Sergeant Chicken Rice 三巡海南雞飯

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Address:   台北市忠孝東路三段300號
                No. 300, Section 3, ZhōngXiào East Rd, Da-an District  (Sogo Fu Shing)
Phone #:  N/A

Website: http://www.sogo.com.tw/
Price Range:   $$

Accepts Credit Cards: no

Take out: yes

Waiter Service: no

Outdoor seating:  no

Alcohol: no

Rating

Food Quality: 3.5 out of 5

Decor:  3 out of 5

Service: 3 out of 5

Overall: 3.17 out of 5

Recommendation: Cheap Eat.

Review

Sergeant Chicken Rice is a booth located in the Fu Shing Sogo B1 Food Court. They serve a simple combination meals that include rice, soup, boiled vegetables, and a entree of your choice. The price for the combos are around 150 NT each, and their signature dish is the Hainan Chicken Rice. This is a cheap and fast option for a rice based meal at the Sogo B1 food court.

Karen Teppanyaki 凱林鐵板燒

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Address:   台北信義區松智路8號
                No. 8, SōngZhì Rd, Sinyi District (Taipei 101)
Phone #:  N/A

Website: http://www.taipei-101.com.tw/

Price Range:   $$$

Accepts Credit Cards: idk

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: 4 out of 5

Overall: 3.83 out of 5

Recommendation: Cheaper steak craving option.

Review

Karen Teppanyaki is a small teppanyaki restaurant located in the Taipei 101 B1 Food Court. They have 3 eating areas, one outer rim for more scattered groups and two smaller tables for medium sized groups. They offer a 200 NT economy meal that includes soup, rice, vegetables, and a side (chicken, pork, or beef). But if you feel like going for something heartier, they have a surf and turf and steak menu ranging from 400-680 NT. They have an attentive wait staff, and enough cooks to provide your meal promptly. This is probably a safe bet in the Taipei 101 food court, especially if you like beef and shrimp.

Wu Emblem Spicy Hot Pot 吳記麻辣火鍋店

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Address:    台北市八德路四段143號

                   No. 143, Section 4, Ba De Road, Songshan District 
Phone #: 02-2748-0066 
Website: http://www.wugee.com.tw/

Price Range:   $$$

Accepts Credit Cards: no

Attire: casual

Good for kids: yes

Take out: yes
Waiter Service: yes
Outdoor seating:  no
Alcohol: yes

Rating

Food Quality: 3.5 out of 5
Decor:  2.5 out of 5
Service: 2.5 out of 5
Overall: 2.83 out of 5
Recommendation: Too expensive for what you get.

Review

Wu Emblem Spicy Hot Pot serves the popular Numb and Spicy Hot Pot with a wide selection of ingredients and sides. The store in Taipei is located across the street from Living Mall in the Song Shan District. The average meat item is around 500 NT for large plate and 230 NT for small plate. Their vegetables range from 90-120 NT, and their sides like rice and noodles only run around 50 NT. However they have a soup base fee of 400 NT, so the more people the cheaper each person needs to pay for that flat fee. The store was really packed, but the food really wasn't that special. Maybe it was because it was a cold day.

A-Ing Seafood Congee 阿英海產粥

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Address:    台灣台北大安區復興南路二段366

                 No. 366, Section 2, FùXìng South Rd, Da-an District
Phone #:   N/A
Website: N/A
Price Range:   $

Accepts Credit Cards: no

Attire: casual

Good for kids: yes

Take out: yes
Waiter Service: no
Outdoor seating: yes
Alcohol: no

Rating

Food Quality: 3 out of 5
Decor:  3 out of 5
Service: 3 out of 5
Overall: 3 out of 5
Recommendation: Cheap meal open late.

Review

A-Ing seafood congee is a food stallish joint established in a storefront close to the rear entrance of NTU. Their advertised special is seafood congee or noodles, which is essentially the same seafood soup with your choice of rice or noodles. Their main menu items are all 80 NT, and they have side dishes like fermented cabbage or smoked duck that range from 30-50NT. They don't have a lot of seating, so it's best to order to-go. This is a quick meal that is open later than the other restaurants in the area.

