The Dragon [辰園]

Visit: July 9, 2012
Address: 台北市忠孝東路一段12號B1
Number: (02) 2321 - 1818
Website: http://www.sheraton-taipei.com/english/r_dragon.htm

I've made it my goal to try every single restaurant in Sheraton, so I'm just working really hard towards reaching that goal.

Crispy Barbecued Superior Pork with Caramelized Sugar (脆皮叉燒) $460 NT

Crispy Barbecued Superior Pork with Caramelized Sugar

This is exactly the same dish as the one at My Humble House which was of course tasty.

Pastry with BBQ Pork and Preserved Eggs (皮蛋叉燒酥) $130 NT

Pastry with BBQ Pork and Preserved Eggs

The pastry just fell right off layer by layer in my mouth~ I couldn't taste the preserved eggs, but the barbecue pork pastry was good.

Stir Fried Water Spinach (清炒空心菜) $300 NT

Stir Fried Water Spinach

Chinese Sweetened Bean Paste Pancake (豆沙煎窩餅) $150 NT

Chinese Sweetened Bean Paste Pancake

The chinese pancake here was very different from the standard one. The bean paste is inside this mochi-like pancake that is fried on the outside. The three different textures in the dessert just made the pancake so much more desirable.

I would definitely recommend The Dragon. The food was very yummy and the atmosphere and service were pretty decent.

The Guest House [請客樓]

Visit: July 31, 2012
Address: 台北市大同區忠孝東路一段12號 17F
Number: (02) 2321 - 1818
Website: http://www.sheraton-taipei.com/english/r_guest_house.htm


Another Chinese meal before I leave for the states and leave all the awesome food behind :)

Menu

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

For Ears Only - Pork Tongue Wrapped in Pork Ear (悄悄話) $200 NT

Add caption

For Ears Only - Pork Tongue Wrapped in Pork Ear

Preserved Eggs in Peeled Pepper (泡椒皮蛋) $200 NT

Preserved Eggs in Peeled Pepper 

The peeled pepper wasn't too spicy and was definitely a nice appetizer to start the meal with.

Pork Tail in Fermented Red East (紅鞠尾巴) $200 NT

Pork Tail in Fermented Red East 

I actually came to the restaurant for the pork tail which turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. Although the pork tail was stewed nicely, it lacked the flavoring.

Kung Pao Chicken (宮保雞丁) $400 NT

Kung Pao Chicken 

The kung pao chicken was stir fried long enough and spicy enough for my liking.


Braised Shark Belly with Soybean Sauce (豆醬沙魚肚) $520 NT

Braised Shark Belly with Soybean Sauce 

The shark belly was really tender and the sauce was also good.


Baked Turnip Cakes (蘿蔔絲酥餅) $160 NT x 2

Baked Turnip Cakes 

I really like baked turnip cakes, so I thought this was yummy.

Stir Fried Yam Vegetables (清炒地瓜葉) $300 NT

Stir Fried Yam Vegetables 

The usual.

Stewed Sugarcane Shoots with Vegetables (碧綠燜蔗筍)

Stewed Sugarcane Shoots with Vegetables 

Szechuan Green Beans (乾扁四季豆) $360 NT & Pan-fried Scallion Pancakes (蔥油餅) $120 NT x 2

Szechuan Green Beans & Pan-fried Scallion Pancakes

The scallion pancakes here aren't the thick kinds, so it served as a perfect skin for the wrap with the green beans.

Salty Pork with Bean Curd Soup in a Clay Pot (砂鍋醃篤鮮) $480 NT

Salty Pork with Bean Curd Soup in a Clay Pot 

Sweetened Red Bean Pancakes (紅豆煎鍋餅) $320 NT

Sweetened Red Bean Pancakes 

I was so disappointed with the red bean panckes! The pancake had a bit too much sesame on it and not enough red bean paste which made the entire dish a little too dry.

The guest house is a decent Chinese restaurant, but it wouldn't be my first choice. The dishes were a bit mediocre and the selection a bit limited.

Tong Ji [通記]

Visit: July 30, 2012
Address: 台北市中山區雙城街13巷11-1 號
Number: (02) 2597 - 3063

My dad and I pretty much randomly chose this restaurant as we were looking for somewhere to sit and have a simple lunch.

Menu

通記 menu

Braised Beef Noodle Soup - Meat & Tendon (紅燒半筋半肉) $140 NT

Braised Beef Noodle Soup - Meat & Tendon 

The beef noodle soup was really different from the usual Taiwanese braised ones. The soup was much clearer and lighter and tasted a bit Vietnamese. The beef was cooked okay.

