October 10, 2022 All Post a Comment

Quelques Patisserie: The Best Patisserie in Taipei

Quelques patisserie is an innovative French bakery located in Taipei’s Da’An District(which is also where Jay Chou happens to live!). The bakery really blends in with the neighborhood atmosphere. It isn’t until one steps foot inside is when one is transported into a more modern environment. Cool white interior, deco and lights abound.

Indoor seating requires a drink order, at a minimum, and there’s a 90 minute limit. Maybe a drink helps to better soak up the vibes of indoor dining, or this place is money hungry. Anyways, I find it weird that the minimum doesn’t include a purchase from the pastry display.

Weird indoor dining drink requirement aside, Quelques bakery has very remarkable cakes and pastries. What I really like about this patisserie is the creativity of the desserts. Asian French fusion is the theme here, with unique flavors like Yuzu & Osmanthus, Chocolate+Tieguanyin(!! A type of oolong tea aka Iron Goddess/Lady !!), and more! It really fills me with awe how different techniques and different cultures come together, resulting in a product that is rich and complex, uniquely taiwanese.

Desserts are made with delicate care. Flavors were complex and each layer upon layer was laid with precision. For the prices charged, you won’t find amateur craftsmanship here. 值得！

The packaging is also thoughtful. Each cake purchase includes a gel pack of ice to ensure the product stays cool in the hot and humid weather, if opting for take out.

So far, I’ve tried the Yuzu & Osmanthus(top), and the Honey Whiskey Cheesecake(bottom)!

Yuzu & Osmanthus Cake — See what I mean by delicate!

The Honey Whiskey cheesecake was, by far, my favorite of the two. The cheesecake isn’t just rich and creamy like a NY cheesecake, but also has hints of whiskey, which magnifies the taste of honey. It’s not too sweet and not too heavy. It’s literally like a Honey Whiskey bomb in dessert form.

address: No. 7號, Alley 4, Lane 345, Section 4, Ren’ai Rd, Da’an District, Taipei City, 106

January 11, 2022 All, Cafe/Dessert Post a Comment

Japanese Shaved Ice in Taipei 九州純冰おいしい氷屋

One fine evening, a bored human being was browsing Google Maps for shaved ice places and happened upon 九州純冰おいしい氷屋 (Oishii Koori), a cafe & shaved ice shop franchise from Fukuoka, Japan. She couldn’t make out the first half of the name, but she knows that the second half translates to “delicious ice shop.” As a lover of desserts, especially ice dessert products, she knew she had to try Oishii Koori’s delicious shaved ice! Also, some of the reviews on google maps claimed that the ice is imported from Japan, which only fortified her desire to try one of the best japanese shaved ice in Taipei!

Located in a cozy alleyway, Oishii Koori is unassuming at first, so it might be easy to walk past. There was a 10% discount for take-out orders, which was nice, and of course I opted for take-out, so I didn’t have to wait for it to be prepared. Upon entrance, the hostess immediately greeted me in Japanese. Getting my order only took 5 minutes, and I was given a 30NTD off voucher for my next purchase.

The Best Japanese Shaved Ice in Taipei

Matcha Mascarpone Kakigori(shaved ice) is unlike any other shaved ice you’ve ever had. The devil is in the details. It looks like a matcha shaved ice topped with whipped cream, but wait till you dig your spoon in! Below the whipped cream is a layer of fluffy red bean mixed with cream. As you dig further down, there is a pleasant surprise: a condensed milk cream! Last but not least, the quality of the matcha is superb. It is a beautiful vibrant green color(not greenish brown), and is not overly sweet. This is definitely one of the best shaved ice I’ve ever tried!

scoop of matcha shaved ice — the scoop is so fluffy!~

matcha milk mountain — The layer underneath the whipped cream is red beans! & the layer beneath the snow is sweet condensed milk!!

Locally-Sourced & Homemade Milk Kakigori is next up. The texture was light, and soft. It was a little bit too sweet for my taste. For people who don’t like overly complex things, this milk mountain is simple and perfect.

milk mountain shaved ice — looks like what polar bears eat!

Wild Berry Vanilla Ice Cream Sundae Parfait(to-go)

wild berry parfait — hmmm… portion looks small

wild berry parfait (top) — ooo… the top view is magnificent!

Matcha Milk Kakigori w/ Dango and Adzuki Red Beans (to-go)

matcha milk shaved ice(not the mascarpone one). The dango was delicious.

