Taiwan Blog Feed

MINI ONE
at Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Food Court, A11, B2
No. 11, Song Shou Road

website: donq.co.jp/family/minione.html Japanese only

$

Kid friendliness:

Visit reviewed: 4/18/2008

If you like your croissants on the sweet side, then you definitely have to try Mini One. I first had these freshly baked croissants a few years ago when Donq had a little corner bakery in A11. But when they moved to A4 and was replaced, neither location had the chocolate croissants that I liked with a slightly chocolately center.

While these mini-ones are not as mini as I remember, they still have a crispy outer shell (because they are brushed with sugar water after they are taken hot out of the oven) to reveal the flaky layers that get softer to the core. For NT$50, you get 4 croissants (100g) where I think previously you got 6 (because they were smaller). As with most of the baked goods here, you should eat them right away or within the day or two.



They also sell little cheesecakes, but I'd choose the chocolate croissants over the other options anyday. If you can't decide, you can wander to the counter and try out samples of each.

BTW- if you haven't been to A11 foodcourt lately, they've remodeled it. KFC is no longer there and most of the food court options are of the Chinese variety.

ROSE PIE
at SOGO, B2
No. 45, Zhong Xiao E. Road, Sec. 4

(02) 7711-0768

website: rosepie.com.tw

hours: Sun- Fri: 11am-9.30pm; Sat: 11am-10pm

$

Visit reviewed: 4/6/2008

So who remembers me craving lemon meringue pie? (You guys were no help, by the way!!) Who knew there was a supermarket and little pie shop in Sogo????

My friend wanted to get some drinks from Sogo's supermarket and I had only been to their food court on B1, so she introduced me to another basement floor I'd never been... that actually had lemon meringue pie among a ton of other kinds of pies.

Rose Pie's offerings looks like Taiwanese King's Hawaiian with more fruit and cream type of pies, but I almost gasped in surprise when I saw the lemon meringue with the fluffy egg white meringue topping. You won't spot apple pie or other crust topped pies here.



While I did have my craving satisfied by a birthday gift from a friend a few weeks ago of a lemon meringue pie from Home Cake (to be reviewed!), I couldn't resist checking this out.

In comparison, I'd have to say it was not tart or sweet enough for my American tastebuds, but they did a good job with the meringue and flaky crust. I'd like to go back and try the fruit custard pie, tiramisu and cheesecake. I guess pie isn't really a big thing in Taiwan yet- it's mostly about the bread and cakes here so far.

Based on their brochure, they seemed to have originated from Taichung and only have this location in Taipei. You can buy pies by the slice (around NT$45) or over 45 different kinds of whole pies (NT$300-450), as well as cakes. Check out their website to see pictures and the various styles they offer.

OYSTER OMELETTE
at Xin Yi Eslite Foodcourt
No. 11, SongGao Road

website: eslitebooks.com

hours: 10 am-2 am Bookstore (2F/3F/4F) ;
10 am-10 pm /Shopping Mall (B2/ B1/ 1F/ 5F/ 6F)

$$

Kid friendliness: roomy foodcourt for strollers

Visit reviewed: 4/10/2008

If you've been in Taipei long enough, you will eventually try the oyster omelette or "oar jien."

And maybe even like it enough to crave it!

A semi-chewy scrambled egg dish with small oysters, chopped chinese cabbage and a sweet reddish/brown sauce on top completes it. The addition of starch in the egg makes it chewy and slightly gummy, but it should compliment the egg rather than overwhelm it. Most food courts (and night markets!) wouldn't be complete without a oyster omelette store with a side of vermicelli, fried noodles or fried rice. Sets include omelette, side and meatball soup for only NT$100.



It might sound weird to eat have oysters in an omelette if you've never tried it, but it's not really a breakfast food like American style omelettes which usually have cheese. The size and sauce makes it more like a snack.

At this location, it's a bit starchy around the edges with an okay amount of oysters, the noodles may have been sitting around for a bit since it's the afternoon and the soup is good, though I like the brown meatballs better than the blander white ones. If you don't like this set, they also offer fried pork chop on rice, fried tofu, vegetables and "lo bah beng" (Taiwanese) or "lu rou fan" (Mandarin) which is stewed fatty pork and soy sauce over rice.

