T.G.I. Friday's [台北星期五餐廳]

Visit: August 6, 2012
Address: 台北市敦化北路150號
Number: (02) 2713 - 3579
Website: http://www.tgifridays.com.tw/AIU/include/main.php?Page=0

Menu is provided on its official website.


Three Chili Calamari (義式蒜辣小管圈) 260 NT

Three Chili Calamari

DEFINITELY enough chili and jalapeno for me to enjoy!

Shrimp Cobb Chop Chop Salad (好萊塢明星鮮蝦沙拉) $420 NT

Shrimp Cobb Chop Chop Salad

It might be a bit odd, but we ordered the cobb salad wthout the shrimp. I don't know about you, but when I ordered the salad, I was expecting a humongous portion like what I get at Gordon Biersch. The size of this was just pathetic.

Ultimate Margarita (瑪格麗特極品)  NT$290 

Ultimate Margarita

Friday's doesn't advertise its margarita for no reason :)

I would recommend Friday's for a night out of American. The chain may not wow you, but its quality is pretty consistent all around Taipei.

Vegas Vegas Bar & Restaurant [維加斯美國風創意餐廳]

Visit: July 19, 2012
Address: 台北市中山區南京東路一段19號
Number: (02) 2541 - 6788
Website: http://vegas.smartweb.tw/

I was feeling lazy and I really didn't want to travel too far, so I decided to try a restaurant I've absolutely never heard of before, and chose it just because I wanted some salad.

Menu

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Caesar Salad (凱撒沙拉) $200 NT

Caesar Salad

Grilled Rib Eye Steak (碳烤肋眼牛排) $690 NT

Grilled Rib Eye Steak

I wouldn't say that the steak was bad, but it definitely tasted pretty cheap. Although the steak was a bit overcooked, the meat wasn't too tough to chew on.

American Sweet Heart (香草美國甜心奶酪) $60 NT

American Sweet Heart

I have to admit, I was a bit apprehensive when my dinner date wanted to order this custard. I was leaning towards the brownie or the caramel...basically anything but this. But... as fate will have it, the portions of the other desserts were all too big. When I tasted the custard though, wow, it was pretty damn good. The custard was rich enough and the coco flakes on top brought me back to my childhood.

This isn't a bad restaurant to be at if you want some chill American-like but not authentic food.

Danny and Company

Visit: May 26, 2012
Address: 台北市大安區四維路52巷33號
Number: (02) 2705-9911
Website: http://www.dannyandcompany.com/

I remember the first time I heard about Danny and Company... my mom was boasting about how the food there was so great. She promised to take me at least a year ago, and finally for my graduation dinner, we finally went.
Menu


Dinner Menu I - $2800 NT
Dinner Menu II - $3300 NT

Menu I&2 - Chilled Tomato Soup

Chilled Tomato Soup

Right when we sat down, we were served the chilled tomato soup along with the bread. Both were a pleasant start to the meal.


Menu I - Gillardeau No.3 served with aged sherry wine vinegar, shallots and chives (法國吉拉多生蠔)

Gillardeau No.3 served with aged sherry wine vinegar, shallots and chives

Contrary to what I anticipated, the Gillardeau was quite a delight. The seafood felt fresh and the vinegar made the dish very refreshing.


Menu II - Foie Gras Terrine house made, muscat wine, passion fruit gelee (百香果凍鴨肝派)

This was actually not part of my set, but I might've stolen a few bites... well more than a few bites off my dads. 

Gillardeau No.3 served with aged sherry wine vinegar, shallots and chives

Menu I - Porcini Macchiato porcini mushroom, gold flakes served in espresso cup (牛肝菌瑪琪朵)

Porcini Macchiato porcini mushroom, gold flakes served in espresso cup

You know those mushroom cappuccino soups? The soup here is basically the same thing except with a fancier name and a nicer presentation with the gold flakes. The mushroom soup was rich enough, but wasn't overly creamy. 

Menu II - Carrot Soup (奶油紅蘿蔔湯)

Carrot Soup

Menu I - Porcini Gnocchi seared porcini. wilted spinach. porcini cream sauce (牛肝菌貓耳朵)

Porcini Gnocchi seared porcini. wilted spinach. porcini cream sauce

Gnocchi! I always get super excited when I see that restaurants serve gnocchi because it seems to be a little hard to find in Taipei. The cream sauce and spinach were so awesome and the gnocchi was actually chewy and not just a lump of carbs.

