further up it was much easier.
Just about at the top:
I noticed there were lots of temples on this mountain. There were sounds of music being played, insects and people talking all around. Did not seem like a quiet place to me.
View of the Grand Hotel from the trail:
Not a very difficult walk overall. Took about an hour to walk it quickly and exit at Beian Road (北安/Běiān Lù).
You can walk towards Grand Hotel (圓山大飯店/Yuánshān Dà Fàndiàn) along Beian Road and eventually get back to the Jiantan MRT station. The area is referred to as Yuanshan Scenic Area (圓山風景區/Yuánshān fēngjǐng qū) as shown in the map above.
MRT (捷運/Jiéyùn) Directions:
Take the red MRT line (Danshui-Xindian line; 淡水/Dànshuǐ - 新店/Xīndiàn) to Jiantan Station (劍潭站/Jiàntán). Take exit 2 and walk along Zhongshan N. Rd. Sec. 5 (6th Ave.) towards the Grand Hotel.
Bus services: From my place I can take either the 277 & 612 to get to the Jiantan MRT station trail entrance.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Japanese food & cakes in Neihu
Tonight I met up with a Taiwanese friend I have not seen for many years. We went down to Neihu (內湖/Nèihú) and tried a Japanese restaurant inside the Grand Victoria Hotel (維多麗亞酒店/Wéi duō lì yà jiǔdiàn).
They have unique seating areas around the restaurant. Have a look at their URL below for more details.
View of the garden and a sample of the private booths:
I had the "fish set" which came with a lot of nice dishes. The best dish was the beef! It was very tender and delicious. The setting is very nice and you can even talk a walk in the garden.
Salad, sashimi & the very tender beef:
Restaurant: Izakaya Japanese Dining (小魚日式居酒屋)
Address (地址):
No. 168 Jing Ye 4th Rd, 4th Floor, Zhongshan District, Taipei City
台北市中山區敬業四路168號4樓
Jìngyè sì Lù, yìliùbā Hào, sì Lóu, Zhōngshān Qū, Táiběi Shì
Telephone (地址): (02) 6602-5678
URL (網址): http://www.grandvictoria.com.tw/en/rest2.php
Menu (菜單): Chinese (English upon request; set menu is only in Chinese)
Operation Hours (營業時間): Refer to URL above.
We then went on to try some cakes. I was told that there are only 2 such shops in Taipei City. One of them is in Neihu. The cakes are nice and my favorite for the night was the lemon cheesecake.
Black forest, lemon cheesecake & a caramel cake:
Restaurant: Yannick
Address (地址):
No. 15, Lane 178, Ruihu Street, Taipei City
Telephone (地址): (02) 2657-4837
URL (網址): http://en.yannick.com.tw/
Menu (菜單): English & Chinese
Operation Hours (營業時間): 9:00 am to 9:00 pm
They have unique seating areas around the restaurant. Have a look at their URL below for more details.
View of the garden and a sample of the private booths:
I had the "fish set" which came with a lot of nice dishes. The best dish was the beef! It was very tender and delicious. The setting is very nice and you can even talk a walk in the garden.
Salad, sashimi & the very tender beef:
Restaurant: Izakaya Japanese Dining (小魚日式居酒屋)
Address (地址):
No. 168 Jing Ye 4th Rd, 4th Floor, Zhongshan District, Taipei City
台北市中山區敬業四路168號4樓
Jìngyè sì Lù, yìliùbā Hào, sì Lóu, Zhōngshān Qū, Táiběi Shì
Telephone (地址): (02) 6602-5678
URL (網址): http://www.grandvictoria.com.tw/en/rest2.php
Menu (菜單): Chinese (English upon request; set menu is only in Chinese)
Operation Hours (營業時間): Refer to URL above.
We then went on to try some cakes. I was told that there are only 2 such shops in Taipei City. One of them is in Neihu. The cakes are nice and my favorite for the night was the lemon cheesecake.