The best part about this food court is that you can get some do-hwa or (dessert soy tofu) afterwards or leisurely browse the English or Chinese books on the multi-level store which is open til 2 AM!



It's fun watching vendors make the oyster omelettes at the night market, though with any seafood you have to hope you're getting something fresh. It should NOT taste or smell fishy at all, so if it does, don't eat it.

PHO HOA
No. 43, Lane 190, Tunhua S. Road, Sec. 1
(02) 2751-5578

website: noodle.zeelive.com.tw Chinese, but menu has English

hours: 11 AM - 9:30 PM

$

Kid friendliness: no high chairs, smallish space, but lots of kids and families and fairly friendly service.

Visit reviewed: 4/5/2008 & 4/6/2008

Thank you, thank you to readers Virginia and Joshua for telling me about Pho Hoa. It is by far the best pho I've had in Taipei and quite comparable to the pho joints that I frequent in LA. I owe you guys, seriously.



Why is it so good? I don't know. Supposedly, they used to be a part of the chain Pho Hoa according to a November 2000 Taipei Times article (but no longer? They are not mentioned on Pho Hoa's official website). But maybe they retained the secret recipes and standardization that makes it so different from adjusted-for-Taiwanese-customers eateries.

And apparently the Taiwanese customers don't mind. We walked in around 2:30pm and it was packed full. We ordered while we waited and were shortly seated among the 30 or seats in the clean, modern and air conditioned space with a semi-open kitchen in the back.



The menu is in English and Chinese at the front counter and you pay before you sit down. I think I saw some hidden plastic menus with pictures too, in case you don't know what the different kinds of pho available are. Basically you can get it with hot soup with various meat toppings or dry with chicken, shrimp or pork chop, in small or large sizes (NT$120-$180). It's more expensive than the mom and pop places, but here, you know what you are getting and I think you get your money's worth. They also have Vietnamese coffee or milk tea (NT$50) and soft drinks.

They offer fried spring rolls (no summer rolls) which are served hot and crispy with ground meat, glass noodles and chopped veggies. It's not a steal at 2 for NT$80, but good if you are craving it. They also have sliced papaya salad (NT$35) and limited starters.



Most importantly, Pho Hoa uses the skinny rice pho noodles, rather than the wide noodles I've been seeing everywhere. Their broth in the soup pho is a right combination of salty sweetness flavors and depth- not too oily or murky.

And they give you the side plate of fresh lime, basil and chili slices, sometimes upon request, sometimes upon sitting down.



I like getting a big bowl of rare steak pho (NT$160) and watching the thin slices cook in the broth before I eat it, squeezing a bit of lime, tearing up some basil and adding some of the sweet hoisin sauce into the broth.



The dry phos (NT$120-150) are not served cold, but with warm, slightly wet noodles, with a side bowl of hot soup. There are crushed peanuts, pickled cucumbers, cilantro and sprouts side by side with the sliced pork chops (which have been marinated in basil?) and all the flavors again mesh well together and you just want to inhale the whole bowl.



I was kind of weirded out by the green appearance of the pork, but it quickly faded as I took my first bite. It was SO good.

How good?

I took some friends back to Pho Hoa the next day so I could order that dish again. With more people, I got to check out the dry shrimp pho and dry shredded chicken pho dishes. While it was pretty full when we got there, it emptied up and then filled up again with customers, though it was into 2-3pm in the afternoon.

Maybe I was just too pho-deprived, but it was still really good, two days in a row. My friends agreed it was one of the better bowls of pho they've had in Taipei, too.

It can be a bit tricky to find- closer to the Zhong Xiao/Dun Hua corner/MRT rather than Sogo- though it's kind of in between. If you are coming from Zhong Xiao/Dun Hua, you have to head towards Haagen Daaz and cross Dun Hua into the lane 190, parallel to Zhong Xiao. If you are coming from Sogo- look for the Bossini.

