[Taipei] Nomura Sushi 野村壽司

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[Taipei] Nomura Sushi 野村壽司

Nomura Sushi 野村壽司

Add: No. 34, Alley 78, Anhe Rd. Section 1, Taipei 台北市安和路一段78巷34號
Tel: (02) 2755 6587
Hours: 12-2pm, 6-9:pm (closed on Monday)
Price: [lunch] 1200 NTD/set [dinner] 2500~3300+ NTD/set
Visited: Oct 2011

2013 update: Nomura Yuji has left and reopened elsewhere.

Behind the Ren Ai circle and very close to the stylish a poet, Nomura Sushi quietly sits. Opened just a month ago, this 12-seat sushi bar is headed up by Nomura Yuji 野村裕二, a young but experienced sushi chef who has been in the trade for over 15 years. I’m not too familiar with the dining scene in Taipei, but apparently Nomura-san has quite a loyal following from his days at the wildly popular “No Sushi 野壽司”. Well then, let’s take a look at he’s got.

A half-opened wooden gate beckons passerby, but as Nomura Sushi is almost always fully booked, you won’t have much luck as a walk-in guest. Reservations highly recommended.

Upon entering, we were seated at a plain, spotlessly clean sushi bar built from pristine wood. Warm lighting, Ono Lisa in the air, hot tea, warm towels…instant good feeling.

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[Taipei] Nonzero 非零餐廳

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[Taipei] Nonzero 非零餐廳

Nonzero 非零餐廳

Add: N0.5, Alley 4, Lane27, Ren-Ai Road, Sec. 4 / 台北市大安區仁愛路四段27巷4弄5號
Tel: (02) 2772 1630
Hours: 11:30am-2:30pm, 6-10pm
Website: www.nonzero.com.tw
Price: [lunch] 400~800 NTD [dinner] 900~1500 NTD [afternoon tea] 300 NTD
Visited: Oct 2011

Nonzero, an organic food store and restaurant run by the chairman of Aveda Taiwan, serves simple and wholesome dishes. The decor is warm and inviting with an open kitchen, wooden communal tables, an eclectic chair collection, and soft, sensuous lighting. If you are looking to treat your tummy to some healthy and artisanal cooking, try Nonzero.

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[Taipei] a poet

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[Taipei] a poet

a poet

Add: No. 9, Alley 295, Dunhua South Road Section 1, Taipei 台北市敦化南路1段295巷9號
Tel: (02) 2709 0068
Hours: 11:30am-10:30pm (closed on Monday)
Price: [desserts] 280~360 NTD [drinks] 100~240 NTD [savories] 350~880 NTD
Visited: Oct 2011

Tugged away in one of the quiet lanes behind Ren Ai Circle is recently-opened restaurant/cafe a poet. Behind its unobtrusive storefront, there is an enchanting courtyard filled with fresh flowers and greens, complete with a skylight that allows in plenty of natural light. Thoughtful restoration of the structure has revealed sections of the original walls, but the eclectic design of the interior is high on style. Picture perfect.





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[Taipei] Whiple House

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[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

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[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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[Taipei] Smith & Hsu

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[Taipei] Smith & Hsu

Smith & Hsu

Add*: No.33, Section 5, Zhong Xiao East Road, Taipei 台北市忠孝東路五段33號
Tel: (02) 2747 4857
Hours: 10am-10:30pm
Website: www.smithandhsu.com
Price: [tea] 180~690 NTD [afternoon tea sets] 235~1120 NTD [salads & sandwiches] 160~220 NTD

There’s not much to complain about Smith & Hsu other than the fact that it’s almost always packed. Though the original aim of the tea shop is to create a space where one could enjoy tea in a comfortable and relaxed environment, Smith & Hsu is so popular that you can barely get a peace of mind. Irregardless, this place serves soothing tea and delicious scones, so why not give it a try?

*Multiple locations, check website for more info.


