Just in Bistro

Visit: August 3, 2012
Address: 台北市信義區松壽路30號 (Neo 19)
Number: (02) 8786 - 2000
Website: http://justinquek.com/jbwb.html

I've actually been to Just in Bistro before, but it was quite a disappointment. This time around, I was hoping that it would redeem itself.

Menu

Just in Bistro Business Lunch Menu

Beetroot and Orange Salad with Balsamic Dressing (甜菜根、柳橙沙拉佐巴薩米克醬汁)

Beetroot and Orange Salad with Balsamic Dressing

The balsamic vinegar dressing was pretty refreshing.

Grilled Squid Salad with Lima Bean ,Lemon and Anchovy Dressing (炭烤花枝沙拉搭配白腰豆佐檸檬鯷魚醬汁)

Grilled Squid Salad with Lima Bean ,Lemon and Anchovy Dressing 

Roasted Duck Breast with Figs and Sauternes Sauce (炙烤宜蘭豪野鴨胸佐無花果葡萄乾醬汁)

Roasted Duck Breast with Figs and Sauternes Sauce

Although the sauce was decent, the duck breast was so tough! The pinkness of the meat promised such a delicious main course, but it was like chewing duck jerky or something.

Casareccia Pasta with Bacon, Mushroom and Basil Tomato Sauce (綜合有機菇培根辮子麵佐番茄羅勒醬汁)

Casareccia Pasta with Bacon, Mushroom and Basil Tomato Sauce 

Baked Vanilla Cheese Cake with Mango Foam and Sorbet (烤起司蛋糕搭配水果冰沙佐芒果泡沫)

Baked Vanilla Cheese Cake with Mango Foam and Sorbet

The cheesecake was pretty good, though the crust wasn't as crumbly as I would've liked it to be.

Dessert du Jour - Warm Valrhona Bitter Dark Chocolate Cake with Homemade Ice Cream (今日甜點 - 溫法芙娜巧克力蛋糕與自創冰淇淋)

Dessert du Jour - Warm Valrhona Bitter Dark Chocolate Cake with Homemade Ice Cream

The chocolate cake is actually a molten chocolate cake. It's one of the better ones I've had so far. Because of the dark chocolate factor, the sweetness and molteness of the cake isn't overwhelming.

"Le Creuset" Skillets Souffle : Seasonal Fresh Fruit Compote and Apricot Cream ("Le Creuset" 煎烤季節水果舒芙蕾佐杏桃奶霜) $ 480 NT

"Le Creuset" Skillets Souffle : Seasonal Fresh Fruit Compote and Apricot Cream 

I remember the last time I was here, I couldn't keep my eyes off of the huge souffle lying on the table top next to ours. Even though neither my date nor I were hungry, I was determined to order the big big souffle. The size was very impressive, but the souffle wasn't moist enough and tasted pretty average. Joyce East's souffle is definitely still my favorite.

Once again, Just in Bistro failed to impress me. Other than the failed duck breast, the food here seems average and although I wouldn't rush back here again, I guess it's not a restaurant I would actively avoid either.

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.

California Pizza Kitchen [加州創意廚房]

Visit: July 20, 2012
Address: 台北市松壽路20號2F (Vieshow)
Number: (02) 2722-8383
Website: http://www.facebook.com/CPKTaiwan.fan

You know when cpk first came to town it was all everyone could talk about? I know I'm a few months late, but I finally went to try the "new" cpk in Taiwan.

 Menu

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.


California Club Pizza (加州總會比薩) $320 NT

California Club Pizza

I want a huge fan of the California club pizza...but it was simply personal preference.

Sicilian Pizza (西西里風味比薩) $480 NT

Sicilian Pizza

The pizza was just a bit bare compared to the descriptions.

Milan Pizza (米蘭比薩) $420 NT

Milan Pizza

The picture in the menu was quite promising in terms of the asking of toppings on the pizza, but reality sucks haha.


When I first had cpk in the states, I wasn't quite sure what the craze was about, and honestly, I still don't know. I'm very neutral about CPK, so I guess I'd recommend it?

