Restaurant #44: 阿3的義大利麵 A3’s Pasta, Taipei

Finally, I found a reasonable, tasty spaghetti restaurant in my area! (It took me almost for a year to find.) I already wrote about Gino pasta, but this阿3的義大利麵 is much easier to access from MRT YongChun station. Their signature menu is cream mushroom pasta. It is not only tasty but also in reasonable price. If you have a chance, please visit them and try their food!

Going to 阿3的義大利麵, it only takes about 5 minutes from MRT YongChun station by walk. Dining area is in appropriate size, and take-out is also available. From kitchen area, an owner’s wife welcomed us. All workers are friendly, and lead us to the table. Décor was simple, or I should say typical Taiwanese restaurant style, but organized.

Cream Sauce with Mushroom & Bacon

Cream Sauce with Mushroom & Bacon (奶汁菌菇培根麵), NT$100, is a signature item. Their cream sauce is quite special, especially with some cheese powder. If you are a vegetarian, you can order it without bacon (NT$ 90). Tasty juice from mushroom (Shitake & Enoki, and might be also Eryngii) and creamy sauce really matched. Don’t forget to add some cheese powder~!

Vongole

Every Italian restaurant serves Vongole, but their Vongole (白酒蛤蜊) was used fresh clams and taste good, and it costs only NT$ 90. I didn’t taste the butter, so I believe they sautéed minced onion with olive oil, then added a cup of white wine. Taiwanese basil doesn’t have strong flavor as much as I expected, but it kept the good balance of flavor and it matches with vongole. “Cream Sauce with fresh clam” is also available. I tried it but I prefer eating clam with white whine sauce.

Creamy Pesto Risotto with Chicken

Their risotto is… not a real risotto. lol What should I call it… soup rice?!? Well, they serve five kinds of “soup rice”. I tried Creamy Pesto Risotto with Chicken (奶油青醬雞肉燉飯) (NT$ 110). You can also choose this flavor with spaghetti. I tried the pasta later on, but the pasta didn’t make me full unless I add extra spaghetti, so I recommend it with rice. I was amazed how tender the chicken was, and pesto sauce came with shredded parmesan cheese.

Since then, I sometimes go there and try out different items; A3 became one of my favorite pasta restaurants in Taipei. All workers are friendly, especially the owner’s wife. I would recommend their cream sauce item and also pesto chicken risotto. I have never tried their tomato sauce, so I definitely want to eat it next time.

Total: NT$ 300 (for 3 people)

阿3的義大利麵: A3’s Pasta
台北市信義區忠孝東路五段524巷1弄3號
02-2728-3017

Restaurant #43: California Grill, Taipei

California Grill serves, as you can tell, California-style big fat burgers! There were two branches in Taipei, but it seems one at Dun Hua (敦化) just closed. I hope Yong Kang street (永康街) branch is still okay. Anyway, near by National Taiwan Normal University have several burger stores. I already went to 1885 Burger Store, which was great. This California Grill is another one in this area.

I went to Dun Hua branch. Unfortunately, this branch was already closed, but you might try Yong Kang Jie branch. The décor was simple, but it gave the feeling of California. Some old Hollywood movie posters were displayed, and some chairs were American-style diner. They have open kitchen, so you can see how the workers take care of your food.

Their special menu is Tofu burger! It looked very healthy, but I wanted to eat something to make my stomach full! So I ordered Chicken Sandwich with French fries, and my friend ordered Western Burger with salad.

Hidden Valley Chicken

My choice was Hidden Valley Chicken (NT$ 195), and added Fries and drink (NT$ 50). Grilled breast, ranch, bacon, pepperjack cheese, sprouts, red onion… All on wheat bun! Their buns were a bit dry, but sprouts made me so happy! Chicken was juicy enough and extra accent with bacon. This was a great combination. A few things which I didn’t like were the freshness of tomatoes and French fries. Slices of tomatoes were too tiny, and French fries were ordinary. Yet, overall, I liked it!

Western Bacon Burger

My friend’s choice was Western Bacon Burger (NT$ 205), added salad and drink (NT$ 50). You can choose the meet among beef, breaded chicken, teriyaki chicken or tofu. She chose beef. Onion rings, BBQ sauce, bacon & cheese on white bun. It looked very tasty! It reminded me of western burger at Carl’s Jr., actually. Ha ha. She said the taste was okay, but I guess the quantity of salad was a bit less.

Overall, I liked the atmosphere and food was so far so good. I was surprised that all the waiters could speak American English perfectly! They told me that they’ve never been to America. It seems that the owner of this restaurant was from California, and he taught them English very well. Well done, owner! I definitely want to go back there, next time at Yong Kang Jie branch. Oh, let me note that they use USDA beef.