Mary Jane Pizza 瑪莉珍披薩

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Address:    台北市大安區溫州街89號

                   No. 89, WēnZhōu St, Da-an District
Phone #:   02-2369-5333
Website: http://www.maryjanepizza.com/

Price Range:   $$

Accepts Credit Cards: no

Attire: casual

Good for kids: yes

Take out: yes
Waiter Service: yes
Outdoor seating:  no
Alcohol: yes

Rating

Food Quality: 3 out of 5
Decor:  3.5 out of 5
Service: 3.5 out of 5
Overall: 3.3 out of 5
Recommendation: Crunchy personal pizza at a bargain.

Review

Mary Jane Pizza is a restaurant that provides affordable and palatable pizza. Their 8-inch pizzas range from 200-300 NT from the basic pepperoni and cheese to the sicilian pizza topped with artichokes, anchovies, olives, and roma tomatoes. If you don't like what they offer, you can also build your own pizza by selecting your favorite toppings. They also offer Hoegaarden on tap, which is a plus. Mary Jane Pizza brings a rendition of New York Style Pizza at an affordable price to Taiwan. This is a popular place to dine among local students and foreigners alike.

Kanpai 小乾杯

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Address:    台北市忠孝東路四段201號2樓
                   No. 201, Section 4, ZhōngXiào East Rd, Da-an District

        
Phone #:    02-2776-3435
Website: http://www.kanpai.com.tw/

Price Range:   $$$

Accepts Credit Cards: yes

Attire: casual

Good for kids: no

Take out: yes
Waiter Service: yes
Outdoor seating:  no
Alcohol: yes

Rating

Food Quality: 4 out of 5
Decor:  4 out of 5
Service: 5 out of 5
Overall: 4.3 out of 5
Recommendation: Place to drink with meat.

Review

Kanpai is a Japanese Barbeque restaurant located in the Luxy plaza in the east side of Taipei. It is like Gyu Kyaku in L.A. The food is good, but is a little overpriced for the small amounts offered in each dish. The food will not wow you as much as Manpuku, nor do they have an impressive sake collection. However, what they do have is an awesome rock and roll vibe with a great service staff keeping the energy up at all times. If you got some change in your pocket, then go to Kanpai and experience Japanese-style barbeque with a Taiwanese rocker twist.

Conscious Glutton Rice Box 悟饕池上飯包

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Address:    台北市復興南路二段299號1樓
                   No. 299, Section 2, FùXìng South Rd, Da-an District

            
Phone #:    02-2739-4088

Website: http://www.wu-tau.com/

Price Range:   $

Accepts Credit Cards: idk

Attire: casual

Good for kids: no

Take out: yes
Waiter Service: no
Outdoor seating:  no
Alcohol: no

Rating

Food Quality: 4 out of 5
Decor:  3 out of 5
Service: 3 out of 5
Overall: 3.3 out of 5
Recommendation: Cheap meal that satisfies tastebuds.

Review

If you are ever in need of a fast meal, go to the closest Conscious Glutton Rice Box chain and get yourself a yummy box filled with deliciousness. The price ranges from 70 NT to 130, but most items are 80 NT. The rice box comes with 3 vegetable sides, half a braised egg, a slice of sausage, a slice of ginger, and a main entree of your choice. There is enough rice to be full, and the sides are prepared savory enough. These sorts of eateries will always be kind to your tongue and your wallet. Just compare this to a Panda Express 3 item combo, and then smile.

Arashi Ramen 花月嵐

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Address:    台北市松壽路20號2樓(信義威秀店)

                  No. 20, SōngShòu Rd, Sinyi District
Phone #:    02-2729-2128

Website: N/A

Price Range:   $$

Accepts Credit Cards: idk

Attire: casual

Good for kids: no

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: 3.7 out of 5
Recommendation: Flavorful noodles at average market price.

Review

Arashi Ramen is another chain that originiated from Japan that claims to be a TV Champion. I guess there are multiple TV Champions out there. However, I liked their bowl of ramen a lot better than Akasaka Ramen. The most popular Ramen is a garlic knuckle bone Ramen. The soup base is very salty, garlicky, and fatty. The noodles were cooked just right, it was not too soft, nor was it too hard. The Q factor of the noodles made you feel that you weren't eating a bowl of glorified instant noodles. The popular Ramen bowl includes two slices of chasiu, a sheet of seaweed, beansprouts, and half an egg. The beansprouts still had its crunchiness too it, which gave it a pleasing texture. I think my next Ramen binges will take place at one of their chain stores on this island. The prices of each bowl does not exceed 200, and they have plenty of side dishes to enjoy as well: like gyoza, pork cutlet, and potato wedges.