Black forest, lemon cheesecake & a caramel cake:
Restaurant: Yannick
Address (地址):
No. 15, Lane 178, Ruihu Street, Taipei City
Telephone (地址): (02) 2657-4837
URL (網址): http://en.yannick.com.tw/
Menu (菜單): English & Chinese
Operation Hours (營業時間): 9:00 am to 9:00 pm
Monday, July 14, 2008
Potstickers, missed squid and Macaroni
Sunday:
I decided to visit an area famous for computers and accessories. Guang Hwa Computer Market (光華商場) is located near the Zhongxiao Xinsheng MRT station (忠孝新生站/Zhōngxiào-Xīnshēng Zhàn). The market is in a temporary home but they plan to into a new building next door in a couple of weeks. After a little shopping I wanted to get some lunch. I went to a guo tie (potstickers) place to fill up on food.
Guo tie or potstickers:
Spicy Korean style:
Shop name (店名): 八方雲集水餃鍋貼專賣店(光華店)
(Bā fāng yún jí shuǐjiǎo guōtiē zhuān mài diàn (Guāng huá diàn))
Address (地址):
台北市大安區八德路一段82巷9弄12號
No. 12 Bade Road, Sec. 1, Lane 82, Alley 9, Daan District, Taipei City
Bādé Lù, yī Duàn, bāshíèr Xiàng, jiǔ Nòng, shíèr Hào, Dàān Qū, Táiběi Shì
Telephone (地址): (02) 2351-0810
URL (網址): n/a
Menu (菜單): Chinese
Operation Hours (營業時間): n/a
Earlier, I wrote a short note about a squid stall I love. Unfortunately, the shop was not open yet so I did not get to eat my favorite jumbo fried squid. I was told the fried chicken skin is a must try. Oh well, next time. Managed to take a photo of the shop opening up for the day:
Address (地址):
No. 2-2, Xinsheng South Road, Sec. 1, Lane 12, Zhongshan District, Taipei City
台北市中山區新生南路1段12巷2號之2
Xīnshēng NánLù, yì Duàn, shíèr Xiàng, èr Hào Zhī èr, Zhōngshān Qū, Táiběi Shì
Telephone (地址): (02) 2394-8328
URL (網址): http://tw.local.yahoo.com/biz.html?bizid=644160ecb83daf8e&sid=152959585&city=%E5%8F%B0%E5%8C%97%E5%B8%82&b=13&sort=-rating
Menu (菜單): Chinese
Operation Hours (營業時間): 12:00 pm - 10:30 pm
It is interesting that the two shops mentioned above are on the same stretch of road but have very different addresses.
MRT (捷運/Jiéyùn) Directions:
Take the blue MRT line (Banqiao-Nangang; 板橋站-南港/Bǎnqiáo-Nángǎng) to Zhongxiao Xinsheng station (忠孝新生站/Zhōngxiào-Xīnshēng Zhàn). Take exit 1, turn right, walk a few meters and then take a left. Walk into a small dark lane with DVD signs above. You will soon reach a lane with a lot of food stalls.
After some more shopping I ended up at Romano's Macaroni Grill at Neo19. They have very good calamari as an appetizer. I had the seafood linguini which comprised of smooth pasta, fresh seafood and nice creamy sauce. The serving was quite large so I had no room for dessert. Sorry, no photos for you.
Restaurant: Romano's Macaroni Grill
Address (地址):
22, Sungshou Road, Taipei City (NEO19, 1st Floor)
台北市松壽路22號1樓 (NEO19, 威秀影城旁)
Songshòu Lù èrshíèr Háo, yī Lóu, Táiběi Shì
Telephone (地址): (02) 2722-4567
URL (網址): http://www.neo19.com.tw/index.asp?AREA=STOREINFO&tbKey=19
Menu (菜單): Chinese (English upon request)
Operation Hours (營業時間): Refer to URL above.