Also, interestingly enough, they have a Mr. Roll area in the front where they sell mixed rolls "from California." Didn't get to try that, but in case you are craving California rolls you could check it out.

KITARO
(Japanese Meal sets Monopolized Shop)
No. 14, Lane 83, Da An Road, Sec 1
(02) 2740-9088

website: kitaro.com.tw Chinese only

hours: 11 AM - 9:30 PM

$

Kid friendliness: booths and tables. no high chairs. kids menu available- though only chicken nuggets and fries set with pudding/drink.

Visit reviewed: 2/11/2008 & 3/25/2006

When I looked at the menu on my first visit, I wanted to order the ramen. But on that day, they were "out." So I ended up getting the Deep Fried Pork Curry Rice set (NT$178) which comes with a choice of drink and dessert. Served hot, perfectly crispy and not greasy or dry- the tonkatsu looked and tasted good, served on a bed of shredded cabbage and bowl of rice.



When I ended up going back another day jonesing for ramen, I was quite disappointed. While the tonkatsu was a great bargain and taste for the price, the Shinso Miso Broth ramen (NT$188) was ordinary, even disappointing. The miso broth didn't have the slurp me down flavor and the chashu (slices of pork) was forgettable. I don't know if the Hakata Porkbone broth or the Wakayama Soysauce Porkbone broth would be any better.



The menu is in English and Chinese with plenty of pictures and nothing is over NT$228- and that price includes a choice of drink (Tang-like OJ, tea or coffee), and dessert (chocolate chip ice cream or japanese mochi). This is probably why on my second visit the restaurant quickly filled up during lunch, with groups of students dressed in uniforms, sitting alongside with the business crowd.



The ice cream tastes similar to Movenpick's slivers of chocolate chips rather than chunky, which is a good thing.

They also offer a kid's set menu (NT$148) which includes a drink and pudding dessert, though it's disappointing that it's frozen chicken nuggets alongside fries and a onigiri (or rice triangle) without an option for kid's size tonkatsu like my favorite Taipei tonkatsu place, Saboten. Although for the difference of NT$20, you could just order the adult set of the Japanese Deep-Fried Pork (NT$168).



I think the tonkatsu may be their specialty, but they offer a wide array of choies including ramen, sukiyaki, roast eel unagi bowls and roast mackarel, teriyaki chicken bowl, deep fried chicken leg and rice bowls (oyako-don and katsu-don).

There's a lot of tonkatsu/Japanese places around Taipei, even in the food courts, but I've tried many that were just so-so... too dry, not hot enough, not crispy enough, not flavorful enough... so this was a good find in a modern, clean, bright setting. It can be a bit hard to find, tucked in a small alley. The address states an alley off of Da An Road, but if you are taking the MRT/taxi/walking, it's in the alley adjacent/behind Dun Nan Sogo (right past Lao Yo Ji if you know where that is).

Other location:

No. 54, Lane 346, Kuangfu South Road
(171 Yanji Street, adjacent rear lane)
(02) 2740-6288

various locations in Taichung

KITARO
(Japanese Meal sets Monopolized Shop)
No. 14, Lane 83, Da An Road, Sec 1
(02) 2740-9088

website: kitaro.com.tw Chinese only

hours: 11 AM - 9:30 PM

$

Kid friendliness: booths and tables. no high chairs. kids menu available- though only chicken nuggets and fries set with pudding/drink.

Visit reviewed: 2/11/2008 & 3/25/2006

When I looked at the menu on my first visit, I wanted to order the ramen. But on that day, they were "out." So I ended up getting the Deep Fried Pork Curry Rice set (NT$178) which comes with a choice of drink and dessert. Served hot, perfectly crispy and not greasy or dry- the tonkatsu looked and tasted good, served on a bed of shredded cabbage and bowl of rice.



When I ended up going back another day jonesing for ramen, I was quite disappointed. While the tonkatsu was a great bargain and taste for the price, the Shinso Miso Broth ramen (NT$188) was ordinary, even disappointing. The miso broth didn't have the slurp me down flavor and the chashu (slices of pork) was forgettable. I don't know if the Hakata Porkbone broth or the Wakayama Soysauce Porkbone broth would be any better.