Upon seated, we were presented with a myriad of tea samples on a tray. It’s an amusing and somewhat overwhelming experience as I opened bottles after bottles, smelling blends after blends with intriguing names like “Pearls of the River Nile“, “Exquisite with Raspberry“, and “Rose of the Orient“. Can’t decide what to pick? Don’t worry, it’s part of the fun.

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[Taipei] Cha Cha Thé 采采食茶文化

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[Taipei] Cha Cha Thé 采采食茶文化

Cha Cha Thé 采采食茶文化

Add: 23, Ln 219, Fuxing S Rd Sec 1, Taipei 台北市復興南路一段219巷23號
Tel: (02) 2781 8289
Hours: 11:30am-10pm (afternoon tea 2-5:30pm)
Website: www.chachathe.com
Price: [lunch] 790~990 NTD (+10%) [afternoon tea] 480~580 NTD (+10%)
Visited: Mar 2011

Cha Cha Thé, one of my favorite spots in Taipei, is an elegant teahouse / restaurant by Shiatzy Chen. It is a center of calm admist the dizzying Taipei Eastern district, with beautiful interior design, tasteful merchandising, and soothing tea with dainty little bites to match. A perfect place for a quiet tête-à-tête.

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[Taipei] Matsu Noodles 馬祖麵店

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[Taipei] Matsu Noodles 馬祖麵店

Matsu Noodles 馬祖麵店

Add: No. 7, Liaoning Street, Taipei 台北市遼寧街7號
Tel: (02) 2771 5406
Hours: 24 hours
Website: www.matsu-noodles.com
Price: 100~200 NTD/person
Visited: Mar 2011

An unpretentious little place serving delicious noodles. The best part – It’s open 24 hours.

Among the choices of noodles served at Matsu, I’ve tried 黑麻麵 (noodles with black sesame paste ), 炸醬麵 (noodles with soy bean paste), 馬祖魚麵 (Matsu fish noodles) – but my favorite is still 炸麻麵 (35 NTD/small, 55 NTD/large), which is noodles served with a mix of soy bean paste and peanut paste. So simple, so good.

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[Taipei] VVG Bon Bon 好樣棒棒

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[Taipei] VVG Bon Bon 好樣棒棒

VVG Bon Bon 好樣棒棒

Add: 13, Lane 161, Dunhua S Rd Sec 1, Taipei 台北市敦化南路一段161巷13號
Tel: (02) 2711 4505
Hours: [Mon-Fri] 12-9pm [Sat-Sun] 11am-9pm
Website: vvgvvg.blogspot.com
Price: [sets] 350 NTD [cupcakes] 80 NTD [drinks] 120~250 NTD

VVG Bon Bon. This fairytale-come-true escape is a resplendent medley of rose petal-adorned sweets, jars and jars of marshmallows, soft pink walls, sparkling chandeliers, oversized armchairs with furry pillows. So ornate, so rococo, so…Marie Antoinette?

Grass-green oversized armchair with furry pillows, multi-colored wooden table, fresh roses and chrysanthemums…Sparkling chandeliers, nutcracker dolls, jars of pink marshmallows and cookies and candies…


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[Taipei] Sadaharu Aoki 青木定治

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[Taipei] Sadaharu Aoki 青木定治

Pâtisserie Sadaharu Aoki Paris 青木定治

Add: B2 Bella Vita, 28 Song Ren Rd., Taipei 台北市信義區松仁路28號B2樓
Tel: (02) 8729 2867
Hours: 11am-10pm
Website: www.sadaharuaoki.com
Price: [cakes] 180~200 NTD [macarons] 80 NTD

Sadaharu Aoki is known for infusing Japanese ingredients and sensibilities into French pastries, inventing creations that are a feast for both the eyes and the taste buds. But as I sat myself down and dug into these alluring cakes and macarons at his new outpost in Taipei, I was disappointed.


But to start, the gorgeous display of macarons had me staring and drooling for quite a while.

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