I decided to visit an area famous for computers and accessories. Guang Hwa Computer Market (光華商場) is located near the Zhongxiao Xinsheng MRT station (忠孝新生站/Zhōngxiào-Xīnshēng Zhàn). The market is in a temporary home but they plan to into a new building next door in a couple of weeks. After a little shopping I wanted to get some lunch. I went to a guo tie (potstickers) place to fill up on food.
Guo tie or potstickers:
Spicy Korean style:
Shop name (店名): 八方雲集水餃鍋貼專賣店(光華店)
(Bā fāng yún jí shuǐjiǎo guōtiē zhuān mài diàn (Guāng huá diàn))
Address (地址):
台北市大安區八德路一段82巷9弄12號
No. 12 Bade Road, Sec. 1, Lane 82, Alley 9, Daan District, Taipei City
Bādé Lù, yī Duàn, bāshíèr Xiàng, jiǔ Nòng, shíèr Hào, Dàān Qū, Táiběi Shì
Telephone (地址): (02) 2351-0810
URL (網址): n/a
Menu (菜單): Chinese
Operation Hours (營業時間): n/a
Earlier, I wrote a short note about a squid stall I love. Unfortunately, the shop was not open yet so I did not get to eat my favorite jumbo fried squid. I was told the fried chicken skin is a must try. Oh well, next time. Managed to take a photo of the shop opening up for the day:
Address (地址):
No. 2-2, Xinsheng South Road, Sec. 1, Lane 12, Zhongshan District, Taipei City
台北市中山區新生南路1段12巷2號之2
Xīnshēng NánLù, yì Duàn, shíèr Xiàng, èr Hào Zhī èr, Zhōngshān Qū, Táiběi Shì
Telephone (地址): (02) 2394-8328
URL (網址): http://tw.local.yahoo.com/biz.html?bizid=644160ecb83daf8e&sid=152959585&city=%E5%8F%B0%E5%8C%97%E5%B8%82&b=13&sort=-rating
Menu (菜單): Chinese
Operation Hours (營業時間): 12:00 pm - 10:30 pm
It is interesting that the two shops mentioned above are on the same stretch of road but have very different addresses.
MRT (捷運/Jiéyùn) Directions:
Take the blue MRT line (Banqiao-Nangang; 板橋站-南港/Bǎnqiáo-Nángǎng) to Zhongxiao Xinsheng station (忠孝新生站/Zhōngxiào-Xīnshēng Zhàn). Take exit 1, turn right, walk a few meters and then take a left. Walk into a small dark lane with DVD signs above. You will soon reach a lane with a lot of food stalls.
After some more shopping I ended up at Romano's Macaroni Grill at Neo19. They have very good calamari as an appetizer. I had the seafood linguini which comprised of smooth pasta, fresh seafood and nice creamy sauce. The serving was quite large so I had no room for dessert. Sorry, no photos for you.
Restaurant: Romano's Macaroni Grill
Address (地址):
22, Sungshou Road, Taipei City (NEO19, 1st Floor)
台北市松壽路22號1樓 (NEO19, 威秀影城旁)
Songshòu Lù èrshíèr Háo, yī Lóu, Táiběi Shì
Telephone (地址): (02) 2722-4567
URL (網址): http://www.neo19.com.tw/index.asp?AREA=STOREINFO&tbKey=19
Menu (菜單): Chinese (English upon request)
Operation Hours (營業時間): Refer to URL above.
Labels:
fried,
Guang Hwa,
Guang Hwa Computer Market,
guo tie,
macaroni grill,
potsticker,
squid,
taipei,
taiwan
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Burger day
Friday.
I never tried Outback Steakhouse anywhere in the world until yesterday. Last night, I gave Outback a try. I started off with "Aussie-Tizers" or appetizers. There were the 'Fried Calamari" and "Bushman 'Shrooms" (mushrooms). The mushrooms were really juicy even with the fried breading on the outside. I thought it was better than the calamari.
