[Taipei] Whiple House

Categories taipei
[Taipei] Whiple House

Whiple House

Add: No. 34, Lane 252, DunHua S. Rd, Sec. 1 台北市大安區敦化南路一段252巷34號
Tel: (02) 2775 1627
Hours: 12-9pm
Website: www.whiplehouse.com
Price: 150~200 NTD/drink, 180 NTD/dessert, 320~480 NTD/pasta
Visited: Oct 2011

Note: this branch of Whiple House may have closed; call ahead to verify before heading over.

Whiple House is my preferred type of gathering place. Located on a quiet lane behind Sogo, this hidden gem is part apparel shop/part home decor retail space/part cafe. It has the combination of chic, stylish decor and light, comforting food. The best part? It’s empty even though I visited on a Sunday afternoon.

The 1st floor is a retail space for Whiple, a Taiwanese apparel brand.

The 2nd floor is surprisingly spacious. 2/3 of the area is used as an exhibition/retail space for random knickknacks collected by the owner over the years (more pictures on this later), and the rest consists of an open kitchen and dining tables.

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[Taipei] Micasa Dolci 蜜膳屋

Categories taipei
[Taipei] Micasa Dolci 蜜膳屋

Micasa Dolci 蜜膳屋

Add: 1/F #462, Section 4, Ren-Ai Road, Taipei 台北市信義區仁愛路4段462號1樓
Tel: (02) 2345 7669
Hours: 10am-8pm (closed on Monday)
Website: www.micasadolci.com.tw
Price: 300~400 NTD/plated dessert
Visited: Oct 2011

Please note that this is an arranged tasting.
2014 update: chef Katena Keichi now no longer works at Micasa Dolci.

Taipei is in no shortage of patisseries, but Micasa Dolci is undoubtedly in a class of its own. At this dessert cafe, each gorgeous sweet plate is an elaborately orchestrated ensemble of alluring colors, fancy garnishes, and extraordinary flavors – and everything is conjured up à la minute. A must visit for those who are willing to splurge a little for some sweet indulgence.


The interior is cheery and sparkling, perfect for a girly afternoon tea date.


Here’s Katena Keichi, the pastry chef in the kitchen. Trained in Italy/France then followed by a few years at Tokyo’s Canoviano and Nobu restaurants, Keichi’s desserts are European-style with Asian elements – my current favorite combination.


I first tried the caramel gelato with with banana, praline amande, garnished with savory sabayon sauce (350 NTD). Crunchy almond is layered with slices of banana, a scoop of bittersweet caramel gelato, then topped with savory sabayon (a light, aerated custard) that has been torched to create a burnt, melting surface. Beautiful, rich, decadent. I recommend sharing this between two people as it really is quite a formidable scoop.

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[Hong Kong] La Maison du Chocolat

Categories hong kong
[Hong Kong] La Maison du Chocolat

La Maison du Chocolat

Add*: IFC Mall – Shop 1050, Podium Level 1 8 Finance Street, Hong Kong
Tel: (+852) 2801 4880
Hours: 10:30am-9:30pm
Website: www.lamaisonduchocolat.com
Price: 23 HKD/macaron

La Maison du Chocolat, opened in 1977 by Robert Linxe (once referred to as a “ganache magician”), is world-famous for its exquisite chocolate creations: ganaches, truffles, and mendiants in classic and not so classic flavors like basil, rosemary, and jasmine. The shops also offer an alluring assortment of chocolate pastries like eclairs, macarons, chocolate tarts and cakes, as well as ice cream!

*4 locations available in Hong Kong, check website for details.

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[Hong Kong] Sift Dessert Bar

Categories hong kong
[Hong Kong] Sift Dessert Bar

Sift Dessert Bar

Add: G/F, 46 Graham Street, Central, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2530 4288
Hours: Tue-Thu 3-11:30pm, Fri-Sat 3-12:30pm
Website: www.siftdesserts.com
Price: 75~95 HKD/dessert

I’ve been craving Sift’s red velvet cupcakes ever since I first tasted them at Sidewalk on my previous Hong Kong trip. Upon returning to the city, I was determined to get a dozen of these fluffy delights, so I arrived at Sift’s Graham Street outlet right when it opened – just because I wanted none of the “sorry we are all sold out” business. So imagine how devastated I was when told that – “Umm, we don’t have cupcakes at this outlet. You have to go to our Wanchai location for them.”

Seriously?!

To mend my broken heart, we decided to go ahead and try Sift’s plated desserts, which are the specialties at its Graham Street outlet. After much contemplation and consultation, we placed our orders and waited to be impressed.

First came Sticky Toffee Pudding (80 HKD), a steamed date puree sponge cake lavishly drizzled with toffee sauce. A forkful of this amazingly warm, moist, fragrant cake with some accompanying banana ice-cream and caramel crunch made me very, very happy at heart. Red velvet cupcakes? Already out of mind.