As you can see, the portions for to-go orders are not a lot compared to that of when dining in. That is also reflected in the price as well. The to-go orders were wrapped in aluminum to help maintain the cold temperature. The wild berry parfait was full of fresh ingredients and the vanilla ice cream was creamy and not icy. The matcha milk shaved ice was not too compact, and had good fluffiness and texture. I enjoyed the chewiness and QQ of the dango. The red bean paste seems to be homemade and was the perfect sweetness.

Address: No. 20號, Lane 18, Nanjing W Rd, Datong District, Taipei City, Taiwan 103

Website: https://wwww.oishiikoori.com/en/

Click here for a list of the best desserts in Taipei!

January 9, 2022 All Post a Comment

The Best Mango Shaved Ice in Taipei

For those who’ve been to Taiwan, you know how hot the weather can get, sweltering hot especially. It doesn’t matter if you’re naked or half-naked, you’re gonna be sweating bullets no matter how short the time you’re outside for. I literally walked half a block from where I was staying, and my armpits were already pumping out salty body water. It’s not really as bad as I’m making it out to be because Taiwanese shaved ice is my saving grace. Unlike those basic snow cones with artifically-flavored syrups drizzled on to them, Taiwanese shaved ice is icy, flaky, and the perfect treat to help you turn down the heat during those hot days. Cue The Best Mango Shaved Ice in Taipei.

What do you do when the weather is more than 70 degrees?

A. Hide in your room with the AC

B. Time to go out and play!

C. Buy mango shaved ice

Yongkang street is like a little foodie village with a hybrid of street food carts and long-established mom and pop eateries and shops, and where one can find the best mango shaved ice @ Smoothie House. According to their website, it’s called Smoothie House because the founder was studying abroad and came across a mango smoothie which really reminded him of the taste from his hometown, hence Smoothie House was born.

Normally, pre-covid, this shaved ice shop is so packed that it’s nearly impossible to get a seat by the patio. Anyhow, Smoothie House did a buy 1 get 1 promotion with the download of their food delivery partner app, which my boyfriend and I happily took advantage of.

smoothie house menu — Yup that’s the menu. So many tasty options!

mango snowflake shaved ice w/ sorbet — That’s what the mango snowflake shaved ice looked like pre-covid in 2019. The little bowl next to it is the oolong tea jelly.

There’s so many options on the menu: shaved ice, smoothies, and panna cottas. Of course we tried the Super Mango Snowflake Ice with Sorbet, in addition to Heart Of the Ocean Snowflake Ice, Mango Snowflake Ice with Taro Balls, and Lichi Snowflake Ice with Strawberry and Raspberry.

The ranking of the aforementioned is as follows:

Super Mango Snowflake Ice with Sorbet > Heart Of the Ocean Snowflake Ice > Mango Snowflake Ice with Taro Balls > Lichi Snowflake Ice w/ Strawberry and Raspberry

The best was the Super Mango Snowflake ice because each bite is full of mango-ful goodness, and the tartness of the mango sorbet went really well with the sweetness of the freshly diced mangos. The tartness and sweetness were balanced by the fluffy texture of the snowy mango milk flavored shaved ice.

mango shaved ice — The mango snowflake shaved ice is filled with a generous amount of diced mangos

mango shaved ice close up — Look at all those sweet and juicy mangos. In case you were wondering, the mango sorbet is hidden beneath the snow.

The least favorite was the Lichi Snowflake Ice with Strawberry and Raspberry because the Strawberries were too tart, and wasn’t really sweet. The presentation was luxurious(it was topped with gold leaf).

Heart Of the Ocean Snowflake Ice: I loved the chewiness of the pearls(similar to boba), which is basically the Super Mango Snowflake Ice but with pearls for texture.

Mango Snowflake Ice with Taro Balls: I loved the chewiness of the taro ball and sweet potato ball. It’s similar to a glutinous rice ball, but is not as soft. Also similar to boba, but chewier than boba.

Some of the shaved ice comes with a jelly or a panna cotta. I tried the oolong tea jelly and the panna cotta.

The oolong tea jelly was light on the palate and calming on the mind.

The panna cotta was tasty and jiggly. It was almost like eating a sweet milk pudding.

Address: No. 15號, Yongkang St, Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106

Website: http://www.smoothiehouse.com/

If you’ve come this far, then thanks for reading! Cheers!

