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

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

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號

                 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

Savoy 越苑

Image Taken From This Blog

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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號

                 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

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. 

Address: 台北市大安區浦城街13巷4號

                 No. 4, Lane 13, Pǔchéng St, Daan District

Phone #:  02-2363-1688

Business Hours: 12:00-15:00, 17:00-22:30

Website: Restaurant Facebook Page

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

Bamboo Fish Trap 筌壽司

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Bamboo Fish Trap is a Japanese restaurant located on the fringe of the East district hidden in an alley way off the Fuxing and Shi Ming Blvd intersection. Bamboo Fish Trap is a type of restaurant where there aren't any traditional menus, but they serve whatever is fresh and will provide a full-course meal  for you. Their full course meals cost around 2000 NT. Pay this restaurant a visit if you would like to try fresh local fishes in a Traditional-esque Japanese style sushi bar.

Address: 台北市大安區安東街29-1號

                No. 29-1, Āndōng St, Daan District Taipei City

Phone #: 02-2771-1856

Business Hours: 11:30-14:30 , 17:30-21:30

Website: N/A

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
Recommendation: Good place for regional and fresh sushi.

Review

Taj Indian Restaurant

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Taj Indian Restaurant is an Indian restaurant nestled in the east district located near the Fuxing Breeze Center. They provide traditional north Indian cuisine in many different levels of set meals. The curries here are not as pungent, aromatic, and spicy has the south Indian cuisine. This place would be fitting for a consumer that likes lighter curries and can not accept the regular stronger spices commonly associated with Indian Cuisine.

Address: 台北市復興南路一段107巷5弄3號
                No. 3 Alley 5, Lane 107, Section 1, Fùxīng South Road, Daan District

Phone #: 02-8773-0175
Business Hours: 12:00-14:30, 17:30-22:00
Website: Taj Facebook Page

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: 3 out of 5
Decor:  3 out of 5
Service: 2.5 out of 5
Overall: 2.83 out of 5
Recommendation: Try other Indian restaurants before this one.

Review

Cow Daddy 牛爸爸

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Cow Daddy is the pimpest Beef Noodle restaurant on this block. Depending on your tastes, they can give you their cheapest most bare bones Beef Noodle soup for 150 NT or they can present you with their most baller bowl of beef noodle ever. They have a bowl of beef noodle with 4 cuts of beef (including wagyu) consisting of the most Q noodles and a rich and savory beef stock. Such an extravagant bowl of beef noodles can not be enjoyed without dropping 10 stacks. If you feel like making it rain for some scrumptious beef noodle soup, then you gotta round up the crew and hit up Cow Daddy.

Address: 台北市忠孝東路四段216巷27弄16號
                 No. 16, Alley 27, Lane 216, Section 4, Zhōngxiào East Rd, Daan District

Phone #: 02-2778-3075
Business Hours: 11:00-21:30
Website: http://www.688beefbowl.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:  4 out of 5
Service: 4 out of 5
Overall: 4.16 out of 5
Recommendation: Baller Beef Noodles

Review

The Chicken Rice Shop 齊客來

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The Chicken Rice Shop is a chain store serving Hainanese Chicken and other south east asian fare with around 60 shops in locations in malaysia, singapore, the phillipines, and Taiwan. Their Hainanese Chicken is made with a hundred year old recipe containing 16 types of Herbs and spices. The Chicken Rice Shop is on the alleyway with JBSD Tofu and Go Go Pasta near the Zhong Xiao Dun Hwa MRT. Their Hainanese Chicken is very tender flavorful and a big portion at a very fair price (around 350 NT per person). This is kind of a family style restaraunt and not that good for dining solo. Grab a friend and try this place out if you're craving some Hainanese Chicken.

