Chimika Submarines 吉米卡潛艇堡

Profile

Chimika Submarines is a mom and pop submarine sandwich shop near the Taipower Building MRT. They not only serve submarine sandwiches, but also serve burgers, chicken sandwiches, and hot dogs. Their menu is low priced and most items are under 100 NT. This is more of a Taiwanese rendition of submarine sandwiches, and the ingredients used in the sandwich are very local and home made. Their sub sandwiches are otherworldy, since they put too much lettuce in them, but that can be remedied simply by pulling excess lettuce out of the sandwich. Their 6" subs are worth the price of 65 NT.

Address:  台灣台北市中正區汀州路三段79號
                 No. 79 Ting Zhou Rd. Section 3 Jhongjheng District, Taipei City, Taiwan 100

Phone #: 02-2362-3458
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: 2.5 out of 5
Decor:  2.5 out of 5
Service: 3 out of 5
Overall: 2.67 out of 5
Recommendation: Go to Subway instead


Review

Madame Jill's Vietnamese Cuisine 翠薪越南餐廳

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Madame Jill's Vietnamese Cuisine sells pho, spring rolls, and all sorts of other vietnamese delicacies in their sizeable location in the NTU main entrance area. This is very accesible to students living in the Shui Yuan BOT dorms, and is a very economical and delicious dining option. The pho runs about 125 NT per bowl. They have many noodle options like the dominant thick flat rice noodles seen mostly in Taiwan, but the owner smiles when he tells his customer that they also offer the thin rice noodles predominately used in America. This is probably be the best vietnamese restaurant in this area, and their success is evident in that this is their second location. Whenever you are craving for pho, Madame Jill can help you out.

Address:  台北市羅斯福路四段24巷11號

                 No. 11, Lane 24, Section 4, LuóSīFú Rd, Jhongjheng District

Phone #: 02-23680254
Business Hours: 11:00~ 14:30 17:00~21:00
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: 4 out of 5
Decor:  3.5 out of 5
Service: 3 out of 5
Overall: 3.5 out of 5
Recommendation: Best Pho in Gong Guan

Review

Taurus Steaks 金牛座平價牛排

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Address: 台北市羅斯福路三段316巷8弄8號
                 No. 8, Alley 8, Lane 316, Section 3, LuóSīFú Rd, Jhongjheng District
Phone #: 02-2368-0873
Business Hours: 11:30-15:00, 5:00-22:00
Website: N/A

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 out of 5
Decor:  3 out of 5
Service: 3 out of 5
Overall: 3 out of 5
Recommendation: Mystery Steak Set for 5 Dollars US

Review

"Bargain Steaks" are a unique part of the Taiwanese food scene. From "My Home Steak" to the dirty nightmarket stalls that offer it, teppan steaks are popular in the lower end food category. Taurus Steaks offers the similar 150 NT "steak" set meal that comes in either black pepper or mushroom sauce. You get unlimited red tea and a bowl of soup with each set meal you get. This is a locally loved dish and part of the collective memory of all Taiwanese childhoods. I recommend that you give these one of thse Taiwanese particle steak places a try, and if you are in the area, try Taurus Steaks.

Pizza Pub 比薩屋

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Address: 台灣臺北中正區忠孝東路一段12號
                 No. 12, Section 1, ZhōngXiào East Rd, Jhongjheng District
Phone #: 02-2321-1818
Business Hours: 11:30-14:30, 18:00-22:00
Website: http://www.sheraton-taipei.com/english/r_pizza.htm

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: 2.5 out of 5
Decor:  3 out of 5
Service: 2 out of 5
Overall: 2.5 out of 5
Recommendation: Don't try their overpriced and bland pizzas

Review

Pizza Pub is a upper-mid level restaurant serving pizzas in a nice dining space. They are located in the B1 level of the Sheraton Hotel in Taipei. The concept of serving pizzas in a homey yet classy pub is a very good idea. However, the restaurant fails to serve delicious pizzas, which leaves you with nothing else to satisfy you besides consuming the unimpressive aura of the dining space. It costs 450 NT for 8 inches of bland, uncheesy dough circles here. The value at the pizza pub is very low and it feels like you are paying a lot for bad food and bad service. I really wanted to like this place, but their core product is just so bad that I can not recommend their pizzas to anyone with a clear conscience. If you have to come to Pizza Pub, try something else instead of their pizza.

Old Wang's Beef Noodle Soup 老王記牛肉麵大王

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Address: 台北市桃源街十五號
                No. 15, TáoYuán Street, Jhongjheng District
Phone #: 0937-860-050
Business Hours: N/A

Website: N/A

Price Range:   $$
Accepts Credit Cards: yes

Attire: casual

Good for kids: yes

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: Famous beef noodle soup in Ximen

Review

Old Wang's Beef Noodle Soup is a reputable restaurant widely acclaimed by many locals. It is located on Tao Yuan Street, which is famous for Beef Noodle Soup. They are located about a block away from the Ximen MRT station. Old Wang's is known for their light broth Beef Noodle Soup, but they also make a good bowl of braised Beef Noodle Soup as well. They have various side dishes that you can order along with the Beef Noodle soup. Visit this place to get a taste of old Taipei Beef Noodle soup. You get a high quality bowl at a reasonable price.