Flavor of Zuo: Tempura 佐之味甜不辣

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Address:   台北市龍泉街30號 (師大夜市)
                 No 30, Long Quan St, Da An District  (Shi Da Night Market)

Phone #:  02-2306-2591
Website: http://www.168net.com.tw/ao/

Price Range:   $

Accepts Credit Cards: no

Take out: yes

Waiter Service: no

Outdoor seating:  yes

Alcohol: no

Rating

Food Quality: 3.5 out of 5

Decor:  3 out of 5

Service: 4 out of 5

Overall: 3.5 out of 5

Recommendation: Check it out.

Review

This stall was not so crowded, but the owner mentioned that the night market is not very busy on sunday nights after 10 pm. The stall seemed very proud of being interviewed and reported on by a local news food reporter and loops the report through a computer screen by its stall. They are known for their old-school "tempura" and innovative miso soup based pork ball soup. They serve mixed "tempura" bowls, pork ball soup, miso soup, and cold noodles, all under 100 NT. They seem to have a steady flow of customers supporting their stall.

Hsu-Ji Pan Fried Bao 許記生煎包

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Address:   台北市龍泉街19號 (師大夜市)

                 No. 19, Long Quan St, Da An District (Shi Da Night Market)

Phone #:    0910-083-685
Website: http://www.hsu-ji.com/

Price Range:   $

Accepts Credit Cards: no

Take out: yes

Waiter Service: no

Outdoor seating:  yes

Alcohol: no

Rating

Food Quality: 3 out of 5

Decor:  3 out of 5

Service: 4 out of 5

Overall: 3.3 out of 5

Recommendation: Quick and cheap way to fill stomach.

Review

In the food stall area in the Shi Da nightmarket, there was a particular stall that still had a crowd gathered around it even on a sunday night. Hsu-Ji Pan Fried Bao seemed to be a popular stall, so I ventured over to see what it was all about. The stall's service is better than average because they have a line for ordering where you are given a number after you paid for your order. However, after you get your number, pandemonium erupts when people crowd around to get their order. They prepare a batch of around 120 pan fried bao per 5 minutes, so you really have to fight to get yours first. This seems like a popular stall.

House No. 202 Steak and Pasta

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Address:   台北市汀州路三段202號

                 No. 202, Section 3, TīngZhōu Rd, Jhongjheng District

Phone #:    02-2369-8800

Website: http://www.facebook.com/pages/No202-House/126185724096011

Price Range:   $$

Accepts Credit Cards: no

Attire: casual

Good for kids: yes
Take out: yes

Waiter Service: yes

Outdoor seating:  no

Alcohol: no

Rating

Food Quality: 3.7 out of 5

Decor:  3.5 out of 5

Service: 4 out of 5

Overall: 3.7 out of 5

Recommendation: Go for quality pastas at a bargain.

Review

Continuing on my quest to find an acceptable pasta spot, I stumbled upon a newly opened restaurant nearby called House No. 202 Steak and Pasta. Their menu consists of many entrees in which you can add a combination of salad, soup, bread, or drink. The entrees range from 140 NT for a plate of seafood spagetti to 260 for steak. They also serve lamb chops and chicken rice, all under 300 NT. The food here is delightful. The portions are just right, the flavors are light and fresh, and the platings are alluring. They offer quality food and drink at an affordable price. This is the type of neighborhood eatery that is worth frequenting.

Dubu House "JBSD涓豆腐"

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Address:    台北市敦化南路一段233巷9號 (敦南店)

                   Lane 233, Section 1, DunHua South Rd Da-an District
Phone #:    02-2781-1119

Website: http://www.dubuhouse.com.tw/

Price Range:   $$$

Accepts Credit Cards: yes

Attire: casual

Good for kids: no

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 out of 5
Overall: 4 out of 5
Recommendation: Soon dubu crack house.