Total: NT$ 500 (for 2 people)

California Grill
YongKang St. #53-1, Taipei City
02-2343-5111
http://www.californiagrill.com.tw/index.html

Restaurant #42: Gino Pasta 吉諾義麵屋

It is good to be in Taipei if you love B級グルメ. B級グルメ means a cheap, casual but delicious food. Many food stalls and family-owned restaurants on the street of Taipei have tasty, tasty items, and when I find a new one, it feels that I finally find a treasure. This restaurant, Gino Pasta, was one of the restaurants which made me feel that way. It is a little bit far from MRT YongChun station, but this price and the atmosphere, it worth to go there.

Several things I liked about this restaurant. First, their signature menu was tasty with reasonable price. Second, the owner (I believe) was a single, handsome guy. J I went there twice so far, and tried different menus. I believe all the items are in good price and tasty.

The only thing I concern was the hygiene, which is the most important issue when I go to Taiwan’s restaurant. They cook the food in front of the restaurant, but they put the big refrigerator in a dining area. When you get into the store, you see some tables and chairs, and on the side, there is a big refrigerator and a big table. The workers sometimes organize pasta and ingredients on this table. All kinds of customers come to this store, and some might cough, some might have a cold… Those directly hit the food. Plus, some remains of the veggies and foods may attract small bugs...


We ordered a cup of pumpkin soup and a variety of pasta. Sorry I forgot to take a picture of pumpkin soup (NT$ 30), but it was delicious.

Vongole Bianco

A lot of crams and quarter bunch of broccoli demonstrate the healthy color combination. Crams were fresh enough, but the taste of white wine was a bit strange. I don’t know how to describe… I am not sure it was white wine or their original sauce. If it was original, I guess I prefer a simple garlic white wine sauce. (NT$ 100)

Spicy Chicken Pasta

I believe this is their signature menu; Spicy Chicken Pasta (NT$ 90). This creamy pasta was special, I really liked it. Without red peppers, I believe the taste is a bit heavy. So spicy taste help us to keep eating and eating… Fresh broccoli and slices of mushroom give light accent in my mouth.

Spaghetti aglio olio e peperoncino

Aww… I simply chose their cheapest menu, Spaghetti Aglio Olio e Peperoncino (NT$ 70). Peperoncino is my favorite, but it is difficult to find a good one. I only found it at one small pasta restaurant in Japan before. Here, this, unfortunately, was not my taste. They used the mixed herb powder with MSG. Well, the garlic was not fresh, so of course I don’t taste anything but MSG. I don’t recommend this item.

Cheese & Bacon Penne Gratin

A gratin is the most delicious food in the world! Most of gratins make me disappointed, but their gratin was not bad at all, and it costs only NT$ 100 (US$3 or so). As mentioned as menu, the ingredient was only bacon, which was a bit boring. If they put broccoli, mushroom and onion besides bacon, I don’t mind to pay NT$ 120. I definitely want to try their Tomato Gratin next time.

I would like to go back there again if they improve the hygiene issue. I recommend you to visit there before 8pm, because the dining area is still clean and all free drinks are still available.

Total: NT$ 390 (for 4 people)

Gino Pasta 吉諾義麵屋
1 F, No.1-1, 540 Lane, Song-Shan Rd.
Xingyi Dist., Taipei City
02-2726-9020

Restaurant #41: 1885 Burger Store, Taipei

Since I came back to Asia, every once in a while I’ve been tempted to eat some big fat greasy burgers. Basically, here in Taipei, it is not easy to find big burgers… Burgers here are so tiny!!! I used to be okay with it, but I guess my stomach adjusted to American sized burgers…

I checked some burger stores in Taipei area, especially near by my school, and I found some in neighborhood; 1885 Burger Store, Evans Burger and California Grill. Well, which one should I try first? Let’s start from 1885 Burger Store!

1885 Burger Store serves handmade burgers, American style breakfast (all day!) and some appetizers. They offer daily specials. If you add NT$ 40, you get one drink with free refill. Very nice~!

This afternoon was all packed. There were bunch of students having a lunch party, so it was quite noisy. I would like to go there a bit later, so that I can have quite nice lunch. Their décor was pretty cook with bricks. All workers were friendly. I really wanted to try their beef burgers, but I was not sure which beef they use (NZ, US or…?), so my friend and I decided to try out their chicken sandwiches.

B.B.Q Grilled Chicken Burger

My choice: B.B.Q Grilled Chicken Burger (NT$ 190). I usually don’t eat BBQ taste, but they only had two chicken burger. Taiwan-raised chicken (I hope!) was appropriately cooked, and BBQ sauce was spread. The taste of the sauce was a bit strong, though. They prepared three kinds of buns; roll, cream, and whole wheat. I chose whole wheat bun this time. The burger was served with a cute wooden tray, including crispy seasoned French fries.


