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.

New Zealand Steak 紐西蘭紐排館

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Address:  高雄市新興區六合二路26號
                  No. 26, LiùHé 2nd Rd, Sinsing District Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 800

Phone #:  07-2860096
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:  3 out of 5
Service: 3 out of 5
Overall: 3.16 out of 5
Recommendation: Old School Southern Taiwan Steak

Review
When I was little and visiting Kaohsiung, one of the frequent steak houses we would go to is the New Zealand Steak House located in the Lio He Nightmarket. This place has been in business since 1976, and is among the most representative Taiwan-style steak houses in Kaohsiung. They serve a variety of cuts and different types of meat, but really the house steak set that goes for 170 NT is what it's all about. The main entree is a skirt steak drizzled in its marinade with noodles and vegetables on top of a searing hot metal plate. The set comes with red tea, cream stuffed rolls, and corn soup. The meal tastes just like it did 20 years ago. If you have a long stay in the south and you have a hankering for some cheap steak, go to New Zealand.

Spicy Alley 辣巷子- Out of Business

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Address:   台北市松山區市民大道四段145號
　　　　  No. 145, Section 4, ShìMín Blvd, Songshan District, Taipei                  

Phone #:  02-2577-7575
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:  4 out of 5
Service: 4 out of 5
Overall: 3.83 out of 5
Recommendation: The only place for Louisianna-Style seafood that I know of in Taipei

Review
Ever since I landed on this island i've been searching for replacement versions of comfort foods from LA. One of the most comforting foods in San Gabriel was Cajun style seafood at the Boiling Crab. Used to get a lb of shrimp, a lb of crawfish, and a lb of clams with corn for a satisfying dinner. I was in joy when I heard the existence of "Spicy Alley," since they seemed to offer just what I missed so much. Spicy Alley offers a semblance of cajun style seafood at a tolerable price. If you come visit without any pre-conceived notions of Boiling Crab quality and prices, then you will have a great time. Caution: They don't sell crawfish and oysters are not $14 USD per dozen.

Hello Kitty Sweets

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Address:  台灣台北大安區大安路一段九十號
                 No. 90, Section 1, DàĀn Road, Da-an District Taipei City
Phone #:  02-27111132
Website: http://www.hellokittysweets.com.tw/

Price Range:   $$$

Accepts Credit Cards: yes

Take out: yes

Waiter Service: yes

Outdoor seating:  no

Alcohol: no

Rating

Food Quality: 3 out of 5

Decor:  4.5 out of 5

Service: 4.5 out of 5

Overall: 4 out of 5

Recommendation: Go for deserts, not for a meal.
Review
In the Da An road and Zhong Shiao road intersection lies Hello Kitty Sweets. As the name suggests, this is a bakery/cafe that is dedicated to serving Hello Kitty themed meals in a Hello Kitty themed dining space. This is probably the pinkest store in the Zhong Shiao Fu Shing MRT area. Don't come here expecting to get a good tasting meal. It's pretty much a store that wows you with hello kitty shaped items, which taste average. I do not recommend actually eating any of the meals here except for the hamburger or the bread bowls. Everything else does not resemble kitty, and no one should eat the overpriced spagetti/steaks there. I do recommend checking it out if you are in the area at least once, and trying their desserts, especially the yakult flavored hello kitty cake.

Ten-Thousand Three 萬三

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Address:   高雄市旗津區中洲二路179之11號
                   No. 179-11, ZhōngZhōu 2nd Rd, Kaohsiung City

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:  2 out of 5

Service: 2 out of 5

Overall: 2.33 out of 5

Recommendation: Very Cheap Seafood

Review

Southern Taiwan is filled with many delicious local delicacies and traditional Taiwanese snacks. Also, in the harbor city of Kaohsiung, seafood is a very popular fare. In the island of Ci Jin, there is a popular seafood restaurant called Ten-Thousand Three. It is usually very packed because of their extremely low prices. Each dish is around 100 NT, with the exception of some more expensive items maybe costing 50 NT more. The food is not gourmet, nor are the ingredients the freshest and cleanest. I would not recommend this place if it is your first and possibly only trip to the island, but it is noteworthy that it pleases the crowd that is on a budget.

Chamonix 夏慕尼

Picture taken from: http://2010ben.wordpress.com/

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Address:  新竹縣竹北市光明一路128號1樓
                 No. 128, GuāngMíng 1st Rd, Jhubei City, Hsinchu County
Phone #:  03-657-0648

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

Price Range:   $$$

Accepts Credit Cards: yes

Take out: yes

Waiter Service: yes

Outdoor seating:  no

Alcohol: yes

Rating

Food Quality: 4.5 out of 5

Decor:  4.5 out of 5

Service: 5 out of 5

Overall: 4.67 out of 5

Recommendation: High-Value Teppanyaki with wide menu selection.

Review

Chamonix is a chain teppanyaki restaurant run by the Wowprime Group. They are known to deliver high quality dining experiences at each of their restaurants. Chamonix is no exception. At the flat rate of 980 NT a person, you can enjoy a full 6 course meal: appetizer, bread and salad, soup, entree with sides, and dessert with beverage. At under 1000 NT, it is a fair value for the meal you are receiving. You can also choose from a different combinations of entrees and sides, that a return trip could offer a whole different experience. It would be difficult to exaust the menu in few trips. I recommend Chamonix as a safe bet for quality teppanyaki at a bearable price. I have yet to find out if the Taipei 101 teppanyaki priced at 2k+ is worth its weight. For now, Chamonix is high up on the list, their food paired with their excellent service makes this place a solid leader in Taiwanese Teppanyaki restaurants.