Review

One of the foods I miss the most from Los Angeles is Soon Dubu. Restaurants like Tofu House serve up a scrumptious bowl of spicy tofu soup, which was a common late night snack. I had to make sure that I had a place in Taiwan to indulge in one of my favorite foods. After being tipped off by the hungryintaipei blog, I was determined to go and try Dubu House. Dubu house serves all the familiar soon dubu, sides, and BBQ items to alleviate your kimchi-itis. The price range is around 260 TWD per set meal, but it can run a little over 400 TWD if you get drinks and kalbi with your meal. The soup base was not as heavy and spicy compared to a medium at Tofu House, but the Soon Dubu here comes closer than the other "Tofu Pot" places I've encountered. Dubu house's exceptional food, sleek interior, and friendly service makes it an ideal place to drop a couple soju bombs over dinner with a couple friends.

Concelebration Low-Rise 北平同慶樓

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Address:    台北市敦化南路二段168號

                  No 168 Section 2, DūnHuà South Rd, Da-an District

Phone #:    02-2739-6611

Website: http://www.latour.com.tw/cgi/advt/tongchin/index.htm

Price Range:   $$

Accepts Credit Cards: yes

Attire: casual

Good for kids: no

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: 4 out of 5

Overall: 3.8 out of 5

Recommendation: Fairly good family style meals.

Review
Concelebration Low-Rise is a restaurant featuring northern Chinese cuisine. They serve family style meals with dishes ranging from 150-1100. The price is dependant on how well you want to eat. They have a wide menu offering  flour-based foods, clay pot stews, and stir fried dishes. Sadly, I did not try the Roast Duck Three Ways, which costs around  1100 NT. That dish should be the iconic dish of the place, as Concelebration Low-Rise specifically represents Beijing cuisine. This is a good restaurant for a family style meal. Their dishes use fresh ingredients, and the sauces used were not too heavy. The clientele are mostly locals, so you can be assured that you are getting decent food at a fair price.

Discovery 發現義大利麵

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Address:    台北市中正區羅斯福路三段282號 (公館店)

                  No. 282, Section 3, LuoSiFu Rd, JhongJheng District
Phone #:    N/A

Website: N/A

Price Range:   $$

Accepts Credit Cards: idk

Attire: casual

Good for kids: no

Take out: yes
Waiter Service: yes
Outdoor seating:  no
Alcohol: no

Rating

Food Quality: 2.5 out of 5
Decor:  2 out of 5
Service: 2 out of 5
Overall: 2.2 out of 5
Recommendation: Lots of noodles for cheap.

Review

Without a kitchen of my own, I must rely on the restaurant world to satisfy all my cravings. I am currently looking for a restaurant around NTU that can whip up various high quality pastas. "Discover Spagetti" is not that sort of place. All I discovered is that you make quite a lot of money selling sub-par spagetti in Taiwan. This store is like the typical cheap pasta joints that litter the city. The upside is that everything is under 130NT, but that is also the source of its downside. They serve spagetti with different ingredients and 4 basic sauces: butter based, pesto based, marinara based, and olive oil based. Each meal comes with bread and corn soup(Falls short from being chowder). Overall, this is a cheap spagetti restaurant geared toward the high school/college students that pack the place up.

Sababa Pita Bar 沙巴巴中東美食

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Address:    台北市和平東路二段118巷54弄8號 (和平店)

                   No. 8, Alley 54, Lane 118, Section 2, HéPíng East Rd, Da-an District
Phone #:    02-2738-7769

Website: http://www.sababapita.com/

Price Range:   $$

Accepts Credit Cards: idk

Attire: casual

Good for kids: no

Take out: yes
Waiter Service: no
Outdoor seating:  yes
Alcohol: yes

Rating

Food Quality: 3 out of 5
Decor:  3 out of 5
Service: 2.5 out of 5
Overall: 2.8 out of 5
Recommendation: Slightly overvalued middle eastern fare.

Review

After weeks of eating Asian food, I grew weary of the soy saucyness of it all. My tongue needed something else. Being tethered to a mile radius around NTU, I was delighted to hear that there is a Middle Eastern restaurant called "Sababa Pita Bar". Browsing the website before heading over, I was already drawn to the promising Lamb Shawarma. Sababa Pita Bar is a restaurant chain featuring Middle-Eastern delicacies from Iranian Chicken to Lebanese Lamb. They feature a selection of gyros made from hand-rolled pita bread. The prices range from 98 NT to 288 NT, so an you can expect to spend at around 150 NT. Although the Lamb Shawarma was just mediocre, the store is a nice place to knock back a couple of beers with your friends over Middle Eastern Food.