Address: 台北市敦化南路一段233巷19號
                 No. 19, Lane 233, Section 1, Dūnhuà South Rd, Daan District

Phone #: 02-2751-5342
Business Hours: 11:30-14:30, 17:30-22:30
Website: http://www.thechickenriceshop.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:  3.5 out of 5
Service: 3.5 out of 5
Overall: 3.67 out of 5
Recommendation: Great Hainanese Chicken

Review

Round Sushi 丸壽司

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Round Sushi is a chain Kaiten Sushi restaurant at the Breeze Center that rivals Hi Sushi in quality and expedient Japanese cuisine. Their prices vary just like Hi Sushi, and the quality of the items reflect the reasonable hike in price. The decor is simple and bright.  Expect to spend at least 500 NT per person to have a full experience at this place. They more types of miso soups here, which is one reason to visit here over Hi Sushi. In terms of sashimi quality, they are quite similar. Both restaurants are more satisfying than Sushi Express.

Address:  台北市大安區忠孝東路四段219號
                 No. 219, Section 4, Zhōngxiào East Road, Daan District

Phone #: 02-6639-6999 (Breeze Center #)
Business Hours: 11:30-22:30

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: yes

Rating

Food Quality: 4 out of 5
Decor:  3.5 out of 5
Service: 2.5 out of 5
Overall: 3.3 out of 5
Recommendation: Come for Uni and Miso Soups, but beware of service.

Review

Dolce

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Dolce is a dessert lounge bar located in the East District area nearby the Breeze Center. They feature chocolate based cocktails and various dense western style desserts like brownies and red velvet cake. The prices are fair, their signature cocktails and desserts cost around 250 NT. Their desserts might be too rich, dense, and sweet for the average Taiwanese taste bud, but perfect for foreigners who are tired of the bland Taiwanese baked goods. Come in for a Girl Scout Cookie cocktail paired with one of their delicious desserts.

Address:  台北市大安區復興南路一段107巷5弄19號 No. 19
                 No. 19, Alley 5, Lane 107, Section 1, Fùxīng South Rd, Daan District

Phone #: 02-2721-8321
Business Hours: 20:00-02:00

Website: http://dolcetaipei.com/

Accepts Credit Cards: yes
Price Range:   $$$

Attire: semi/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 out of 5
Overall: 4 out of 5
Recommendation: Unique Cocktails and Rich Desserts

Review

Indulge Experimental Bistro

Profile

Indulge Experimental Bistro is a hidden treasure among the restaurants and lounges in Taipei. They are tucked away in a seemingly residential section of an alley near the Zhong Xiao FuXing MRT Station. Indulge offers some of the finest cocktails available and at a fair price. At around 350 NT, you can try the  concoctions of their reknown mixologists. The food is worth a try, but their appetizers and late night snack section are safer choices than their dinner menu, which contains entrees like "Spagetti with Wild Flower Crab and East Port Mullet Roe Slice". That entree is an example of Indugle's use of local Taiwanese ingredients to create new European influenced dishes to bring something unique to the food scene. Expect to spend at least 1000 per person to indulge in an array of good meals and mesmerizing cocktails.

Address:  台北市復興南路一段219巷11號
                 No. 11, Lane 219, Section 1, Fùxīng South Rd, Daan District

Phone #: 02-2773-0080
Business Hours: 17:00-02:00

Website: http://indulgetaipei.blogspot.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 out of 5
Decor:  4 out of 5
Service: 3.5 out of 5
Overall: 3.83 out of 5
Recommendation: Great Cocktails and Novel Dishes

Review

Solo Pasta

Profile

Solo Pasta is a popular Italian eatery in the east district closeby to the Dwun Nan Eslite. According to the 2011 best Taipei restaurant poll by hungryintaipei.com this restaurant is tied for first with Papa Gio for best Italian. Their pasta seem to be on the lighter side and might be more than the denser American-Italian pastas, but they have well cooked pastas and fresh sauces to each dish. Expect to spend around 500 dollars per person if you want to get an appetizer a main entree and a drink. Try this place out if you are looking to enjoy some good Italian food in a cozy setting.