For the burger I tried their "The Mad Max". It was a large burger and sure quenched my craving for a burger. After a satisfying burger I washed it down with a "Chocolate Thunder from Down Under" (brownie with ice cream, chocolate sauce & whipped cream). It looked like a mountain in a bowl! You can see a photo of it in their menu via the web site. Most of their menu is on their web site so check it out. Note, the soft drinks are bottomless (free refills/free flow) even though I did not see it mentioned.
The food was pretty good but I was not satisfied with service. Initially, it was not bad. Later in the evening the server took away my glass to get a refill. The glass did not come back after several minutes. I had to ask a few times before they finally located my missing glass. Maybe someone borrowed it? The issue seemed to lie in the lack of coordination between the staff. On many occasions, several people came by to ask the same question twice. Strange that this happens when there are Dan Ryan's, T.G.I.Fridays & Swenson's all nearby.
Restaurant: Outback Steakhouse
Address (地址):
100 Dunhua North Road, 1st Floor, Taipei City
台北市敦化北路100號1樓
Dūnhuà Běi Lù, yī bǎi Hào, yī Lóu, Táiběi Shì
Telephone (地址): (02) 8712-8818
URL (網址): http://www.outback.com.tw/
Menu (菜單): English & Chinese
Operation Hours (營業時間): Refer to URL above.
MRT (捷運/Jiéyùn) Directions:
Take the brown MRT line (Muzha line; 木柵站/Mùzhà) to Nanjing E. Rd. Station (南京東路站/Nánjīng Dōnglù Zhàn). Exit and walk east for about 10 minutes towards Dunhua North Road.
The entrance is between Asia-World Shopping Mall (環亞購物廣場) and IKEA.
I never tried Outback Steakhouse anywhere in the world until yesterday. Last night, I gave Outback a try. I started off with "Aussie-Tizers" or appetizers. There were the 'Fried Calamari" and "Bushman 'Shrooms" (mushrooms). The mushrooms were really juicy even with the fried breading on the outside. I thought it was better than the calamari.
For the burger I tried their "The Mad Max". It was a large burger and sure quenched my craving for a burger. After a satisfying burger I washed it down with a "Chocolate Thunder from Down Under" (brownie with ice cream, chocolate sauce & whipped cream). It looked like a mountain in a bowl! You can see a photo of it in their menu via the web site. Most of their menu is on their web site so check it out. Note, the soft drinks are bottomless (free refills/free flow) even though I did not see it mentioned.
The food was pretty good but I was not satisfied with service. Initially, it was not bad. Later in the evening the server took away my glass to get a refill. The glass did not come back after several minutes. I had to ask a few times before they finally located my missing glass. Maybe someone borrowed it? The issue seemed to lie in the lack of coordination between the staff. On many occasions, several people came by to ask the same question twice. Strange that this happens when there are Dan Ryan's, T.G.I.Fridays & Swenson's all nearby.
Restaurant: Outback Steakhouse
Address (地址):
100 Dunhua North Road, 1st Floor, Taipei City
台北市敦化北路100號1樓
Dūnhuà Běi Lù, yī bǎi Hào, yī Lóu, Táiběi Shì
Telephone (地址): (02) 8712-8818
URL (網址): http://www.outback.com.tw/
Menu (菜單): English & Chinese
Operation Hours (營業時間): Refer to URL above.
MRT (捷運/Jiéyùn) Directions:
Take the brown MRT line (Muzha line; 木柵站/Mùzhà) to Nanjing E. Rd. Station (南京東路站/Nánjīng Dōnglù Zhàn). Exit and walk east for about 10 minutes towards Dunhua North Road.
The entrance is between Asia-World Shopping Mall (環亞購物廣場) and IKEA.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Hot pot & cold cup
Last night was a fun and interesting mix of hot and cold.
