Oct 15, 2012

A CUT Steakhouse



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A CUT Steakhouse is a critically acclaimed steak house at the Ambassador in Taipei. They also opened one in the Ambassador Hotel in Hsinchu. A CUT stands among great imported steak houses like Lawry's and Ruth's Chris. A CUT offers a wide array of cuts from different types of cattle and has a wide selection of wines to compliment them. The interior design, silverware, and quality of service reflect the price you pay for the dining experience here. In Hsinchu, this is probably the best steak house available in terms of overall dining experience and food quality. If you have a craving for a upstanding slab of beef, A CUT is a good option for you.
Address: 新竹市中華路二段188號9F
                 No. 188, Section 2, Zhōnghuá Road 9F, Hsinchu City
Phone #: 03-515-1666 ext.3437
Business Hours: 11:30-17:00, 18:00-22:30
Website: http://www.acut.com
Accepts Credit Cards: yes
Price Range: $$$$
Attire: casual
Good for kids: yes
Take out: no
Waiter Service: yes
Outdoor seating: no
Alcohol: yes

Rating
Food Quality: 4.5 out of 5
Decor:  4.5 out of 5
Service: 4.5 out of 5
Overall: 4.5 out of 5
Side Note: Tender steaks with delicious sides

Review

Aug 30, 2012

New Camper's Sacha Beef 新營人沙茶牛肉

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In the Yan San Nightmarket, there's a stand that stands out among the others in this ghetto and old school westside nightmarket. If you drove by you probably would not give it a second glance, but this stand certainly provides a quality bowl of clear broth beef noodle soup and offers all you can drink soup. All of this for only 90 NT.
Address: 台北市大同區延平北路三段74號
                No. 74, Section 3, Yánpíng North Rd, Datong District
Phone #: N/A
Business Hours: 17:30-24:00
Website: N/A
Accepts Credit Cards: no
Price Range: $
Attire: casual
Good for kids: yes
Take out: yes
Waiter Service: no
Outdoor seating: yes
Alcohol: yes

Rating
Food Quality: 3 out of 5
Decor:  2 out of 5
Service: 3 out of 5
Overall: 3 out of 5
Side Note: Cheap Clear Broth Beef Noodle Soup in Taipei
Review

Apr 30, 2012

Brit Shake 英國ㄋㄟ ㄋㄟ

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In the Gong Guan nightmarket, there is a stall that is unique among the others. Amongst the uncles and aunties manning traditional and cliche foods such as chitterlings noodle and stinky tofu stands a petite Englishwomen selling  milkshakes and baked potatoes. A baked potato goes for 65 NT, and you get to hear the most adorable Chinese with an English accent.
Address: 台北中正區羅斯福路四段90巷2號
                No. 2, Lane 90, Section 4, LuóSīFú Rd, Jhongjheng District
Phone #: 0918256268
Business Hours: 18:00-22:00 closed Wednesday
Website: Brit Shake Facebook Page
Accepts Credit Cards: no
Price Range: $
Attire: casual
Good for kids: yes
Take out: yes
Waiter Service: no
Outdoor seating: no
Alcohol: no

Rating
Food Quality: 3.5 out of 5
Decor:  4 out of 5
Service: 4 out of 5
Overall: 3.83 out of 5
Side Note: Baked Potato on the Go.
Review

Apr 27, 2012

Ed's Diner


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Ed's Diner is a unique restaurant providing huge portions of BBQ items from their very own smoker. They serve racks on racks of ribs with mouthwatering sides like baked beans and corn on the cob. They also serve a hefty 14 oz. prime rib for those with a big appetite. Most of their items seemed to be seasoned with dry rubs so if you are expecting juicy, saucy baby back ribs then you will be disappointed. However, their well seasoned and tender ribs are very delectable in their own right. Come visit for a taste of rustic, western BBQ.
Address: 台北市樂群二路216號
                 No. 216, Lèqún 2nd Road, Jhongshan District
Phone #: 02-8502-6969
Business Hours: 10:00-24:00
Website: Ed's Diner's Facebook Page
Accepts Credit Cards: yes
Price Range: $$$
Attire: casual
Good for kids: yes
Take out: yes
Waiter Service: yes
Outdoor seating: yes
Alcohol: yes

Rating
Food Quality: 4 out of 5
Decor:  4 out of 5
Service: 3 out of 5
Overall: 3.67 out of 5
Side Note: Great Ribs, but come early because items sell out fast.

