大正浪漫 - Japanese

Address: No.1, Lane.30, Sec.1 Fuxing S. Road, Zhongshan District. 

Telephone: (02)2772-0680

Hours: Mon-Sat: 12-2:30PM; 6-9:30PM

(Again dear reader, I would just like you to know that until May of 2013, my posts will be few and far between due to the mandatory military service required of me in Taiwan.  If you like what you see however, please check back often and eventually I hope to not leave you disappointed.  Thanks!)

Heaven knows I love to eat my Japanese food (sushi/sashimi in particularly), but I'm beginning to dread writing about it almost as much.  That isn't to say I have nothing to say or opinions to form, it is just that it has become increasing difficult to say something NEW about these sorts of establishments.  I think I'm even repeating myself with this particular complaint.   But really, if I have to repeat myself in my description of a solidly crafted piece of fish... then so be it.  Although the quality and style may tend to blend together in some of these higher end Japanese restaurants, you never know what may surprise you and hit you from left field.  All it takes is one dish to smack you soundly to leave an impression.  Okay.. back to our regularly scheduled program of pictures and words.

Came to 大正浪漫 with the family in the hopes of reintroducing my taste buds to proper food after the beginning of basic training.  Was 大正浪漫 successful in that daunting goal? I answer with a resounding.. kind of.  I found things to be very hit or miss at 大正浪漫 and while our meal was dotted with many highs, there was also enough lows to make me reconsider coming back. I think I've wasted enough of your time with my usual nonsense... let's get to it.

Simple salad to start.

I found this particular combination to be a bit jumbled and disjointed in both taste and appearance.

Enjoyed this platter very much.  Some halibut, hamachi, scallop and other assorted fish brethren.

The first few courses of our omakase was a bit disjointed in my opinion.  The salad was entirely too plain without hardly a drop of flavor, and while I enjoyed many of the elements of the second platter, as a whole, I thought it didn't appeal to me visually and the textures were a mismatch in style and flavors.  

This seemed to be something that 大正浪漫 seemed to enjoy doing as opposed to many other sushi restaurants I've been to in Taiwan.  Instead of presenting each dish individually, many courses were brought out together on a plate.  I like the idea of this, but the execution can lead to mixed results.  The plate can sometimes seem too cluttered and if rushed, I feel like the end of the meal can arrive just a bit too soon.  Perhaps the same amount of food will have been consumed, but it just simply won't feel that way.  Its true.. our minds are bastards who constantly mess with us.

 Delicious

Steamed egg with fish.

Typically I focus on the sashimi and sushi portion of my meal when I choose to order from the omakase menu at Japanese restaurants, but really, the cooked portions are just as important in balancing out the palette and filling out your stomach.  Without the heartier cooked food, there would be no question that I could never be full from ordering omakase... or if I somehow did manage to achieve fullness, there would most likely be a crater sized dent in my wallet.  

I enjoyed the cooked food for the most part at 大正浪漫, and thought that the pacing of the dishes was good, as there was enough time in between courses to digest.  

 Simple Tempura with salt.

 The best things of the meal were located on this plate.  Yum (uni wrapped toro, amaebi)

The finisher... almost like a dessert chirashi of sorts.

Looking at the pictures and thinking again about each course at 大正浪漫, I might have been a bit off in my initial assessment of this restaurant.  Other than one or two dishes that weren't to my liking (albeit prepared well), I don't really have much of a gripe with 大正浪漫.  Perhaps it was the presentation of a few platters and some other internal matters that seemed to have swayed me from a clearer view of the food here, but whatever it is.. upon further review.. 大正浪漫 seems to be a real winner.

The tempura was nothing to write home about, but like i said, it was there to serve a purpose of rounding out the meal and it did that well.  The course with the sweet shrimp and uni wrapped with toro was clearly my favorite as apparently the price of the item correlates directly with my enjoyment of it.  As a group, we couldn't get enough of the uni and toro combo and proceeded to add a few extra a la carte.  They came out to about 400-500NT a piece and our omakase was 1800NT.  This is on the expensive end of their package options as omakase options range from 800 and up at 大正浪漫

I also thoroughly enjoyed the chirashi, as it was both a marvel to eat and look at.  My only complaint was that why the fact that I couldn't super size it.  

 A la carte uni/toro

 extra order of fish eggs over rice for the niece

simple dessert finish.

