TAIPEI: Shiyang Culture Restaurant 食養山房餐廳

台北市士林區菁山路101巷160號
No. 160, Lane 101, Jinshan Road
Hours: 12:00-3:00PM / 5:30-9:00PM
(02) 2862-0078

PRICE: $$$$ (approx. NT$1100/person ~US$37/person)
RATING: YYYY (I strongly recommend this place!)
DIRECTIONS: Drive or you can take the MRT to Shilin and hail a cab
RESERVATIONS: Needed
MENU: None.
MUST GET: Everything they give you.

So if you ever get a chance and make it out to Yangmingshan while you are in Taipei, you should definitely try this restaurant. This place definitely takes advantage of its natural surroundings. This restaurant consists of multiple one story buildings, so it takes a while to walk around the entire area. But it's a nice walk surrounded by many trees, flowers, and even some small man-made lakes. It's a bit hard to spot unless you know the area, so make sure you look for the following two pictures, a huge gate, and one of the waiters typically standing guard out front... if not, you might just pass it without realizing.

The restaurant is very elegant, despite being in the middle of the "woods." Everything is very sleek in design and the atmosphere is quite soothing. Shiyang is known for its modern Chinese cuisine. The menu is seasonal, so it's not a place I would go back to again anytime soon but its definitely worth going to at least once. Maybe when it hits wintertime, I'll find my way around here again. It's also a set menu; the only options you can choose from is vegetarian and non-vegetarian, so be open to the dishes they serve you. Everything I had tasted great. The only downfall is that the lunch and dinner menus are the same.





mango + passion fruit puree


vegetarian roll; mountain spring tofu with passion fruit, soy sauce, and wasabi; smoked salmon and potato salad


scallops in a steamed egg custard


pineapple vinegar


smelt fish, rice, and flowers wrapped in bean curd with pumpkin and broccoli on the side


an assorted sashimi and vegetables plate


chrysanthemum vinegar


fried rice cake with abalone


rice with king oyster mushrooms and prosciutto


chicken with lotus roots, lotus seeds, and bamboo soup topped with a waterlily


raspberry puree, panna cotta, papaya, and honeydew melon

The mountain spring tofu with passion fruit, soy sauce, and wasabi was by far the softest tofu I have ever tasted. Not to mention the pairing of passion fruit with soy sauce was amazing! I was also a really big fan of the bean curd with smelt fish, rice, and flowers and the fried rice cake (the abalone I gave to my mother however). I was stuffed after the assorted sashimi and vegetable platter came out, but I was still able to have multiple bowls of the soup! Apparently, for the soup the waiter is supposed to be able to open the lily so carefully that it will actually float on top of the soup, but sadly our lily decided not to cooperate.

So bottomline, for the scenery alone this restaurant is unbelievable but paired with its light and tasty dishes this restaurant has gone to the top of my lists of places people should eat at while in Taiwan. The price is nothing to what you would pay back in the States, but for Taiwan it is quite hefty but it's worth it!




***Also, so funny story... I made the reservation for my mom, my aunt, and me. When we got there, at our table sat a magazine about Taiwan for foreigners! Of course, it was the ONLY table that had this magazine. Once again, my American accent gave me away! How embarassing!

TAIPEI: Din Tai Fung 鼎泰豐

台北市忠孝東路三段300號B2
B2, No. 300, Sec. 3, Zhongxiao East Road (inside SOGO)
Hours: 10:00AM-9:30PM
(02) 8772-0528

PRICE: $$$ (approx. NT$400/person ~US$15/person)
RATING: YYYY (I strongly recommend this place!)
DIRECTIONS: Take the MRT to Zhongxiao Fuxing
RESERVATIONS: Not taken, you have to wait
MENU: Chinese, but there are pictures!
MUST GET: Pork soup dumplings (aka xiao long bao)
WEBSITE: http://www.dintaifung.com.tw/ch/index.asp

Din Tai Fung is an institution in Taiwan. I don't know anyone that doesn't like the place. The wait may be long, but trust me it's worth it. You cannot come to Taiwan without going to this place. This place is so good and so popular that it has 42 restaurants around the world in countries like America, India, Japan, Korea, Australia, Singapore, etc.