Address:  台北市大安區安和路一段29-1號
                 No. 29-1, Section 1, Ānhé Rd, Daan District Taipei City

Phone #: 02-2775-3645
Business Hours: 11:00-22:00

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: yes

Rating

Food Quality: 3.5 out of 5
Decor:  4 out of 5
Service: 4 out of 5
Overall: 3.83 out of 5
Recommendation: Light Italian Cuisine.


Review

Big Pillar 大柱子

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Big Pillar is a small Taiwanese bistro located in the NTU rear entrance area. Their dining space is really small and packs up really fast during peak hours, but their food is worth the wait. They serve great bowls of southern style dry noodles and have an assortment of soups to pair with it. The prices are really cheap, and you can fill urself up for less that 100 NT. The decor here like the many other eateries around the NTU rear entrance area is very minimalistic and seems to be chosen to cope with the clientele. Come here for a cheap and fulfilling Yi-Mein fix (意麵, Will Noodles?).

Address:  台灣台北市大安區和平東路二段118巷54弄19號
                 No. 19, Alley 54, Lane 118, Section 2, Hépíng East Road, Daan District

Phone #: N/A
Business Hours: 10:30-9:00

Website: N/A

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:  3 out of 5
Service: 3 out of 5
Overall: 3.17 out of 5
Recommendation: Cheap Dry Noodles, Great for Lunch


Review

The Villa Herbs

Profile

The Villa Herbs is an enchanting dining space in the middle of the south east corner of the Da An District. It is quite close to the Tong Hwa Nightmarket and a light stroll from the Liu Zhang Li MRT station. When you walk through the front gate you are transported to a pseudotropical "villa". It is a comfortable and interesting place to have a meal or just grab a few drinks. They mix pretty decent drinks, but the food is generally not as good for the price you are paying. They do have some good dishes like their truffle risotto. Come visit and enjoy their relaxing atmosphere.

Address:  台北市大安區樂利路11巷32號
                 No. 32, Lane 11, LèLì Rd, Daan District Taipei City, Taiwan 106

Phone #: 02-2732-3255
Business Hours: 12:00-0:00

Website: N/A

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: 3.5 out of 5
Decor:  4 out of 5
Service: 4 out of 5
Overall: 3.83 out of 5
Recommendation: Interesting Interior Average Western Food


Review

Evan's Burger

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Evans burger is a burger joint / brunch restaurant chain that serves a higher quality burger at a reasonable price. It is hard to find a satisfactory burger in Taiwan. Evans burger is definitely one of the better burgers on this island. They also set the bar in terms of service for these "gourmet burger" restaurants. An average meal would run about 250 NT per person, which is a lot for a burger like this, but if you visit on a wednesday they have a cheeseburger set for 100 NT. I would not mind dining here for 100 NT, but I would hesitate returning on normal days because the prices are a bit high for what you are getting. I seldom eat hamburgers in Taiwan because I haven't found a place where the burger's quality justifies the price. Evan's burger price is right for their burger, try visiting on a wednesday.

Address:  台北市大安區師大路86巷1號1F            
             No. 1, Lane 86, Shi Da Rd, Da An District, Taipei City

Phone #: 02-2365-5022
Business Hours: mon-thurs: 11:30-21:30, fri-sun: 9:30-22:00

Website: http://evansburger.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: 3.5 out of 5
Decor:  4 out of 5
Service: 4 out of 5
Overall: 3.83 out of 5
Recommendation: Ok burger joint on wednesdays


Review

Gin Curry 銀咖哩

Profile
Gin Curry is a Japanese Style Pork Cutlet Curry restaurant situated in the NTU front entrance area in Gong Guan. They sell economical curry sets of varying fried entrees. Most of the set meals are priced around 125 NT, and the most expensive item is their monstrous Mt Fuji Curry Set that goes for 290 NT.  This location can get really packed and the food is not really worth the wait. This would be a nice place for a quick Japanese style curry excursion off peak hours.