Menu II - Seared King Prawn remesco sauce. scallion. fried capers (西班牙風煎明蝦)

Porcini Gnocchi seared porcini. wilted spinach. porcini cream sauce

The seafood was fresh.

Menu I - Buffalo Mozzarella Tomato (蕃茄馬芝拉)

Buffalo Mozzarella Tomato

I think that out of all the different types of cheese, buffalo mozzarella works the best with dark green salad.

Menu II - King Crab Salad, avocado. grapefruit segments asian vinaigrette (醋味帝王蟹)

King Crab Salad, avocado grapefruit segments and asian vinaigrette 

The crab salad was unique in that it  reminded me of the Thai papaya salad, but without as much acidity.

Menu I & II - Daily Boat Fish (每日鮮魚)

Daily Boat Fish

I'm actually not that much of a fish person, but the fish today had a nice crispy skin, with the fish soaked in this creamy yummy sauce. By this dish, my stomach was already near exploding. 


Menu I - Australian 5M Wagyu Top Cap Steak (澳洲5M 和牛老饕牛排)

 Australian 5M Wagyu Top Cap Steak

When the steak was being served, I half expected it to be overcooked, but when I cut into it, it was perfectly medium rare. The meat was tender and had a certain nice grilled rims. The baked garlic was also very good, except I still think that Prime 168 serves the best baked garlic :)

Menu II -  Teppan Sous Vide Rack of Lamb sauted edamame bean. lamb jus. polenta cake (鐵板"舒肥"羊排)

Teppan Sous Vide Rack of Lamb sauted edamame bean. lamb jus. polenta cake

I was a little less impressed wtih the lamb as I was with the steak... but again, I'm much more of a steak person. The lamb was decent and yummy, but I still would've gone wtih the steak (:

Menu I & II Dessert option 1 - Blueberry Cupcake with Whipped Cream

The blueberry Cupcake with Whipped Cream

The blueberry cupcake was quite impressive in that it actually tasted like a cupcake rather than a muffin like how most Taiwanese bakeries seem to think cupcakes should be.


Menu I & II Dessert option 2- Molten Chocolate Cake with Sorbet

Molten Chocolate Cake with Sorbet

Honestly speaking, this wasn't the best molten chocolate cake I've had. I would've preferred the insides to be a little less liquidy and more sticky and molten. But other than that, the sorbet went nicely with the chocolate and the cake was also not too sweet.


Menu I & II Dessert  option 3 - Chocolate and Coffee Mousse with Ice Cream

Chocolate and Coffee Mousse with Ice Cream

I'm not that fond of mousse, but I've got to say that the mousse here isn't as oily and as heavy as other places. Not bad... not bad at all...

Menu I & II - Little Treats: Walnut Tart, Green Tea Macarone and Fruit Candy

Walnut Tart, Green Tea Macarone and Fruit Candy

Out of the three, I liked the walnut tart the most. I've had better macarones from other places, and I still don't quite understand the craze over the chewy fruit candies. Aren't they just like those childhood soft chewy candies?

Danny and Company is definitely one of my top choices when it comes to steak, and it actually is rivaling fellow Ruth's Chris for the top spot. I'd definitely recommend Danny and Company because not only is its food good, but the service is also very attentive. As I walked into the restaurant though, I spotted the Teppan area of the restaurant.... guess it gives me another reason to visit Danny and Company.

Ruth's Chris [茹絲葵] (Visit #2)

Visit: April 30, 2012
Address: 台北市松山區民生東路三段 135 號 2 F
Number: (02) 2545-8888
Website: http://www.ruthschris.com/Steak-House/10037/Taipei (Not Taiwan)

When people are asked what their comfort foods are, usually something like casseroles or some family style food is brought up. Mine though... is steak. I love steak, and so due to transitive property (yes I was concentrating in middle school math), I love Ruth's Chris.

Menu


Complimentary Bread

Complimentary Bread

 The bread at Ruth's Chris isn't very special, but the fact that they never fail to serve it warm just makes it so much better. I also love the butter they serve. It's so easy to spread, and so fluffy and light to eat.

Foie Gras with Mashed Potatoes

Foie Gras with Mashed Potatoes

 The foie gras wasn't on the menu, but when the waitress introduced it, I was automatically drawn to it. I'm not going to deny, the foie gras was pretty oily... but isn't that the whole point? The foie gras was cooked just right, and oh my gosh, I just love the mashed potatoes at Ruth's Chris. I'm not even going to imagine how much butter they put into the mashed potatoes...but hey, all that matters is that it's pretty awesome.

