Skylark

Skylark has a lot of branches... 10 to be exact...and Taipei is such a small city that I wonder if this is normal. I've been to the Zhong Xiao Ming Yao one twice, the first time having an unremarkable 香辣咖哩海鮮炒飯 Seafood Curry Pilaf NT$140. But I'm really 貪吃 and while spooning my pilaf I saw this girl with a stylish bob cut in a little black dress eating the squid ink pasta that I might have ordered. Now, I've seen girls eat in Taiwan and this one didn't eat like a little-black-dress girl; she ate like a more-cheese-on-that-burger-please girl. And I had to go back to try it.


烏賊墨義大利麵Pasta with Squid Ink Sauce NT$200

You can choose between thick and thin noodles. I chose thick because I thought it would pick up more sauce, which was the main attraction. Squid Ink is one of my favorite dish themes, mostly because its interesting and pretty and black. Also because I still don't understand the flavor completely. Mystery= ooo sexy. The dish holds herbs, green peas, squid, and 1-inch squares of bacon. I give the dish a good "nom nom" rating because it's delicious. The bacon actually added points and did not overpower the mysterious squid ink taste. The only thing that the dish lacks is that eye-opening spark that makes you rave like a fatty. Otherwise: "nom nom" "smile" "happy." Just remember 注意: you shouldn't eat the red pepper garnish because the heat will make you choke, tear up and temporarily lose your voice. I knowingly did this because I'm one of those desperate Korean girls who get excited when they're given an unexpected red in their food...and perhaps because I have masochistic tendencies.

He got the 厚切牛排草蝦鐵板燒Grilled US Chuck Steak & Herbed Shrimp NT$370
It comes with a black pepper sauce that is a bit overpowering for my liking. And the beef isn't as beefy as I like them. But then again in all my steakings I've only ordered petit filet mignon before (except once when splitting with a girlfriend). And what can you ask of steak in Asia, right? He finished it. And the side items were cooked perfectly fine.

Fruit Iced Tea
Helps when choking and tearing up

Mmm... I would go again for the pasta. Everyone's pasta looked really good.




Address


Zhong Xiao Ming Yao Shop
200 E. Zhong Xiao Rd. 11F
忠孝明曜店
台北市忠孝東路4段200號11F
02-2711-7229

http://www.sky-lark.com.tw/index.asp

Get out of the Zhong Xiao Dun Hua MRT exit 3 and the Ming Yao will be straight ahead to your right.
Also, before you open the link to the Skylark website be prepared to be extremely annoyed by the song that plays. You can turn it off (noticed that a bit late) but it's still really annoying.

Pineapples

鳳梨 are really delicious, really common, and really various in Taiwan




金鑽鳳梨
Roughly translates to Golden Diamond Pineapple, which is a much bolder yellow/orange that is somewhat transparent and reflects light along its facets--like diamonds! The taste is in perfect accordance with its looks; still a pineapple, but more daring and sharp.

牛奶鳳梨
Milk Pineapple, which is grown under generous nursing of the cow teets (teehee). It's not fair to give the taste away after I waited two months for this to be in season. Plus, I can't think of anything witty to say...so you just go try it if you're in Taiwan.

牛奶芭樂
They also have Milk Guava

Best instant noodle

Wei Lih Men

This is the most humble looking 速食麵 you will find. You can tell that it's an old-schooler and that it's good enough to have lasted this long and still is competing with the newage instant nooldes that are getting more and more creative (I found one that comes with a packet of alcohol inside). It's a dry 炸醬麵 (zhajiangmian) that comes with two styrofoam bowls; one for the noodles and one to hold the 湯 which some people still save to drink while eating their 麵.

I'm not a fan of drinking oily ramen water so I passed on that.

But that is besides the point.

More goodies from IJY

They do not fail




If you like tiramisu





Or

chocolate mochi with chocolate dipping sauce

Previously reviewed here




Address

IJY Sheng
一之軒時尚烘焙
台北市師大路 53 號 電話：(02)2362-0425 傳真：(02)2362-2625
http://www.ijysheng.com.tw/

Durian milk

For all the people who love durian but can't stand the smell. You might try durian milk as an alternative because there is no smell to it. I am assuming that somewhere between the milking and the pureeing the smell dissipated and didn't come back. And if you don't like durian at all you still might want to visit this fruit store because they sell cute bottles of freshly made watermelon juice, hemp berry juice, mango milk, avocado milk, and like things.