 大正浪漫 offers a nice modern atmosphere mixed in with some tradition Japanese art.  I enjoyed the lighting and the little entry way area.  We ate at a table instead of at the bar, so I am unable to relate the experience of engaging in banter with the chef (an enjoyable part of eating at these sort of restaurants, and they often offer specialties when eating at the bar).  The service staff was friendly, although perhaps not always present, as I occasionally had to hunt them down to put in an extra order or ask for more tea.  

As you can see, I changed my opinion about  大正浪漫 mid-post, and now think that it is definitely worthy of a return engagement to see which opinion I formed is the true one.  I'm not sure if  大正浪漫 does enough to differentiate itself from the myriad of high end Japanese restaurants, but that's perfectly fine.  The place was warm and inviting, and offered excellent food.. that's all I can really ask for.

Overall  大正浪漫 receives:

-Til Next Time-

Eddy's Cantina

Address: Lane.450, Alley.3, No.1 , Zhong shan Road (Tienmu), Taipei, Taiwan

Telephone: (02)2873-7612

Hours: Mon:11:30-9:00; Wed-Sun:11:30-9:00

So I guess the search will have to continue.  When asked about my move back to Taiwan from a life spent in America, I will always offer up what I miss most from the place I called home.  It begins with my friends of course, then takes a turn on the highway to longing for those private drives where your eyes can just stare down the road without the fear of a school of motorcycles descending upon you and acting like you're a stationary object.  

That's all well and good, but for the purposes of this blog and for you dear reader, what's important is what I miss next, and that is the otherworldly Mexican food that seems to exist in all corners of California.  I grew up in San Diego (where our Mexican brethren treated the border like an invisible line) where the Mexican food was just absolutely sublime.  Cheap, hearty, and full of flavors, the Mexican population of my adopted home really knew how to make a mean burrito.  

I guess I never truly appreciated the difficulty of making profound, soul shaking burritos and tacos until I ventured further and further away from San Diego.  Suffice to say that Taiwan is a long ways away from the beaches of Southern California, and while the food here is completely amazing in so many ways, the Mexican cuisine I've had up until now is utterly lacking.  Eddy's Cantina serves perfectly acceptable fare, but from what I heard from the mouths of others before venturing there myself, I had expected I had finally found my oasis in the barren landscape.  I was wrong, and like I said.. the search continues.   Let's get down to business.  

Nachos and little refreshment.  

Eddy's Cantina is located in Tien Mu (天母) where the streets are filled with the footsteps of foreigners.  I remember thinking when I was younger that Tien Mu is where most of the foreigners in Taiwan lived, and perhaps that was true at one point, but through the years, and with the proliferation of English teaching institutions, the population of foreigners seem to be more evenly distributed throughout the city and country.  I bring this up because the location of Eddy's now seems to be a bit out of the way, whereas once it would have made perfect sense.  For many people, hiking it out all the way to Tien Mu is quite the journey, so while there is a nice built in audience for their cuisine in Tien Mu, Eddy's is cutting itself from a new younger crowd by being where it is situated... just a thought.

Soft Tacos

Mexican food is beautiful in its simplicity.  I'm not sure whether to be critical in their lack of ingredients or to applaud because on occasion just those few ingredients are enough to make a dish sing.  Tortilla, Meat, cheese, tomatoes, beans, rice, lettuce, onions.. and really... that is about it.  Sure, I'm definitely making a point by exaggerating a little, but.. it really is only a slight exaggeration.

But you know what? It doesn't matter, because making simple food taste awesome is the highest complement that can really be achieved in cooking.  To be honest, I don't know what it is that separates the run of the mill Mexican food from the ones that make your mouth water and your taste buds rejoice, but there is definitely something.. and you'd figure it wouldn't be so hard to figure it out.  It is probably in the freshness of the ingredients, the way the colors work together, the smell.. basically you just want to be attacked by your senses all at once.  I apologize and am somewhat embarrassed to be waxing poetic about what amounts to a meat log... but that's how much I miss awesome Mexican food, and I long for it to exist here in Taiwan.

Burrito

Now let's get into some specifics about Eddy's and why is it that I find their particular creations to be perfectly tasty, but still altogether lacking in some crucial areas.  The simplest is in the presentation of the food itself.  I just thought that Eddy's food didn't look visually stunning, I realize we are talking about simple Mexican food here, and if I was getting it to go, there would be no such gripe, but when i'm dining in at a mexican restaurant... the cheese should be melting over the meats, and the colors should be vibrant and bright.  The food just looked slightly dead on arrival and somewhat bulky.. if that is the right choice of words.  There seemed to be a bad ratio between tortilla and ingredients that didn't made me go ooooh~ at first glance.