Hot pot:
We started off with a very popular Mala Yuanyang Hot Pot (馬辣鴛鴦火鍋). You need to make reservations in advance as the place tends to be fully booked at night. We had a mix of the popular Angus beef (frozen), mutton, seafood (some frozen), cheese balls, noodles and vegetables. The beef was so good we must have ordered 30 dishes! It is buffet style so you "eat until full" (吃到飽 - chī dào bǎo). Have a go at mixing and matching various sauces to dip your food into. They have a variety of sauces to choose from. Drinks (hot & cold) are included. Save room for dessert as they have Häagen Dazs© & MOVENPICK© ice cream, 8 flavors each. You can have the ice cream in a cup or cone! There are also fruits, cakes, jelly and other desserts to choose from. Note there is a 2 hour time limit so plan out your meal carefully. You may feel rather hot while eating but bring a jacket if you like to keep warm as the air-conditioning is very strong. You will feel cold after a few cups of ice cream....brrr!
The restaurant from across the street:
Only managed to take a photo of the beef:
Restaurant: Mala Yuanyang Hot Pot (馬辣鴛鴦火鍋)
Address (地址):
No. 86, Dingzhou Road Sec. 3, Taipei City
台北市汀州路三段86號
Dìngzhōu Lù, sān Duàn, bāshíliù Háo, Táiběi Shì
Telephone (地址): (02) 2365-7625
URL (網址): http://www.mala-1.com.tw/
Operation Hours (營業時間): n/a
Gongguan Night Market (公館夜市/Gōngguǎn Yè Shì)
MRT (捷運/Jiéyùn) Directions:
Take the green MRT line (Danshui-Xindian line; 淡水/Dànshuǐ - 新店/Xīndiàn) to Gongguan Station (公館站/Gōngguǎn Zhàn). Take Exit 4, walk southwest towards Dingzhou Road. You will see the signboard when you reach the intersection with traffic lights.
Cold cup:
I heard about this place called Dancing Cows Ice Cream. The shop is run by an American and his wife. I was told they served the best green tea ice cream. I had to give it a try (even after having a few bowls of ice cream during dinner) as they open until 11 pm. It was just 1 MRT station away and a 10 minute walk from the dinner venue.
All the ice cream flavors we tried were good. We had green tea, dark beer, Oreo, Coffee & Cheese. Personally, I loved the dark beer...burp! All the flavors tasted like the real thing. If you love ice cream give this a try. You can have your ice cream in a cup or cone. We chose cups...cold cups. It was a nice way to finish the evening. In case you are wondering, the green tea ice cream was really good but my personal favorite is still the best for me.
We tried all but one of these flavors:
Note, they moved from their earlier Shidan Road location. I had a hard time finding it as I was given the old address. Give the shop a call if you have any difficulty finding the place. Both husband and wife speak English. They were a lot of foreigners and students in the area as there is a university nearby. Hope the information below helps.
The shop sign along with road signs:
Shop: Dancing Cows Ice Cream (搖滾牛冰淇淋)
Address (地址):
No. 66, Longquan St., Daan District, Taipei City
台北市大安區龍泉街66號
Lóngquán Jiē, liùshíliù Hào, Dà'ān Qū, Táiběi Shì
Telephone (地址): 0932 335 307 (+886 932335307)
URL (網址): http://www.dancing-cows.com/
Operation Hours (營業時間): open till 11 pm (Sun-Thu) and 12 am (Fri & Sat).
Shida Road Night Market (師大路夜市/Shīdà Lù Yè Shì)
MRT (捷運/Jiéyùn) Directions:
Take the green MRT line (Danshui-Xindian line; 淡水/Dànshuǐ - 新店/Xīndiàn) to Taipower Building Station (台電大樓站/Tái-Diàn Dàlóu Zhàn), take Exit 3, and walk north along Shida Road. Turn right at Yunhe St. (雲和街/Yúnhé Jiē).
