ESCAPADES | Sugared & Spiced

2012/01/302015/08/31

[Taipei] Cafe Flat White

Cafe Flat White

Add: 12, Alley 41, Yongkang Street, Da’an District, Taipei / 台北市大安區永康街41巷12號
Tel: (02) 3393 8872
Hours 12:00pm~10:00pm
Price: [drinks] 90~220 NTD, [food] 160~200 NTD
Visited on: Jan 2012

Update: cafe now rebranded as KIOSK.

The small alleys of Yongkang Street hide a good number of stylish cafes, Cafe Flat White being one of them. If you are lucky enough to find yourself a seat here (they don’t take reservations), it’s a perfectly comfortable spot to spend the afternoon.

Cafe Flat White

Front yard

Signage

Plenty of heart has been poured into the making of Cafe Flat White, and it shows.

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2012/01/292015/08/31

[Taipei] Diary

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Diary

Address: 53 Dong Feng Street, Taipei / 台北市東豐街53號
Tel: (02) 2706 3553
Hours: 3:30pm~1:00am
Price: 600~1,000 NTD/person
Visited on: 2012-01-28

There is no signage outside of Diary, but the warm glow that exudes from its floor-to-ceiling glass storefront easily attract passerby. Walk in, and the buzz instantly envelopes you. It’s a stylish place filled with good-looking people having a very good time. They are sipping beautiful cocktails and nibbling off a menu that offers a snapshot of what young people in Taipei crave right now. The decor is industrial chic, with exposed concrete walls and roof beams, softened by the warmths of antique wooden tables and subdued lighting. Open kitchen, but of course.

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2012/01/292015/08/31

[Taipei] Joël Robuchon Macarons & Canelés

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SALON DE THE de Joël Robuchon

Address: 3/F, Bellavita, No. 28 Song Ren Road, Taipei / 台北市信義區松仁路28號 BELLAVITA 3樓
Tel: (02) 8729 2626
Hours: 10:00am~10:00pm
Website: www.joel-robuchon.net
Price: [macarons] 80 NTD, [afternoon tea set] 1,040~1,200 NTD
Visited on: 2012-01-27

A little angel showered me with some macarons and canelés from SALON DE THE de Joël Robuchon. Thank you! These cuties made my day :)

The packaging was simple and considerate. There was an ice pack attached to the plastic box to keep the macarons cool, and inside the plastic box there was a pack of desiccants to keep the macarons dry. Each macaron rests snuggly within its own square, and none were bruised (before they met my teeth).

The traffic light trio: lemon, rose, and pistachio.

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2012/01/292015/08/31

[Taipei] L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon

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L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon

Address: 5/F Bella Vita, 28 Song Ren Rd, Hsin Yi District, Taipei / 台北市信義區松仁路28號Bella Vita 5樓
Tel: (02) 8729 2628
Hours: 11:30am~2:30pm, 6:00pm~10:00pm
Website: www.joel-robuchon.net
Price: [lunch] 1,280~2,880 NTD/set, [dinner] 3,000~6,000 NTD/person
Visited on: 2012-01-26

The dramatic black and red decor, with a sleek dining bar surrounding a central open kitchen. Yes, you are at L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon. Like the rest of the workshops around the world, L’Atelier in Taipei fosters an interactive atmosphere between diners and the kitchen, separated merely by a counter. A vibrant and convivial vibe permeates the air as chefs experiment and create while diners witness the preparation of dishes right before them. Everyone is part of the action.

L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon

Bar seats

Open kitchen

Table setting

If you have groups of 3 or more you can also choose regular tables for easier conversations, but that’s not nearly as fun as sitting at the bar.

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2012/01/272015/08/31

[Taipei] Shin Yeh 欣葉台菜

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Shin Yeh 欣葉台菜

Address: 34-1 Shuangcheng Street, Zhongshan District, Taipei / 台北市中山區雙城街34-1號
Tel: (02) 2596 3255
Hours: 11:00am~midnight
Website: www.shinyeh.com.tw
Price: 300~500 NTD/person
Visited on: 2012-01-24

Popular among locals and tourists alike, Shin Yeh is a safe bet when it comes to quality Taiwanese food. If you are a real foodie, make the trip to Shin Yeh’s original location on Shuang Cheng Street for the best of the best.

Shin Yeh, the original store

For a simple meal, go for the simple dishes. We started with 滷味肥腸 Braised Pork Intestine with Preserved Vegetables (260 NTD) – chewy texture, slightly spicy, addictingly good.

滷味肥腸 Braised Pork Intestine with Preserved Vegetables, 260 NTD (S) / 450 NTD (L)

滷味肥腸 Braised Pork Intestine with Preserved Vegetables

正宗菜脯蛋 Fried Eggs with Dried Turnips (185 NTD), fluffy fried eggs and crunchy dried turnips, perfect with a bowl of porridge.

正宗菜脯蛋 Fried Eggs with Dried Turnips, 185 NTD

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2012/01/262015/08/31

[Taipei] Kaohsiung Oden King 高雄黑輪大王

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Kaohsiung Oden King 高雄黑輪大王

Address: 523 Bei An Road, Taipei / 台北市北安路523號
Tel: (02) 2533 6304
Hours: 10:00am~12:00am
Price: 15~35 NTD/oden
Visited on: 2012-01-25

On a cold winter day like this, there’s not much better than a bowl of oden and hot soup as a late night snack. But what is oden, you ask? This winter dish, basically put, consists of skewered items like fish cakes, meat balls, turnips, deep-fried tofu, tofu skin, pig blood cakes, mushrooms…all cooked and bathed in a savory vegetable broth. There are countless street stalls in Taipei selling odens, but if you are not sure where to go, try Kaohsiung Oden King near Exit 2 of MRT Da Zhi Station (捷運大直站) – this is definitely a local favorite.