I liked the presentation. Slices of lettuce and chicken breast were already on the bun, but veggies were on the side. Fresh slices of tomatoes, onions and pickles. You can eat separately or of cause you can make your own sandwich (with or without onions) as you like—cute!


Seasoned French fries were so tasty! It came with a small bucket. I thought the bucket was full of fries, but don’t worry, a half of the bucket was full, so I eventually ate everything. It made me full!

Mexican Tartar Chicken Burger

My friend’s choice was Mexican Tartar Chicken Burger (NT$ 210). Actually, I was also curious about this… Hmmm Mexican tartar… It was spicy! Jalapeño was added on regular tartar sauce. The combination of the crispy chicken and a sauce was amazing! I just wish that the chicken was a bit thicker for a big eater like me. :)

Overall, I really liked 1885 Burger Store. I definitely want to go back there and try different burgers.

Total: NT$ 400 (for 2 people)

1885 Burger Store
24-1, Pucheng St., Da-An dist.,
Taipei, Taiwan
02-2367-8258
http://www.1885burgerstore.com/

Travel #03: Sapporo to Taipei

I have to apologize that I couldn’t update any information for a while. Although I don’t have many readers, there are still some who may wonder what I’ve been eating everyday. Ha ha. Taipei’s temperature and humidity went up quite a lot, and I have been struggling with headache and some skin problems these days. Compared with Sapporo, humidity is quite high, and I guess it cause the headache constantly. Anyway, I am still alive, but I don’t eat well… Or I should say I have been cooking by myself, which is… pretty miserable. (I am not a good chef…)


I would like to update about Sapporo trip back in May. On the way back to Taipei, I was happy to see the new international airport just opened a few months ago. It was a brand new, clean, organized one. The only thing I was a bit disappointed was that the flights were limited between Asia. They used to have a flight to Hawaii and Amsterdam, but not anymore… A flight to China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Korea… pretty much that is it. It seemed that the city built for an Asian tourist, not for a citizen of Hokkaido. I hope they will have more flights to other countries later on.


After getting off JR train, the international gate became a bit far, but don’t worry. A lady took me with a cute cart to the gate. Of course, it is only a few minutes for a walk to get to the gate, but I had some souvenirs and wanted to try the cart, so I enjoyed the short ride.



On the way to the gate, you would see some booths displaying each country, such as Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Russia, Australia, Thailand…





The departure gate is in upstairs.



This time, I used my mileage for business class, so I enjoyed the lounge. Here the lounge was small but pretty! Less people, so I could relax…


Food was less, but these tiny breads were so delicious! I especially loved the sesame one on the top right. I enjoyed those with a cup of corn potage.


On the way back to Taipei, the business seats were almost empty; flight attendant was friendly, but too casual.






Basically the food was almost out. I wanted to try the Western style lunch, but they said already out. So I had no choice… I ate Sukiyaki. Compared with the food from Taipei to Sapporo, this sukiyaki lunch was MUCH BETTER! OK here is the tip. From Japan to anywhere you go, basically Japanese (or Asian) style meal would be better than western style meal. Their beef was tender, the taste was appropriate. Sukiyaki came with shiitake, negi, carrot, spinach, shirataki and tofu. A piece of sushi made me smile. A cup of rice was warm and fresh enough.

It was only a three-hour flight, but I enjoyed their food and service. In-flight movie was “Invictus”; yeah, my favorite actor/director, Clint Eastwood!!! It all made me happy~!

If you have a plan to come to Japan, please make a few extra days, come and visit Hokkaido!

Restaurant #40: Mia Angela Ristorante & Bar, Sapporo

There are many great Italian restaurants in Sapporo, and I really wanted to try some of those during my Sapporo stay. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough time for Italian food because I had been busy with my family. Mia Angela is a casual Italian café, located at Daimaru department store, which makes us convenient to access from Sapporo JR station. I usually have lunch set menu, but this time, we had a pizza and an extra dessert!

The décor of the restaurant was not bad. The friendly workers welcomed us and guided us to a bigger table. It was lunch time, so the window seats were all full, but might be better to seat close to window, so that the light was blight enough. A worker explained a menu. Besides regular a la cart menu, they offer lunch set menu, which comes with salad, today’s pasta and a cup or coffee. We, three of us, ordered different dishes; two of lunch set and one pizza with a dessert.

Salad and home made Focaccia

Salad was good with Italian dressing. I really liked crispy lotus-root chips on the top of the salad! An appropriate quantity of dressing made the salad healthy. Focaccia was just baked and so tender.