I have always been a big fan of this place since I was young. Whenever I came to Taiwan, I always begged my parents to bring me here. We used to go to the original store, but after I discovered that there is one in Sogo this is the only one I ever go to now. There is ALWAYS a wait at this place, the usual wait is about an hour sometimes you might get lucky during the off hours and just wait about 15 to 20 minutes. However, since its in SOGO all you have to do is walk around the department store and do some shopping to kill time, they will hold your place until you get back. How convenient is that?

DTF is known for their pork soup dumplings (xiao long bao). These dumplings are by far one of my favorite Chinese dishes, so I've definitely had my fair share of them at many, many places and still DTF is my favorite. The meat is so soft and juicy and the dough on the outside is just the right thickness. It may not look like much from the pictures, but I'm craving them already just from writing this article.





You pair these soup dumplings with vinegar and ginger. For those of you who have never eaten this, don't worry they have a paper explaining how you should eat them in multiple languages!

And while, I can eat two baskets of these dumplings on my own, the other dishes at DTF are also good so I always try to make space for other things. One of the things I always get is:



This plate of veggies doesn't even have an English name. It's Chinese name is just A菜, which is A vegetable in English. It's a simple dish where the vegetables are just sauteed with garlic, but it lives such a fresh flavor in your mouth. It's also my favorite vegetable dish, which makes this restaurant even better because it always has them year round.



During this trip, I also ordered wontons because I was craving the kind from home. While they were good, they are sadly no match for the ones my mom makes. I know I may be partial, but I can't help it. I would still recommend them to those who love wontons however.



And Joe got an ordered of pork chop noodles which he devoured. I love the soup for these noodles and of course the pork chop itself. (The noodles itself is good, but to be honest I've never been one to eat much carbs. Not because I'm on some sort of diet or whatever; I've just never been a big fan of noodles, rice, or bread.)

Also, usually when I go to DTF with my parents we order their chicken soup. Joe and I didn't order it this time since both of us got soup dishes (wontons and noodles), but their chicken soup is also another one of their signature dishes so make sure you try it when you make your rounds to DTF.

TAIPEI: Pho 越粉舖

台北市信義區松高路11號B2
B2, No. 11, Songgao Road
(02) 8789-3388 ext 1919

PRICE: $$ (approx. NT$300/person ~US$10/person)
RATING: YYY (I recommend this place!)
DIRECTIONS: Take the MRT to City Hall
RESERVATIONS: Not needed
MENU: English and Chinese!
MUST GET: Spring rolls
WEBSITE: http://www.noodlehouse.com.tw

I wouldn't say that I'm a pho-connoisseur, but I think I have had my fair share of good pho-- actually just Vietnamese food in fact. I have always eaten Vietnamese food since I could remember-- there is a local one near my parents' office that I can remember going to when I was in elementary school and we still go there. Of course, there were a few places back in New York that I would frequent with my friends (Thai Son and Pho Bang). And then there was my short stint in Vietnam for Semester at Sea where I had a wide variety of Vietnamese foods from the fancy restaurant at the Renaissance Hotel to the small hole in the wall places in random alleys. Needless to say, sometimes I have a craving for good hearty bowl of pho.

So imagine how excited I was when I saw this Pho restaurant at the B2 level of one of the Eslite buildings in the A4/A9/A11 section of Taipei. Joe saw how my eyes lit up when we saw this restaurant, so despite his craving for Western food we made our way here. The decor of this restaurant in this large food court is simple and modern. The chairs fit snugly underneath the round tables. The menus are laid flat for passerbys to see, as well as the large images of Vietnam on the walls. I was sold.


I was a big disappointed when I first looked at the menu though. Although they had a number of pho bowls to choose from, they didn't have what I wanted. I wanted the one filled with beef, tendon, and tripe, but instead all I found was beef, beef balls, curry, or shrimp. I stuck with the first option figuring it was going to be as close as I would be able to get it to my usual bowl. So I ordered that and spring rolls. Joe got a chicken leg curry with French bread.


