Showing posts with label snapshot. Show all posts
Showing posts with label snapshot. Show all posts

Monday, March 13, 2017

snapshot/revisited: i still strongly recommend THE DINER


THE DINER
(XinYi 信義) at ATT4Fun
No. 12, Songshou Rd
台北市信義區松壽路12號
(02)7737-5055

MRT: Taipei 101

Previous review: 11/2011 and 12/2006

My must orders: pancakes and omelettes, fried mushrooms, chicken wings, quesadilla, burger


[TAIPEI- XINYI] New brunch spots may come and go in Taipei, but the Diner is the granddaddy of them all. Plus it's open before 10AM and sometimes you need to squeeze in some banana pancakes and be done by the time the cafes are even open. Portions and tastes are American style and delicious, consistently so even after all these years, (unlike some spots that reach peak success and then lose customers when the food quality starts to slide, or the portions start to shrink (i.e. Bakery 49, 1Bite2Go, California Pizza Kitchen). And even though I hadn't been to The Diner in awhile, I was pleasantly surprised to see that they keep adding to their menu to compete with the newer trends and places while keeping their signature favorites. 

The latest menu for The Diner - they even have a page for their healthy options and acai bowl (though it wasn't available when we went).





Vegetarian options at the Diner-- wow, they upped their game and even have zucchini spaghetti and sweet potato quinoa salad. 


Greek omelette with potatoes o'brien. Subbed avocados for the feta, and had the feta on the side (for my friend with the dairy allergy) (NT$280). So good, I think I inhaled my half.



Banana chocolate pancakes- dessert for breakfast, American style (NT$180 a la carte). A short stack and covered in banana slices. Perfect for sharing along with an egg dish.




DINER's other locations

(NanGang 南港)
No. 166A Jingmao 2nd Rd
台北市南港區經貿二路166號A棟2F(中國信託金融園區)
(02) 2788-3330

(DaAn 瑞安)
No. 145 RuiAn St.
台北市大安區瑞安街145號
(02) 2700-1680

(Hsinchu 新竹)
No. 73, GuanXin Road
新竹市東區關新路73號 
(03) 579-8188


Thursday, November 12, 2015

snapshot/chinese: it's HAIRY CRAB season! i recommend CHAO PING JI



CHAO PING JI 潮品集  
at San Want Hotel, 2 FL
No. 172, Zhong Xiao East Rd., Sec. 4 
台北市忠孝東路四段172號

MRT: ZhongXiao/DunHua or SYS Memorial Hall


Visit reviewed: 11/5/2015
Previous review: 12/2008


It's hairy crab season!! 

You would think that I would have had enough crab after feasting on Alaskan crab legs and Dungeness crab for three days in a row when I went to Alaska this past summer (yay Disney cruise), but when my friends reminded me that it was time to eat hairy crab, I couldn't say no. Although if you think about it, hairy crab is mostly for those that enjoy crab roe since its body and legs are tiny and thus yield less crab meat. San Want's Chao Ping Ji has different crabs from Shanghai, the ones we ate that day were from the infamous Yangchen Lake. We also had swimmer crabs, which had a fair amount of sweet crab roe and much more meat, and cost less. To be honest, you could skip the hype and just get swimmer crabs, or you could order and eat one of each.  

Don't forget to order some dim sum on the side. My favorites at Chao Ping Ji are the XO fried radish cake, Chiu Chow noodles (pan fried into a flat pancake and cut into slices then served with vinegar and sugar) and the stir-fried green beans with olive leaves. 



Hairy crab season is Sept - Dec, with the peak season now. It's best to reserve in advance since they get shipped in from Shanghai. 

These are swimmer crabs, as you can see from their legs. 




Half a swimmer crab compared to a hairy crab. Yum!! You can see the black fuzz on the claw of the hairy crab, aka mitten crab, named because of their unique claws. Next time I'll take some pictures of how to eat a hairy crab and use the scissors to cut the legs and squeeze the meat out. Served with black vinegar to dip in and ginger tea to offset the "cold" energy you get from eating the crabs.


Where else have you guys found hairy crab in Taipei? 