Sizzlin' Blue Crab Cakes (紐奧良蟹肉糕) $450 NT

Sizzlin' Blue Crab Cakes

The crab cakes were awesome too! I'm not usually a big fan of crabs, but the crab cake didn't have the disgusting fishy taste, nor did it result in a mouthful of oil when I bit into it as I would've expected. The outsides were a bit crispy, while the insides weren't dried up, but instead retained most of its moisture.

Petite Fillet - 8 Ounce (小菲力牛排 - 8 ounce) $1350 NT

Petite Fillet

 My sister and I originally wanted to cowboy ribeye since we enjoyed it so much last time, but due to some recent beef issues in Taiwan, Ruth's Chris no longer serves bone-in steaks for now.

Insides of the Petite Fillet

I got mine medium rare, but told them that I'd rather have it a little more on the rare side since the sizzlin' plates usually cook the beef a little bit more. As you can see, they did a pretty good job at it. Last time, when I had the Fillet at Robin's Grill, I thought that it was the best I've ever had, but after a bite of Ruth's Chris' Petite Fillet, Robin's Grill falls to a very close second. The fillet wasn't tough to chew on at all, and it was just so tender. Cowboy ribeye is still my favorite though :D

Ribeye - 16 Ounce (肋眼牛排 - 16 Ounce) $1850 NT

16 Ounce Ribeye

 Once again, Ruth's Chris didn't disappoint with a piece of meat that was cooked just right. The ribeye was good compared to other restaurants, except personally, I don't think I enjoy the ribeye as much as the other portions. The ribeye was a little more fibrous compared to the fillet, and was also a little chewer compared to the cowboy ribeye.

Dessert Selection

Clockwise form the Creme Brulee: Cheesecake, Chocolate Molten Cake and Chocolate Sin Cake

 The dessert selection just looked so yummy! Don't be fooled though, these weren't all the desserts that they were serving that night, these were simply the ones they were showcasing.

Chocolate Sin Cake (巧克力蛋糕) $260 NT

Chocolate Sin Cake

 Man, this dessert was so appropriately named. The cake is completely made of chocolate fudge with no flour whatsoever, so it guarantees a full-blown chocolate experience. The chocolate sin cake was just so rich and fudgey that I couldn't resist it... eating it was just such a guilty pleasure.

Caramelized Banana Cream Pie (香蕉奶油派) $350 NT

Caramelized Banana Cream Pie

 I remember hesitating a bit when I was going to order the banana cream pie because I was so worried that under the bananas would be whipped cream or something really lame. Ordering it was an awesome idea. I, being forever obsessed with pie crusts, was very much satisfied with the crust of the banana cream pie. The banana was also caramelized nicely while the cream wasn't whipped cream, but a more custard-like dairy-rich cream. It went so well with the banana while contrasting nicely with the pie crust.

Honestly, after having been to Ruth's Chris three times (I've only documented it twice), Ruth's Chris has continued to impress me each time. I'm not the kind of person who picks out favorites, but I think that if I really had to choose, Ruth's Chris would be my favorite restaurant. The thing with Ruth's Chris is that it's not just one dish that's good, or one course that's well thought out, but it's just such a well-rounded restaurant. So far, everything I've tasted have just been either good or amazing, and the service there is also exceptional, while the atmosphere just makes you feel right at home. For the average Taiwanese, the presentation of the food might not be as appealing as other restaurants, but the quality is definitely worth the price. Although the steaks are somewhat expensive, I think that overall, nothing is outrageously priced at all, I mean look at the size and quality of the desserts compared to those at Pratisserie Sadaharu Aoki or at Salon de the de Joel Robuchon. Definitely visit Ruth's Chris if you get the chance!

The Villa - Herbs

Visit: April 27, 2012
Address: 台北市樂利路11巷30,32號
Number: (02)2732-3255
Website: https://www.facebook.com/thevillaherbs/info

Menu (partly)
 
Deep Fried Baby Chicken Legs Stuffed Olive (酥炸橄欖鑲雞腿) $280 NT

Deep Fried Baby Chicken Legs Stuffed Olive

 The fried chicken came looking very normal served on top of Doritos.

Cut Open Fried Chicken

 However, when you cut into it, where the bones were supposed to be, were instead replaced by olives and dried apricots. It's the most spectacular little surprise (: The chicken was pretty tender and crispy, but the most awesome part was that you didn't need to work your way around the bones, because it is now replaced with something yummy and edible.