Pizza Margherita

First time to eat a pizza in here. They had several types, and we chose the simplest one, pizza Margherita. I like all kinds of crusts, but this was tender crust, which I liked. Yet more than that, I loved their mozzarella cheese. I thought their tomato sauce was alright, but this cheese brought me happiness.

Seafood Tomato Sauce Pasta

I tried their tomato sauce pasta before, but for me, the sauce was a bit sweet. It matched with seafood, though. It was a decent dish.

Yufutu Chicken and Fresh Veggie Pasta

Yufutsu’ Jidori chicken (勇払産鶏のパスタ) was perfectly cooked with a garlic sauce and some broccoli. Jidori is a Japanese term meaning “chicken of the Earth”. These chickens are naturally grown with no hormones. It was a simple dish, but good taste.

Caramel Pudding

At the end of lunch meeting, we shared a piece of pudding. It was kind of small to share, but we were already full, plus, I don’t eat sweet stuff that much. However, this pudding was perfectly delicious item for an ending.

Overall, their food made us feel satisfied. The atmosphere was friendly so it is okay to go there alone and have a dessert and read some books.

Mia Angela Ristorante & Bar
http://www.eastone.co.jp/miaangela/index.html
# There are several branches. I went to the one at Daimaru department store, 8F.

Restaurant #39: Tototo, Sapporo

Totoro is one of my favorite restaurants in Sapporo station area. My friend and I went there for first time in five years. Menus were changed a bit, but still, they have fresh seafood and tofu! The restaurant is located in front of Sapporo JR station, so it is very easy to access.

My friend and I went there without a reservation, but since it was weekday, there were a plenty of seats. Unfortunately, this restaurant allows smoking. It is still common for people to smoke in public in Japan. Luckily, people around us didn’t smoke, therefore I didn't have to suffer from extra frustration. The décor was modern and elegant, kept Japanese Izakaya style. Jazz music was played and it would be recommended for a date or friends’ meeting.

Salad with Steamed Sesame Chicken

We started with a salad with steamed sesame chicken ( 蒸し鶏の胡麻たっぷりサラダ ) (609 yen). Some pieces of sunny lettuce, colorful bell pepper, shredded Daikon (Japanese radish), steamed chicken with oriental sesame sauce, covered with shredded Negi. Domestically raised chicken was steamed well, and it was so juicy! Veggies were fresh, especially paprika.

Ladled Tofu

This fresh tofu was named “引き上げ掬い豆腐” (504 yen). The worker brought just made tofu to us with a big wooden container, and served us some scoops of tofu. Of course it is okay to eat just a tofu, but usually enjoy it with some ingredients, called Yakumi (薬味). Four different yakumi were served; negi, ginger, salt, and katsuobushi. Tofu was great! Once I put it in my mouth, it melted right away with fresh soy bean taste.

Deep-fried Yuba Bundle with Prawn & Cheese

海老とチーズの湯葉包み揚げ (714 yen) was one of my favorites at that night. We wanted to eat more, but sadly just two pieces were served. Yuba was golden colored and crispy, and the taste of a big fresh shrimp and creamy melted cheese were really matched! They served right after they cooked, so it was hot and juicy!

Pork Yakitori

豚串 (one stick 189 yen). It was quite a long time since I ate yakitori last time. I love yakitori~! (^-^)

Kimo yakitori

砂肝串 (charbroiled gizzard) (one stick 189 yen). Very fresh!

Chicken & Negi yakitori

ねぎま串 (Negima: one stick 189 yen). I liked Negima the most.

Overnight-dried Aburi Squid

いか一夜干し (504 yen) was chewy enough.

Japanese pickles

漬け物 (Japanese pickles: 445 yen). My friend's favorite. She always order this. ha ha. Taste was fine, but I thought it was a bit expensive...

Chicken Rice

The last item that I ordered was Chicken Ochazuke (鶏飯) (504 yen). My “shime” item is always onigiri or ochazuke. This chicken ochazuke was lightly flavored, but the chicken was steamed well, and the broth was from this chicken. If you’d like, put a little bit of Wasabhi; it gives a surprising accent at the end of the great meal.

Overall, I really enjoyed the meal here. The only disappointment was that the restaurant was not non-smoking. Unfortunately, in Japan, many restaurants, especially Izakaya style, allow customers smoke. I really hope that they at least arrange some area for non-smokers…

Total: 4498 yen (for 2 people with some drinks)

Tototo Asty 45: 地鶏と旬魚 手づくり豆冨　ととと
1F Asty 45 Bldg. Kita 4-jyoNishi 5, Chuo-ku
Sapporo, JAPAN
011-219-4566
http://r.gnavi.co.jp/h061900/