The nachos and quesadilla were pedestrian and this type of quality can easily be found in any sports bar or TGIFs.  But then again, nachos and quesadillas are just fillers and are almost always decent where ever you have them, the bigger problem I had was with Eddy's burrito, because to me.. a burrito is what makes or breaks your average Mexican restaurant.  First off, it was flat.. and not nearly spherical enough.  There was too much rice, and the meat was not grilled very well and was somehow simultaneously a bit too soggy yet dry (due to the heavy handedness of the beans and rice most likely).  To sum it up even quicker, I found the burrito at Eddy's the be the most singular disappointment of the night, and while I accept everything else was on a sliding scale from decent to good in taste, the burrito really left me feeling cold.

Hard shelled tacos (best thing we had) and quesadilla.

Even with all the negativity I spewed in Eddy's direction, the truth of the matter is that I would most certainly return, but that speaks to the current state of Mexican food in Taiwan, and not to the quality of their food.  The restaurant itself is decorated simply in colors that you associate with Mexico.  There is a nice little outside patio area where we sat for our meal, but really, I would've been much happier squatting in the corner holding a flash light to see what I was eating as long as the food was up to the quality that I yearn for.  

I am fully aware that oceans and miles separate me from my childhood, but somethings you cling onto because there is no point in forgoing them because it can easily be replicated if it was just done right.  So many cuisines have been brought here to Taiwan over the last decade or two, and they have been done with the excellence that they deserve.  So this is why I will keep looking and praying that under the next rock, I'll find a carne asada burrito that I can savor fully, because I refuse to believe that if other worldly fare can be done right.. then so can the simple burrito.  Sadly, today was not that day.

Overall Eddy's Cantina receives:

-Til Next Time-

博多拉麵-Ramen

Address: (Will be updated soon!)

Telephone:

Hours:

The simplest things can often be the most satisfying and fulfilling.  It doesn't take a seven course meal to create a grin that runs from ear to ear.  Maybe it just takes a sandwich from the local store, a slice of cheese pizza, or whatever simple guilty pleasure that will make your taste buds giddy.  On this day, I decided to go with the ever so seemingly simple bowl of ramen. It really does appear to me that the longest lines I come across belong to stores that offer amazing yet uncomplicated food.

Meandering around the streets of Taipei you'll occasionally come across ramen stores with hoards of people waiting outside all clamoring to get themselves a bowl.  I'll admit that I never really understood the huge appeal of ramen until recently, and even now, I don't believe I would stand in the muggy air for too long if there was an adequate option near by.  With that said however, after tasting ramen of all differing qualities, I have grown to appreciate a fantastic bowl of finely crafted noodles.  博多拉麵 is nested in Shimin Blvd, a long crowded street that is stuffed to the gills with all manners of food choices. This was my first trip to 博多拉麵, and as usual, it's time to find out if there's going to a return trip in the future (the only stamp of approval a restaurant ever needs).

Something to get started with

博多拉麵 is different from your regular ramen shop in that their soup base is made of cream instead of soy like most other places.  The menu is fully equipped with a variety of small dishes for you to flesh out your meal.  We decided on some kimchi, pork, fried tofu, egg and a potato croquette.  If you think that's a lot for two people.... you are correct, I think in the entire restaurant, we might have been the only people who ventured beyond 1 addition side dish, but that's what i'm here to do folks... to stuff my face for your pleasure.

Fried Tofu

The small dishes we had were all good, with special kudos given to the fried tofu. The prices of all the items are very reasonable, and run much less than what you would expect to find at many of the famous ramen establishments in the city.  博多拉麵 has more than one location in Taipei, and given its bright pink awning, it makes for a tough locale to miss if you are looking for it. 

We got there relatively early at around 6PM so there wasn't much in the way of customers as I ambled in.  The restaurant filled up nicely however over the next hour and I began to see why the proprietors have been able to open so many branches.  The best way to describe the decor of 博多拉麵 is an hybrid of a rustic/retro Japanese noodle shop.  Truly not the best description I know, but words somewhat fail me at the moment.

As you walk in, you get the feel that you just entered any Japanese neighborhood mom and pop shop you've seen in the movies.  There aren't really any bell or whistles to speak of when it comes to the decor, but that's perfectly fine with me as long as the food delivers and the place isn't a dump.  And 博多拉麵 definitely isn't a dump.