Hot pot:
We started off with a very popular Mala Yuanyang Hot Pot (馬辣鴛鴦火鍋). You need to make reservations in advance as the place tends to be fully booked at night. We had a mix of the popular Angus beef (frozen), mutton, seafood (some frozen), cheese balls, noodles and vegetables. The beef was so good we must have ordered 30 dishes! It is buffet style so you "eat until full" (吃到飽 - chī dào bǎo). Have a go at mixing and matching various sauces to dip your food into. They have a variety of sauces to choose from. Drinks (hot & cold) are included. Save room for dessert as they have Häagen Dazs© & MOVENPICK© ice cream, 8 flavors each. You can have the ice cream in a cup or cone! There are also fruits, cakes, jelly and other desserts to choose from. Note there is a 2 hour time limit so plan out your meal carefully. You may feel rather hot while eating but bring a jacket if you like to keep warm as the air-conditioning is very strong. You will feel cold after a few cups of ice cream....brrr!
The restaurant from across the street:
Only managed to take a photo of the beef:
Restaurant: Mala Yuanyang Hot Pot (馬辣鴛鴦火鍋)
Address (地址):
No. 86, Dingzhou Road Sec. 3, Taipei City
台北市汀州路三段86號
Dìngzhōu Lù, sān Duàn, bāshíliù Háo, Táiběi Shì
Telephone (地址): (02) 2365-7625
URL (網址): http://www.mala-1.com.tw/
Operation Hours (營業時間): n/a
Gongguan Night Market (公館夜市/Gōngguǎn Yè Shì)
MRT (捷運/Jiéyùn) Directions:
Take the green MRT line (Danshui-Xindian line; 淡水/Dànshuǐ - 新店/Xīndiàn) to Gongguan Station (公館站/Gōngguǎn Zhàn). Take Exit 4, walk southwest towards Dingzhou Road. You will see the signboard when you reach the intersection with traffic lights.
Cold cup:
I heard about this place called Dancing Cows Ice Cream. The shop is run by an American and his wife. I was told they served the best green tea ice cream. I had to give it a try (even after having a few bowls of ice cream during dinner) as they open until 11 pm. It was just 1 MRT station away and a 10 minute walk from the dinner venue.
All the ice cream flavors we tried were good. We had green tea, dark beer, Oreo, Coffee & Cheese. Personally, I loved the dark beer...burp! All the flavors tasted like the real thing. If you love ice cream give this a try. You can have your ice cream in a cup or cone. We chose cups...cold cups. It was a nice way to finish the evening. In case you are wondering, the green tea ice cream was really good but my personal favorite is still the best for me.
We tried all but one of these flavors:
Note, they moved from their earlier Shidan Road location. I had a hard time finding it as I was given the old address. Give the shop a call if you have any difficulty finding the place. Both husband and wife speak English. They were a lot of foreigners and students in the area as there is a university nearby. Hope the information below helps.
The shop sign along with road signs:
Shop: Dancing Cows Ice Cream (搖滾牛冰淇淋)
Address (地址):
No. 66, Longquan St., Daan District, Taipei City
台北市大安區龍泉街66號
Lóngquán Jiē, liùshíliù Hào, Dà'ān Qū, Táiběi Shì
Telephone (地址): 0932 335 307 (+886 932335307)
URL (網址): http://www.dancing-cows.com/
Operation Hours (營業時間): open till 11 pm (Sun-Thu) and 12 am (Fri & Sat).
Shida Road Night Market (師大路夜市/Shīdà Lù Yè Shì)
MRT (捷運/Jiéyùn) Directions:
Take the green MRT line (Danshui-Xindian line; 淡水/Dànshuǐ - 新店/Xīndiàn) to Taipower Building Station (台電大樓站/Tái-Diàn Dàlóu Zhàn), take Exit 3, and walk north along Shida Road. Turn right at Yunhe St. (雲和街/Yúnhé Jiē).