Papaya Salad (涼拌青木瓜) $90 NT 

Papaya Salad 

This didn't taste like the usual Thai papaya salads either. It's like the restaurant's own version of papaya salad.

Thai Fried Chicken (椒麻雞) $160 NT

Thai Fried Chicken

The chicken was fried so the meat is nice and tender, but the sauce was a bit off. It didn't taste very Thai... or taste like anything actually.

Stir Fried Water Spinach (炒空心菜) $70 NT

Stir Fried Water Spinach

Some veggies to complete the meal :)

For the price that you're paying at Tong Ji, the food is okay. The food may not be completely authentic, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't taste good.

Fifi Tea House [Fifi 常玉廳]

Visit: July 30, 2012
Address:台北市大安區仁愛路四段15號2F
Number: (02) 2721 - 1970
Website: http://www.isabelle-wen.com/wenfifi/

I've always wanted to try Fifi, but for some reason I never really got to it. Yet, on the day that I finally went, neither my date nor I were hungry, so I wasn't able to order the dishes I wanted to try.

Fried Chicken with Red Pepper (當紅炸子雞) $300 NT

Fried Chicken with Red Pepper

I was a little surprised when I saw the dish because I was expecting more of a stir-fry style dish. Although the fried chicken bits were good, the chicken wasn't seasoned evenly, so while some had a nice chili taste, others were a little bland.

Stir Fried Seasonal Vegetable - Water Spinach (清炒空心菜) $320 NT

Stir Fried Seasonal Vegetable - Water Spinach 

Fifi is a nice place to have some Chinese food. The food is pretty standard and the service is decent as well. I would recommend Fifi, but ehhh, there are a lot of better restaurants.

Canton Court [粵菜廳]

Visit: July 25, 2012
Address: 台北市中山區中山北路二段63號 2F
Number: (02) 2100 - 2100
Website: http://www.ambassadorhotel.com.tw/TP/Dining/taipei_dining_info.htm?CTID={FD832E93-9F3B-43B6-B0A5-81738CA05562}

Just an afternoon of lunch with my dad and my grandpa.

Menu

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Steamed Chicken's Claw with Chili Scallop Sauce (XO醬鳳爪) $80 NT

Steamed Chicken's Claw with Chili Scallop Sauce

The chicken claw here was actually pretty easy to eat since the meat just kind of slid off the bone.

Pork with Honey Pastry (蜜汁叉燒酥) $100 NT

Pork with Honey Pastry 

We thought that dining with 3 people today would be an awesome number for dim sum. But then... there came only two yummy pork pastries.

Roasted Pork Rice Noodles (叉燒腸粉) $120 NT

Roasted Pork Rice Noodles 

Steamed Yam with Taros Cake (山藥芋頭糕) $80 NT

Steamed Yam with Taros Cake 

The steamed cake was a little too dry for my liking

Assorted Barbecue Suckling Pig Plate (乳豬拼盤) $600 NT

Assorted Barbecue Suckling Pig Plate

I wasn't a huge fan of the duck in the assorted plate. The suckling pig was decent, but My Humble House still makes it better.

Crispy Fried Chicken (脆皮炸子雞) $600 NT

Crispy Fried Chicken 

I actually ordered this thinking it would be crispy stir fried chicken... big oops there. The chicken was a bit dry, but it was still good.

Clam and Sponge Cucumber (蛤蜊燴絲瓜) $320 NT

Clam and Sponge Cucumber

To my surprise, I very much enjoyed the soft sponge cucumbers and the nice flavors in the dish

Seafood Fried Noodles Cantonese Style (海鮮廣東炒麵) $320 NT

Seafood Fried Noodles Cantonese Style

We asked for our noodles and seafood sauce to be separated so that the noodles will remain crispy, but it really wasn't necessary. There was so much nicely cooked fresh seafood in the sauce, and the entire dish was good.

Canton Court has a huge selection when it comes to food. I'd have to say that the service is a little inattentive and inefficient for a hotel restaurant, but I would still recommend Canton Court.

Yi Yuan Peking Cuisine [頤園北京料理]

Visit: July 24, 2012
Address: 台北市中山區南京東路三段133號 B2 (Westin Hotel)
Number: (02) 8770 - 6565
Website: http://www.westin.com.tw/01_text.asp?sn=52

I went to Yi Yuan under the impression that we'd be ordering the duck... but nope, never happened.

Menu 

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Combination of Two Appetizers: Shredded Chinese Cabbage & Marinated Chilled Salty Chicken (雙拼拼盤: 鄉野素還真 & 鹽焗雞隻白玉腿) $620 NT

Combination of Two Appetizers: Shredded Chinese Cabbage & Marinated Chilled Salty Chicken

The shredded Chinese Cabbage wasn't all that great but the chicken was pretty good.