Blue Family's Traditional Taiwanese Snacks 藍家

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Address: 台北市羅斯福路三段316巷8弄3號
　　　　No. 3, Alley 8, Lane 316, Section 3, LuóSīFú Road, Jhongjheng District
Phone #: 02-2368-2060
Business Hours: 11:00am~12:00am

Website: N/A

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: 4 out of 5
Decor:  3 out of 5
Service: 3 out of 5
Overall: 3.3 out of 5
Recommendation: Yummy pork buns

Review
In the back alleys of Gong guan across the street from the NTU front entrance lies a area filled with restaurants. Amongst these restaurants is a simple little crack in the wall joint called Blue Family's Traditional Taiwanese Snacks. They offer a simple menu with all items priced around 50 NT. You can get braised pork buns割包, chinese tamales粽子, and four-god soup 四神湯　here. This place is special because you can actually customize the braised pork bun lean meat to fat ratio of the buns. This is a pretty popular place for takeouts, and not too bad for eating in as well. I recommend this place for a quick, cheap, yet succulent bite.

Indian Curry House 原味咖哩屋

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Address:  台灣台北市中正區羅斯福路三段316巷10號之2

                  No. 10, Lane 316, Section 3, LuóSīFú Rd, Jhongjheng District

Phone #:  02-23697621
Website: http://23697621.web66.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: 3 out of 5
Decor:  3 out of 5
Service: 3 out of 5
Overall: 3 out of 5
Recommendation: Mediocre pricey curry.

Review
Indian Curry House offers curry set meals at the price of round 200 NT. It is located near NTU in the busy restaurant area across the street from the front gate. There are all sorts of types of curry and ingredients. Each meal comes with two vegetable sides and a drink of choice. I would not recommend eating here because it was not the most pleasant curry, but not the worst either.

Second Floor Cafe 貳樓餐廳

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Address: 台北市中正區羅斯福路三段316巷9弄7號
                 No. 7, Lane 316, Section 3, LuóSīFú Rd, Jhongjheng District
Phone #:   02-2364-1666

Website:
Price Range:   $$$

Accepts Credit Cards: maybe

Attire: casual

Good for kids: yes
Take out: yes

Waiter Service: yes

Outdoor seating:  yes

Alcohol: no

Rating

Food Quality: 3.5 out of 5

Decor:  4.5 out of 5

Service: 4 out of 5

Overall: 4 out of 5

Recommendation: Well decorated Cafe serving "American" Cuisine

Review
In the lanes around the front entrance of NTU, Second Floor Cafe recently opened its doors to the area serving American food in its quaint and clean cafe space. What impressed me most about the place is their decor, how they designed each corner of the diner with rustic earthy themes, and how they maintain its cleanliness. They serve a wide variety of "American Cuisine" from Quesadilla's to Spagetti. The items may be a bit pricey especially if you make each entree a set meal in comparison to their competition in the area. However, price does not seem to be a problem as this place was packed during dinnertime over the weekend. When I pass by I notice that they have a steady client flow. This place is very popular among the young female demographic. Second Floor Cafe is a great place to hang out over a light meal.

Lucky Horse 吉馬

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Address:  台灣台北中正區羅斯福路三段316巷7-3號
                  No. 7-3, Lane 316, Section 3, LuóSīFú Rd, Jhongjheng District
Phone #:  02-2362-6168

Website: http://www.chain777.com.tw/
Price Range:   $

Accepts Credit Cards: no

Take out: yes

Waiter Service: no

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: 3.3 out of 5

Recommendation: Well braised pork intestine, fresher oyster and cleaner.

Review

For those that detest the dusty and grimeyy nightmarkets, but still want to taste Taiwanese snackfoods can go to Lucky Horse. All of their items are under 100 NT and only 5 or 10 NT more than the nightmarket price for similar foods. Their signature dish is the oyster/pork intestine string noodles, and it goes for 45 NT for a small and 60 for big. They also offer wild boar sausages for 35 NT, or you can get the combo for 89 NT which comes with a drink. They have a clean interior, plenty of seating, and a professional looking service staff.

Chicken Egg Oyster Omelettes

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Address:   台北中正區羅斯福路四段24巷1-9號
                  No. 1-9, Lane 24, Section 4, LuóSīFú Rd, Jhongjheng District

Phone #:  N/A

Website: N/A

Price Range:   $

Accepts Credit Cards: no

Take out: yes

Waiter Service: no

Outdoor seating:  yes

Alcohol: no

Rating

Food Quality: 2 out of 5

Decor:  3 out of 5

Service: 3 out of 5

Overall: 2.66 out of 5

Recommendation: Cheap snack at laaaaate hours.

