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.

Marco Polo [馬可波羅]

Visit: August 5, 2012
Address: 台北市大安區敦化南路二段201號 38F
Number: (02) 2376 - 3156
Website: http://www.feph.com.tw/pages/frontend/main.htm

Marco Polo has been getting a lot of press regarding visiting chefs and what not. In the end, publicity won...I had to go try Marco Polo.

Menu

Menu

Complimentary Bread

Complimentary Bread

The Italian flat bread was my favorite.

Appetizer - Caesar Salad (開胃菜 - 經典凱撒沙拉)

Caesar Salad

Appetizer Tuna Salad - (開胃菜 - 黃鰭鮪魚尼斯沙拉)

Tuna Salad

Appetizer - Mashed Corn in Cheese Sauce (開胃菜 - 義式玉米糕襯小黃菇佐藍紋乳酪起市醬)

Mashed Corn in Cheese Sauce

The corn thing was really good and mushy. I couldn't really taste the cheese, but the cream really complimented the corn.

Appetizer - Seared Scallops with Ham (開胃菜 - 嫩煎干貝襯青豆醬佐火腿脆片)

Seared Scallops with Ham

The scallops were nicely seared.

Soup - Vegetable Soup with Job's Tears (湯 - 青醬風味蔬菜薏仁湯)

Vegetable Soup with Job's Tears

I liked this one more out of the two choices.

Soup - Beef and Chicken Soup with Ham Ravioli (湯 - 牛肉及雞肉清湯襯義式火腿餃)

Beef and Chicken Soup with Ham Ravioli

When I saw ravioli, I was so excited!!! But the soup ended up not tasting like anything, and the ravioli didn't taste like a ravioli either.

Pasta/Risotto - Fettuccine in Cheese Meat Sauce (手工義大利麵及燉飯 - 雙色手工寬麵佐牛肉起士肉醬)

Fettuccine in Cheese Meat Sauce

This just tasted like the standard spaghetti.

Pasta/Risotto - Spaghetti in Spicy Seafood Tomato Sauce (手工義大利麵及燉飯 - 辣味番茄海鮮義大利麵)

Spaghetti in Spicy Seafood Tomato Sauce

I failed to taste anything spicy in this bland sauce.

Pasta/Risotto - Risotto with Oysters in Squid Ink (手工義大利麵及燉飯 - 檸香生蠔墨魚汁燉飯)

Risotto with Oysters in Squid Ink

Definitely get the risotto if you are given these choices.

Main - Assorted Grilled Meats (主菜 - 綜合碳烤拼盤) $990 NT

Assorted Grilled Meats

The first time my dish came, the pork rib was really really yummy, but my steak was too well done. When I told the waitress about it, she very quickly offered to make me another one. Second time around, the steak was good, but three rib was too dry.
 
Dessert - Tiramisu (義式招牌甜點 - 提拉米蘇)

Tiramisu

The tiramisu would be my choice.

Dessert -Chocolate Mousse with Strawberry Sauce (義式招牌甜點 - 黑巧克力慕斯佐草莓醬)

Chocolate Mousse with Strawberry Sauce

I'm not a big fan of mousse but I would have to admit that their mousse isn't bad.

Dessert - Chestnut Flavored Chocolate Mousse (義式招牌甜點 - 栗子風味巧克力慕斯佐肉桂波特酒)

Chestnut Flavored Chocolate Mousse

Coffee + Biscotti 

Coffee + Biscotti

I was so disappointed with...everything at Marco Polo. First off, the food was definitely not at all at a level anywhere near my favorite restaurants though I have to say, the set was extremely cheap for the amount of food we got. The staff was also very untrained. When I had my main course redone, I practically watched everyone finish their dish while mine was lying on the side neglected by the waitress because she was too busy servicing the other table. What was worse what that for some reason, the waiters weren't allowed to serve to the tables, so I saw free waiters walking in and out, but none of them would pick up my main. By the time my main course came, the rest of my family was done with lunch. I don't think I'd go to Marco Polo again. The view was great, and maybe the more expensive sets are better, but this visit was just too much of a disappointment.

Fourplay Cuisine

Visit: July 24, 2012
Address: 台北市大安區東豐街67號
Number: (02) 2708 - 3898
Website: http://www.facebook.com/FourplayCuisine

I've heard a lot about this bar that serves really fresh cocktails and whatnot. So I finally went to fourplay with a couple of my girl friends.

Menu

Menu

(Thai Crispy Chicken) 泰式暴力脆雞 $300 NT

Thai Crispy Chicken

The chicken was surprisingly good and also at a good price. The meat was really really moist and the skin was also really crispy.

Drinks $250 NT - $450 NT

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.
Well since I went there for the drinks, it's only logical that I show you the ones we ordered. The cocktails all tasted really good, and the bartender can cater to basically whatever flavor you want. There weren't just fruity cocktails, but there were plenty of coffee based ones as well as this tiramisu one.

I would definitely recommend fourplay. It's a really nice place for dinner and for friends to meet for drinks.

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.