Review
The decor here is kind of like a faux brick house. They are probably trying to recreate the countryside little house n the prarie type of roadhouse BBQ joint feel. It kind of works. The restaurant is pretty small and packs up fast. If you plan to visit you should come early because when they run out of items they really mean it. We wanted to try their corn on the cob and baked beans, but ended up not being able to. The restaurant might even be even more packed after a popular Taiwanese show introduced Ed's Diner on TV. Their service is alright for Taiwanese standards, but I feel like they may be understaffed because there was only like 2 waiters servicing all these tables plus the ones on the outside. Another reason they may be understaffed is because our plates had a unidentified layer of grease on them, which is kind of disgusting to eat off of. The cleanliness and speed are they main reasons why I feel their service is a little on the average side. Since we got here late, we were forced to get less desirable items such as cole slaw, salad, and baked potato.
Their cole slaw is nothing to write home to mom about. The cole slaw was merely shredded cabbage and carrots with a layer of a mayo based sauce on top. Coleslaws I was used to eating were served in a bowl and drenched in this thin creamy and sweet sauce. This one didn't have that wet and tangy feel to it at all. Yet at the price of 50 NT, you really can't expect much.
Their salad was a little better, but still not very impressive. Like most salads in Taiwan, the leaves were sliced a bit larger. They really need to cut leaves into smaller pieces and toss their salad more thoroughly. I felt like the sauce wasn't very even, so some leaves were left without much sauce. Then again, you can't complain given the price for this side. Moving on to the main attractions of Ed's Diner...the BBQ items:
This place no doubt has the best smoked BBQ items in Taipei. Their chicken wings were succulent and suffused with flavor. They also have a side of sauce for you to dunk if it just isn't flavored enough. Yet, even without extra sauce, you can get the charred notes and smokey notes from each bite. Speaking of charred and smokey things, for some reason I found it odd that the restaurant itself and the surrrounding vicinity of the restaurant did not stench of smoke. Their items probably could taste even better, but are possibly being held back by regulations on being too smokey. I remember being able to smell the goodness whenever I drove by a Wood Ranch even from the Freeway 200 meters away. Anyway, try their wings, as it is a cheap side (160 NT for 6 pieces) and they are pretty tasty.
The main attraction really is the full rack of ribs. For about 900 NT you can get this main entree and two sides plus a drink. It is slightly on the expensive side for one person, but tolerable when split between two. Half the amount should fill the average Taiwanese person easily.  The ribs look kind of dry, and thats because they are. These ribs are seasoned with a dry rub, so those people who like it less dry can dip it in the sauce they provide. The meat inside isn't too dry though, and is succulent enough to eat without dipping it in extra sauce. They were cooked very thoroughly and the meat kept its juices. I came imagining myself eating some saucy flavorful baby back ribs; these were not so bad after getting over the initial dissapointment.

If I ever return, I feel like I have to try out their Prime Ribs and baked beans. It's been a while since I had a good smokey piece of prime rib and a sizzling side of ranchero style baked beans. The whole in my heart that Wood Ranch, Bandits, Claim Jumper used to fill seems able to be temporarily filled by Ed's Diner here in Taipei. Ed's diner serves authentic BBQ at charitable prices...especially if you compare it to the nosebleed inducing prices at Lawry's. Ed's Diner is a good option for BBQ.

Apr 14, 2012

California Pizza Kitchen

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California Pizza Kitchen is a well known classier Pizza restaurant chain from the U.S. offering top notch pies with traditional toppings and daring new concoctions with either normal crust or thin crust. The Taiwanese location in the Xin Yi Vieshow Cinema foodcourt takes that innovation to another realm by offering their patrons the odd choices of Minced Pork Rice Pizza, Oyster Omelet Pizza, and the Boba Milk Tea Pizza. They are mind-blowing pizzas that make you double-take each bite and are very interesting to chew on. However they also have their signature Margheritas and Sicilian pizzas with their thin crust option. No longer are you forced to go to 15 Napoletana and pretend their thin crust pizzas are CPK. You can get the real deal here now...Well, as real as it can get.
Address: 台北市松壽路20號2樓
                 No. 20, Sōngshòu Road, Sinyi District, Taipei
Phone #: 02-2722-8383
Business Hours: 10:00-24:00
Website: http://www.cpk.com/locations/xinyi/
Accepts Credit Cards: yes
Price Range: $$$
Attire: casual
Good for kids: yes
Take out: yes
Waiter Service: yes
Outdoor seating: no
Alcohol: yes

