California Pizza Kitchen

Profile
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

Ishizen 石膳日本料理

Profile

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

Gordon Biersch

Profile

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

                No. 11, Sōngshòu Rd, Sinyi District, Taipei City (新光三越 A11)

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

Alleyway BBQ 胡同燒肉

Profile

Alleyway BBQ is an asian style BBQ house with manly locations including one in the NEO19 building in the bustling Sin Yi District. The Chinese name Hu Tong 胡同 invokes Beijing style cuisine, but the establishment is more like one of those pervasive Japanese style BBQ houses with a little more class. The prices are slightly higher than the average Japanese BBQ house, and each individual can expect to spend at least 1000 NT for a nice meal. They have excellent service and a posh clean atmosphere, and you can come here and dine freshly grilled filet mignon, sirloin steaks, lamb chops, butter chicken, and other bbq-able items you can think of. Out of all the Asian BBQ houses, this one sets the bar in terms of quality of food and service.

Address:  台北市松壽路22號
                 No. 22, SōngShòu Rd, Sinyi District Taipei City, Taiwan 110
Map:

Phone #: 02-2723-8838

Business Hours: 18:00-01:00
Website: http://www.hutong.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: 4.5 out of 5
Decor:  4 out of 5
Service: 4.5 out of 5
Overall: 4.33 out of 5
Recommendation: Classy Asian BBQ with great service



Review

A3 Bar & Restaurant

Profile

Address: 台北市信義區松仁路28號1F
                 No 28, Song Ren Rd., Taipei, Taiwan
Phone #: 02-8729-2866
Business Hours: 7:30-00:00
Website: http://www.bellavita.com.tw/store.php?d=69

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: 5 out of 5
Overall: 4.3 out of 5
Recommendation: Elegant place for afternoon tea, dinner, evening drink.

Review

A³ is an modern bar and restaurant situated in the elegant Bellavita shopping center in the Sin Yi district. The dining space has a contemporary and retro chic design with the black and white checkerboard flooring. The service here is impeccable. You will feel catered from the moment you walk in. However, the prices here are are a little high, but I feel it is worth what you pay for. This is a great place to visit for a relaxing afternoon tea or a late night snack over some well concocted cocktails.

Kaffee Amadeus

 

Profile

Address: 台北市市府路45號4樓
                 No. 45, Shi Fu Rd 4F, Sinyi District
Phone #: 02-8101-7625
Business Hours: 10:00~22:00 (Guesstimation)
Website: http://www.kaffeeamadeus.com/

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 out of 5
Decor:  4 out of 5
Service: 3.5 out of 5
Overall: 3.5 out of 5
Recommendation: Comfortable but Pricey Coffee Shop

Review

Kaffe Amadeus is an Austrian style coffee shop offering various beverages, meals, and desserts hailing from a Viennese influence. The name Amadeus pays homage to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who is a cultural icon of the Classical era in Vienna. However, the store models its dining space over the Baroque period in Viennese history and thus results in a lovely and splendid area to enjoy a cup of Viennese Coffee over some Apple Strudel. This is a popular spot for foreigners to take a break from meandering around the Taipei 101.

NY Bagel

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Address: 台北市信義路五段 122 號
                No. 122, Section 5, XìnYì Rd, Sinyi District
Phone #: 02-2723-7977
Business Hours: 24 Hours

Website: http://www.nybagelscafe.com/

Price Range:   $$
Accepts Credit Cards: yes

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:  4 out of 5
Service: 3.5 out of 5
Overall: 3.5 out of 5
Recommendation: It's a 24 Hour Diner

Review

NY Bagels cafe is an american style diner that boasts a wide menu available to its customers at any hour of the day. They sell breakfast plates, bagel sandwiches, steaks, and even pasta with an average price of 300 NT. Items like steaks will be more expensive (around 700 NT). They have a spacious dining space, and can accomadate groups up to 8 people comfortably. This is one of the late night options available in Taipei, and in that sense is a very good place to grab a bite when other restaurants are unavailable.

Joyce East

picture from http://anniewu727.pixnet.net/blog/post/22091209

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Address: 台北市信義區信義路五段128號一樓
                 No. 128, Section 5, XìnYì Rd, Sinyi District Taipei City
Phone #: 02-8789-6128
Business Hours: 11:30-0:00

Website: http://www.joycecafetw.com/

Price Range:   $$$$
Accepts Credit Cards: yes

Attire: semicasual

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: High-Value Afternoon Tea

Review

In the bustling Hsin Yi district, there are many options for afternoon tea. There is Smith and Hsu, A3 at Bella Vita, and Elite Concept at the Taipei 101 just to name a few. Among the many places to enjoy a relaxing cup of tea accompanied with exquisite snacks and desserts, Joyce East stands out as a prime gateway restaurant to hook you into a life of afternoon tea-ing. Joyce East offers a deluxe afternoon tea experience at the very competitive price of 880 NT for two persons. The 3-tiered set comes with 2 tiers of snacks, and 1 tier of small desserts. The items will vary, but expect to see some sort of sandwich, a few pastries, and an assortment of cakes and puffs. The quality of the items is pretty high, and the prices are a lot cheaper than Smith and Hsu, A3, or Elite Concept, making this an afternoon tea experience with a relatively high value.