Address:   台北市羅斯福路3段276號

                  No. 276, Section 3, LuóSīFú Rd, Jhongjheng District Taipei City 

Phone #: 02-2364-6459
Business Hours: 11:00-22:00

Website: N/A
Price Range:   $$
Accepts Credit Cards: idk

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:  3.5 out of 5
Service: 3 out of 5
Overall: 3.3 out of 5
Recommendation: Cheap and fast Japanese Curry

Review

Han Court State 韓庭州

Profile

Han Court State in the west entrance area of NTU. This is probably one of the better korean restaurants that are available in the area. It is really hard to find a good bowl of soon dubu, and you can't really find a fulfilling one here either. However, compared to the other options available in this 1 km radius from the main campus area, Han Family State is actually not bad. They also offer Korean BBQ with copper plates at this restaurant. The decor is not appealing, but the variety and low cost make this place a good option to curb a korean craving around the NTU area.

Address:  台北市大安區溫州街87號
　　　　 No. 87, WēnZhōu St, Daan District, Taipei City
Phone #: 02-8369-1302
Business Hours: 11:00-22:00 (guesstimation)
Website: N/A
Price Range:   $$
Accepts Credit Cards: idk

Attire: casual

Good for kids: yes

Take out: yes
Waiter Service: yes
Outdoor seating:  yes
Alcohol: yes

Rating

Food Quality: 3 out of 5
Decor:  2 out of 5
Service: 2.5 out of 5
Overall: 2.5 out of 5
Recommendation: Below Average Korean Food

Review

Rakumenya 樂麵屋

Profile

Rakumenya is a Ramen Shop located near the Zhong Xiao Fuxing MRT. They are unique in how they let the customers customize the strength of the soup base and the hardness of the Ramen noodles. These type of Ramen shops are hard to come by in Taiwan, and it is very reminiscient of Shin Sen Gumi or Orochan in Los Angeles. The two popular soup bases served here are the pork broth and their specialty chicken-vegetable broth. For under 250 NT, you can select a soup base variation that you desire. Each bowl comes with a few basic slices of cha siu, egg, and vegetables, but you can add other ingredients for a nominal fee. They have the best tasting noodles that I have had so far in Taiwan: al dente, very snappy, and Q-licious. If you find yourself hankering for a bowl of Ramen, try this popular restaurant in the East District.

Address:  台北市大安路1段83巷10號1樓
                 No. 10, Lane 83, Section 1, DàĀn Rd, Daan District
Phone #: 02-8772-8159
Business Hours: 11:00-22:00 (guesstimation)
Website: N/A
Price Range:   $$
Accepts Credit Cards: yes

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: 3.5 out of 5
Overall: 3.83 out of 5
Recommendation: Best Ramen Noodles in Taipei

Review

Celestial Clay Jar 天罎

Profile

Address: 台北市敦化南路一段295巷16號
                No. 16, Lane 295, Section 1, DūnHuà South Rd, Daan District
Phone #: 02-2709-6916
Business Hours: 11:30-21:30
Website: http://www.975.tw/

Price Range:   $$$

Accepts Credit Cards: yes

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:  3 out of 5
Service: 4 out of 5
Overall: 3.5 out of 5
Recommendation: Cheap late night eat, but not good.

Review

Celestial Clay Jar is a very traditionalesque chinese restaurant that offers many slowly cooked items from their special earthen cookware. They pride themselves in being very health conscious, and so their dishes are flavored just enough, but not overly oily and heavy. The average price of a dish is 250 NT, so you will probably spend about 500 NT a person here. The service staff seemed very friendly and recommended what they thought was the most poular dishes without feeling like they are pressuring you to purchase the most expensive items. Also, the server we had was very attentive to our needs and courteous in accomodating us. This is a very interesting place to dine especially for those who might want to try a light meal that is not flavorless.