Review

Next to the front entrance of NTU, there is a oyster omelette stall open til 4 a.m. They also serve an assortment of other snacks like duck meat string noodle soup and braised pork rice. Everything on their menu is under 50NT, so you can have a quick bite for cheap at this joint.

Bangkok Grill 曼谷燒

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Address:    台北市羅斯福路三段 286巷 18號 1樓
                  No. 18, Lane 286, Section 3, LuóSīFú Rd, Jhongjheng District

        
Phone #:    02-2363-0081

Website: N/A

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 Thai Style Rice Sets

Review

Near the front entrance of NTU lies a back alley lined with restaurants. Among the various restaurants, Bangkok Grill stands out as offering a cheap menu with distinct taste and with fast service. The combo meals are not gourmet, but for the prices of around 100 NT for rice, entree, and 3 sides plus soup, one can hardly complain.

De Emblem Cantonese Style 得記港式

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Address:  台北中正區羅斯福路四段52巷18號
                  No. 18, Lane 52, Section 4, LuóSīFú Rd, Jhongjheng District
Phone #:  N/A

Website: N/A
Price Range:   $

Accepts Credit Cards: no

Take out: yes

Waiter Service: no

Outdoor seating:  yes

Alcohol: no

Rating

Food Quality: 4 out of 5

Decor:  3.5 out of 5

Service: 3 out of 5

Overall: 3.5 out of 5

Recommendation: Clean place for affordable numb-spicy stinky tofu.

Review

Hidden in an alley nearby the Gong Guan Night market is De Emblem Cantonese Style restaurant. It is quite a confusing name, but they sell numb-spicy stinky tofu in self-heating bowl. The basic pot of stinky tofu runs for about 60NT, and you can add various ingredients like lamb slices, mushrooms, and noodles for around 50 NT per item. I came here for the numb-spicy stinky tofu, and it really did its job. I prefer the braised stinky tofu over the fried version, and the ones they serve here are flavorful enough to prompt me to return for another numbing session in the future.

Huang Pig Intestine Noodles 黃家大腸麵線

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Address:  台灣台北中正區羅斯福路四段108巷8號
                  No. 8-1, Lane 108, Section 4, LuóSīFú Rd, Jhongjheng District
Phone #:  N/A

Website: N/A
Price Range:   $

Accepts Credit Cards: no

Take out: yes

Waiter Service: no

Outdoor seating:  yes

Alcohol: no

Rating

Food Quality: 4.5 out of 5

Decor:  4 out of 5

Service: 4 out of 5

Overall: 4.2 out of 5

Recommendation: Best Pork Intestine Noodle in Gong Guan Nightmarket.

Review
In the Gong Guan Nightmarket, there is a pig intestine noodle stand that sells nothing but pig intestine noodle. For it to survive with just one item, that item must be pretty good, so I gave it a try. A small sized bowl sells for 25 NT and a large bowl sells for 40 NT, but the size of the small is comparable to the other stands that sell for around 40 NT. This stand has clean tables and condiments on each table for your personal seasoning needs. This is so far the best bowl of pig intestine noodle in the Gong Guan Nightmarket area.

University Entrance 大學口

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Address:   台北中正區羅斯福路四段24巷1-9號
                  No. 1-9, Lane 24, Section 4, LuóSīFú Rd, Jhongjheng District

Phone #:  N/A

Website: N/A

Price Range:   $

Accepts Credit Cards: no

Take out: yes

Waiter Service: no

Outdoor seating:  yes

Alcohol: no

Rating

Food Quality: 2 out of 5

Decor:  3 out of 5

Service: 3 out of 5

Overall: 2.66 out of 5

Recommendation: Cheap snack at laaaaate hours.

Review

Right outside the Starbucks next to the Gong Guan MRT exit 4 lies a Intestine Noodle and Stinky Tofu stall that is open a lot later than its competition. They serve Intestine noodles at 40 NT and stinky tofu at 40 NT for a small portion and 50 NT for a large portion. This is a popular stall for take outs and hungry customers from 12am-1:30am.

Dragon Oyster Noodles 龍攤蚵仔麵線

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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 #:  N/A

Website: N/A
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: 3 out of 5

Overall: 3 out of 5

Recommendation: Cheap snack.

Review
In the Gong Guan Night Market, there is a Oyster Noodle and Stinky Tofu stand on the west side of the Shui Yuan Market. They sell Oyster Noodles at 35 NT a bowl and a plate of stinky Tofu for 40 NT a bowl. They are open until 11 or 12 depending on the customer flow, even on a rainy day. Their food is average, and nothing to wow about.

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.

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.

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.