Taipei food blog | Sugared & Spiced

2015/02/102015/08/05

[Taipei] Si Zhi Tang 四知堂

Si Zhi Tang 四知堂

Add: 18, Section 3, Jinan Road, Taipei / 台北市濟南路3段18號
Tel: (02) 8771 9191
Hours: 12-10pm
Price: 800-1200 NTD/person
Visited: Feb 2015

Si Zhi Tang, a low-profile Taiwanese fusion restaurant with dishes that are a little bit out of the ordinary. Reviews of this place are highly mixed, with the negatives generally focusing on its high prices. I was debating whether to try this or just go to a good old Taiwanese restaurant with guaranteed good food and good prices, but decided to come here anyway to see what it’s about. The meal turned out to be quite pricey as expected, but the dishes were delicious, the service was smooth, and the overall dining experience very pleasant. I’d say it’s a nice place to try at least once.

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Si Zhi Tang might be slightly hard to find even if you have the exact address, especially if you go after dark. When you reach No. 18 on Section 3 Jinan Road, look for a small alleyway-like entrance that will lead you to the restaurant.

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2015/02/092015/08/05

[Taipei] Stoppage Time 補時

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Stoppage Time 補時

Add: 30, alley 15, lane 96, Section 2, Heping East Road / 和平東路二段96巷15弄30號
Tel: (02) 2736 6506
Hours: 11am-11pm
Website: www.facebook.com/stoppagetimecafe
Price: 100-160 NTD/coffee, 130-140 NTD/pastry, 220 NTD/sandwich
Visited: Feb 2015

A stylish cafe that opened up pretty recently in Taipei. They’ve got a huge kitchen area, communal tables, and individual desks. They serve coffee and tea, sandwiches and sweets. They play good music, and they project movies and soccer games onto their big white wall from time to time. I like, quite a lot.

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2015/02/052015/08/05

[Taipei] 1789 Café, by Cyrille Courant

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1789 Café, by Cyrille Courant

Add: 97-1, Section 2 Renai Road, Taipei / 台北市中正區仁愛路二段97-1號
Tel: (02) 3322 2089
Hours: [Tue-Sun] 11am-8pm (closed on Mon)
Price: 120-150 NTD/éclair
Website: www.1789.com.tw
Visited: Feb 2015

Chef Cyrille Courant has been roaming around the world for a while. He started his cuisine training in France, and subsequently worked in Germany, England, China, and eventually Taiwan where he decided to settle and open a pastry boutique (more details on his professional career here). I first met Cyrille and his wife Sabine back in 2013 at a little cafe in Paris, where we shared our pastry stories (his being infinitely richer than mine) over a few of glasses of wine and some saucissons. He was still in the planning stage of his boutique at the time, and – without having tasted any of his pastries – I could already tell that he is someone passionate for and dedicated to his profession. Cyrille opened his boutique in early 2014, and during my current trip to Taipei, I finally had the chance to try his creations.

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Cyrille’s boutique, named 1789 Café, is dainty and efficient. It starts with a bright pastry display, a few tables just behind to the left, a chocolate display corner, and an exhibition kitchen with counter seats for those who want to gawk at the pastry chefs at work. The boutique opens at 11am, but I went in earlier to see the kitchen during their morning prep time. Here are some action shots…

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When I arrived at 9:30am, Cyrille and his two pâtissiers were in the middle of finishing the éclairs – piping the cream, glazing the top, decorating with chocolates and fresh fruits, etc. Seeing them at work reminded me of my days at Fauchon, where I garnished and glazed endless éclairs day after day…I really wanted to roll up my sleeves and join in on the action!

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2012/07/142015/08/31

[Taipei] Woolloomooloo WXY

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Woolloomooloo WXY

Add: 379 Hsinyi Road Section 4, Taipei / 台北市信義路4段379號
Tel: (02) 8789-0128
Hours: 8am~12am
Price: [drinks] 60~240 NTD [food] 100~550 NTD
Visited on: 2012-06

Woolloomooloo’s original store in Fujin Street is such a lovely spot, and it’s no surprise that when they opened a 2nd location in the city center, it became one of the most popular eateries around town. The decor is more industrial than its original store (think concrete and steel), but the ambience is softened by plenty of wooden furniture and warm diffused lighting. The 2-story structure is quite a big space – let’s take a tour!

The first floor houses the kitchen, the service bar, a few tables, and a play area for kids.

Cakes on display.

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2012/07/102015/08/31

[Taipei] Le Petit Pâtissier 雷斯理

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Le Petit Pâtissier 雷斯理

Add: 2 Alley 4 Lane 74 Wenzhou Street, Taipei / 台北市大安區溫州街74巷4弄2號
Tel: (02) 2367 7862
Hours: 12~9pm (closed on Wednesday)
Price: [tea] 160 NTD [desserts] 120~150 NTD
Visited on: 2012-07

Le Petit Pâtissier 雷斯理, previously part of Caffe Libero in the Yongkang Street neighborhood, recently moved out to open an independent shop on Wenzhou Street. This area is really out of my usual activity zone, but after hearing such wonderful things about its lemon tart, I decided to venture out here to give it a try.

From the exterior to the interior, girly cute is the best phrase to describe Le Petit Pâtissier. Bright color blocks of fuscia yellow and green, red water jug adorned with white polka dots, wooden chairs with checkered mats…yes, it’s a sugar overload.