Rating
Food Quality: 4 out of 5
Decor:  4 out of 5
Service: 4.5 out of 5
Overall: 4.17 out of 5
Side Note: Has unique Taiwanese Style Pizzas and Familar Signature Pizzas

Review

Apr 12, 2012

Oyster Ichi

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Oyster Ichi is an oyster bar and izakaya hybrid located at the Civic Blvd and Yanji street intersection. They are an offshoot from the Ichi Izakaya located on the An He road, but incorporated an oyster bar with their delectable grilled item repertoire. The oysters are fresh and flown in from various parts of the world twice per week. You can have the choice of their minerally and substantial Belon oysters from France, or try their lighter Kumamoto oysters from Japan. They also make a pretty good sirloin steak. Their items are a lot more Japanese as they recommended adding a bit on Ponzu sauce on the Belon oysters, but still delicious. This place is a lot more affordable than the Oyster bar at Bellavita, so if you have a craving for oysters but want to save a couple hundred, stop by Oyster Ichi.
Address: 台北市延吉街58號
                No. 58, Yanji St, Daan District
Phone #: 02-2731-8887
Business Hours: 17:30-01:00
Website: Oyster Ichi Facebook Page
Accepts Credit Cards: yes
Price Range: $$$$
Attire: casual
Good for kids: yes
Take out: no
Waiter Service: yes
Outdoor seating: no
Alcohol: yes

Rating
Food Quality: 4.5 out of 5
Decor:  3.5 out of 5
Service: 4 out of 5
Overall: 4 out of 5
Side Note: Rare affordable oyster bar in Taipei

Review

Apr 1, 2012

Mitsui 明水三井

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Mitsui is a reknown high-class Japanese Restaurant chain with many locations around Taipei. Each location has a bit of its own flair. The Ming Shui Mitsui seems like a Japanese Supermarket-Restaurant hybrid. They sport a sushi bar on the first floor and have a normal grouped seating restaurant on the second. The freshness of their ingredients are on display on the first floor sushi bar area. The upstairs area serves course meals that are a very good value considering the amount and quality of the food with resect to its price. If you come during lunch, you can enjoy a nine course meal for only 1200 NT. Of course, if you rather eat better items you can order up. Their most expensive course meal is priced at 3200 NT. However, you can even grab their bento boxes for around 450 NT, there is something for everybody here at Ming Shui Mitsui.
Address: 台北市明水路602號2F
                No. 604, Míngshuǐ Rd, Jhongshan District
Phone #: 02-2533-8802
Business Hours: 11:30-14:30, 17:30-22:30
Website: http://www.mitsuitaipei.com.tw/
Accepts Credit Cards: yes
Price Range: $$$$
Attire: casual
Good for kids: yes
Take out: yes
Waiter Service: yes
Outdoor seating: no
Alcohol: yes

Rating
Food Quality: 4 out of 5
Decor:  4.5 out of 5
Service: 3.5 out of 5
Overall: 4 out of 5
Side Note: Go for straight nigiri or sashimi at bartop at this location.

Review

Mar 30, 2012

Garage Lamb Hot Pot 車庫羊肉爐

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Garage Lamb Hot Pot is a mom and pop restaurant literally run out of their own garage. It is located in a small alley in the Jhongshan District. For 1600 NT, a party of 4 can enjoy a filling meal consisting of pork and kimchi lettuce wraps and a simmering pot of Lamb Hot Pot. They claim that they use year old lamb and do not add large amounts of herbal spices. The reason for this is that they want to present the natural flavor of their lamb, which proves the fresh quality of their meat. However, if you want to dine at this place you must register with your name or cell phone during peak hours (18:00-21:00). What you get is worth the price.
Address: 台北市合江街93巷10號
                 No. 10, Lane 93, Héjiāng St, Jhongshan District
Phone #: 02-2503-9503
Business Hours: 18:00-23:00
Website: Restaurant Facebook Page
Accepts Credit Cards: no
Price Range: $$$
Attire: casual
Good for kids: yes
Take out: yes
Waiter Service: yes
Outdoor seating: yes
Alcohol: yes

Rating
Food Quality: 4 out of 5
Decor:  2 out of 5
Service: 4 out of 5
Overall: 3.33 out of 5
Final Thought: Quality hot pot although not really worth the trek

