ESCAPADES | Sugared & Spiced

2012/07/172015/08/31

[Taipei] agnès b. café L.P.G.

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agnès b. CAFÉ L.P.G.

Add: 1F 2 Lane 106 Da’an Road Section 1, Taipei / 台北市大安路一段106巷2號1樓
Tel: (02) 8773 5273
Hours: 12pm~11pm
Website: www.agnesb-lepaingrille.com/tw
Price: [drinks] 80~160 NTD [desserts] 100~230 NTD
Visited on: 2012/07

Within the past two years or so, fashion brand agnès b. has quickly opened 6 cafes in Taipei, the newest addition being an impressive 2-floor house right behind Sogo. Having tried agnès b. desserts in their Hong Kong flagship store, I really didn’t have much faith in their offerings, but the decor looked attractive enough and really, all I wanted was a place to sit with a friend after dinner, so there we were.

This outdoor patio would be quite a lovely spot if Taipei weren’t so hot and humid during summertime.

Cute mosaic tiles.

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2012/07/152015/08/31

[Taipei] 4F Cooking Home

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4F Cooking Home

Add: 4F 10-3 Yongkang Street, Da’an District Taipei / 台北市大安區永康街10-3號四樓
Tel: (02) 2321 6608
Hours: 10am~6pm (closed on Monday & Tuesday)
Website: www.4fcookinghome.com.tw
Price: 2000 NTD/lesson
Visited on: 2012-07

Up on the 4th floor of a nondescript apartment building on Yongkang Street is a little utopia called 4F Cooking Home. Come up with me and discover this delightful space, and perhaps this is where you will find yourself next weekend…

There were no lessons being held at 4F Cooking Home on the day of my visit, but Soac, the director of 4F, happened to be in the kitchen conjuring up something delicious to entertain his guests for the evening. My lucky day!

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2012/07/142015/08/31

[Taipei] Woolloomooloo WXY

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Woolloomooloo WXY

Add: 379 Hsinyi Road Section 4, Taipei / 台北市信義路4段379號
Tel: (02) 8789-0128
Hours: 8am~12am
Price: [drinks] 60~240 NTD [food] 100~550 NTD
Visited on: 2012-06

Woolloomooloo’s original store in Fujin Street is such a lovely spot, and it’s no surprise that when they opened a 2nd location in the city center, it became one of the most popular eateries around town. The decor is more industrial than its original store (think concrete and steel), but the ambience is softened by plenty of wooden furniture and warm diffused lighting. The 2-story structure is quite a big space – let’s take a tour!

The first floor houses the kitchen, the service bar, a few tables, and a play area for kids.

Cakes on display.

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2012/07/102015/08/31

[Taipei] Le Petit Pâtissier 雷斯理

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Le Petit Pâtissier 雷斯理

Add: 2 Alley 4 Lane 74 Wenzhou Street, Taipei / 台北市大安區溫州街74巷4弄2號
Tel: (02) 2367 7862
Hours: 12~9pm (closed on Wednesday)
Price: [tea] 160 NTD [desserts] 120~150 NTD
Visited on: 2012-07

Le Petit Pâtissier 雷斯理, previously part of Caffe Libero in the Yongkang Street neighborhood, recently moved out to open an independent shop on Wenzhou Street. This area is really out of my usual activity zone, but after hearing such wonderful things about its lemon tart, I decided to venture out here to give it a try.

From the exterior to the interior, girly cute is the best phrase to describe Le Petit Pâtissier. Bright color blocks of fuscia yellow and green, red water jug adorned with white polka dots, wooden chairs with checkered mats…yes, it’s a sugar overload.

Even the desserts are in such adorable colors and shapes.

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2012/07/102015/08/31

[Taipei] Cafe Xiaomijo 小米酒咖啡

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Cafe Xiaomijo 小米酒咖啡

Add: 5 Lane 41 Yongkan Street, Taipei / 台北市永康街41巷5號
Tel: (02) 2395 7617
Hours: 11am~11pm (closed on Monday)
Price: [drinks] 90~180 NTD
Visited on: 2012-07

Yet another cozy place to rest your feet and quench your thirst when wandering in the Yongkang Street area. I’m falling more and more in love with this neighborhood!

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2012/07/102016/10/14

[Taipei] Tomitamaya Sanuki Udon 富玉屋讚岐烏龍麵

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Tomitamaya Sanuki Udon 富玉屋讚岐烏龍麵 (venue closed)

Add: 14 Lane 83 Da’an Lu Section 1, Taipei / 台北市大安區大安路一段83巷14號
Tel: (02) 2778-5255
Hours: [lunch] 11:30am~2:30pm [dinner] 5:30~10:00pm
Website: www.wanpan.tw
Price: 280~320 NTD/udon set, 980~1380 NTD/hot pot set
Visited on: 2012-07

On a hot summer day like this, what’s better than a bowl of ice cold udon noodles for lunch?

