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

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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.

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.

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.

My Humble House Restaurant [寒舍食譜]

Visit: April 7, 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

YAY, finally trying the highly regarded My Humble House at Le Merdien! When I walked into the restaurant, I was so impressed by the atmosphere of the restaurant. Although the interiors were really nice and classy, the restaurant did not have that high-end oppressive atmosphere, but instead had a really friendly but classy surrounding.

Crispy Barbecued Pork (脆皮叉燒) $480 NT 

Crispy Barbecued Pork

 The crispy barbecued pork wasn't the traditional kind, but it was completely cooked to ultimate soft and tenderness. When you place the pork in your mouth, the meat practically melts on your tongue. This was definitely the best barbecued pork I've had; however I really wished that the outside was crispier and more caramelized. I know it sounds kind of weird, but the outside kind of reminds me of a creme brulee.

Pan-fried Diced Chicken with Kailan, Black Pepper and Green Onion (碧綠川椒雞) $460 NT

Pan-fried Diced Chicken with Kailan, Black Pepper and Green Onions

 Out of all the dishes, this was the most mediocre dish. The chicken wasn't particularly good and just very normal tasting. Although the chicken was very tender, the black pepper sauce was a little too food court tasting.

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

I know that this was supposed to be a Chinese dish, but it actually tasted Western. Instead of the traditional rice vinegar, it tasted more like balsamic vinegar - which I enjoyed (: I also liked how the restaurant didn't use a drop of oil... or more specifically sesame oil, so it was a lot more refreshing.

Chicken Flat Rice Roll (雞肉腸粉) $250 NT

Chicken Flat Rice Roll

I've never actually had anything other than shrimp or pork inside the rice roll, so imagine my delight when I found two new things in my rice roll - Chinese fried dough and chicken. The crispiness of the fried dough really added a crunchy delight to the usually soft and floppy roll. 


Steamed Taro Cakes (香蒸素芋糕) $150 NT

Steamed Taro Cakes

The taro cakes at My Humble House is very unconventional. I really liked how they kept the actual form of the taro and also arranged it in such a cute fashion; however the taro cake was a little too dry and bland for my liking.

Honey Glazed Barbecued Pork Puff Pastries (蜜汁叉燒酥) $150 NT

Honey Glazed Barbecued Pork Puff Pastries

 I love love love barbecued pork puff pastries, and these did not disappoint.

Herb and Mushroom Dumplings (香草素菌蒸粉粿) $150 NT

Herb and Mushroom Dumplings

 When the dish was served, I was immediately attracted to the dumplings' interesting appearance. The outside wasn't the usual dumpling skin but resembled that of a 水晶餃. However, I ended up only having a bite of the dumplings because THEY WERE FILLED WITH CILANTRO! I hate cilantro...but that's just me.

Minced Salty Fish and Chicken Fried Rice (鹹魚雞粒炒飯)

Minced Salty Fish and Chicken Fried Rice

This dish wasn't on the menu, but we were craving some fried rice without the very expensive scallops in there, and the chef was kind enough to make this for us instead. The fried rice was a little bland but wasn't too bad. The best minced salty fish and chicken fried rice I've ever had is at the Chinese restaurant up on the Landis Resort on Yang Ming Shan.

Overall, I would definitely recommend My Humble House. Although you'd expect a fusion sort of Chinese from the nice atmosphere, I thought that the food was actually pretty authentic. The service was also very quick with attentive waiters and waitresses. For such a nice restaurant, the price was reasonable with yummy food. (:

Dragon Restaurant [龍都酒樓]

Visit: March 21, 2012
Address: 台北市中山北路1段105巷18-1號
Number: (02)2563-9293

I'm not completely sure how many times I've brought up this restaurant to my grandparents, but apparently it made quite a huge impression on my visiting cousin. When I finally got us reservations at the Dragon Restaurant, my cousin laughed and told me that after listening to me nag for 5 months, I was finally going get to try it the duck.

Dragon Restaurant

Dragon Restaurant

The seating area of the first two floors right when they opened for the night...

Menu


Complimentary Appetizers (小菜)

Appetizers: Preserved eggs, tofu strips, pickled cucumber.

 My favorite out of the three was the preserved eggs.

Cantonese Roast Duck (廣式片皮鴨) $1200 NT

Cantonese Roast Duck

Cantonese Roast Duck

 I was getting super hungry by then....

Sauce and chili wrapped green onions

Sliced Cantonese Roast Duck

Cantonese Roast Duck in the process of being wrapped

 My favorite part of the roasted duck is always, the skin and the sauce, and Dragon Restaurant did not disappoint. Most of the fat was gone from the skin, which made the skin so much crunchier. I also liked how the green onions were wrapped by a piece of chili. It didn't do much for the taste, but it was definitely aesthetically pleasing. And of course, the duck meat itself was awesome and juicy.

Cantonese Duck Congee  (薑絲皮蛋鴨骨粥) 300 NT

Cantonese Duck Congee

During my research (yes I take food very seriously), almost all the blogs I looked at recommended the Cantonese Duck Congee; however, I was thoroughly disappointed. Maybe they were having an off day, or maybe I'm just not that into congee, but the congee tasted rather normal.

Roast Suckling Pig (化皮乳豬件) $560 NT

Roast Suckling Pig

 I think Dragon Restaurant has a special way of processing their meats, because once again, the roast pig was tender and not oily at all. I was really pleased with this dish.

Fried Delicious Prawn (濟頭鼓味皇中蝦) $380 NT

Fried Delicious Prawn

  I kind of forgot what this dish was called, so I'm blindly guessing from the menu. The prawns were fried and had a garlicky taste to it. The seasoning was nice, and I loved how I could just eat the prawns without peeling the shells off.

 Saute Kale (清炒芥蘭) $260 NT 

Saute Kale

Fried BBQ Pork Pie (蜜汁叉燒酥) $70 NT

Fried BBQ Pork Pie

The pork pie was so crispy and the bbq pork inside so yummy.

 Sesame Mochi Ball (流沙芝麻球) $70 NT

Sesame Mochi Ball

 I actually have no idea what this is called in English, but calling it sesame mochi ball does not do it justice because once you bit it open...

Insides of the Sesame Mochi Ball

Yes, it's warm sesame sauce, not paste, inside. The mochi was really chewy and unlike what I had first assumed, the sesame wasn't too sweet either. The only thing I had with it was that it wasn't warm enough when it was served.


Sweet Almond Jello (凍杏仁豆腐) $70 NT 

Sweet Almond Jello

Its mandarin name is quite deceiving with the "tofu"; however it really was just jello.


Three Layered Jello $70 NT

Three Layered Jello

The bottom layer I think was red bean, the middle coconut, but I couldn't quite figure out what kind of jello the top was. This was a nice refreshing serving of dessert.


Complimentary Mung Bean and Job's Tears Soup (綠豆薏仁湯)

Mung Bean and Job's Tears Soup

The mung bean soup was well flavored, but most important, the job's tears well cooked. They were cooked to the point of chewy without being too hard or soggy.

After months of suspense, Dragon Restaurant did live up to my expectations. The roast duck and roast pig were just simply delicious! I definitely recommend Dragon Restaurant! Make sure to make reservations a few weeks in advance though, because although it has three floors of seating area, it's always so fully booked even on weekdays. I can't keep track of the number of times I failed to get reservations even though I called a week in advance.