Thursday, October 29, 2015

drinks/snapshot: HELLO KITTY BUBBLE



HELLO KITTY BUBBLE 
NO. 172 DaAn Road, Sec. 1
大安路一段172號

MRT: ZhongXiao FuXing or DaAn

Kid friendliness: Oreo, banana and banana chocolate smoothies available for non-caffeinated drinks as well as winter melon lemonade 

Visit reviewed: 10/29/2015


Just a peek inside Hello Kitty Bubble, a small tea shop decked out in Hello Kitty and friend that's been open since last year. The red bowed storefront is a magnet for a Hello Kitty lover like me so I had to get a few pictures to post and share. (Although I remember passing it a number of times before when the storefront just had some decals outside and not such an elaborate entrance). Along with Hello Kitty, the Little Twin Stars, My Melody and Badtz Maru are all getting their fat straw drink on. Maybe a place to check out if you've already gotten your photo ops at Hello Kitty Kitchen and Dining (formerly Hello Kitty Sweets) and the Hello Kitty snacks souvenir shop. 

Menu includes hot or cold teas, milk teas, sodas, smoothies and lattes, with drinks ranging from NT$30-60. 






And if you don't want to be seen carrying around a Sanrio cup but need some coffee since your girlfriend dragged you out to take pictures here, there's a Cama coffee right next door. 


Friday, September 18, 2015

Snapshot: HELLO KITTY x MCD's fried pineapple pie




If you're a fan of McD's fried apple pie, like I am, then you might find yourself trying the fried PINEapple pie in Taiwan. When I ordered it, I didn't even realize it was going to come in Hello Kitty-fied cuteness. Then I realized that I missed the whole Hello Kitty x McDonalds Taiwan menu (basically sticking HK's face on the packaging) they were doing the past month and the launch of the Hello Kitty toys. 

As for the taste? The crust is essentially the same crispy flaky goodness as the fried apple pie. The inside is a thick pineapple gel filling that is overly sweet and sugary, similar to the filling of those old Hostess pies. The pie is served hot, so be careful when digging in. Let's be honest- most of you will try this just because of the hello kitty cuteness, not the taste. 


Cuteeeeeee Hello Kitty x McDonalds toys- hello kitty ladybug, pineapple, strawberry and watermelon !! 


They should just stick Hello Kitty on everything for a few months and see what happens! Haha. 


Monday, September 14, 2015

snapshot/taiwanese: OREO MILK TEA at PRINCE DRINKS



PRINCE DRINKS
No. 2, Lane 8, ChiFeng St.
台北市大同區赤峰街8巷2號
(02) 2550-0376

MRT: Zhongshan

hours: 11:30AM- 7:30PM

website: Prince Drinks' FB page

$ (cash only. I think they deliver if you order over 6 cups)

Kid friendliness: you can probably ask for a version with just fresh milk and oreos, but why not just make it yourself at home

Visit reviewed: 9/4/2015

After devouring award winning pizza next door (review coming!),  a picture of milk tea topped with crumbled Oreos caught my eye. I usually don't succumb to such temptations easily, but it has been HOT lately and I hadn't had a milk tea in so long, so I gave in. Let's say for "research purposes" for the blog.

I forked over NT$65 for an Oreo milk tea and answered the usual "how sweet, how icy?" questions. I made it half sweet (since there was going to be sugar from the Oreos) and less icy, but they suggested that we have it with no ice. The cup was huge, similar to a Large or Extra large at most boba shops and it was mostly tea with one third fresh milk. It was interesting drinking the crushed Oreos as they were absorbing the liquid and becoming mushy- as all kids know, similar to eating dunked Oreos, but this way it was much faster. I didn't finish the drink and I still prefer an Oreo shake, but I'm sure we'll keep an eye out now for Oreo milk tea drinks wherever we go now.



Tuesday, September 01, 2015

snapshot/vietnamese: i still recommend SAVOY


august 2015 zhongxiao shop

Thick slices of bbq chicken, slightly sweet mayonnaise, pickled radishes, carrots and cucumbers  in a toasted chewy yet crusty french loaf. I was so ravenous that I tore into the chicken sandwich as soon as I got home. I wanted to try the newly opened Lee's Sandwiches, but it was a bit far me in the Taipei Main Station neighborhood. So I went with something familiar- the chicken banh mi (NT$160)  from Yue Yuan. Except this time it came with tomato. I love tomatoes so I didn't mind it was a bit different than I remember it, but the flavors, chicken and bread were the same as the one that that I've had over the years and fell in love with at first bite years ago. 

