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

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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

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.

Address: 捷運文湖線西湖市場站二樓美食街101攤位

                 No. 283-5, Section 1, Nèihú Rd, Neihu District (Xihu Market Building 2F #101)

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

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

Cheese David's 起司大衛

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Cheese David's is a philly cheese steak joint in the heart of Ximen Ding. They serve up a pretty tasty Cheese Whiz style cheese steak using prime top sirloin cuts marinated in their own special sauce. They also have other different sub sandwiches and they also serve hamburgers. You can also order yourself a root beer float here as well. This place is a haven for those who miss a nice greasy cheesy steak sandwich. The menu is economical and shouldn't cost you over 300 NT for a decent meal. The classic cheese steak set with cheese fries upgrade is only 225 NT. This is definitely a unique eatery in this city.

Address:  臺北市昆明街102號
                 No. 102, KūnMíng St, Wanhua District Taipei City, Taiwan 108 
Map:

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Phone #: 02-2311-1800

Business Hours: 11:30~ 22:00
Website: N/A
Price Range:   $$

Accepts Credit Cards: no

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:  3.5 out of 5
Service: 3 out of 5
Overall: 3.5 out of 5
Recommendation: Best Philly Cheesesteak in Taiwan

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

Gin Curry 銀咖哩

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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

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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

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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

Eddy's Cantina

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Address:  新北市淡水區中山路151-1號
                 No. 151-1, ZhōngShān Rd, Danshuei District Xinbei City, Taiwan 251
Phone #: 02-2628-2638
Business Hours: 11:30-14:30, 16:30-21:30
Website: http://www.eddyscantina.com/

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: 4 out of 5
Decor:  4 out of 5
Service: 4 out of 5
Overall: 4 out of 5
Recommendation: Pretty good mexican food

Review

Eddy's Cantina is probably the mexican restaurant with the most legitimate mexican roots in Taipei. Nestled on a sloping 3-way intersection of Dansui, Eddy's Cantina brings tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and salsa to a unsuspecting part of Taiwan. Entrees are about 200 NT with the option to upgrade to a meal for 85 NT to add three sides and a drink. The ingredients are kind of authentic, but the flavors seem to be dulled to suit the Taiwanese taste bud. Still, it is probably one of the best mexican restaurants in Taiwan. If you don't feel like making the long ride up to Dansui, Eddy's Cantina has opened a new location in Tien Mu. This is decent place to have some tacos over ice cold brews.

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.

Tokyo Sakaba 東京酒場

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Address: 高雄市五福三路152號
                No. 152, WǔFú 3rd Rd, Kaohsiung City
Phone #: 07-282-0818
Business Hours: 17:00-05:00
Website: N/A

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: 2.5 out of 5
Decor:  3 out of 5
Service: 2.5 out of 5
Overall: 2.7 out of 5
Recommendation: Cheap late night eat, but not good.

Review

The Love River in Kaohsiung City is a very scenic and leisurely spot enjoy an evening stroll. Among the many dining options around this area, there is this 3 story building that radiates itself over its competitors on the riverside. Tokyo Sakaba is a 100 NT taiwanese stir fry restaurant that has a pretty stocked alcohol list, sake in particular. Most of the famaliar items from those "beer station", "hot stir fry" restaurants are offered here, but they are not very good renditions in comparison to the better establishments that exist in Taipei. Try some other restaurant if you are in the area because this place is more like a last resort.

Red Forest Teppanyaki 紅林鐵板燒

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Address: 台灣臺大安區臨江街5號
                 No. 5, LínJiāng St, Daan District
Phone #: 02-2704-4166
Business Hours: 11:00-02:00 (conjecture)
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: 3.5 out of 5
Decor:  2 out of 5
Service: 3 out of 5
Overall: 2.83 out of 5
Recommendation: Clean Cheap Teppanyaki Fix

Review

In the Tong Hua nightmarket, there is a plethora of street food to choose from. In the midst of all the stinky tofu and skewered items there are a couple of hole in the wall teppanyaki restaurants to dine in. They are pretty much the same: similar seasonings, similar no frills service, and similar subpar ingredients. However Red Forest seemed like a more popular joint, so I gave it a try. The place is relatively clean, the food is prepared fast, and it offers that famaliar tasty Taiwanese teppanyaki vegetable and meat sauces.Red forest is a good place to get a quick and cheap Taiwanese style teppanyaki meal and is open late.

Toasteria

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Address: 台北市忠孝東路四段248巷2號
                No. 2, Lane 248, Section 4, ZhōngXiào East Rd, Daan District
Phone #: 02-2778-1088
Business Hours: Mon-Thurs 10:00-23:00 Fri-Sat 10:00-2:00; Sun 11:00-21:00
Website: N/A

Price Range:   $$
Accepts Credit Cards: no

Attire: casual

Good for kids: no

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

Rating

Food Quality: 4 out of 5
Decor:  3 out of 5
Service: 3 out of 5
Overall: 3.3 out of 5
Recommendation: Quick Grilled Sandwich Joint

Review

In the states, i would switch up my meals during my lunch break and sometimes go for sandwiches. My usual options were subway, togo's, quiznos, deli's, panera or corner bakery. Somehow, the subway in Taiwan is utterly horrible, so I would not have imagined having good Taiwanese forms of panera or corner bakery. Luckily, I found a sandwich place that has ok grilled sandwiches that can curb my craving for a sandwich. Toasteria is a restaurant that offers a variety of sandwiches and salads at prices around 150 NT. They don't have much seating and it is pretty noisy, but this small restaurant has a cool vibe and tasty sandwiches.

