Nanajyoutatsu [七條龍炭火燒肉]

Visit: April 28, 2012
Address: 台北市復興南路一段21號
Number: (02) 2740-3580
Website: www.nanajyoutatsu.com.tw/

 For some odd reason, I've just been craving meat recently. My friend being an awesome person, decided to satisfy my craving with some barbecue~

Menu


Fruit Sauce Beef (水果壺漬牛肉) $160 NT

Fruit Sauce Beef

Nope, this is not a tasty drink...but a cup full of raw beef in fruit juice. After I roasted the beef, the fruit taste wasn't that obvious, but the flavoring wasn't too bad. The meat though was really tough and fibrous.

Ox Tongue (牛舌 - 鹽蔥) $220 NT

Ox Tongue

 The ox tongue was really chewy.

Triple-flavored Filet Mignon (菲力三味) $250 NT

Triple-flavored Filet Mignon

 The triple-flavored filet mignon flavorings consisted of rose salt, butter and magnolia leaf. My favorite would probably be the rose salt and magnolia leaf flavored ones. The butter was just too oily without enough saltiness since the meat wasn't marinated at all.

Chicken Cartilage - Spicy (雞軟骨 - 辣味) $80 NT

Chicken Cartilage - Spicy

 The chicken cartilage actually lived up to the spiciness that I love. However, the cartilage itself was a little too hard and didn't strike the balance between hard and chewy.

Roasted Machi  (銬麻糬) $120 NT

Roasted Machi in the Making

Roasted Machi

 Here, they roast the machi in front of you and then cover it in sweetened condensed milk and then in peanut powder. The machi reminded me a lot of the rice cake that I love~ The machi was good~~~

We actually ordered a lot more, but I didn't take pictures of each of the dishes because I didn't think that raw meat would look very appetizing. We actually went to Nanajyoutatsu thinking that it was an all-you-can-eat restaurant, but it ended up being one that we had to order at. I assumed that the serving would be fast since it's raw meat, but it took forever for them to serve the food. It was also a challenge to flag down the waiters and waitresses even though there weren't that many customers at that time. The food was good overall, but there are definitely better barbecue places.

Ton 28 [同28]

Visit: Feb. 26, 2012
Address: 台北市信義區松仁路28號 6F (Bellavita)
Number: (02)2722-2888
Website: http://www.bellavita.com.tw/eng/store.php?d=35

I wasn't really in the mood for a set on a Sunday afternoon, so instead of getting a set like the rest of my parents, I just ordered a few of the dishes I was in the mood in.

Fried Burdock (Complimentary)

Fried Burdock

 There was actually more than what's in the picture because I couldn't stop the rest of my family from snitching a few pieces before I could whip out my camera fast enough. The fried burdock was lightly salted and crispy, but without being greasy. It was a really nice way to start the meal.

Tempura (Complimentary)

Tempura

 I have no idea what the exact name of this dish was, but it was definitely some sort of tempura. Although the tempura was good, the sauce was a little too salty. I also felt like they should have served the tempura and the sauce separately so it wouldn't be as soggy when I finally got around to enjoying it.

Salad ($880 NT Set)

Salad

 Although I didn't have the chance to sample the salad, my parents really liked the piece of cheese and the salad seemed to be okay. The only thing I was able to try was the scallop in the salad. The scallop was way too overcooked and was chewy and rubbery.


Assorted Sashimi ($880 NT Set)

Assorted Sashimi

The sashimi was pretty fresh except for a few pieces with tendons in it. There was this one piece wrapped with onions inside, mmm... it was good.

Steak with Black Pepper Sauce ($880 NT Set)

Steak with Black Pepper Sauce

 I tried some of the steak and was so disappointed. The steak was overdone and I felt like I was chewing on cheap pepper sauce soaked rubber. I know it's a bit harsh, but I felt like I might as well have been in a food court, with the steak served on the teppanyaki plates. I was half expecting a scoop of rice and an egg served on the side.

Broiled Fish ($880 NT Set)

Broiled Fish

 As a replacement for the steak that my mom and grandma switched out, they served the broiled fish. I felt like the fish was a little dry, but maybe I'm overthinking it.
 
Salmon Rice ($880 NT Set)

Salmon Rice

 The rice didn't have a lot of flavor and I wished that there were a lot more salmon pieces so I didn't feel like I was just eating soggy overcooked rice.

Pickled Vegetables ($880 NT Set)

Pickled Vegetables

 Personally, I like pickled radish or pickled vegetables in that matter. But the pickled cabbage was way too salty :/

Miso Soup ($880 NT Set)

Miso Soup

 The miso soup was so salty!!! That's all I remember though.