Review

Mar 26, 2012

Happy Hong Kong 港欣


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Happy Hong Kong is a modern canto style cafe located on the third floor of the Neo 19 building. They offer all sorts of cantonese fare you could expect from a cafe, but they do it with more class and innovation. The prices are around 250 NT per entree. That is not exactly cheap, but you get what you pay for. The entrees are prepared very well and presented in immaculate porcelain tableware. The service is very prompt, fast, and thorough. If you have a hankering for Hong Kong cafe style food, this could be a good option.
Phone #: 02-2720-0222
Business Hours: 11:30-22:00
Website: http://happyhongkong.lifeing.com.tw
Accepts Credit Cards: yes
Price Range: $$$
Attire: casual
Good for kids: yes
Take out: yes
Waiter Service: yes
Outdoor seating: no
Alcohol: no

Rating
Food Quality: 4 out of 5
Decor:  4 out of 5
Service: 4 out of 5
Overall: 4 out of 5
Final Thought: Quality Canto cafe food in modern setting

Review

Mar 15, 2012

A&J Restaurant 北平半畝園


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A&J restaurant is a place i've been meaning to visit for a while. When I was hankering for a bowl of beef noodle soup in Irvine, I would head over to the A&J to get my fix. The beef noodle soup in the Irvine location did not seem like a great bowl in Taiwan standards, but they were my favorite around that area at the time. I would usually a bowl of beef noodle soup with thin noodles, a side of pan-fried beef bun, and a side of pig ears or spicy tripe. For years i've wondered how it compared to the original A&J in Taiwan. After being spoiled with an excellent array of alternative beef noodle providers, I was not so impressed with the A&J's beef noodle soup. However, they still offer the juicy, crispy, and meaty pan-fried beef buns. It is still worth an occasional visit for that.

Address:  台北市東豐街33
                 No. 33, Dōngfēng Street, Daan District
Phone #:  02-2700-5326
Business Hours: 11:00-14:00, 17:00-20:30
Website: N/A
Accepts Credit Cards: yes
Price Range:   $$
Attire: casual
Good for kids: yes
Take out: yes
Waiter Service: yes
Outdoor seating:  no
Alcohol: no

Rating

Food Quality: 3.5 out of 5
Decor:  3.5 out of 5
Service: 3 out of 5
Overall: 3.33 out of 5
Final Thought: Good place for pan-fried beef bun
Review

Mar 4, 2012

Savoy 越苑

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Savoy, or Yue Yuan Pho, is a Vietnamese restaurant that offers one of the best bowls of American-Style Pho in Taipei. They excel in their noodle quality and their meaty ingredients. The slices of beef were hearty, the brisket was tender and flavorful, the meatball snapped, the tendon soft, and the tripe had its deep notes while being sufficiently chewy. These combine into an astounding bowl of pho that tops all the other pho I have tried in this city. The price is fair; 200 for a normal bowl of the "Special #1" or "Train Station Rare Steak Pho". It is no wonder that it still reigns supreme in the Vietnamese category in hungry girl's poll. However, I have tried Savoy near the east district, and I felt it paled in comparison to the Yue Yuan near the far eastern mall. I was quite surprised to find out that they were connected. Regardless, they still beat their competitors, pho sho.

Address:  台北市敦化南路二段103巷8
                 No. 8, Ln 103, Dunhua S Rd, Sec 2
Phone #:  02-2701-2523
Business Hours: 11:30-15:00, 17:30-21:00
Website: http://www.phosavoy.com/
Accepts Credit Cards: yes
Price Range:   $$
Attire: casual
Good for kids: yes
Take out: yes
Waiter Service: yes
Outdoor seating:  no
Alcohol: yes

Rating

Food Quality: 4.5 out of 5
Decor:  3.5 out of 5
Service: 4 out of 5
Overall: 4 out of 5
Final Thought: Best bowl of American-style pho

Review

Feb 28, 2012

Ishizen 石膳日本料理

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Ishizen is a surprising little Japanese hot pot restaurant located in the fringe of the Sin Yi District. The chef is an actually Japanese and a direct descendant of a famous chef family line. The chef's grandfather was the founder of sumo wrestler hot pots and his father was a famous french chef lauded by the Japanese royal family. By some twist of fate, the owner married a Taiwanese woman and ended up bringing his family recipes to Taiwan and serves authentic Japanese food to the people here. The standard hot pot set consists of many types of seafood, slices of red meat, and plenty of vegetables. They use the most high quality ingredients, their salmon and scallops are sashimi grade, so the high price is warranted. The soup base is also very special. They use white beans fermented for a year as the base of the broth, and they also place a few secret spices including red peppers. However, the meal will be rather light in flavor in comparison to spicy Taiwanese hotpots, but you can defintitely taste the freshness and the raw unadulterated flavors of their ingredients with their style of soup base and condiments. Ishizen is worth a visit for a unique Japanese hot pot experience in Taipei.