Romano's Macaroni Grill

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Address:  台灣台北市信義區松壽路30號
                地點 03/2011搬到敦化北路民生路口
　　　　No. 30, SōngShòu Road, Sinyi District Taipei City, Taiwan 110 
                Location change to Dwun Hwa/Ming Sheng Intersection 03/11

Phone #:  02-2722-4567
Website: N/A

Price Range:   $$$
Accepts Credit Cards: yes

Attire: casual-semicasual

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: 4 out of 5
Overall: 3.67 out of 5
Recommendation: Familiar Italian-American Cuisine

Review
Romano's Macaroni Grill is a Italian-American restaurant offering pastas, pizzas, and salads in the heart of Taipei. The entrees all price at around 450 NT. Each person can have a nice meal for under 1000 NT each. The restaurant is currently ending its lease in the NEO19 building in the Hsin Yi district in Taipei. It will be moving to its new location in the Song Shan District at the Dwun Hwa and Ming Sheng intersection. The cuisine at this location is mediocre and does not carry the same quality as the American Macaroni Grill locations. However, the service and atmosphere is very high among the restaurants of Taipei.

A380

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Address:    台北市信義區松高路12號4樓(新光A8館)

                   No. 12, SōngGāo Rd, Sinyi District, Taipei
Phone #:   02-2722-6380
Website: http://www.a-380.htm.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 out of 5
Decor:  4.5 out of 5
Service: 3 out of 5
Overall: 3.5 out of 5
Recommendation: Airplane Themed Restaurant serving "Airplane Food"

Review

Upon my sauntering around Gong Guan I happend to spot a Airplane themed restaurant called A380. I thought it was pretty cool, but I was informed that the Shing Kong Mitsukoshi store was a lot cooler. Indeed the space looked like it was designed more like you are in an Airplane. The store is stuck on the 4th floor of the A one buliding in the spoiled brat department (Burberry and Dior for toddlers?). They serve the typical Taiwanese "western meals" like pasta and steak set meals that come with bread, soup, and a drink. The food here is only a tad better that real airplane food. In fact, airplane bread tasted better than their bread. I would only suggest that you check out the restaurant's exterior, but don't actually dine in.

Fat Angelo's

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Address:    台北市信義區松仁路28號

                   No. 28, SōngRén Rd, Sinyi District
Phone #:   02-8729-2741
Website: http://www.bellavita.com.tw/store.php?d=4

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: 4 out of 5
Decor:  4 out of 5
Service: 3.5 out of 5
Overall: 3.83 out of 5
Recommendation: Thin crust pizza in swanky food court.

Review

My newest area of interest is the Bella Vita food court. It is probably the best food court i've seen in Taiwan, and it made me delay the exploration of the Taipei 101 food court, which is very much like all the other food courts around the island. The variety the Bella Vita food court has to offer is wide, and the quality is set at a high bar. I appreciate the different designs put into each restaurant of the food court, so that each space has its own theme.  The first restaurant I tried is Fat Angelo's. It is a Italian restaurant that has a brick oven for their selection of thin crust pizzas (~600 NT for 12"), pasta's (~400NT), or sandwiches (~250NT). The seating is not so comfortable, the decor is quaint, and the service is sort of slow. The seating at this food court is improved if you choose to sit down at "We Share Everything" which is like a posh general dining area, where the servers will order your food at an restaurant at the food court, and bring it to you. But to fully show the theme and surroundings of each restaurant I will insist on being seated at the restaurant space.

Tsujiri

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Address:   台北市忠孝東路五段8號
                 No. 8, Section 5, ZhōngXiào East Rd, Sinyi District
Phone #:  02-2729-9699

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

Accepts Credit Cards: no

Take out: yes

Waiter Service: no

Outdoor seating:  no

Alcohol: no

Rating

Food Quality: 4.5 out of 5

Decor:  3 out of 5

Service: 3.5 out of 5

Overall: 3.7 out of 5

Recommendation: Strong matcha flavored icecream and desserts.

Review

At the Hankyu Department store B2 food court lies Taiwan's first Tsujuri Tea House. The line is a good 15 minute wait, but the products are definitely the best in class. While the prices are a bit high, they do not exceed 200 NT for a single item/combo. Tsujiri is a 150 year old traditional tea house that became famous for their tea leaves and matcha. Most of their items are worth trying, and I will be returning to taste more of their non-icecream items.

Smith and Hsu

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Address:    台北市忠孝東路五段33號

                   No.33, Section 5, Zhong Xiao East Road, Taipei
Phone #:   2-2747-4857
Website: http://www.smithandhsu.com/

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: 3.5 out of 5
Decor:  4 out of 5
Service: 3 out of 5
Overall: 3.5 out of 5
Recommendation: Great place for modern afternoon tea.

Review

Next to the number 1 Taipei City hall exit is a modern looking tea house offering a wide assortment of tea, sandwiches, and desserts. Smith and Hsu is just the place for a modern afternoon tea experience at an affordable price.

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.

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.