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Beijing Duck & 15ème
Last weekend I was out of Taipei for both days. This weekend I decided to take it easy and only went out to see the Kung Fu Panda movie yesterday. If you like a movie that makes you laugh the whole time then it is a must see!
Today, I decided to try a Beijing Duck place that I came across when I first arrived in Taipei. The place looks crowded all the time so I thought it must be good. The first thing I noticed was they do not carve the duck in front of you. In fact, they brought the duck over and just flashed it at me. I did not even see what the duck looked like when the staff ran off with it! The duck is dead and cooked. Where does it need to go? Maybe the staff felt it needed some makeup?
A few minutes later, the carved duck and skin arrive at our table and we dug in. The duck was average and a bit dry. Not bad if you must have duck but I have had better.
The menu and name card are only in Chinese. Bring along someone who can read the menu if you only know English. Below is the photo of the shop in case you want to give it a try:
Back on April 26th, I had Peking duck with the foodie gang at a place along Fuxing North Road (near the Nanjing E Rd MRT station). I only have the Chinese name (陶然亭北平烤鴨) and the Chinese address (台北市復興北路86號2樓). I felt this place offered a better duck that had juicy meat and thin crispy skin. Also, you get to watch the skin & meat carved off right in front of your table. The carver is so skilled he uses only a towel to hold the duck in one hand and the knife in the other. When you see the hot steam after the skin is cut you can imagine how though it is the carver! Next time I will try to get some photos and a video. Really great duck and enjoy the entertainment of the carving.
After today's lunch, we decided to see if 15ème was open on a Sunday. I was happy to find out that it was! Take note, make reservations if you plan to dine in. This time I brought my camera. Have a look at a few cakes that we tried:
Mt. Blanc d'Imbert:
Lost in Paradise:
Did not manage to get the name:
A peek at the display case:
Consistently fresh and tasty ingredients....satisfaction!
"The past is history, the future is a mystery, and TODAY is a gift, that's why it's called the PRESENT." - Oogway, "Kung Fu Panda"
Today, I decided to try a Beijing Duck place that I came across when I first arrived in Taipei. The place looks crowded all the time so I thought it must be good. The first thing I noticed was they do not carve the duck in front of you. In fact, they brought the duck over and just flashed it at me. I did not even see what the duck looked like when the staff ran off with it! The duck is dead and cooked. Where does it need to go? Maybe the staff felt it needed some makeup?
A few minutes later, the carved duck and skin arrive at our table and we dug in. The duck was average and a bit dry. Not bad if you must have duck but I have had better.
The menu and name card are only in Chinese. Bring along someone who can read the menu if you only know English. Below is the photo of the shop in case you want to give it a try:
Back on April 26th, I had Peking duck with the foodie gang at a place along Fuxing North Road (near the Nanjing E Rd MRT station). I only have the Chinese name (陶然亭北平烤鴨) and the Chinese address (台北市復興北路86號2樓). I felt this place offered a better duck that had juicy meat and thin crispy skin. Also, you get to watch the skin & meat carved off right in front of your table. The carver is so skilled he uses only a towel to hold the duck in one hand and the knife in the other. When you see the hot steam after the skin is cut you can imagine how though it is the carver! Next time I will try to get some photos and a video. Really great duck and enjoy the entertainment of the carving.
After today's lunch, we decided to see if 15ème was open on a Sunday. I was happy to find out that it was! Take note, make reservations if you plan to dine in. This time I brought my camera. Have a look at a few cakes that we tried:
Mt. Blanc d'Imbert:
Lost in Paradise:
Did not manage to get the name:
A peek at the display case:
Consistently fresh and tasty ingredients....satisfaction!
"The past is history, the future is a mystery, and TODAY is a gift, that's why it's called the PRESENT." - Oogway, "Kung Fu Panda"
Labels:
15eme,
15ème,
beijing duck,
cake,
peking duck,
taipei,
taiwan
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)