Dominos

added 2/11/09:

Two nights later Lisa and I ordered the Camembert cheese fondue pie. The picture on the flier looked so amazing and we were very excited, even if this wasn't one of their double decker pies. Camembert is my favorite type of cheese so I enjoyed my pizza but I have to say would forgo this fondue experience for more layers of cheese and bread. I'm also not a fan of the gridcut on a pizza pie which produces uneven slices and sad little triangular corners. Lisa actually split the middle piece in half in spirit of fairness but I thought that was kind of sad.

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Lisa and i were spending our saturday getting over the events of friday, naturally waking up at 4pm, hungry. We decided to be adventurous and try dominos instead of pizzahut [note mild sarcasm]. Dominos pies which are about 3000円 is significantly more expensive than pizzahut, nearly double the price. Here's why.


This is the Garlic2 pizza, wth tomatoes, black olives, onions and slices of garlic (galic - win!).
The first thing I noticed was that when the deliveryboy handed me the pie, it was much heavier than pizza hut's.


Dominos is much more generous with the cheese to the point where the crust is nearly nonexistent because it is overwhemed by all the cheese. I say if it's not nypizza crust theres no reason why crust shouldn't scooch over for a little extra cheese. There are two layers of pizzabread between which there is a lovely layer of cheese which i'm guessing is camembert. It tastes and feels like a hybrid of mozarella and ricotta.


and it oozes!

The dominos menu doesn't have as interesting topping combos as pizzahut (such as their Korean pulkoki and their Clam chowder pies) but they do have a Waku waku pokemon set which features a pie of four different flavor combos. In any case the cheesy middle and the extra layer of carb action gives dominos impunity on this one. pizzahut has been totally pwned.

Pasto La Paix

Just an elevator ride from the Ikebukuro station is a floor of restaurants which make it so that a dinner party takes about two laps around and at least half an hour to decide where to eat. I nudged for this place after seeing their Squid Ink Pasta display.


Salmon Pasta


The squid ink pasta came in double the portion as Lisa's salmon pasta but it was a much thinner spaghetti noodle. There was very little "sauce," just enough to moisten the noodle and the flavors were mostly infused inside. I prefer it to the much thicker, saucier squid ink pasta I had at Skylark in Taiwan. At the same time, the actual squid in this dish was chewy and pleasant but virtually tasteless. Skylark had used a delicious baby squid that had soaked more of the flavor from the ink than the pasta had--it was delicious, definitely the highlight. This leads me to be infinitely ambivalent and leave this one at a tie.


Seafood Penne was a little runny but looked delicious. It comes with a generous portion of seafood.

Address

東京都 豊島区南池袋１-２８-１
池袋西武本館8階レストラン街

TEL (03)5992-8988

More Denny's

Updated pics 1/25

Spaghetti and Meatsauce　680円


Caramel Vanilla Pancake　390円


Omurice　880円


Salad with smoked Spanish ham　380円


After the commute...


Strawberry Mini Parfait　３９０円


苺のミルフィーユガレット　５８０円
This was actually my second time ordering this but I forgot to take a picture the first time.


Jambalaya　５８０円


Sirloin Steak １０８０円


Root vegetable salad　３８０円

Why is everything so good?

Pizza Hut

Pizza hut is so much better in Asia--fact.
Lisa (current roommate and lover forevs) and I ordered two nights in a row. The Pizza Huts in Japan encourage online ordering which allows you to pick your pizza and add/subtract toppings (cool option). This first pizza was the Camembert sauce pizza with mushrooms and bacon. We made no subtractions despite my no red meat "thing" of 2009. I've been obsessed with Camembert cheese ever since watching Ebichu. But please don't ask about that.



Comes only in Medium at １６００円

The second night was clam chowder pizza with clam, broccoli, potato, and things that make it taste like clam chowder. I think I liked this even better.

M １６００円
Their estimated delivery time is 40 minutes but both times have been within that time-frame. They give you complimentary Oolong tea and a receipt even if you select "do not need receipt."
Since it seemed that lisa and I would continue to order I became a ピザハットクラブmember. Sweet.

Five Guys

permission to peep before commentary

edit: commentary below


this statement is a bit bold but fiveguys is always always satisfying

burgers come in little and regular sizes which are big and bigger
i've actually never had a burger here for fear of not finishing but all i get are good reviews...
and smells



hotdogs are my usual, with tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, lettuce, and some hot sauce
they're split down the middle so that theres no rollage between bites--smart guys

cajun fries are popular
and they should be eaten with a sprinkling of malt vinegar and generous black pepper in your ketchup

poootaaatttoooooo

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.

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/

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