For a list of the best desserts in Taipei click here!

November 19, 2021 All, Food Post a Comment

Addiction Aquatic Development: The Best Seafood Market in Taipei

Are you a seafood addict? Yes! If otherwise, then we can’t be friends. Just kidding. That’s because there’s something for everyone here. It’s not just a seafood market, but also a supermarket, flower shop, cafe, hot bar, and restaurant. The people who run this place clearly have invested a lot of time, thought, and effort into the layout, experience, and logistics. Addiction Aquatic Development is the best seafood market in Zhongshan District, Taipei!

Prices are reasonable, and significantly cheaper than what you would get in the United States, especially for SASHIMI & more especially, TUNA BELLY.

The moment you enter the building, tanks of fresh live seafood taking a nice bath greet you, and some refrigerated uni from Japan along a wall. Once you’ve gotten past all your new marine friends, the supermarket awaits. The supermarket had all sorts of foods, ranging from snacks, to frozen and cooked foods.

As someone who really loves raw fish, what I really like(and what blew my mind about this place) is how fresh the sashimi is! I ordered the otoro(fatty tuna belly) & chu toro(medium fatty tuna belly) at the seafood counter and I was promptly given these mouthwatering slices. The color, the texture, the marbling, and most importantly the taste, were to die for. You know how wagyu is graded? Tuna belly is like the wagyu of the sea. In my case, it was…between A4 and A5.

Just take a look & you’ll see what I mean:

beautiful, raw tuna belly

addiction aquatic development sashimi packaging — Beautiful tuna belly(the fattiest, ootoro 大トロ)

Ootoro Tuna Belly — Beautiful streaks of fat on the tuna belly

just look at the marbling of this beautiful chutoro(中とろ)

Did you see those beauties? And the marbling of that chutoro? Ugh… to die for. That’s primarily why this is the best seafood market in Taipei. I haven’t seen tuna belly of that caliber at any other seafood markets.

salmon sashimi

salmon sushi & sashimi set(no pics atm, sorry)

We also got the salmon sashimi. The taste and texture was very fresh and melt-in-your mouth salmon sashimi goodness.

Did I tell you that this place also sells hot food? It was disappointing, though. Hard pass. We tried the fried chicken(dry), fried fish skin(not crispy, but stale), smoked duck(bit too smoky), fried durian(cold & stale), & beef stew(beef is over cooked).

smoked duck breast — the smoked duck(good portion, and high CP!)

fried fish skin — the disappointing, not crispy and stale fish skin

On the other hand, the desserts were surprisingly good:

Cheesecake(plain): soft, fluffy, and not dense. The crust is buttery and nutty. I tasted walnuts.
the cheese cake from Addiction Aquatic Development

so good that there’s barely a mouthful left
Blueberry Cheesecake: Almost like blueberry yogurt, but in cheesecake form(no pic atm)

There was a promotion for the gelato(buy 2 get 1 free). Both were a bit too sweet for me, and the texture was too icy from being in the freezer for a while. On a side note, I have a list of some of the best desserts that I’ve tried in Taipei so far. If you’re interested, check it out here!

Matcha gelato
Black sesame gelato
a nice and vibrant green matcha gelato

deep and rich in sesame flavor

If you’re gonna visit Taipei in the future, make sure to add Addiction Aquatic Development to your bucket list! You really get great bang for your buck. The sushi rolls are also good value for the money: the rolls are stuffed with fish, with just the right amount of rice. There is the taste of the roll’s namesake(ex: Salmon Roll) with every bite. The hot bar unfortunately left much more to be desired. Every item from the hot foods area looked really appetizing, but the taste was not up to par.

Address: No. 18號, Alley 2, Lane 410, Minzu E Rd, Zhongshan District, Taipei City, Taiwan 10491

Website: https://www.addiction.com.tw/

September 25, 2021 All, Cafe/Dessert Post a Comment

The Best Desserts in Taipei

Oh Taiwan…a paradise for foodies, where night markets and tasty foods abound. Taiwanese people really love food, and desserts are no exception. For example, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of different ways chicken is prepared, cooked, and seasoned. The same love can be extended to desserts as well. Taipei has so many shaved ice shops, patisseries, bakeries, and more. Any shop can sell shaved ice, but each shop has its own differentiating factors for preparing and creating the shaved ice. Having tried a lot of desserts—some good, some half-assed, and some plain bad—I decided to make a compilation of some of what I thought are the best desserts in Taipei.