The menu is in English and Chinese with plenty of pictures and nothing is over NT$228- and that price includes a choice of drink (Tang-like OJ, tea or coffee), and dessert (chocolate chip ice cream or japanese mochi). This is probably why on my second visit the restaurant quickly filled up during lunch, with groups of students dressed in uniforms, sitting alongside with the business crowd.



The ice cream tastes similar to Movenpick's slivers of chocolate chips rather than chunky, which is a good thing.

They also offer a kid's set menu (NT$148) which includes a drink and pudding dessert, though it's disappointing that it's frozen chicken nuggets alongside fries and a onigiri (or rice triangle) without an option for kid's size tonkatsu like my favorite Taipei tonkatsu place, Saboten. Although for the difference of NT$20, you could just order the adult set of the Japanese Deep-Fried Pork (NT$168).



I think the tonkatsu may be their specialty, but they offer a wide array of choies including ramen, sukiyaki, roast eel unagi bowls and roast mackarel, teriyaki chicken bowl, deep fried chicken leg and rice bowls (oyako-don and katsu-don).

There's a lot of tonkatsu/Japanese places around Taipei, even in the food courts, but I've tried many that were just so-so... too dry, not hot enough, not crispy enough, not flavorful enough... so this was a good find in a modern, clean, bright setting. It can be a bit hard to find, tucked in a small alley. The address states an alley off of Da An Road, but if you are taking the MRT/taxi/walking, it's in the alley adjacent/behind Dun Nan Sogo (right past Lao Yo Ji if you know where that is).



Other location:

No. 54, Lane 346, Kuangfu South Road
(171 Yanji Street, adjacent rear lane)
(02) 2740-6288

various locations in Taichung

SHANGHAI TEA BISTRO
17, Lane 233, Dun Hua S Rd, Sec 1
(02) 2773-3183

hours: 11 am - 10 pm

$ (cash only)

Kid friendliness: high chairs available.

Visit reviewed: 3/28/2008

Shanghai Tea Bistro is a relatively new addition to the growing Lane 233 (one alley away from Dun Hua Eslite) of eateries that include Ginjer Bakery, Rose House, Casa Della Pasta and the also new-ish Dubu House.

There are various menus (but all in Chinese) offering traditional and low priced Shanghainese eats and drinks-from rice and noodle dishes to sandwiches to



After sampling three different things, the Sorrowful Rice (NT$100) with slices of char siu bbq pork, an over easy egg and a few bites of bok choy over a heaping bowl of rice was the easy favorite. From the looks of it, a popular order for a lot of the other tables nearby as well. The pork is slightly sweet and very tender and you wish there was more of it. It's even better than the char siu from Lao Yo Ji.

If you want to order it, order #1 from the pink House Specialties menu. It comes with a soup of the day- today it was a scary looking herbal lotus soup, but actually tasted quite pleasant and like a vegetable broth.

The pan fried noodles were decent, though it came with too much sauce and mystery meats on top. After a few bites of the meats which were brown, chewy, and okay, nasty- who knew what the heck they were, I just stuck to the crispy noodles and greens.



My friend also ordered a pork sandwich. After my bite, I still wanted to eat more char siu and rice.



The drinks were also just okay. A lemon and honey drink was too sweet while the lemon ice tea tasted just like the tea they served for free. If you want to lounge over tea and snacks, then you're better off with the teas and milk teas at Chun Shui Tang which has quite a few locations now.



While I strongly recommend the Sorrowful Rice (AKA the char siu egg rice bowl), everything else that day seemed to be a miss. While eating, my friend told me that the inspiration for this dish is actually from the the Stephen Chow film GOD OF COOKERY, which I haven't seen yet, but after hearing his story and trying the dish, I want to check it out.

SHANGHAI TEA BISTRO
17, Lane 233, Dun Hua S Rd, Sec 1
(02) 2773-3183

hours: 11 am - 10 pm

$ (cash only)

Kid friendliness: high chairs available.

Visit reviewed: 3/28/2008

Shanghai Tea Bistro is a relatively new addition to the growing Lane 233 (one alley away from Dun Hua Eslite) of eateries that include Ginjer Bakery, Rose House, Casa Della Pasta and the also new-ish Dubu House.