Mucho [慕求餐廳]

Visit: July 19, 2012
Address: 台北市大安區信義路四段107-1號1樓
Number:(02) 2708 - 6177
Website: http://www.muchoherb.com/

Mucho is a health conscious restaurant and it bases itself around Cordyceps sinensis, a type of fungus used in Chinese medicine. I have absolutely no idea what any of the dishes are called, but I'll do my best to describe them.

Dried Cordyceps Sinensis

Salty Vegetables and Chinese Sausage (鹹菜 & 高粱酒蜜釀冬虫夏草香腸)

Salty Vegetables and Chinese Sausage

Salad, Konjac, Sashimi, Asparagus and Plum Marinated Cherry Tomato

Salad, Konjac, Sashimi, Asparagus and Plum Marinated Cherry Tomato

Chicken Soup (蟲草燉雞湯)

Chicken Soup

The chicken soup was one of the best chicken soups I've had so far.

Garlic Bread

Garlic Bread

So apparently their garlic bread is supposed to be one of the best... but I couldn't really tell what was special about it.

Japanese Hand Roll

Japanese Hand Roll

The hand roll was good, but they could have gone easier on the mayo since the avocado already makes the hand roll less dry.

Pan Seared Fish

Pan Seared Fish

The sauce lacked a bit of taste, but the fish was seared really nicely. The skin was crispy, and the meat wasn't dry.

Grated Japanese Yam Soup

Grated Japanese Yam Soup

Grilled Spring Chicken

Grilled Spring Chicken

For some reason, I was the only one who ordered the spring chicken out of everyone that day... and I was the only one who enjoyed my main course. The other option was grilled pork which everyone seemed to think was too dry and bland. The chicken however had crisp skin and really moist meat. It wasn't just an okay grilled chicken dish, it was delicious.

Cucumber and Yam Sushi

Cucumber and Yam Sushi

It tasted a bit like supermarket sushi.

Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Cake

Oh man, the chocolate cake was GODLY. I'm not just saying that because I'm surprised at how good the cake was at a tiny bakery, but I'm actually stating its awesomeness because it was genuinely amazing. The cake was really moist, and the chocolate ganache in the layers between the layers of chocolate sponge cake were rich enough. And although most sponge cakes are pretty boring, the sponge cake here had a string enough cocoa flavor to it.

I don't think I would recommend the restaurant simply because you don't really go to eat food, but you go to make yourself feel healthy without bad food. Although the food wasn't bad, the staff were a little clueless what was going on half the time, and I got the impression that the set we were enjoying probably cost a fortune.

My Humble House Restaurant [寒舍食譜] (Visit #3)

Visit: July 17, 2012
Address: 台北市信義區松仁路38號2F (Le Meridien)
Number: (02) 2321-1818
Website: http://www.lemeridien-taipei.com/#/cuisine/1

Menu

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiCrispy Barbecued Pork (脆皮叉燒) $480 NT DR.

Crispy Barbecued Pork (脆皮叉燒) $480 NT 

Crispy Barbecued Pork

I felt like the meat wasn't as soft as my previous visits there, but that didn't necessarily mean that it wasn't as good.

Black and White Wood Ear Fungus with Aged Vinegar (老陳醋黑白木耳) $150 NT

Black and White Wood Ear Fungus with Aged Vinegar 

Sauteed Asparagus with Lily Bulbs (蘆筍炒百合) $380 NT

Sauteed Asparagus with Lily Bulbs 

The dish really didn't make much of an impression.

Roasted Baby Duck (脆皮先知鴨) $1100 NT

Roasted Baby Duck

The duck was in a really dark corner...so sorry for the really bad quality.

Roasted Baby Duck Wrap

Yum~

Stir Fried Roasted Baby Duck 

Stir Fried Roasted Baby Duck

The dish was okay, but I definitely preferred the more traditional kind of stir fry with the dark sauce and all.

Roasted Baby Duck Soup

Roasted Duck Soup

I was really surprised with how nicely flavored the duck soup was though I wasn't such a huge fan of the actual meat inside the soup.

Suckling Pig (片皮乳豬) $800 NT

Suckling Pig

The suckling pig skin was so unbelievably crisp! It is now one of my favorite dishes at my humble house.