Even the desserts are in such adorable colors and shapes.

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2012/07/102016/10/14

[Taipei] Tomitamaya Sanuki Udon 富玉屋讚岐烏龍麵

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Tomitamaya Sanuki Udon 富玉屋讚岐烏龍麵 (venue closed)

Add: 14 Lane 83 Da’an Lu Section 1, Taipei / 台北市大安區大安路一段83巷14號
Tel: (02) 2778-5255
Hours: [lunch] 11:30am~2:30pm [dinner] 5:30~10:00pm
Website: www.wanpan.tw
Price: 280~320 NTD/udon set, 980~1380 NTD/hot pot set
Visited on: 2012-07

On a hot summer day like this, what’s better than a bowl of ice cold udon noodles for lunch?

Tomitamaya 富玉屋 is a recently opened udon specialty restaurant behind Sogo BR4, ran by a Taiwanese man who has learned the trade during his 15 years of residence in Japan. The decor is simple and clean, with wooden tables and colored seating mats that add warmth to an otherwise very plain space.

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2012/07/102015/08/31

[Taipei] Wakin’ Up Cafe Apartment 自然醒咖啡公寓

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Wakin’ Up Cafe Apartment 自然醒咖啡公寓

Add: 2F No. 157 Section 2 Heping East Rd Taipei / 台北市和平東路二段157號2F
Tel: (02) 2709 6066
Hours: 1~11pm (closed on Tuesdays)
Price: [drinks] 140~170 NTD [desserts] 80 NTD
Visited on: 2012-07

Nestled on the 2nd floor of a nondescript apartment building on Heping East Road is Wakin’ Up Cafe Apartment, a space where time stands still (if you look around, the clocks here literally not not moving). The cafe was slightly stuffy on a Saturday afternoon with the weekend crowd, but the cozy decor and friendly service still lured us to lounge here for hours.

After venturing up a flight of rather steep stairs, you will arrive at this.

Love the blackboard drawing behind the bar.

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2012/06/302015/08/31

[Taipei] Nichi Cafe 日子咖啡

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Nichi Cafe 日子咖啡

Add: No. 8, Alley 17, Chifeng Street, Taipei / 台北市赤峰街17巷8號
Tel: (02) 25559 6669
Hours: 1pm~10pm
Price: [drinks] 90~170 NTD [desserts] 80 NTD
Visited on: 2012-06

My plan to spend an afternoon at Eslite fell apart once I saw how crowded the bookstore was (even on a Thursday afternoon!), so instead I ventured out of my comfort zone (namely 東區 & 信義區) to explore some hidden cafe shops in other neighborhoods.

I wish I can say I stumbled upon Nichi Cafe through pure serendipity, but it was actually recommended to me by a Taiwanese blogger, who has graciously put together a customized restaurant/cafe list for me as a reference. Nichi Cafe somewhat reminds me of Cafe Megane, a stylish and slightly quirky Japanese cafe near the Tun Hwa/Hsin Yi intersection, except Nichi is even smaller in both store space and menu offerings.

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2012/06/282015/08/31

[Taipei] Yong Kang Beef Noodle 永康牛肉麵

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Yong Kang Beef Noodle 永康牛肉麵

Add: No. 17, Lane 31, Jinshan S. Rd., Sec.2 / 台北市金山南路2段31巷17號
Tel: (02) 2351 1051
Hours: 11:30am-2pm, 5:30pm-8pm
Website: beefnoodle-master.com
Price: 180~240 NTD/bowl
Visited on: Jun 2012

I have FINALLY been to arguably the most famous beef noodle joint in Taipei, and yes, it was as good as I expected it to be.

We started the meal off with some side dishes (40~120 NTD each) and Yong Kang’s famed 粉蒸肥腸 (100 NTD), which is steamed fatty pork intestine with sweet potatoes. This may sound disgusting (the look might be even worse), but it’s really, really good. For those who are put off by animal innards, you can instead try 粉蒸排骨 (100 NTD) which substitutes the intestines with spareribs.

Then on with the noodles. I ordered 紅燒半筋牛肉麵 braised beef & tendon with noodle in spicy broth (200 NTD/small), which in my opinion includes the best of both worlds – the tenderness of beef and the chewiness of its tendon. The noodles were done perfectly as well, not too soft and not too chewy. The broth? Slurp!

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2012/06/282015/08/31

[Taipei] Caffe Libero X Red on Tree La Pâtisserie

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Caffe Libero + Red on Tree La Pâtisserie

Add: 1, Lane 243, Jinhua Street, Taipei /台北市金華街243巷1號
Tel: (02) 2356 7129
Hours: [Mon-Sat] 12pm~12am [Sun] 12pm~6pm
Website: redontree.com
Price: [drinks] 60~280 NTD [desserts] 80~220 NTD
Visited on: 2012-06

Caffe Libero is another one of the many stylish cafes that are tucked away in the Yongkang Street neighborhood. The shop, renovated from a 40-year-old mansion, oozes a sense of nostalgia with its original Taiwan zelkova flooring, marble walls, engraved wood door, and vintage furnishing. What it offers: specialty drinks like Longan Latte, and lovely pastries from Red On Tree La Pâtisserie. A good place to linger.