Braised Lamb Shanks in Herbs White Wine Sauce (白酒風味凱莉茴香燉煮小羊膝) $580 NT

Braised Lamb Shanks in Herbs White Wine Sauce

 At a restaurant borderline lounge, I was expecting all the food to be fried and salty. The lamb shanks though, was served light in watery white wine sauce without being too bland. Although the lamb shanks had a little bit of a smell, it wasn't too bad. The soft texture of the lamb made up for the smell.

Braised Veal Ossobuco and Black Eyes Bean in Red Wine Sauce (勃根地紅酒燉煮小牛膝，季節食蔬及黑眼豆) $580 NT

Braised Veal Ossobuco and Black Eyes Bean in Red Wine Sauce

 The veal, like the lamb, wasn't too heavy though the lamb was still a bit lighter. The veal was good, but I still thought that the texture of the lamb was much softer.

Tiramisu (提拉米蘇) $180 NT

Tiramisu

 I really wanted to get the apple pie, but my date for the evening was allergic to walnuts :(, so instead we got the tiramisu. The tiramisu was supposedly the restaurant's specialty, and I guess it wasn't too bad. The mousse part of the tiramisu was yummy, but the cake layers would have been soggy had it not been for icy frozen texture. It was also a little weird that the tiramisu was a bit frozen, but not really. Overall though, the tiramisu wasn't too bad.

What I really liked the most about The Villa - Herbs is its atmosphere. Unlike most dark and lounge-like restaurants, the food was actually pretty decent and not overly heavy. I would recommend The Villa -Herbs to anyone interested in grabbing a decent dinner with drinks.

Country Cake [鄉村乳酪蛋糕]

Visit: April 2, 2012
Address: 台北市士林區德行東路222號
Number: (02)2836-3553
Website: http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/country-cake222/

Despite a Hai Nan Chicken Rice dinner, no one was satisfied. So after meandering through De Xing East road, circling 85C and other cafes, we finally settled Country Cake.

Cake Display

Cake Display

Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake (巧克力慕斯) $45 NT, Heavy Cheesecake (重乳酪) $60 NT, Blueberry Cheesecake (藍莓蛋糕) $45 NT, Chocolate Cheesecake (巧克力乳酪) $40 NT

From Left: Heavy Cheesecake, Blueberry Cheesecake, Chocolate Cheesecake, Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake

Out of the three, I actually enjoyed all of them a lot except for the chocolate mousse cake. I really liked how even the chocolate cheesecake was really rich and creamy.

I would definitely recommend Country Cake's cheesecake. So yummy~

Homemade - Fried Oreos

Date: March 30, 2012

Ingredients:
1 cup All-Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 egg
1 cup Water
2 tablespoon Oil
6 Oreos

Step One:
 Whisk the flour, baking soda, egg and water together to make batter

Step Two:
Coat the Oreos in batter

Step Three:
Pour the oil in frying pan and heat with the highest setting for 2-3 minutes

Step Four: 

Step four: frying the oreos

Fry the oreo's!

Step Five:

Step five: fry until golden

Fry until golden then retrieve

Step Six:

Step six: eat

 Enjoy the soft cookie and melted insides...yum~

On Tap - Restaurant & Bar (Visit #3)

Visit: March 28, 2012
Address: 台北市大安區忠孝東路四段216巷11弄21號
Number: (02) 2741-5365
Website: http://www.ontaptaipei.com

 I've been to On Tap so many times, and yet, I never seem to get bored of it.

Classic Nachos (自創玉米脆片) $190 NT

Classic Nachos

I couldn't really taste the guacamole for some reason, but other than that, the nachos were good.


The Classic Burger (經典牛肉漢堡) $230 NT

The Classic Burger

 I had a bite of my friend's burger, and the patty was surprisingly thick and juicy.


Chicken with Pesto Penne Pasta (雞肉青醬筆管麵) $260 NT

Chicken with Pesto Penne Pasta

There pasta was good, but there wasn't really anything special about it.

After so many visits, I would still recommend On Tap. It has better than just decent food, and an atmosphere that's rare to find in Taipei.

On Tap - Restaurant & Bar (Visit #2)

Visit: March 16, 2012
Address: 台北市大安區忠孝東路四段216巷11弄21號
Number: (02) 2741-5365
Website: http://www.ontaptaipei.com

Craving an all-American (not exactly) night after Bravo Burger, I found myself at On Tap once again. 

10 Chicken Wings with Zesty Honey Chili (炸雞翅 配蒜味蜂蜜辣味醬) $200 NT 

10 Chicken Wings with Zesty Honey Chili

The chicken wings were a little disappointing but only because I was expecting something phenomenal and it turned out to be simply good. I also think I should have just stuck with my original plan of ordering BBQ sauce instead of feeling adventurous and ordering my wings with zesty honey chili. The zesty honey chili wasn't bad, I just don't think it worked as well as the BBQ sauce could have.