Here is a list of some of the best desserts you can find in Taipei:

Tzubi Coffee – grape chiffon cake – grape was a bit underripe, but the cream and chiffon cake layers were perfect. Both were light, airy, and not dense.
Melon Coffee – hojicha chiffon cake
Smoothie House – Da-An – Mango Shaved Ice – Right around the corner from the Dongmen Station. The mango shaved ice is refreshing, has fresh mangos, mango sorbet, and full of mango.
Lady M – Regent Taipei – Mille Crepe Cakes. Although Lady M crepe cakes are known to be pricy for a slice, these crepe cakes are such an intensive labor of love that you really get your money’s worth. There are a lot of other stores that have tried re-creating crepe cakes but none will ever come as close to the crepe cakes of Lady M because it’s technical, and it’s not easy to get the heavy cream flavors and texture right, yet Lady M successfully overcomes those obstacles. Their renown is well-deserved.
Uzna Omom – Miramar – delicious hot cakes! Tall and proud, these hot cakes will comfort you like the hug of a loved one. It will be dry without the syrup, so make sure you take care to use the syrup that is provided!
Mountain Kids Chill & Relax – cinnamon rolls & cheese cake(maybe vegan). What I really like about this cafe is that the staff heats up the cinnamon roll for you(so you don’t have a stale and cold cinnamon roll), and that there isn’t excess sugar glaze on the rolls.
Harrit’s Donuts – fluffy & chewy donuts w/o the greasiness. The best donuts in Taipei.
Capatina – Shilin – tasty fruit sorbet
Tokyo Cheese – Xinyi District – creamy cheese soft serve with a slice of cheese cake and namesake biscuit.
Tangyuan – Tonghua St Night Market – Tang Yuan (Glutinous rice balls, like mochi) served on a bed of shaved ice that you can flavor with lemon or osmanthus syrup. This is a very unique combination that somehow works!
台灣手作水果冰淇淋 Ice Cream/Gelato Stall – Tonghua St Night Market – generous portions, generous samples, natural ingredients, high CP
Nice Cream – creamy coconut milk ice cream with barely, if any, the taste of coconut meat (vegan)
Pablo Cheese Tart – yummy cream cheese tarts
On the Road – The best gelato in Taipei. Literally, the best.
Lady Chef – homemade French custard ice cream
Soypresso – creamy soy milk soft serve ice cream (vegan)
Yu’s Almond Milk – almond milk shaved ice, almond milk ice cream with almond bits
Maccanti – Italian owned gelato shop. This shop has lots of Italian flavors such as, sicilian casato, and stracciatella.
Beard Papa Cream Puffs – light and airy outer shell, with rich, light and fluffy cream. There are seasonal flavors every month.
Meet Fresh – Taiwanese chain full of delicious taiwanese shaved ice toppings such as, herbal grass jelly, taro balls, red bean, & more. Meet Fresh is known to use fresh and high quality ingredients.
108 Matcha Saro – Near Tianmu – delicious matcha wheel cakes!
緣味古早味現烤蛋糕 – Tamsui – Castella Cake Block. There is nothing like a gigantic and jiggly cake fresh out of the oven. The cake is cut into the whopping size of a text book and is only 80-100 NT depending on whether you want the original or with cheese slices cake.
Tim Ho Wan – Mango Pomelo & Sago
Eastern Ice Store – shaved ice with traditional toppings
Japan Rail Cafe – JRC is known for 7 levels of matcha gelato. The texture of the gelato is smooth and creamy, and the matcha flavor is rich.
Smoothie House – the best mango shaved ice in Taipei. Read more about it here!
& more! Updated on a rolling basis.

September 24, 2021 All, Bakery Post a Comment

The Best Croissants in Taipei

Rise Bakery

The Best Croissants in Taipei

Rise Bakery makes the best croissants in Taipei. If you’re an avid bread enthusiast who is yearning for more western & less asian-palate refined bread, then you need to add this bakery to your bucket list!

The store is sort of tucked and hidden away like an uncut gemstone, and looks as plain as a rock. I mean that is a good thing, no? Less is more. In addition, Rise doesn’t really appear in the results on google maps, and the signage is barely visible–I don’t even think I saw one. The store literally blends in with the surroundings that you wouldn’t have noticed that this is a bakery unless you were paying special attention, especially to the smell of butter from the freshly baked bread running out of the building in the afternoon.