"King of fruits"

a.k.a. "fruit that tastes like pure fat" ^^



Address

永康街, past Yogurt Me

Shilin Night Market

士林夜市

Is the first and last place I tried 臭豆腐 (stinky tofu). This is the fried kind that comes with cabbage and a spicy sauce. The stink really makes a statement, truly like pure sewage, but I don't remember anything remarkable about the taste. It's not bad. But really there is too much to eat that tastes and smells better by the leagues.



But! If you just walk a few meters past the 臭豆腐攤位 you'll come across the best 熱狗 (hot dog) in Taiwan ever. I still don't know why these are called hot dogs because they seem like corn dogs to me but I won't question the asian diction because it's fruitless every time. Anyway this is the best hot dog/corn dog you will find. This is just my opinion so it doesn't really matter but it also matters a LOT. They come in a few flavors including black pepper, cheese, and spicy. There are spices and condiments on the counter so that you can adjust your dog to taste.


香辣, of course.

The 3am Potato Chip

Omagawww
I can has another?

Hua Xi St. Night Market

華西街觀光夜市

What better way to spend 情人節 (Valentine's Day 8/7) than at a night market eating snake?


There is this one snake house that does snake-gutting demonstrations. They are hanged (can I say "hung" since snakes are not people?) as such, slit with a scissor in a upward zipper-cut motion, and bodily fluids are collected. Blood from the heart; Bile from the gallbladder; Venom from the fangs (the guy dilutes the blood and bile with water and the venom with alcohol). NTD$100 for a shot of each. So we entered.



I was really nervous and forgot to take pictures before downing these three. The blood shot is more like a doubleshot in volume and it comes with a pill floating on the surface that you're meant to swallow, I trust, for good reason. I had a second shot of venom 酒 when the other table couldn't finish.


We also ordered snake soup which tasted...I don't want to say bland but more mild and clean. It was like having chicken soup without the dancing oil globules. The goji berries in the soup made it fragrant.

After drinking snake fluids there is a need for a bit of kuchi naoshi. Although it's not bad, you just naturally would not want it to be the last thing you put in your mouth before sleeping. Zhuang yuan gao was very appropriate. It is a steamed dessert with sweet 花生 (peanut) or 芝麻 (sesame) filling. The white cake reminded me of Korean baekseolgi (white rice cake) which you get on your first birthday as the centerpiece to a staggering table of fruit. It's really the next best thing to having authentic Korean rice cake in Taiwan. With yummy filling. My friend ordered 一份 to share so I only got to eat one which had peanut filling. I want to go back to try the sesame.

Baekseolgi texture? Yes?

One or two stalls down there is a 雞排 (chicken steak) vender with an eclectic selection of fresh and fried things which they will fry or refry for you upon selection. There were so many goodies like 地瓜 (sweet potato) and veggies and meats but being me, I ordered the mantou. The mantou was pretty, knotted, and two-toned in white and tan. Even prettier after deep-frying and light salting. A new twist on a twisted favorite. Gaa the puns must stop.

My mantou next to fried shrooms


So here's to my Valentine's day spent with no valentine.

And no complaints from the happy tummy.

Cheers!

華西街
Closest MRT 龍山寺

Starbucks: muffins

Before I express any kind of praise about Starbucks I want to make it clear that I am definately not a fan of Starbucks or any other coffee franchise. In the states I would not happily shell out US$2.00 for a tall black or for unworthy calories from the baked goods display. But in Taiwan you experience this withdrawal from being deprived of the Western saccharide for an extended period of time. Starbucks has been my solution. I dare say the chains in Taiwan carry better selection and quality baked goods than those in the states and their portions are such that I can tackle them by myself.

Here is your eyecandy.


Hey, Sexy, great top!





The blueberry muffin tastes just the way you would expect a good muffin to taste like. It stays true to a muffin's texture and dense consistency. Actually, that dense quality about muffins is what turns me off from them most of the time and it's what causes my muffin-count to stay really low. Including these two recent eats I have heretofore eaten approximately 5 muffins literally +2.5 muffins virtually by way of foodporn and imagination. But the blueberry muffin was definately good. No post-consumption regrets and only fond memories.