Savoy is also known as Yue Yuan (their Chinese name), but a few years ago they went through some rebranding and now the shops sport bright orange signs saying SAVOY instead of the original yellow and black signs that had their chinese name 越苑 and in English, the word "pho." Their pho is still solid, as are their dry rice noodles, but I love their sandwiches for a quick bite on the go.

feb 2015 anhe shop



SAVOY 越苑
No. 10, Alley 32, Lane 216, Zhongxiao E. Road, Sec. 4
忠孝東路4段216巷32弄10號 
(02) 2731-9597
11:30AM- 9PM

Original Shop
No. 12, Ln 155, Dunhua N. Rd
台北市敦化北路155巷12號
(02) 2718-0660

Anhe Shop
No. 8, Lane 103, Dunhua South Road, Sec. 2 
台北市敦化南路二段103巷8號
(02) 2701-2523

CLOSED / the owners reopened as PHOEVER in 2020 with similar menu and just as good a banh mi

Sunday, June 21, 2015

snapshot/instagram: PICO PICO, SQUARE PIZZA, BURGER AND CO., LALOS & CYCLO



This past week on instagram,  I revisited some old favorites, tried new Peruvian and pizza by the slice restaurants and made Hello Kitty rice krispies! And as you should when are you in Taipei,  scarf down a bamboo steamer full of dumplings for breakfast for only NT$45. Thought I would try something new on the blog- to post some instagram highlights every so often to share new restaurants and finds and capture my thoughts before a full blog post. Enjoy!


PICO PICO 

Finally tried Pico Pico, a Peruvian restaurant that my friend C had been telling me about for awhile. Among our favorites were the chicken paella, or arroz con pollo, which had a curry flavor and juicy chicken thigh atop, the charred octopus and the beef heart skewers. Lunch and brunch menus also available.

PICO PICO, No. 28, Lane 102, Anhe Rd, Sec. 1, 安和路一段102巷28號, (02) 2755-1161



SQUARE PIZZA AL TAGLIO

Stopped by newly opened Square Pizza al Taglio for a quick bite. Rectangular pizzas by the slice with toppings like house made porchetta and eggplants with sundried tomatoes. Reminded me of my trip to Italy and the delicious pizzas at Bonci Pizzarium in Rome

SQUARE PIZZA AL TAGLIO, No. 39, Lane 160, Dunhua S. Rd, Sec. 1, 
敦化南路一段160巷39號, (02) 2751-7998



BURGER AND CO 

Listened to old school jams and ate burgers with mustaches at Burger and Co.

BURGER AND CO.,  No. 49 TongAn St., 通安街49號, (02) 2784-0182



LALOS BAKERY 

Liked the perfectly tangy lemon tart with meringue at Lalos Bakery on Renai Street. I also love their honey citron bread and chouquettes. 

LALOS BAKERY, No. 91, Anhe Road, Sec. 1, 安和路一段91號 



CYCLO 洛城牛肉粉

Visited the new location of Cyclo for the first time near Sogo/DaAn Road. The original location serving up LA style pho near Renai closed last year. Get the pho with brisket, meatballs and tendon. 

CYCLO 洛城牛肉粉, No. 9, Lane 75, DaAn Road, Sec. 1 大安路1段75巷9號 , (02) 2752-8666




Saturday, May 02, 2015

snapshot/dessert: MISTER DONUT ICE CREAM



I am a sucker for cuteness. 

When I spotted the bright yellow Mister Donut pon de lion mascot peeking out at me from the freezer ice cream section at 7-11,  I had to give it a try. I mean, it's Mister Donut Ice Cream (NT$55) !! 


Not quite an ice cream sandwich, the Mister Donut ice cream's thin exterior is like a ice cream cup cone meets waffle hybrid shell in texture and taste, with one bite revealing the vanilla ice cream inside. The vanilla is a pleasant flavor, not too artificial tasting or cloying sweet- probably the same level of sweetness as a McDonald's soft serve cone. 