11th Street 十一街麵食館

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Address: 竹北市光明一路275號
                 No. 275, GuāngMíng 1st Rd, Jhubei City
Phone #: 03-553-9368
Business Hours: 11:00-21:30

Website: http://www.11st.com.tw/

Price Range:   $$
Accepts Credit Cards: yes

Attire: casual

Good for kids: yes

Take out: yes
Waiter Service: no
Outdoor seating:  yes
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: Delicious Affordable Flour-based Eats

Review

Chu-bei has an area where there is a concentration of many good restaurants that attract residents of Hsin-Chu to make the drive over just for a meal. Although most restaurants there may be chains like Chamonix, there are some local businesses that have emerged through offering delicious food with cheap price tags. 11st Street is just this kind of restaurant. They started in the busy traditional markets, onto a small hole in the wall restaurant, and then built its way up into being an impressive two-story operation selling dumpings. Now they offer all sorts of flour based dishes like dumplings, noodles, and beef wraps. Most of their menu items are under 120, making this a popular place for people craving quality traditional Chinese fare at reasonable prices. This is a local spot that is good enough to bring visitors for a taste of local food in a nice environment.

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.

Macho Tacos 瑪丘墨式餅舖

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Address: 台北市延吉街126巷3號
                 Yanji St, Lane 126, #3
Phone #: 02-2731-4489
Business Hours: Mon-Sat: 12:00 – 15:00, 18:30 – 22:00
·                           Sun: 12:00 – 15:00, 18:30 – 21:00

Website: http://www.machotacos.com/

Price Range:   $$
Accepts Credit Cards: no

Attire: casual

Good for kids: yes

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

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: Decent Tacos in Taipei

Review

After being disappointed by Oola Mexican Grill, the search continued for a mexican food source that would fill that craving for tacos and burritos. Thankfully, Macho Tacos opened up in Taipei in it's full lucha libre glory and began to supply Taipei with decent baja style tacos at an affordable price. Three tacos cost 160 NT, and other items won't squeeze your wallet out of more than 200 NT per item. This is most likely as good as it gets in the East District Taipei area. If you're fed up with all the phony "mexican" food, then you got to take a trip to Macho Tacos hombre~ Vamonos rapido!

Slack Season 度小月

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Address: 台北市忠孝東路四段216巷8弄12號
　　　　No. 12, Alley 8, Lane 216, Section 4, ZhōngXiào East Rd, Da-an District
Phone #:  02-2773-1244
Business Hours: 11:30am~23:00pm

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

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:  4 out of 5
Service: 4 out of 5
Overall: 4 out of 5
Recommendation: Posh Southern Taiwanese Cuisine Restaurant

Review

Tainan is a city located in southern Taiwan that is known for a dish called Danzi Noodles. It is a minced pork based soup noodle that has that strong braised soy sauce/pork oil flavor mixed with cilantro. Slack Season is the most famous and supposed originator of the dish, which was created over a century ago. This restaurant is a testament of the success and popularity surrounding this dish  because the creator started from a small stand in front of a temple to this two story posh location in one of Taipei's most expensive areas. Slack season offers Danzi noodles and other traditional Taiwanese sides and dishes like braised raw clams and braised pig intestine. This is the perfect location to introduce foreigners to southern Taiwanese food, while staying in Taipei because they have a very modern and sleek restaurant space and plate the dishes beautifully for only about a 25% increase in price. I recommend each trying a bowl of Danzi noodles and pairing it with a few side dishes depending on the size of the dining party.

Yun Dian 云滇

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Address:  台灣台北市大安區忠孝東路四段49巷4街14號
　　　　No. 14, Alley 4, Lane 49, Section 4, ZhōngXiào East Rd, Da-an District

Phone #:  02-27116411
Website: http://www.yundish.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:  3.5 out of 5
Service: 3 out of 5
Overall: 3.5 out of 5
Recommendation: Tasty Yunnan Cuisine

Review

Yun Dian is a restaurant serving Yunnan cuisine. They are located on the alley right behind the Zhongxiao SOGO. The restaurant was packed during dinner, so this seems to be a popular spot in the area. I have not had authentic Yunnan Cuisine before so I would not know how to rate or recommend this place based on authenticity. They serve a variety of rice noodle soups, "loose" buns, and other Yunnan dishes. The prices for each dish are bearable and does not exceed 200 for an entree. I will need to try other Yunnan delicacies before I can make an educated opinion on this restaurant.

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.