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[Hong Kong] Kau Kee Restaurant 九記牛腩

Categories hong kong
[Hong Kong] Kau Kee Restaurant 九記牛腩

Kau Kee Restaurant 九記牛腩

Add: 21 Gough Street, Hong Kong 中環歌賦街21號地下
Tel: +(852) 28150123 /2850 5967
Hours: Mon-Sat 12pm-10pm
Price: 28~42 HKD/bowl of noodles
Visited: Sep 2011

This tiny noodle shop has been around for more than ninety years, serving irresistible beef briskets that draw patrons as famous as actor Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Chief Executive of Hong Kong Donald Tsang. Naturally, expectations were high as we lined up behind other eager diners. Don’t they say great expectations lead to great disappointment? No, my friends, Kau Kee simply does not disappoint.

Come during off-peak hours (e.g. after 2pm and before 6pm) or expect a long line. As is typical in this type of Hong Kong restaurants, service is minimal and bordering on rude – but whatever, the noodles are only 28 HKD, and there’s air-conditioning potent enough to make me happy.

The menu (also available in English) is simple. You basically get to choose from three types of noodles – flat noodles, e-fu noodles, and vermicelli – in either clear broth or curry sauce. There is also a “dry noodle” option with oyster sauce, but I didn’t see many people ordering that.

I went with beef tendon with e-fu noodles in curry sauce 咖哩牛筋伊麵 (30 HKD). Just one mouthful, and I was a believer. The curry sauce was bold, rich, and slightly spicy. Bathing in it were e-fu noodles that have completely soaked up the intense flavor and chunks of beef briskets/tendons that have been stewed for hours to a tender perfection. Hands down 10 out of 10.

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[Hong Kong] Sevva

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[Hong Kong] Sevva

Sevva

Add: 25/F, Prince’s Bldg, Central, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2537 1388
Hours: [afternoon tea] Mon-Fri 2:30-6pm, Sat 3-6pm
Website: www.sevva.hk
Price: Marie Antoinette’s Crave 260 HKD, afternoon tea set for 2 people 520 HKD +10%
Visited: Aug 2011

I had only one thing on my mind as I walked into Sevva – to try its famous Marie Antoinette’s Crave. I’ve seen pictures of this dramatic pink cotton candy / pistachio chiffon cake before my trip, and there’s no way I’d leave Hong Kong without trying a piece of it.

As they don’t take reservations, we came 15 minutes before afternoon tea service started, and there was already a line of people waiting to be seated. The hostess, with her nose in the sky, eventually led us at a dark inner corner instead of the window seats because “some media were coming in to film that area”. Guess what, the media never came.

But let’s try to shift focus to Ms B’s Sweets, a cake shop owned by Bonnie Gokson (former communication director of Chanel Asia Pacific), whose reputation in the world of branding and fashion has helped Sevva gain lots of attention. On display were sugary caprices such as Ginger Cheesecake, Chocolate Fudge Cake with Marmalade, the Original Crunch Cake, Apple Pie with Shaved Cheddar and – drumroll please – Marie Antoinette’s Crave.

Satin-smooth icing, jewel-toned berries, pastel colors…

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[Hong Kong] agnès b. La Loggia

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[Hong Kong] agnès b. La Loggia

agnès b. La Loggia

Add: Shop 3039, Podium Level 3, IFC Mall, Central, HK
Tel: +852 2805 0723
Hours: 11am-9pm
Website: www.agnesb-lepaingrille.com/index_hk
Price: ~40 HKD/cake, 40 HKD/drink

Agnes b. has built herself a little empire in the Hong Kong IFC building, and named it La Loggia after her grandmother’s holiday home in the south of France. What it includes: women’s and men’s collections, sport b., an accessories shop, a travel store, a florist, a chocolate boutique, a traditional French restaurant, and a lush, sun-filled atrium. Agnes b. fans, this is your one-stop shop.

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[Hong Kong] Tai Cheong Bakery 泰昌餅家

Categories hong kong
[Hong Kong] Tai Cheong Bakery 泰昌餅家

Tai Cheong Bakery 泰昌餅家 Add: 35 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, Hong Kong 香港中環擺花街35號 Tel: +852 544 3475 Price: 5 HKD/egg tart Visited: Aug 2011 Velvety, slightly gooey egg custard nestled inside crumbly, fragrant shortcrust…just glide one of these divine egg tarts down and you’ll know exactly why everyone loves Tai Cheong Bakery so much. Tai Cheong specializes…Continue Reading “[Hong Kong] Tai Cheong Bakery 泰昌餅家” →

[Hong Kong] Sidewalk

Categories hong kong
[Hong Kong] Sidewalk

Sidewalk

Add: 4-6 Gough Street, Central, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2850 7299
Hours: [Mon-Wed] 8am-8pm [Thu-Sat] 8am-10pm [Sun] 8am-6pm
Website: www.sidewalk.hk
Price: ~30 HKD/coffee or tea, 30 HKD/cupcake

Sidewalk is a chic little cafe / shop that I stumbled upon while roaming around in the Noho area on a Sunday morning. I was originally looking for Lan Fong Yuen 蘭芳園’s milk tea and stir-fried instant noodles, but alas it wasn’t open. So how about a cup of coffee and some dainty little cupcakes instead? Why not.


At the waiter’s recommendation, I sampled a red velvet cupcake. Fluffy, with just the right amount of cream cheese frosting, the cupcake was a few delightful bites. Only when I paid did I find out that it costed me 30 HKD! I also later learned that these cupcakes are from Sift, and if you directly buy the cupcakes there, it would be 25 HKD a piece.

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