Lao Dong Beef Noodles 老董牛肉麵



Profile

Address:    台北市羅斯福路四段24巷4號 (公館分店)

                   No. 4, Lane 24, Section 4, LuoSiFu Rd, JhongJheng District

Phone #:    02-2369-5198

Website: http://www.olddon.com.tw/

Price Range:   $$

Accepts Credit Cards: yes

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:  3 out of 5
Service: 3 out of 5
Overall: 3.3 out of 5
Recommendation: A bowl of no nonsense beef noodles.

Review

Meandering around the streets and alleyways of Gong Guan, I stumbled upon the Lao Dong Beef Noodle shop right next to the (Gong Guan MRT Exit 4) Starbucks. Beef noodle soup has been a long-time interest of mine, and I have been trying different restaurants for a while now. This chain store has its humble beginnings as a noodle cart operated by a Shanghainese migrant from the mainland. It has a history of around 60 years. In 2006, they won an award for their Consommé Beef Noodle Soup, and in 2010 Lao Dong Beef Noodle was showcased at the Shanghai Expo in the Taiwanese Cuisine Exhibit. Although the store is named Lao Dong Beef Noodle, they offer a wide variety of foods such as dumplings, beef wraps, Chinese tamales, and meat pies. The prices range from 100-240, so you can expect to pay around 150 per person. The beef noodle soup was not particularly impressive, but it is a solid bowl of beef noodle soup with firm noodles, lightly flavored broth, and tender braised beef chunks. This is potentially my "go-to" beef noodle shop in Gong Guan.

Akasaka Ramen 赤坂拉麵

Profile

Address:    台北市忠孝東路四段94號2樓 (New Address Starting 11/2/2010)
                   94 Chung Hsiao E. Road Section 4, 2nd Floor Taipei

Phone #:    02-2752-0786
Website: http://www.akasakaramen.com/
Price Range:   $$
Accepts Credit Cards: yes
Attire: casual
Good for kids: yes
Take out: idk
Waiter Service: yes
Outdoor seating:  no
Alcohol: no

Rating

Food Quality: 3.5 out of 5
Decor:  3 out of 5
Service: 3 out of 5
Overall: 3.2 out of 5
Recommendation: Akasuka Ramen

Review

Akasaka was voted the best ramen in Taiwan on the HungryInTaipei 2009 Reader's Choice poll, so I thought I'd give the Chung Hsiao East Road store a try. I sincerely hope this is not the best ramen Taipei has to offer. I'm not sure if the ramen quality is better in Japan, but I was not impressed with the ramen presented to me at this store. This is due to my own preference of ramen soup bases that are slightly saltier, and ramen soup noodles that are slighty harder. And, the noodles make or break a bowl of ramen for me. When I have cravings for ramen in LA, I get it satisfied at Shin Sen Gumi or at Orochan. You can choose your own soup base, ingredients, and noodle hardness. I am not a big fan of what I consider overcooked noodles, like the ones you get at Daikokuya. So if you like Daikokuya, you will probably enjoy a big bowl of Akasaka Ramen.

Review Layout

My reviews will take on a very yelp style approach. I will provide yelp style profile of the restaurants I visit. In addition to taking pictures of the storefront and interior, I will try to take a snapshot of the Menu to give readers a better understanding of the prices. I will also use my own Taiwanese Dollar oriented pricing system in the restaurant profile:

The pricing will be the average cost per person:
$       = Under 100 TWD
$$     = 100-299    TWD
$$$   = 300-799    TWD
$$$$ = 800+         TWD

After the yelp style profile, I will write a little excerpt regarding my experience at the restaurant and focus on three main categories: food quality, decor, and quality of service. After the verbal review, I will rate three categories using an "# out of 5" system. The overall rating of the restaurant will be the average of the three categories.

At the end, I will give the restaurant a recommendation of either "Check it out!" or "Don't Bother~" My recommendation to a restaurant will not be correlated with the overall rating of a restaurant because some hole in the wall places with horrible service may have incredibly delicious food. This will be the general layout of my reviews in the future.

Arrival to the Scene

Thanks to the hungryintaipei food blog, I was inspired to jump on the blogwagon and post some food escapades of my own. Hopefully, I can make some helpful reviews so foodies in Taipei will have some direction. Taiwan can really use a Yelp-type website. I wouldn't be surprised if they had one, it's just that I don't know where it is. Anyway, I'm excited to take a stab at reviewing restaurants and to bring my perspective into the discussion.