Broiled Buri Chin (鰤魚下巴) $460 NT

Broiled Buri Chin

 I was craving some fatty fish with crispy skin, so I decided to get the broiled buri chin. The chin was pretty good, but my cravings were definitely not satisfied because the fish didn't have as much oil content as usual. There was more meat than normal chin portions though. Sometimes, I could taste the salt patches, but other than that, I really liked the fish. The broiled fish tasted so good with lime slices, so remember to ask for more!


Assorted Sashimi (季節性盛合刺身) $680 NT

Assorted Sashimi

 This is what the a la carte sashimi looks like. There were around 9 pieces if I remember correctly.


Crispy Tofu (脆皮豆腐) $180 NT

Crispy Tofu

 There were actually six pieces in the serving, but I just couldn't get my camera out fast enough before my family started eating. Although the dish didn't taste Japanese at all, it was certainly fried to awesomeness. The outside was just so crisp and and the tofu was really light. Although the sauce isn't necessary, the sauce itself was really good too.

Broiled Threadfin Fish (午仔魚) $1000 NT 

Broiled Threadfin Fish

 The fish was mediocre and although it wasn't bad, I don't think it's worth the price at all. The buri chin was definitely better.

Fruits & Wood Ear Soup (Complimentary)

Fruits & Wood Ear Soup

 Seeing that I finished three bowls of the wood ear soup, it's obvious that I really liked it (: In my defense though, the bowl was only one third filled. The soup wasn't too sweet and the wood ear was cooked just right.

When I made reservations at Ton 28, I was expecting more of a fine dining experience with really good food. The food wasn't bad, but it was just a little bit slightly overpriced for me to fully be able to enjoy mediocre food (except for the crispy tofu). At a mall like Bellavita, I was really disappointed in the service. The waitress and waiters though were somewhat attentive, didn't seem very professional or friendly. I guess if you wanted to try Ton 28, go for it, but if not, there are many more nice Japanese restaurants around Taipei.

Dozo Izakaya Dining Bar

Visit: Feb. 11, 2012
Address: 台北市大安區光復南路102號1F
Number: (02) 2778-1135
Website: http://www.dozo.com.tw

The last time I've been to Dozo was quite a while ago, so when my friend suggested it for some fusion Japanese, I was extremely excited to revisit the awesome experiences I've had there.

Salmon Coated with Caramel Sushi (焦糖鮭魚箱壽司) $380 NT

Salmon Coated with Caramel Sushi http://pic.pimg.tw/joycewu1120/1314468098-9cd53a5a52c3eeb0d1133a16cd77c159_n.jpg

I was so busy talking, that I forgot to take a picture of this dish, so just bear with me. I have to say, out of all the fusion salmon sushi's I've had, the Salmon Coated with Caramel Sushi was not the greatest. The yellow mayo on top though is supposed to give the sushi the caramel flavor, only added to the greasiness of the sushi without the caramel upside. The salmon though was cooked to perfection: the balance between cooked and raw. The salad on the side was also really nice since its dressing is replaced by the salmon roe.

Charcoal Grilled Beef with Garlic Sauce (蒜味炭燒生牛肉) $360 NT

Charcoal Grilled Beef with Garlic Sauce

I apologize for the missing corners of the picture...we just couldn't wait to get our hands on the beef. This is definitely a must order for anyone out there! The beef is grilled to about medium rare, which gives it a chewy texture. It's also seasoned so that the final product has all the properties of awesomeness: a bit of sweet, salty, peppery and garlicky. The mayo on top also adds to the overall texture of the beef so that it slides its way down your throat, and the crispy slices of garlic are just yummy!

Deep Fried Pork Chop Baked with Cheese (披薩豬排 碳香味)

Deep Fried Pork Chop Baked with Cheese

 Hum, I must say that the pork chops were just a bit normal. I guess the meat was tender enough, but it just tasted like any other cheap fried pork chop dish. The cheese on top though definitely made the dish stand out a bit more from the normal fried pork chops. Remember to eat it while it's still hot, or else it actually tastes a bit disgusting.


Okonamiyaki/Japanese Pancake (DOZO 特製大阪燒) $180 NT

Okonamiyaki/Japanese Pancake

This is actually quite a fancy name for a standard dish. In reality, this is just stir fried udon noodles. It's really interesting when the dish was first served in the hot plate because you get to see the dried fish flakes on top just wiggling around from the rising steam. Out of the crab meat, squid and cabbage in the noodles, my favorite part was the crab meats. It was just simply delicious. Other than that though, the dish was a little too oily for my liking.

After reading this review, you might think that this time's visit was disappointing, but honestly I would still definitely go there again. Out of all the times I've been there, some dishes might have been mediocre, but nothing has ever screamed nasty or disgusting. I think I should have done a better job with ordering this time, but I really did not want to always stick with what I always ordered (even though the mochi and grilled beef are amazing).  With the darkened surroundings, the atmosphere is awesome as you take a bite of food, take a sip of Sake while watching the live drum and flute performances.