I had to try the chocolate chip muffin the next time around after reading hungrygirl's review and I have to second her critique. As far as competition goes, I think the blueberry and chocolate chip would have broken even but I much prefer the lighter, cake-like texture of the chocolate chip muffin.



Address


Heping Store
2 Heping Rd., Section 1, Daan District
台北市大安區和平東路一段2號
(02)2369-4200

http://www.starbucks.com.tw/home/

Ba Jiao

The plantain (芭蕉) in Taiwan wields ephiphanic qualities to me and like creatures. Plantains common in the states are large, green and tough. They go largely unappreciated because most Americans don't know what to do with them and will often move on after stopping to cop a feel. I know only one way to eat these plantains and that is how my mom does them. In her kitchen the plantains are thickly sliced and lightly fried until golden on both sides. They are generously salted to taste while still in the pan. She then let's them "cool" (will-burn-you-->still-pretty-darn-hot) before smashing them into cm-thick disks with the side of a knife just as she learned to do in Dominican Republic (a.k.a. my birthplace).
Hot. Damn. Delicious.


nearest depiction [not my photo]


But it looks nothing like this.

Apparently I have heretofore been missing out on the other plantain. These are shorter, thicker, and denser than their sister fruit, the banana. There is a chewing gum-like elasticity to its bite that makes you want to make that annoying smacking sound with ur mouth+mouth contents. But that doesn't work, sorry.


Cut to abrupt conclusion:
Not hot but still Damn Delicious.

Big Tom

I went to see the sights in Danshui the other night and due to the lasting indecisiveness of my three-person party, we somehow ended up passing by all the snack vendors and restaurants to dinner at Big Tom. There is no logic to how this happened.

Big Tom is sort of upscale ice cream store serving sundaes and belgian waffles positively reviewed by meieats. If by any chance you are at Big Tom and don't feel like dessert, there are "healthy bagel" options to choose from: Roast Beef Bagel, Grilled Chicken Bagel, Salmon Bagel--and Bagel. If you say this out-loud it's pretty funny. I let myself chuckle before ordering the Salmon Bagel.

The bagel sandwich had salmon, lettuce, tomato, onion, and pesto cream cheese, with spoonable relish on the side. Apparently, Tom knows how to make a delicious sandwich, too! Don't be afraid to forgo dessert, people.








Address



Tian Mu Store

No.1, Lane 63, Sec. 7, Zhongshan N. Rd., Shilin District
台北市士林區中山東路七段,六十三巷一號

(02)2875-5511

Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall
Cui-Hu, Taipei National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall
No.505, Sec. 4, Ren-ai Rd

台北市仁愛路四段505號
(02)2345-4213

Sunrise Store
No.219, Sec. 2, Chang-an E. Rd., Songshan District
台北市松山區長安西路二段219號
(02)2772-2658

Danshui store
2F., No.233-2, Zhongzheng Rd., Danshui

台北縣淡水鎮中正路233-2號二樓
(02)2626-1622

http://www.bigtom.us/Company.htm

Yu Tou Da Wang

There is a lot of hype about ice monster.

'Cause it's a looker.

But only steps from this shaved ice tycoon is a hole-in-the-wall called Yu Tou Da Wang. This is where it's at.

The store sells a variety of soups and ices. To give you a feel for their soup menu there is hongdou tang, huasheng tang, digua tang, yutou tang, bing digua yuan yuyuan tang (笑). So they do serve red bean, peanut and other common bean/nut varieties, but their concentration is definately taro and yam. The shaved ice menu is equally well-rounded but my friend Ruby and I went for the staple yutou shaved ice.

Kanpeki.

Perfect level of cream and density makes the yutou nuggets the best I've had in Taiwan by far (think very vast). They sit atop a heavy drizzling of condensed milk and chooo oishii! I usually have a hard time finishing a bowl if it's just between me and one other person but I later found myself smitten and willing my metal spoon to bend in an impossible way to ladel the last melty remnants. I stopped when it got a bit too sad. But really, there is no way that you will be able to leave yutou niunai bing unfinished. In fact, I am convinced that not finishing can be considered a form of blasphemy, or distasteful at the least.

NT$40-60

Address


15-4 Yong Kang St.

台北市永康街15-4號

(02)23217649