There are various menus (but all in Chinese) offering traditional and low priced Shanghainese eats and drinks-from rice and noodle dishes to sandwiches to



After sampling three different things, the Sorrowful Rice (NT$100) with slices of char siu bbq pork, an over easy egg and a few bites of bok choy over a heaping bowl of rice was the easy favorite. From the looks of it, a popular order for a lot of the other tables nearby as well. The pork is slightly sweet and very tender and you wish there was more of it. It's even better than the char siu from Lao Yo Ji.

If you want to order it, order #1 from the pink House Specialties menu. It comes with a soup of the day- today it was a scary looking herbal lotus soup, but actually tasted quite pleasant and like a vegetable broth.

The pan fried noodles were decent, though it came with too much sauce and mystery meats on top. After a few bites of the meats which were brown, chewy, and okay, nasty- who knew what the heck they were, I just stuck to the crispy noodles and greens.



My friend also ordered a pork sandwich. After my bite, I still wanted to eat more char siu and rice.



The drinks were also just okay. A lemon and honey drink was too sweet while the lemon ice tea tasted just like the tea they served for free. If you want to lounge over tea and snacks, then you're better off with the teas and milk teas at Chun Shui Tang which has quite a few locations now.



While I strongly recommend the Sorrowful Rice (AKA the char siu egg rice bowl), everything else that day seemed to be a miss. While eating, my friend told me that the inspiration for this dish is actually from the the Stephen Chow film GOD OF COOKERY, which I haven't seen yet, but after hearing his story and trying the dish, I want to check it out.

POT PIE CAFE
No. 325, Fuxing S Rd, Sec 2
(02) 2736-0905

website: potpie.com.tw

hours: 8am to 8pm

$ - $$ (Cash only)

Kid friendliness: tiny space. Reservations necessary. Not a lot of room for strollers.

Visit reviewed: 3/31/2008

I was super excited to try out this place after reading about it at haochr. After all, who the heck sells pot pies in Taipei? Well, Costco did for awhile, but they were not very good- the crust of the chicken pot pies was not bad, but there was not enough sauce/gravy inside with all the chicken and vegetables.

So I swung by one rainy afternoon around 2pm and was very surprised to find it PACKED. I figured it was after lunch hour, but apparently they are also very popular for afternoon tea (with their hot apple walnut crumble or brownie) in their cozy space with about 8 tables. There was one open table, but it had already been reserved. The manager said that it's best to call and make a reservation/check.

No worries... I ordered some to go. A shepherd's pie (NT$180), a chicken pot pie (NT$150) and a apple walnut crumble (NT$150). Their English Chinese menu also offers fish and chips, English breakfasts (with eggs, bacon, sausage, tomatoes, bread and coffee or tea). A 10-15 minute wait later, I got two brown paper bags to take home. After paying I realized too late, that I wanted to get the ala carte chicken pot pie for NT$100, but they had given and charged me for the regular set (with side salad & garlic bread). You could also opt for the full set with soup, salad and coffee/tea for NT$280.



Getting home, my first impressions were that the pot pies were tiny. Smaller than I expected. Maybe because they packed it with the garlic bread, but it was barely larger in width than the slice of bread. My second thoughts were that I was disappointed that the chicken pot pie did not have a flaky crust- instead it was also covered with mashed potatoes (like shepherd's pie traditionally is).



The salad greens had a light vinaigrette that was a good balance to the heaviness of the pot pie. If I had to order again, I would order the chicken and mushroom pot pie over the shepherd's pie (which has lamb), but overall, there was too much mashed potato and not enough meat and veggies for my personal taste. Don't know if this is different from the pot pies they make for the in-restaurant servings or if the portions are bigger. It would be good if I was craving mashed potatoes, but not quite the picture of a chicken pot pie I had in my mind.

On the other hand, the apple and walnut crumble was delicious. I know it would have tasted awesome out of the oven at the cafe, but it was still warm and sweet with chunky diced apples and a sprinkling of walnuts. I would strongly recommend this for anyone who loves apple pie or wants a warm healthy-ish dessert.