Deep-Fried Pork Chop with Salt and Pepper (椒鹽排骨) $520 NT

Deep-Fried Pork Chop with Salt and Pepper

I was actually quite disappointed with the dish. I felt like the pork chop was a little soggy, and the meat was too tough.

Stir Fried Cabbage and Pork with Spicy Seafood Sauce (京式變臉) $400 NT

Stir Fried Cabbage and Pork with Spicy Seafood Sauce 

I very much enjoyed the stir fried cabbage. I loved the spiciness of the dish and how the bacon adds that extra flavor to the cabbage.

Pan-Fried Scallion Pancake (香煎蔥油餅) $320 NT

Pan-Fried Scallion Pancake 

The scallion pancake wasn't the best I've had, but it was still pretty yummy. The pancake wasn't too dry the way other places usually mess it up.

Deep-Fried Sweet Potato with Cane Sugar (地瓜拔絲) $320 NT

Deep-Fried Sweet Potato with Cane Sugar in the making

The sweet potato is first caramelized....

Deep-Fried Sweet Potato with Cane Sugar in the making

Then the waitress uses the remaining melted sugar to make the stringy sugar by pulling the melted sugar back and forth.

Deep-Fried Sweet Potato with Cane Sugar

The result was quite impressive. Although the taste was there, I felt like the sweet potato should have been caramelized more since some pieces were crispy, while some were just soggy. The sweet potatoes were also a little too dry in the middle.

Yi Yuan isn't the first restaurant I would go to if I had the choice. I've had their duck a while ago, and I remember that it was cooked pretty nicely. However, this time without the duck, the selection of food just seemed so limited. The dishes we ordered today were literally the only ones that sounded decent, the rest... mehh.

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.

Yu Shan Ge [鈺善閣]

Visit: July 11, 2012
Address: 台北市中正區北平東路14號
Number: (02) 2394 - 5155
Website: http://www.yu-shan-ge.com.tw/

My mom is really into the whole vegetarian thing, and since there aren't that many high end vegetarian restaurants, Yu Shan Ge seemed like the only choice for her birthday dinner.

Menu

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Washing Basin

Washing Basin

A little basin of water to soak your delicate hands in lemon and rose petal. :D

Soup of Mushroom, Fresh Milk and Edible Gold Foil (金沙玉賜)

Soup of Mushroom, Fresh Milk and Edible Gold Foil

Konjac, Yam, Perilla Leaves, Gingko, and Vegetables (琉璃仙境)

Konjac, Yam, Perilla Leaves, Gingko, and Vegetables

It was quite a little nice assortment of refreshing appetizers.

Benne and Pine Nuts (胡麻核物)

Benne and Pine Nuts

Benne and Pine Nuts

The tofu dish was yum!

Fresh Pumpkin and Vanilla (茄紅佳珍)

Fresh Pumpkin and Vanilla

I have absolutely no idea how the name reflects the dish. The white bulbs have like a mochi outer layer with mushroom filling inside.

Mushroom and Cheese (翡翠玉疏)

Mushroom and Cheese

The fried dish had an extremely salty center.

Mushroom, fruits high in fiber, Vegetables, and Konjac (鮮菌珍品) 

Mushroom, fruits high in fiber, Vegetables, and Konjac

My mushroom was okay, but my dad and my sister found theirs unbearably salty. When we told the manager, they happily offered to make us another one, but by then, we were way too full.

Vintage Lavender, Honey, and Rice Vinegar (天醋香草)

Vintage Lavender, Honey, and Rice Vinegar

Complimentary Noodles in Sesame Oil Soup (招待的麻油麵線)

Complimentary Noodles in Sesame Oil Soup

Rice and Red Yeast (荷香藏珍)

Rice and Red Yeast

It's like a little present!

Rice and Red Yeast

The rice flavoring was nice, but I would've liked the center to be a little bit more filled with the dried radish.

Soup of Lotus Seeds, Bamboo Shoots, Vegetables, and Radish (碧綠直笙) 

Soup of Lotus Seeds, Bamboo Shoots, Vegetables, and Radish

The soup wasn't that great

Fruit and Dessert (水果甜點)

Fruit and Dessert

Complimentary Apple Pie Cake (招待的蘋果派)

Complimentary Apple Pie Cake

I'm just a sucker for apple pies..

I would recommend Yu Shan Ge for a vegetarian restaurant. The food is much less processed than many of the other vegetarian restaurants and at the same time tastes a lot more fresh. The service was also very attentive compared to many of the other restaurants.