Address:  台北市基隆路一段428號
                 Section 1, Jīlóng Rd, Sinyi District Taipei City
Phone #:  02-8780-2836
Business Hours: 11:30-14:00, 17:30-21:30
Website: http://www.ishizen.com.tw/
Accepts Credit Cards: yes
Price Range:   $$$$
Attire: casual
Good for kids: yes
Take out: some items
Waiter Service: yes
Outdoor seating:  no
Alcohol: yes

Rating

Food Quality: 4.5 out of 5
Decor:  3 out of 5
Service: 3 out of 5
Overall: 3.5 out of 5
Final Thought: Authentic Japanese Sumo Wrestler Hot Pot

Review

Feb 13, 2012

Pork Bone House 豚骨家

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Pork Bone House offers authentic Kyushu Ramen, made by real Japanese people, to the vast number of hungry patrons around the Xihu MRT station. They are located in a very small traditional market food court, so the process of getting a table and your food is very hectic, and you may expect a 40 minute wait for your bowl of ramen because there are only 2 people working at the stall. The prices are extremely fair with 130 NT for a normal bowl of their ramen. You can add additional sides for a small cost. You are able to choose the way you want your ramen to be prepared, and this place serve very chewy al dente ramen. If you live in the area this is probably the best ramen around, but I would not travel a long distance and suffer the long wait again because the Ramen is just ok and substitutable by Rakumenya.
Phone #:  N/A
Business Hours: 12:00-14:00, 17:00-20:00
Website: N/A
Accepts Credit Cards: no
Price Range:   $$
Attire: casual
Good for kids: yes
Take out: idk
Waiter Service: no
Outdoor seating:  no
Alcohol: no

Rating

Food Quality: 3.5 out of 5
Decor:  2 out of 5
Service: 2 out of 5
Overall: 2.5 out of 5
Final Thought: Alright Ramen at hectic food court

Review

Jan 20, 2012

Chicken in Bok and Beer 福氣韓國炸雞 (Relocating)

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Chicken in Bok and Beer offers Korean style fried chicken in the Shi Da area in Taipei. Chicken in Bok is a familiar comfort food found in bars across Korea. It's kind of like an asian form of chicken wings, but with even more substance, kick, and sweetness. For a price of 250 NT you can get a half order of their signature fried chicken, or other types like their garlic fried chicken. Either one has its own unique flavor and the portions are definitely filling. If you are tired of the run-of-the-mill restaurants around Taipei, give this place a try. One can expect to spend around 300 NT for a satisfying meal. 


                 No. 4, Lane 13, Pǔchéng St, Daan District
Phone #:  02-2363-1688
Business Hours: 12:00-15:00, 17:00-22:30
Accepts Credit Cards: yes
Price Range:   $$
Attire: casual
Good for kids: yes
Take out: yes
Waiter Service: yes
Outdoor seating:  no
Alcohol: yes

Rating

Food Quality: 4 out of 5
Decor:  3.5 out of 5
Service: 3.5 out of 5
Overall: 3.67 out of 5
Recommendation: Authentic Korean Fried Chicken
Review

Jan 15, 2012

Gordon Biersch

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Gordon Biersch is a brewery restaurant with locations around the world. They offer 6 different types of beers and a wide array of western food items that pair well with them. The price for a glass of beer is 230 NT each, and the food items average at around 400 NT per item, which is why you can expect to spend around 700 NT per visit. This location is the Hsin Yi restaurant nestled on the second floor of the A11 building of Shing Kong Mitsukoshi. The Worcestershire sauce marinated beef burger is worth a try here. It pairs very well with their Marzen handcrafted beer. Give this place a visit whether you would like to enjoy their food or just to knock a couple handcrafted beers back.


Address: 臺北市信義區松壽路11號2樓
Phone #: 02-8786-7588
Business Hours: 11:00-24:00
Website: http://www.gordonbiersch.com.tw/
Accepts Credit Cards: yes
Price Range:   $$$
Attire: casual
Good for kids: yes
Take out: yes
Waiter Service: yes
Outdoor seating:  yes
Alcohol: yes

Rating

Food Quality: 4 out of 5
Decor:  4 out of 5
Service: 3.5 out of 5
Overall: 3.83 out of 5
Recommendation: Good burgers with a wide selection of brews.

Review
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