Tomitamaya 富玉屋 is a recently opened udon specialty restaurant behind Sogo BR4, ran by a Taiwanese man who has learned the trade during his 15 years of residence in Japan. The decor is simple and clean, with wooden tables and colored seating mats that add warmth to an otherwise very plain space.

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2012/07/102015/08/31

[Taipei] Jin Feng Braised Pork Rice 金峰魯肉飯

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Jin Feng Braised Pork Rice 金峰魯肉飯

Add: 10 Roosevelt Road Section 1, Taipei / 台北市羅斯福路1段10號
Tel: (02) 2396 0808
Hours: 8am~1am
Price: 50~100 NTD/person
Visited on: 2012-06

Despite how easy it is to find a decent bowl of braised pork rice (魯肉飯 lu rou fan) in Taipei, Jin Feng has impressively made a name for itself as the best place for braised pork rice in town. The street side joint is small and admittedly not so pretty, but it’s always packed with patrons who are addicted to its perfectly braised pork bellies. Let’s give it a try.

So what is lu rou fan? Pork belly slow-cooked in soy sauce and five spices then finely chopped (but not quite minced), then served over a bowl of hot rice. It’s super fatty, and that’s what makes it so delicious. At Jin Feng, a bowl of braised pork rice is priced at 25~45 NTD depending on the size of your order.

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2012/07/102015/08/31

[Taipei] Wakin’ Up Cafe Apartment 自然醒咖啡公寓

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Wakin’ Up Cafe Apartment 自然醒咖啡公寓

Add: 2F No. 157 Section 2 Heping East Rd Taipei / 台北市和平東路二段157號2F
Tel: (02) 2709 6066
Hours: 1~11pm (closed on Tuesdays)
Price: [drinks] 140~170 NTD [desserts] 80 NTD
Visited on: 2012-07

Nestled on the 2nd floor of a nondescript apartment building on Heping East Road is Wakin’ Up Cafe Apartment, a space where time stands still (if you look around, the clocks here literally not not moving). The cafe was slightly stuffy on a Saturday afternoon with the weekend crowd, but the cozy decor and friendly service still lured us to lounge here for hours.

After venturing up a flight of rather steep stairs, you will arrive at this.

Love the blackboard drawing behind the bar.

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2012/06/302015/08/31

[Taipei] Nichi Cafe 日子咖啡

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Nichi Cafe 日子咖啡

Add: No. 8, Alley 17, Chifeng Street, Taipei / 台北市赤峰街17巷8號
Tel: (02) 25559 6669
Hours: 1pm~10pm
Price: [drinks] 90~170 NTD [desserts] 80 NTD
Visited on: 2012-06

My plan to spend an afternoon at Eslite fell apart once I saw how crowded the bookstore was (even on a Thursday afternoon!), so instead I ventured out of my comfort zone (namely 東區 & 信義區) to explore some hidden cafe shops in other neighborhoods.

I wish I can say I stumbled upon Nichi Cafe through pure serendipity, but it was actually recommended to me by a Taiwanese blogger, who has graciously put together a customized restaurant/cafe list for me as a reference. Nichi Cafe somewhat reminds me of Cafe Megane, a stylish and slightly quirky Japanese cafe near the Tun Hwa/Hsin Yi intersection, except Nichi is even smaller in both store space and menu offerings.

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2012/06/282015/08/31

[Taipei] Yong Kang Beef Noodle 永康牛肉麵

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Yong Kang Beef Noodle 永康牛肉麵

Add: No. 17, Lane 31, Jinshan S. Rd., Sec.2 / 台北市金山南路2段31巷17號
Tel: (02) 2351 1051
Hours: 11:30am-2pm, 5:30pm-8pm
Website: beefnoodle-master.com
Price: 180~240 NTD/bowl
Visited on: Jun 2012

I have FINALLY been to arguably the most famous beef noodle joint in Taipei, and yes, it was as good as I expected it to be.

We started the meal off with some side dishes (40~120 NTD each) and Yong Kang’s famed 粉蒸肥腸 (100 NTD), which is steamed fatty pork intestine with sweet potatoes. This may sound disgusting (the look might be even worse), but it’s really, really good. For those who are put off by animal innards, you can instead try 粉蒸排骨 (100 NTD) which substitutes the intestines with spareribs.

Then on with the noodles. I ordered 紅燒半筋牛肉麵 braised beef & tendon with noodle in spicy broth (200 NTD/small), which in my opinion includes the best of both worlds – the tenderness of beef and the chewiness of its tendon. The noodles were done perfectly as well, not too soft and not too chewy. The broth? Slurp!

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