I haven’t tried anything, ANYTHING, like these croissants in Taipei, ever. Not even that Japanese croissant chain franchise can compare to the homey and comforting croissants from Rise Bakery. Perfectly crisp, plump, with just the right amount of butter and salt. It shines just as bright and golden as a crescent moon. I’m salivating just from reminiscing about it all over again.

There’s no point in just having the croissant when there’s also the Pain Au Chocolate. It was also puffy, flaky, and buttery, but the chocolate batons were a bit too sweet(I prefer mine dark).

Other goodies:

Milk Toast: if you put your nose close to the package, you can smell the hints of butter and milk, coupled with the pillowy soft texture. Moist, and fluffy. My colleagues devoured what was left, instantly.

Sourdough Bread Loaf:

I used to have an aversion to sourdough because the one I tried from Panera in the states was sooo sour. The loaf from Rose Bakery is modestly sour without being overbearingly sour. The crumb is not too moist and spongy.

Sausage & Jalapeño Pizza: I would advise you to ask if they could re-heat it because it might be cold and could use a little more crispness. The sausage and jalapeño toppings were generous. The dough was thin and a bit floppy because it was cooled. Meh, I’ve had better pizza. This reminds me of costco pizza but with better quality ingredients.

Mushroom Focaccia: perfectly spiced. There were holes where the air bubbles had formed. Not too dry and tasty with butter.

Raisin Scone: For some reason, Taiwanese people have a recent obsession with scones. The raisin scone had generous amounts of raisins and wasn’t too doughy. Almost like a biscuit.

Cookies:
Double Chocolate Sea Salt Cookie

Sea Salt, Toffee, & Chocolate Chip Cookie

I wasn’t a fan of the cookies. They were too sweet for my liking.

Rise Bakery is an excellent Bakery with a wide variety of breads and other carbs. The ingredients used are high in quality, and comforting to the soul. If you’re in the area, do try the croissants, the sourdough, and the milk toast loaf, or better yet, everything else. You won’t be disappointed. Expats would most definitely appreciate Rise.

address: No. 164號, Section 4, Xinyi Road, Da’an District, Taipei City, 106

August 25, 2021 All, Brunch Post a Comment

Amazing Brunch at AVENUE Fast Casual Eatery

There’s no brunch like that of AVENUE Fast Casual Eatery. After a disappointing experience with the brunch at the overhyped ACME Cafe in Ximending, I stumbled across this gem: AVENUE. It’s located right down the escalator, next to a co-working space. The way the food was presented and laid out reminded me of a picnic, minus the blanket and hot sun beating down on my hair and back.

Address: 106, Taipei City, Da’an District, Section 2, Anhe Rd, 92號B1F

AVENUE Fast Casual Eatery — **English Breakfast Set:** smooth yogurt w/ honey syrup, tomato+feta+pesto salad, & english breakfast tea

As an avid water-drinker, I really appreciated the set of glass bottled water at the corner in the front. You could drink as many bottles as needed to satisfy your thirst.

We ordered the Chili Cheese Fries, English Breakfast Platter Set(which includes yogurt, choice of tea or coffee, and a salad), & Truffle Pizza.

Initially, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but my-oh-my were the portions huge. Big enough to share with 3 people, or depending on your appetite.

Chili Cheese Fries: Fries were a bit oily but still crisp

English Breakfast Platter Set + Combo:
Yogurt: The texture of the yogurt w/ honey was smooth without the astringency of greek yogurt and the honey was heartwarming.

Salad: Tomatoes w/ pesto, basil & feta; so simple yet so gratifying.

English Breakfast Platter: Like a deconstructed BLT. Slices of grilled toast, bacon, lettuce, grilled tomatoes, mushrooms candied potatoes w/ shredded parmesan, sausages, & delicately poached eggs. Upon spreading the whites of the egg apart, the yolk oozed like gold against the glare of the metallic spoon. The poached eggs were perfect and not overcooked!

Truffle Pizza: My boyfriend’s complaint was that the flavors weren’t strong enough… it was lacking something. I think the problem was it was mainly truffle pate with greens thrown on. The crust was thin but a bit too crisp.

If you’re looking for a filling and worthwhile brunch spot in Taipei, this is it. AVENUE should be in your bookmarks. Big portion sizes, with fresh and nourishing ingredients that aren’t sloppily thrown together. No need for lunch, because brunch.