Kaohsiung Oden King

There’s always a crowd at Kaohsiung Oden King. Most people get the oden to go, but there are a few tables available for “dine in” as well.

The stall

Let the guy with the ladle know which items you want. Point, but don’t touch. All the prices are written up on the headboard, but you really don’t have to care about how much each oden cost – we just ordered whatever we fancied, and the total came up to be only 180 NTD for two people. What a steal!

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2012/01/262015/08/31

[Taipei] Just In Bistro

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Just In Bistro

Address: 1/F Neo 19, 30 Songshou Road, Hsinyi District, Taipei / 台北市信義區松壽路30號Neo 19 1F
Tel: (02) 8786 2000
Hours: 11:00am~midnight
Website: www.justinquek.com
Price: [lunch] 580~780 NTD, [dinner] 1,000~2,000 NTD/person
Visited on: 2012-01-25

Nothing feels quite so comforting as a piece of warm apple tart, fresh out of the oven. Served as it is here at Just In Bistro, in a red hot metal pan with sauce caramel, it is irresistible.

Just In Bistro

JQ’s signatures baked fine apple tart with sauce caramel, 400 NTD

JQ’s signatures baked fine apple tart with sauce caramel (400 NTD) has got all the right elements. A delicate tart base made up of 8 phyllo pastry layers, a spread of tangy green apple slices, a glaze of bitter sweet caramel sauce, and a sprinkle of crunchy toasted almond slices.

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2012/01/212015/08/31

[Hong Kong] Grissini at Grand Hyatt

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Grissini

Address: 2/F Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, 1 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong / 香港灣仔港灣道1號香港君悅酒店2樓
Tel: +852 2584 7722
Hours: 12:00~2:30pm, 7:00~10:30pm
Website: www.grandhyatthongkong.hk
Price: [lunch] 388~420 HKD/set, [dinner] 800~1,600 HKD/person

Please note that this is an arranged tasting, so my experience is possibly more positive than a regular visit.

Addicted. One bite of this fluffy, chewy grissini, and I was addicted. It was with great mental control that I stopped myself from devouring another foot-long breadstick, so I can leave room for the Milanese specialties that were to come pouring out of the kitchen. I shifted my attention to other attractions of the restaurant – a dimly-lit romantic space, an extensive selection of Italian wine, an impressive floor-to-ceiling Vinotheque, and panoramic views of Victoria Harbour…

Grissini at Grand Hyatt

But the waiter brought us yet another batch of warm grissini, fresh out of the oven. Into the stomach they went.

Grissini

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2012/01/202015/08/31

[Hong Kong] Madam Sixty Ate

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Madam Sixty Ate

Address: Shop 8, 1/F J Senses, 60 Johnston Rd, Wan Chai, Hong Kong / 香港灣仔庄士敦道60號1樓8號鋪
Tel: +852 2527 2558
Hours: 12:00pm~12:00am
Website: www.madamsixtyate.com.hk
Price: [lunch] 148~178 HKD, [dinner] 400+ HKD
Visited on: 2011-09-12

Chef Director Chris Woodyard and Head Chef Andrew Braham have put in plenty of heart into Madam Sixty Ate, and it shows in the details. From the hand illustrated menu featuring cauliflower-tailed fish and bunnies nesting in pea pods, to the edible art pieces that come pouring out of the open kitchen, there are quirky personal touches sprinkled throughout the restaurant. It all starts at the elevator, where a pig (her name is Eliza) greets diners in her wooly attire.

Entrance

Love the bright, airy space.

Dining room

Love the wall paper.

Wall paper

Love the open kitchen.

Open kitchen

LOVE the hand-illustrated menu. Meet Pedro the Squid.

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2012/01/202015/08/31

[Hong Kong] Island Shangri-La

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Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong

Address: Pacific Place, Supreme Court Road, Central, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2877 3838
Website: www.shangri-la.com/en/property/hongkong/islandshangrila
Visited on: 2011-12-23

My stay at the Island Shangri-La Hong Kong was a short but sweet one. I was only there for one evening and didn’t have time to try any of the restaurants except for Cafe TOO for its breakfast buffet, but the experience was enough for me to understand why this hotel is ranked #5 out of 322 hotels in Hong Kong on Tripadvisor. Location-wise, it’s perfect – Island Shangri-La is at the heart of Central District, perched right above Pacific Place (one of my favorite shopping malls in Hong Kong) and near the Admiralty subway station. The decor is luxurious without being over the top, its warm vibe enhanced by the welcoming and attentive staff.

Island Shangri-La

Lobby area

Reception

Upon exiting the elevator on the 47th floor where our room was located, we were greeted with the world’s largest Chinese silk painting that spans 16 storeys in the atrium. Quite an impressive sight.

Atrium

The standard room is spacious and elegantly appointed with a mix of Asian and European furnishings. It of course comes with a view of the Victoria Harbour – no need to belabor the point.

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Category: ESCAPADES

[Taipei] Cafe Flat White

[Taipei] Diary

[Taipei] Joël Robuchon Macarons & Canelés

[Taipei] L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon

[Taipei] Shin Yeh 欣葉台菜

[Taipei] Kaohsiung Oden King 高雄黑輪大王

[Taipei] Just In Bistro

[Hong Kong] Grissini at Grand Hyatt

[Hong Kong] Madam Sixty Ate

[Hong Kong] Island Shangri-La

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