Tasting Journey #185 - fifteen 那不勒斯 pizza

fifteen那不勒斯pizza
台北市光復南路280巷36號
02.2721.8994

Great place for team meals, and gathering with friends.
Easy, comfortable and inviting atmosphere.
Quality food with decent price.
Pizza is a must. Made fresh at order.
Pasta don't bother.
Risotto is awesome.
Fries is unique.

Definitely worth revisiting.

Tasting Journey #184 - Texas Roadhouse

Texas Roadhouse
various locations
105台北市松山區民生東路三段156號1樓
02.2718.3011
http://texasroadhouse.com.tw/location/detail/18

American food-joint like TGIF's, Outback Steakhouse. Like the others, the portions are huge, and the service is friendly.  What differentiates this place from other American chains is the unlimited bread, and the dancing.

 

The staff performs line dances (Texas style of course) every hour to entertain the guests.  Singing birthday songs is of course part of the act.

There is a bucket of free peanuts on every table for when you first sit down.

 

The unlimited buns is served and is smothered in molten butter.

 

We ordered like there's no tomorrow.  I find that their appetizers and side dishes are the highlights of what we tried. The entree's are average, if not slightly  below.  Mostly because I had the ribs, and the ribs were not juicy.  Steaks are acceptable.  Worth mentioning dishes are: sweet potato topped with marshmallow, juicy wings, jalapeño poppers...etc. Not a lot of choices for drinks.



Tasting Journey #170 - Fanier Burger

Fanier Burger
台北市內湖區瑞光路478巷18弄30號
02.2659.7752
http://www.fanier.com.tw/content.php?id=3260


Fast food quality in a family diner setting.

This place serves breakfast, burger and pasta.
Food quality so-so, but friendly service.
Refillable Americano coffee.
Busy restaurant.
Suitable for relaxing, non-formal gathering with friends.

 

Tasting Journey #169 - Sparkle Patio No. 3

Sparkle Patio No. 3
台北市信義區信義路五段16號B1
02.2758.8850
http://www.sparklehotel.com.tw/zh-tw/gourmet/patio-no-3-italian-bistro.htm



Located across from the landmark of Taipei, 101, Sparkle is a hotel (surprisingly) located on the basement of an apartment building.  According to their website, this hotel has a few restaurants, though the perimeters of these restaurants are not clearly separated.  We decided to try out Patio No. 3, an Italian style café.

Though in a nicely decorated hotel setting, we sat in a small long corridor.  I guess it is expected, as this is a restaurant converted from an old apartment in the most expensive district of downtown Taipei.

Their lunch menu ranges from $400-$500, and includes an entrée, soup, and bread.  We all decided to go for the lunch menu, seeing that a la carte entrees cost closer to the thousand NTD range.  It was disappointing.  The portion is small, and not worth the price.

Service wasn't great either.  There were a few servers around, but it seems that we were never able to get their attention when needed. 

Overall, the experience was disappointing.  I think there needs to be lots of improvements, both service, quality, and quantity. I don't think I will go back again.

 

Tasting Journey #168 - 樂子 The Diner

樂子 The Diner
台北市瑞安街145號
various locations
http://www.thediner.com.tw/

Authentic ambience, N. american-style restaurant that serves all-day breakfast.

The restaurant is busy, and packed with occupied tables.  On a day where many of the people are working, the restaurant is still packed with people - a sign that shows we've come to the right place.

The service is so-so, but the food is quite authentic.  Portions are big, and selections are large.
Serving dishes from pancakes to benedicts, to burgers, and to ice-cream brownies.  Coffee also has free refills.

 

We went there for a relaxing brunch, but we ate like kings and queens.  Nachos are amazing, as I find that the nacho dishes in Taipei are typically quite sad-looking - in the sense that there's few pieces, and minimal toppings - something that you would not see in a family diners such as Danny's or White Spots in Vancouver.

Burgers are well-made. The patties remained juicy even when the beef is well-done.
The topping portions on the nachos are so generous that you can ask for more (we did).
Pancakes are 2-layered, fluffy and soft.  It's good already, but would've tasted even better if it had pecan or walnut in it, though my colleagues say that they prefer the consistent fluffines of the pancake alone.

 

Did I mention that these breakfast sets also include a 2nd drink (juice/milk...)  in addition to the waking potion of coffee/tea?

This place is suitable not only for brunch, but for lunch and dinner as well.
I would definitely revisit this place to try out more of their other dishes.