Tasting Journey #153 - 小統一牛排館

小統一牛排館
臺北市松山區健康路174號1樓
02.2760.8027

When a restaurant as old as this is still in operation,  not to mention also busy, they must have something great to offer.



An old western-style steak house that probably started back in my grandma's days, the place has huge panels of tinted window that allowed viewing from inside out, and not outside in.  People walking by would think this place is not in operations.  What I was told later is tinted window is a signature of steak house back in the days. The restaurant is carpeted with lighting in a warm cozy yellow.  The wItresses must all have been in their fifties.

 

As soon as we sat down, the waitress came by and asked us for our choice of entree.  This place only serves sets.  Sets that start off with bread, then salad, followed by soup, main, and ending with coffee and dessert.

The steaks were all very well made.  You can tell, the chief has beem doing this for a long time.  The rest of the dishes were all very tasry as well.  Overall, I wouldn't say the dishes were delicately made, but rather, made with heart and lots of care, wanting to be sure that you enjoy your meal. Afterall, a NTD$1,000 isn't exactly everyday price.

Tasting Journey #152 - 晶湯匙泰式主題餐廳

晶湯匙泰式主題餐廳
臺北市承德路一段一號四樓
various locations
02.2552.0835
http://www.crystalspoon-thai.com/

High end Thai food, at an affordable price.

The restaurant is located in a mall, and on the floor that had all the restaurants.  I eat at this mall quite often, as the restaurants in this mall is of decent quality and at an acceptable price range.  I've walked by this place  many times, but never set foot in this restaurant.  If you know me, you probably also know that I am not a fan of Thai food because I am not fond of curry nor lemon grass... a frequent spicea that shows up in many south east asian cuisines.  However, what I do know is that this place is always busy, sometimes even with a long line up.

The dishes aren't huge, but the portions are acceptable for people with a normal appetite.
There were three of us, all girls, and we managed to sqeep clean 90% of all dishes...but keep in mind that the rice is unlimited.  The dishes are flavourful, and the presentation is great.

 

This place is perfect for gathering with a few friends. I wouldn't call it fine dining, but you can't go wrong to bring guests to places like this.

Tasting Journey #151 - 築地野台壽司

築地野台壽司
台北市萬華區桂林路106號   
02.2302.6775

Came here for dinner with a colleague of mine.  I've heard of this place before, or must have googled it sometime, somewhere. The name sounds familiar, so it must be popular (weird logic, hehee, but it's true).

Located in an old district of Taipei, this place is small yet packed.  Although the owners are all Taiwanese, the dishes are quite authentic. 

Wooden interior deco, red paper laterns, sake bottles, and wooden table tops... all definitions of an izakaya.

 

Portions are not big, but the price is reasonable, and considered average for Japanese cuisine.  According to my colleague, the tactic for eating at places like this is to order a rice dish, complimented with side dishes.  Reason being that rice dishes are typically not expensive, yet filling.  The side dishes are tiny, and considered the pricey dishes.  Interesting analogy, and I guess it's true.  We ended up spending a bit over NTD$1,000 for the two of us.

Tasting Journey #150 - 阜杭豆漿店

阜杭豆漿店
台北市中正區忠孝東路一段108號2樓   
02.2392.2175

An infamous breakfast place that serves traditional Taiwanese breakfast (soy milk, chinese donuts, pancakes...etc) and requires over one hour of line up each time.

This place is located around the corner from Taipei Sheraton Grand Hotel.  For the past few years, I've always stayed at Sheraton everytime I stop by Taipei for business trips. I've heard of recommendations for this place, but the thought of having to wake up at 5am and line up for 1+ hours just doesn't make me want to even bother.

My friend and I arrived around 9:20am on a Sunday morning, and the end of the line is already way around the corner.  Thanks to a friend's friend whom is a food addict, and whom is willing to line up for us, we only had to wait another 30min before placing our orders.

The restaurant or more like a booth takes up the entire 2nd floor of the building.  Imagine a food court with only 1 booth, and with the rest of the space being tables and chairs, all self-served.

We ordered lots of food, just to ensure we have all what we want so we don't have any regrets.  I do have to say that they need improvements on their ordering SOP.  First of all, it's mostly tourists that go there. The only menu is what's written on the wall, in Chinese.  I guess you can finger point the food in front of you, but that makes the process/wait longer.  We had a list of what we wanted to order, and the servers were super quick with tallying up the cost.  I thought they would have the whole ordering process down packed and error-free, but I guess it wasn't the case.  After we had paid, taken our food, and sat down at a table, we realized that we were missing food.  It would've been OK if they missed a few items, but it's definitely not OK to have paid for the food and not receive them.  Luckily, they were friendly enough to give us our outstanding order without making us line up again.

 

 

Overall, I have to say that the food isn't bad, but it definitely isn't worth the lineup, the crowdedness nor the hassle.  I would have been happy just going to any other 永和豆漿, another popular franchise that serves traditional Taiwanses breakfast.

Tasting Journey #149 - PURR's Living 悅好

PURR's Living 悅好
台北市大安區敦化南路一段161巷29號1樓   
02.2775.5436

A very cozy cafe hidden away in the busy shopping area of the East District.
This cafe doesn't serve single bean coffee, but is more like an afternoon tea place with friends.

First thing I noticed when I walked into the cafe is the scent.  The soothing feel that it brings makes you want to just sit and chill.  Lots of wooden cabinetes, book shelves and antique decoration pieces, a lot of the guests uses these as photo spots.

Food is great. I ordered the rose & sea salt flavoured latte.  I really like the combination of saltiness and bitterness.  The rose tasted a bit strong to my liking (well, I don't really like the taste of rose as a food), and is also a bit stronger compared to other cafe's that offered similar selection.  However, overall, I was still quite pleased with the quality of food.  The salad is fresh, and the panini is loaded with cheese.

This is the perfect spot to relax after a long day of shopping in this area.

 

 

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Tasting Journey #148 - Diary Bistro

Diary Bistro
台北市大安區東豐街53號
02.2706.3553

Great lounge bar/bistro, perfect for hanging out with your girl friends on a weekend.
My friend and I came here for some drinks after dinner. This place is actually owned by my friend's friend. 

 

The ambience is super loungy, dimly lit atmosphere, aromatic food, and friendly service.  According to my friend, the owner is an interior decoration designer.  Large wooden tables for the guests, and sheets of stainless steel for the kitchen.  Super clean, contemporary vibe with touches of personality everywhere.  All menus are hand written (yes, every single book is)...and in addition, with every drinks ordered, there is also a hand written card that details what was added to the drink.

What really appealed to me was their open kitchen.  All food preparation can be seen if sat by the bar.  The food is delicately prepared, but of course you pay for what you get.  Drinks are well made, with shot glasses that are 1.5x the standard N. American size. 

 

It was a pity that we ate prior to visiting, so I didn't get a chance to try their dinner dishes, but from what I heard, all dishes are amazing.  I'm definitely going back for more food.