Stewed Vegetables Topped with Crab Sauce (蟹肉扒時疏) $420 NT

Stewed Vegetables Topped with Crab Sauce 

The crab meat sauce just kind of glides around the broccoli and gives it a very unique flavor.

Deep Fried Pork Ribs Fried with Chinkiang Vinegar (鎮江香醋骨) $460 NT

Deep Fried Pork Ribs Fried with Chinkiang Vinegar

I do have just one complaint for this yummy dish: the portion is tiny.

After so many visits to My Humble House within such a short span of time, I would still recommend it. The quality has proven to be consistent with each of my visits.

My Humble House Restaurant [寒舍食譜] (Visit #2)

Visit: April 12, 2012
Address: 台北市信義區松仁路38號2F (Le Meridien)
Number: (02) 2321-1818
Website: http://www.lemeridien-taipei.com/#/cuisine/1

I was sorting through photos in my "finished" folder and :O I realized that I never posted about my second visit to My Humble House... so here goes.

Menu 

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.


Crispy Barbecued Pork (脆皮叉燒) $480 NT 

Crispy Barbecued Pork

Awesome as usual :)

Black and White Wood Ear Fungus with Aged Vinegar (老陳醋黑白木耳) $150 NT

Black and White Wood Ear Fungus with Aged Vinegar

Baby Cabbage Hearts with Wild Mushroom and Supreme Broth (原湯野菌娃娃菜) 380 NT

Baby Cabbage Hearts with Wild Mushroom and Supreme Broth

Nothing special about this dish...

Braised Bean Curd with Bamboo Pith and Enokitake (金菇竹笙燒豆腐) $420 NT

Braised Bean Curd with Bamboo Pith and Enokitake

Beef Tendons in Spicy Sauce (麻辣牛筋) $300 NT

Beef Tendons in Spicy Sauce

I was a little disappointed with the dish. It wasn't even as good as local Taiwanese restaurants

Roasted Crispy Chicken with Caramelized Walnuts (琥珀脆皮炸子雞) $680 NT

Roasted Crispy Chicken with Caramelized Walnuts

The skin really was crispy without the meat being too dry.

Suckling Pig and Assorted Barbecued Meat (乳豬雙盤) $720 NT

Suckling Pig and Assorted Barbecued Meat

<3 <3 <3 their suckling pig. It really rivals the barbecued pork. I don't quite remember what the other part of the "assorted" part was.

I would still definitely recommend My Humble House. The waiters and waitresses are always attentive, the atmosphere always nice, and the dishes are always yummy.

Tim & Mel - Pâtisserie & Bistro

Visit: June 7, 2012
Address: 台北市仁愛路四段345巷四弄39號
Number: (02) 2752-1829

I've actually come across Tim & Mel several times while I was surfing on the web, but it was always about their afternoon tea and desserts. So when my friend suggested this bistro for dinner, I hesitated a bit but agreed anyways.

Spiced Wagyu Beef Salad with Balsamic Reduction (和牛肉蔬果沙拉奶油芥茉醬) $480 NT

Spiced Wagyu Beef Salad with Balsamic Reduction

I didn't expect my salad to be anything special, but hey it was actually very good. The beef was cooked just right and seasoned nicely.

Pan Crisped Chicken Pasta (潘翠雞義大利麵) $380 NT

Pan Crisped Chicken Pasta

My friend's pasta was likewise better than I thought it would be. The chicken was surprisingly tender and the sauce was also pretty good.

Classic Cheese Cake (起司蛋糕) $130 NT

Classic Cheese Cake

Since I saw so much about their desserts online, I was hoping for something amazingly awesome. But I guess since we went for dinner.. most of the cakes were gone and so we ware only stuck with a few choices. The cheesecake was good but nothing out of the ordinary. The crust was hard enough for me, and the cheesecake filling was also rich enough for my liking.

Although Tim & Mel is generally known for their desserts. the desserts did not particularly wow me today. Perhaps it was the lack of variety or something, but I'd recommend this tiny bistro for its food. The store itself is really tiny and even though I didn't need to make reservations, I'd suggest you make them since it seats around ten people only.

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.