Monday, October 17, 2016

Taipei City - URBN Culture


You're hit with colour and liveliness from the moment you walk in.

The art on the wall is from a popular artist invited up to decorate this place, from Taichung. It's fun!

The layout is a lot like Beer and Cheese just up the road. They could perhaps do with a description about the flavours and differences...
Upstairs:










The atmosphere certainly feels comfortable, I could whittle away a few hours sat in the window watching the rain, that's for sure (but that's not me, I'm here to eat!).





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 To the table:

This was quite a nice change from the boring warm water usually served at the table. This water was infused with both rosemary and lemon, adding almost a tea-like flavour with a nice citrus twist.

The menu:










What we ordered:

 Fried Wanton with spinach and mozzarella
炸菠菜起司餛飩 
zhà bō cài qǐ sī hún tun
$180


 How cool and delicious do these little beauties look?

Served on a sweet and sticky chilli sauce, these fried spinach and cheese wantons were a good way to start the meal. Plenty of filling is packed inside, and the outside remains deliciously crunchy but not too thick.

Raw Pad Thai 
泰式沙拉(麵) 
tài shì shā lā (miàn) 
$280

I do love a good pad thai. This one is raw, so it isn't cooked in any way - quite different to the pad thai I usually indulge in. However, it still worked well. There are plenty of peanuts lending a hard crunch and plenty of finely sliced raw veggies allowing a softer crunch.

 It was good but it wasn't as good as it looked.
Plant-based burger with Kimchi Mayo
全植泡菜美乃滋 
quán zhí pào cài měi nǎi sī hàn bǎo 
$320

Yum yum yum! And not just the burger, but the fries are absolutely awesome. They are worth coming back for, alone.

The burger has lots of layers of fresh flavours, but the patty is a bit too soft for my liking. 

The kimchi mayonnaise is 100% vegan and tastes delicious! Why wouldn't you get it?!


 Ganache
甘納許 
gān nà xǔ 
$180

Definitely a top dessert, right here!

If you ever want to indulge in chocolate naughtiness in a vegan way, this is the one for you. However, be aware, it is big! This took two of us to finish it. 

 The salt on the top complimented the dark chocolate and pulled out more flavours. The ice cream in the middle added good texture and made it feel even more naughty. Finally, the bottom layer of chocolate was soft, chewy and a great way to end the mouthful of chocolaty goodness.

 Definitely save room for this!
Flight of 3 beers: Founders Rubaeus Raspberry



Not my choice order, and I wouldn't order it again. It has a strong raspberry flavour and tastes quite sweet. Basically, I am not a fruit beer fan, at all. If you are, then maybe you will like it.
Heretic Chocolate Hazelnut Porter



This was good, but didn't set my world alight. It's like a lot of porters out there: dark caramel and coffee flavour.
Modern Times Blackhouse Stout



My favourite drink of the night - much deeper in flavour than the porter and a smoother and more refined finish than the porter, too. Delicious.



URBN on Facebook


URBN culture on Instagram
Opening Times:
Every day 
11:00 - 00:00

Tel:
02 2378 8322

台北市大安區基隆路2段252號

 No. 252, KeeLung road, section 2, DaAn District, Taipei City






Happy eating!

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posted by Unknown @ October 17, 2016   0 Comments

Monday, September 19, 2016

Taipei City - 饒河夜市 RaoHe Nightmarket


Over 250 years old stands the CiYou Temple 慈祐宮 on the east side of the RaoHe Night market. It is what will great you if you arrive by MRT from SongShan Station 松山捷運站. It was built over 250 years ago, and dedicated to the Mazu Goddess 媽祖, protecting seafarers on their journeys.



福州世祖胡椒餅


Immediately after coming in, you will arrive at this place in the center. Line up. No matter how long the line is, line up! 

This place has been here over 20 years, and there is most definitely a reason why...


This is the 胡椒餅 - Pepper Cake. You can see at the back, they are rolling the dough and preparing it to be filled. 


Next, they get a healthy portion of minced pork and pack plenty of scallions/spring onions on top, encasing it in the bun, later to be baked.


The top is patted with water, then sesame seeds, where it is then stuck on the inside of the tandoor (which is what it essentially is) below...


A short while later, it emerges as this majestically beautiful pepper cake!



Give them your $50 and prepare your mouth for 1. Incredibly hot pepper cake, 2. Well seasoned and put together peppery filling, 3. Get ready to line up again...

For the taste, you should expect: a crunchy outer-casing of fairly neutral bread. On the inside, expect a searingly hot pork and spring onion mixture which oozes with fresh pork juices. Be aware that the meat steams inside the bun and as you bite in, the juices could (will) come oozing out! 

This place doesn't really cater much for customer service when paying, but it's probably because it is always very busy and they cannot look to engage each customer in conversation when a line of 50+ people are behind. But, simply either show your fingers for how many you would like, or here is what to say 

 一個 yī gè (1) , 兩個 liǎng gè (2), 三個 sān gè (3),   四個 sì gè (4), 五個 wǔ gè (5).

This place looks pretty good, check out that platter of meat inbetween bean noodles (left) and hot and sour soup (right).

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These are very popular, too, at nightmarkets. But, I am not that bothered about them, personally. The steak is heated slightly from the bottom but its main cooking comes from a blow torch from the top. Yeh, it's alright, but the quality often isn't that good.

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I was getting thirsty by this point


Grass jelly drink - $35. Minty, healthy and wet. It hits the spot!

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In the mood for abalone or snails? Nah, me neither...

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These look good, though.


家賀魷魚大王


Squid, squid, squid!


This place is really friendly, make sure you stop by here for a bowl of delicately cooked and fresh squid.


This family run business has been here over 20 years. They say that the reason they have maintained regular customers for so long is that they offer and authentic taste of Taiwanese squid, a traditional flavor which many others don't offer...


The squid is dropped into boiling hot water (only water). 


How to order: 一份 (1 portion) yī fèn 

Choose your level of spice - 微辣 wēi là 
，小辣 xiǎo là ，中辣zhōng là ，大辣 dà là 


I wasn't fancying going upstairs to their seating area an awful lot...

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金林三兄弟藥燉排骨


Possibly better in winter, but don't discount it in summer, either. Their soup is slightly sweeter (in my opinion a little more palatable) than other Chinese medicine soups I have tasted. This is another stand that has stood the test of time with 20+ years!

藥燉排骨 yào dùn pái gǔ 
Medicinal broth with pork ribs
$70


There's plenty of pork to get your fill, here. The soup is also plentiful. Chinese medicine can often be a little bitter, but this one is slightly sweeter and easier to take. For the seasoned Chinese medicine soup drinking pro, it could be too sweet. But, if it's your first time, check this one out to see if you like the flavour.
藥燉羊肉 yào dùn yáng ròu 
Medicinal broth with lamb
$80


Lots of ginger accompanies this dish, along with plenty of lamb! Expect the same broth, but with New Zealand lamb, instead of Taiwanese pork. 

金林三兄弟藥燉排骨 FB page


台北市松山區饒河街

RaoHe Street, SongShan District, Taipei City



Happy Eating!

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posted by Unknown @ September 19, 2016   0 Comments