I can imagine it would be a matter of time before you make the same type of ice cream bar but with different molds like they do with the red bean cake at the night markets. 

Reportedly you can also buy them at Mister Donut shops (though the number of Mister Donut shops has shrunk considerably in the last few years.. There's one in Hankyu Mall..) and there's also other flavors like strawberry. Have you guys seen them at 7-11? What other flavors are good? Or what other ice cream treats from 7-11?

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

events/exploreTaipei: i strongly recommend HUASHAN 1914 CREATIVE PARK



HUASHAN 1914 CREATIVE PARK
華山1914文化創意產業園區
No. 1, BaDe Road, Sec. 1
台北市八德路一段1號

MRT: Shandao Temple or ZhongXiao/Xinsheng station

hours: most shops/cafes don't open until 11AM but open until late

Free to explore/ $-$$ for eats and exhibits

website: huashan1914.com/en/

kid friendliness: yes

visit reviewed: 12/28/2014



Over the past few years, I've found myself at Huashan 1914 Cultural Park more and more. Not only has it grown over the years, it is constantly changing so there's always something to explore. What is Huashan Cultural Park and what's inside?



In 1997, a Taiwanese theater company discovered an abandoned wine & sake factory and was drawn to staging plays there. It grew into a cultural art center as local artists and the creative community used it over the years as a work space, and it became official in 2005-2007 when they restored it and it became Huashan 1914 Creative Park. The collective of buildings provides space for rotating exhibits and events, restaurants/cafes, as well as concert/music venue Legacy and SPOT Theater which shows many independent films and hosts various local film festivals.








Sometimes you might chance upon some very cool exhibits.  On this weekend in December, there was a Le Petit Prince exhibit, Aranzi exhibit, Beatles exhibit, and Sony Playstation.. Usually there's an entry fee and sometimes some are open to the public for free, like this Sony Playstation 20th anniversary event. The exhibits usually feature a number of installations and photos and take about 10-30 minutes to walk around, depending on how thorough you want to read everything and how crowded it is. TEDxTaipei has also been held here for the past few years.






The Beatles exhibition and other ones are running from December to March 2015 so if you want to have a leisurely gander then I recommend going on a weekday morning, when it will be least crowded.








We came for the Sony 20th Anniversary exhibit and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was freeee. 


Who remembers playing all of these? Man, has gaming and consoles come a long way. 







A little walk down memory lane and the history of Sony Playstation products.





Ahead of its time? Could have been the iPod? Haha.




1994 was a good year!



The main place people were waiting in line for was this little mock living room area where they set up various TVs and games and consoles from different years.



Back outside, you might find some areas of booths for local artists and crafts, as well as shops.




If it's your first time, you can find a red kiosk and take a look at the restaurants guide for the thirteen or so cafes and restaurants, including Alleycats, Trio Cafe, Deja Vu, Casa Della Pasta, VVG Thinking, and Fab Cafe which I posted about recently. There are two sections to the Huashan, divided by a parking lot, so don't forget to explore both sides if you have enough time. 








The first time I went to Huashan, I was looking for VVG Thinking, which is on the other side of the parking lot which is mostly art galleries, cafes and restaurants in towering red brick buildings. The towering chimney is part of the boiler room for the old plum wine/rice wine/red wine factories and distillery.







Repurposed areas like Huashan and the Songshan Cultural Park in the Xinyi District remind me a bit of 798 Art Zone in Beijing, both taking previously industrial spaces and transforming them into cultural hubs and creative spaces for the community. Restaurant and cafe owners like VVG's Grace Wang play a role in that as well, as the Wall Street Journal noted in their article about how Taipei is "Asia's Answer to Portland, Oregon."

And if you're in the Huashan area and you are a gadgets person, just across the street from Huashan is Guanghua Digital Plaza, as well as the new electronics mall and surrounding streets of gadgets, electronics and accessories. When I left my camera battery charging cord in LA, my dad guided me through a few random shops where I picked a replacement AV cord for a few US dollars. Not the easiest areas to explore if you don't speak Chinese or know what you want, but good if you're looking for something like Fry's Electronics in Taipei.

:)