The Star

Now we've come to the actual ramen, and my take on their cream based soup.  My own personal preference is the soy based soup and the flavors that that type of ramen brings.  I found 博多拉麵's ramen to be a bit too bland for my personal tastes.  I don't have too much experience with this type of ramen, but my friend told me that their's is a very famous take on this dish and is well known throughout Taiwan. 

The noodles themselves were done well, and had that pre-requisite chewyness and ability to not disintegrate in the soup after a few moments.  The chicken was moist and crispy at the same time, and offered something a bit different from the usual pork slices that accompany many a ramen dish.  But like I said, my main gripe (and it's a large one) is that I simply just didn't find the flavors to be present, and the soup was more water than anything else to me.  This is me however, and I fully admit to being a lover of spices and rich flavors in my food, so I'm taking my inherit bias into judgement and believe that anyone who appreciates ramen needs to check out 博多拉麵.

Overall 博多拉麵 - Ramen Receives:

 

-Til Next Time-

Ice Monster

Address: No.297, Sec.4, Zhongxiao E. Rd, Daan District. 台北市忠孝東路四段297號

Telephone: (02)8771-3263

Hours: Mon-Sun: 11:00AM-11:30PM

I was confused as to why such a popular and famous eatery would shut down.  Ice Monster has long been located in the heart of Yong Kang St (永康街), and has attracted devoted patrons from the world over to its assortment of shaved ice options.  Well, as it turns out, what temporarily derailed Ice Monster is the same thing that disrupts many businesses... Money.  I don't know the specifics, and neither do I care to... all I know is that Ice Monster is back, and everyone who has to suffer through the Taiwanese summer is ever so grateful.  

The new store opened in late May, and it is a large comfortable space that has a nice modern feel to it.  It is a huge upgrade over the small roadside stall that it use to operate from.  Perhaps moving from the quaint digs of Yong Kang Street (永康街) and into this posher abode will take away that feeling of discovering something off the beaten path that only comes from eating at small stands/stalls... but trust me, I'll take the comfy chairs and air conditioning any day of the week.

My friends and I decided to check out the new digs on a sweltering Monday evening.  Even as it approached 8:30 at night, the line was still formidable as it took around half an hour before we were able to get seated.  The wait was made more bearable as they come around with little frozen treats to keep people like me from complaining too much about the blasted heat.  The waiting gives you some time to peruse the menu although it comes down to one thing when we are talking about Ice Monster.. and that is their Mango Shaved Ice (Mango Avalanche).  It is what they have been most renowned for during their stint as kingpin of Taiwanese shaved ice, and while it seems to me that they added a few new things to the menu, I would start with the Mango Avalanche and add to that depending on your appetite. 

 Almost seems to be a glow emanating from it. (180NT)

Red Bean and Taro Shaved ice.

After tasting this again after such a long time, I can see why the line existed.  The shaved mango was extremely light and airy and full of flavor.. it really did almost just melt on your tongue.  The Mango Avalanche is a sweets lovers dream as its a heaping of mango, pudding, condensed milk, sorbet, and mango syrup.  So yeah, maybe stay away from it if you aren't the biggest fan of mango, but otherwise.. it is the exact remedy needed to cure the summer heat.

The taro and red bean ice I also enjoyed, but I would say that it doesn't pop like the Mango Avalanche.  It is a blend of textures and different ices that creates what I feel is a visually stunning dessert.  As a big fan of red bean in general, I would definitely recommend this option.

A favorite of many people, but one that is excluded from my list for its high concentration of coffee flavor.  Again, I have to point out that half of the appeal of the desserts here really is just how delicious the shaved ice appears.  It's nice that they also happen to be yummy, but the visuals probably make them taste all the better.  The side of tapioca certainly made me like this option slightly more, but I just don't particularly enjoy the bitterness of this dish, but I may be in the minority here, so go ahead and give it a try (shaved ice is still shaved ice however... and I couldn't help but eat my fair share).

Given its enormous popularity, I've always wondered why Ice Monster hasn't branched out yet and opened more stores.  Perhaps this is a step in that direction as their shiny new locale is apparently doing gangbusters, and I feel it's just a matter of time before more and more Ice Monsters dot the scenery of Taipei.  I thoroughly enjoyed my visit here, and by the end of the experience, no one was talking about that short little wait we had to endure in the beginning.  The desserts are plentiful, visually appealing, and boy are they delicious.. what else can someone trying to escape the heat ask for? 

Overall Ice Monster Receives: 

-Til Next Time-