I've heard of other pot pie places around Taipei- Pie Boy and Frankie's? It's interesting that they are all sprouting up around town. Anyone been to the other ones and can say which is their favorite between the three?

VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT
No. 1, Lane 380, Keelung Road
(02) 2720-9777

hours: lunch: 11 am- 2 pm; dinner: 5 pm - 8:30 pm

$

Kid friendliness: no high chairs/only tables, small space, but very friendly service.

Visit reviewed: 2/28/2008 and 3/5/2008



I passed by this place about a month ago and then ended up going back twice. Once for take out and once for sit down. I've been seeing more and more hole in the wall type Vietnamese places, all in little alleys with hard to find locations if you haven't been before. Location-wise, it's not too far from Omelete to Go or the alleys across from the Grand Hyatt hotel and it's across from a Korean restaurant I also have my eye on.

You'll know you're there when you see red and black sign that simply says "Vietnamese Restaurant" in Chinese (or Yue Nan Fan Dien) and spot the front window filled with lots of blown up pictures of their spring/summer rolls, pho, rice dishes and sandwiches. This one is worth searching out if you've been craving Vietnamese because its mom and pop styled food offers a varied menu, friendly and efficient service and cheap eats in a clean, enclosed setting quickly fills up during lunch with lots of business types.



Plus they gots the sauces! Fish sauce, hoisin sauce and chili sauce.



Okay.. my first visit I was in a bit of rush and ordered pho (NT$80) and summer rolls (NT$50) to go. I had an upset stomach a few days before, so the owner recommended chicken pho instead of the rare beef. The smell of the broth in the car was a bit fishy and overwhelming on the way home, but after pouring it all in the bowl and tasting it, it was fine. They put in all the sliced chili peppers and cilantro and I didn't spot any fresh basil or lime or hoisin on the side (though I didn't request any either).



I don't remember the pho being this fat/wide in the states.. so I don't know if it's an adjustment for Taiwanese customers or US customers.. how is it really in Vietnam? I think I still like the noodles on the thin side.



The summer rolls were also decent- 3 for NT$50- on the smallish medium size.



Waiting for my food, it was funny seeing an older Taiwanese couple trying out a bowl of pho and a pork plate and commenting about it while they were sharing. The owner/guy said that they had been open for about 8 months or so and business was best during lunch.

The second time I went for lunch, they had a menu in English (instead of the picture menu that they have with Chinese and Vietnamese).. I used both to try and figure out what I wanted and decided to try the Vietnamese pork plate(NT$70) since it was too hot that day to eat pho. I also wanted to try the spring rolls (NT$50) along with the summer rolls (NT$50).

The spring rolls were piping hot and stuffed with ground pork and veggies. I wasn't sure what they were wrapped in, but it was very crispy and bite sized with lettuce on the side to wrap them in.



The Vietnamese pork dish came with homemade side veggies- I liked the bamboo but didn't really care for the lukewarm tomato egg and greens. The pork was flavorful, but had a weird texture on the surface on the meat- hard to describe, that made it sort of rough/grassy to eat? I don't know if the marinade could do that or the way they grill it? It seemed to be a popular dish, or maybe the other customers who followed me saw it and wanted to try it. On the other hand, the rice was really good. You know sometimes rice is over or undercooked? This was perfectly cooked rice.



Spotted in the corner: Made in Vietnam, that's a good sign right? :)



Seriously, the prices here are so low, you could just got a bowl of pho or rice plate for under NT$100 and be full, but you should try the rolls too. (My rice plate plus 2 dishes of rolls was under NT$200 since they charged a 10% service fee or NT$15 (Or 50 cents), so I had to let them keep the NT$20 change to which I think they were pleasantly surprised). I also want to come back and try the curry or the sandwiches which they also have. Plus gotta keep them in business especially it's much better than the faux chain Pho (which is now closed at Warner/Vie Show Village, but still spotted at Breeze Taipei Main Station and Eslite) and since my previous tasty Vietnamese hole in the wall discovery is apparently closed.