Everyone who dines at this restaurant gets a small bowl of pickled cabbage, which I think is more of a Chinese thing than Vietnamese (correct me if I'm wrong). It was tasty, but I was anxiously awaiting my noodles.


When they came out, I noticed right away the beef wasn't raw like they normally are at restaurants I've gone to in the past. Part of the fun of eating pho is seeing the raw meat cook in the soup, but oh well it's not a big loss. Usually at Vietnamese restaurants, they give you a plate of basil, bean sprouts, lemon, and cut jalapenos to add what you like in your soup but here the basil and bean sprouts were already added with a small slice of lemon on the side. After adding lots of lemon to my soup, it finally tasted similar to what I was hoping for. The noodles were a bit thicker than usual and the beef was not as soft, but it gave me my fix.


The spring rolls, however, were right on the money. They were exactly what I was used to down to the lettuce wrap and the sauce. I devoured the plate and was still left thinking if I wanted to order one more.


Joe's chicken curry was great and the bread that accompanied it was a good touch, but curry isn't something I would order at a Vietnamese restaurant.

I would come back to this restaurant again, but I don't think I would bring Allison here if she were ever in Taiwan. =)

TAICHUNG: 8 King

台中市北區育才南街8號
No. 8, Yutsai South Street
Hours: 11 am-10:30pm
(04) 2225-9289

PRICE: $$ (approx. NT$400/person ~US$13/person)
RATING: YYYY (I strongly recommend this place!)
DIRECTIONS: Drive. =)
RESERVATIONS: Not needed
MENU: Chinese only
MUST GET: Steak with black pepper sauce, Pork Cutlet Cordon Bleu

This place is relatively new. I only discovered it about a month or so ago, but after the first time I went there I went back once a day for the next two days and I went again a few times since then. I love their decor; it feels like you stepped into a lounge bar which I guess is fitting because they also serve alcohol (wine and beer). Usually it's not crowded, but I've noticed there's a growing number of people who are dining at this place.

The meal prices aren't too expensive considering that you get a salad and dessert with your entree. The first time I went I ordered their carbonara, which is probably my favorite pasta dish at this moment. I've ordered it many times since being in Taiwan in many different restaurants and I'll have to say the carbonara at 8 King is definitely in my top 5. The second time, I ordered their steak and hot pot combo and stole a bit of Joe's steak and pork cordon bleu combo. Everything was great, but I would definitely opt for the cordon bleu the next time I order their combo. Beyond pasta and steak, they also offer a few gratin dishes where you can choose from pasta or rice. The last time I went, I ordered their Indian chicken curry gratin rice dish. I really enjoyed the flavors, minus the pieces of red pepper (capsicum) and black olives inside. I typically only enjoy roasted red peppers, so the ones I found inside my rice dish were just not soft enough and I've never been a fan of olives, but I just don't think olives and curry are a good pair.

If you come here for afternoon tea, you get a free appetizer with your drink order. The down side is that you don't get to choose which free dish you get, instead you stick your hand through a big vase that they have with rolled up paper. The paper you end up selecting will have the name of your free dish. I like the idea, but what if you don't like or can't eat the dish you chose? I got their fried cuttlefish dish the last time I went. It's similar to calamari, but instead of rings of squid you get minced cuttlefish meat. (Minced cuttlefish meat is a common alternative to calamari in Taiwan. Most restaurants serve this as opposed to what you may normally be used to back in the States.)

The tea here is usually not that sweet, so be carefully when you ask for half sugar here especially when you order green tea mixes. I've noticed that mine have come a bit too bitter than what I've been used to. The tea selection isn't as wide here as it is in most restaurants in Taiwan, but it has the regular choices like lemon and honey (no passion fruit though!).





Another time I went back to 8 king, I decided to finally try their waffles that had appealed to me since the first time I went to the restaurant. I ordered their honey green tea waffles. They weren't bad, but not as great as I had hoped. They weren't as light and fluffy as I was expecting, but in general I think that's hard to come by in Taiwan.

Overall, it's a nice place to go to if you want to meet with friends over a meal or a drink or if you just feel like taking a break and having a short moment to yourself.