What I love most about On Tap is the really laid back atmosphere it provides. I would definitely recommend On Tap for both its food and its atmosphere.

Bravo Burger [發福廚房]

Visit: March 16, 2012
Address: 台北市大安區市民大道四段72號
Number: (02) 8771-9787
Website: http://www.bravo-burger.htm.tw/

Many weeks of preparation actually took place before I was able to enjoy my burger. After hours spent on food blogs, I finally decided that I wanted to try the peanut butter burger and the deep fry chicken burger. My evil plan was to have my friend order one of the two and I, of course, the other so that I could try both :D


Peanut Butter Beef Burger (花生醬牛肉漢堡) $230 NT

Peanut Butter Beef Burger

 I know it sounds quite weird, but the peanut butter burger was really good. The patty itself was okay, but I really liked how the buns were toasted on one side as well as the bacon bits in the peanut butter. I wonder how it would taste if the peanut butter was crunchy....
The fries were very usual but I loved the option of having honey mustard to go with fries.

Deep Fry Chicken Burger (轟炸蜂蜜芥雞腿堡) $230 NT

Deep Fry Chicken Burger

 This would be the biggest fried chicken burger I have ever laid my eyes on. The crispy chicken was  about twice the size of the bun and I had to work hard to eat this and not look barbaric. The chicken super crispy, super tender, and awesomely yummy! The honey mustard was a little too sweet for my liking, but overall the burger was really good. I ordered fried mushroom as my side order. I didn't really like how the outside was crispy but because mushrooms are moist in nature, the fried batter and the mushrooms were no longer connected. The mushrooms also had a little too much water content, which caused the texture to be a bit off.

Oreo Milkshake (Oreo 巧酥奶昔) $120 NT 

Oreo Milkshake

 The oreo milkshake was good without being overpoweringly sweet. However, I wish that there were more oreo bits in the milkshake...or am I just being greedy?

I definitely recommend Bravo Burger to anyone who is in the mood for burgers. Both our burgers were yummy and I was extremely impressed with the size of the fried chicken burger.

Chili's Grill & Bar

Visit: Mar. 2, 2012
Address: 台北市忠誠路2段200號2樓(Mitsukoshi)
Number: (02)2875-4838
Website: www.chilis.com.tw

I really wasn't planning on having dinner after my afternoon tea at a³, but after getting dragged to Chili's by my parents, I couldn't resist the temptation to enjoy the good food.

Side Salad - Garden Salad (翡翠沙拉) $180 NT

Side Garden Salad

 This was my attempt at a healthy dinner, but my attempt completely fell apart in the end as more and more yummy dishes materialized before me. I liked this simple salad with because between the cheese and the croutons, I was could easily eat the greens without the dressing. However, the honey mustard dressing I got was really yummy. Unlike most honey mustard dressings in Taiwan that just tastes like sweet mayonnaise, the honey mustard here tasted pretty good.


 Hot Spinach & Artichoke Dip (熱奶油波菜洋薊沾醬) $280 NT

Hot Spinach & Artichoke Dip

 I've always wanted to try the hot spinach and artichoke dip. When they served the dish, I think my eyeballs were about the fall out of their sockets when I discovered how large the portion of chips was. The dip itself was really really rich with the cheese as well as the butter, but that suited me just right. I liked the dip (even though Lawry's creamed spinach is still my favorite) but the acidity of the tomato made the dip taste a little weird. One thing that really bothered me about the dish though was a really weird after taste, but I couldn't tell if it came from the dip or the chips.



Classic Fajita (經典卡式達)

Classic Fajita

 When I first saw the steak, I thought that it might have been overcooked, but because the steak was a little fat, the beef was able to retain its tenderness. My favorite part of the dish though, were onions that were practically caramelized (:


Mushroom Jack Fajitas (蘑菇傑克法士達)

Mushroom Jack Fajita

 I loved the melted cheese and bacon bits in the fajita except I wish that the cheese was even more melted and served hotter. The mushrooms were also really good and the chicken was extremely tender. Even though Chili's always serve chicken breast, I've realized over my visits, that their chicken breasts are always extremely tender.

I've been to Chili's so many times, and yet, I'm still continuously impressed by the food. Chili's serves such a huge variety of food that I still haven't tried all of their dishes. I would definitely recommend Chili's for anyone craving some American food.