[Taipei 台北] Cafe Megane 眼鏡咖啡

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Cafe Megane 眼鏡咖啡

Add: No. 6, Lane 52, Siwei road, Taipei
Hours: 10am~8pm (closed on the last Wednesday of each month)
Website: coffeemegane.com
Price: 200~400 NTD/person
Visited: Dec 2016

I had already blogged about Cafe Megane years ago. This low-key Japanese-style coffee shop, hidden inside one of the small lanes of Siwei Road, has always been one of my favorites in Taipei. Revisiting it years later, it was comforting to find it mostly unchanged. The interior is warm with dark wood and yellow lighting, doesn’t fit more than 20 even when fully packed, and there are indeed glasses everywhere (“megane” means glasses in Japanese). The coffee here is perfect, the onigiri delicious, and I heard the matcha waffles are amazing as well. If you are fortunate enough to be living in or visiting Taipei, do find a quiet time to enjoy a cup of coffee here.

其實早在 2011 年剛開始寫部落格不久時,就介紹過眼鏡咖啡了。這家隱藏在台北四維路某個巷子裡的日系咖啡店,低調而有個性,一直是我很喜歡的地方。好幾年後再訪,安心的發現裏面一點也沒變。內部的裝潢是溫暖的原木和黃色燈光,店裡坐滿了也只能容納十幾個人,小小的店內到處都可以看到眼鏡的出沒。這裏的咖啡完美,飯團好吃,聽說抹茶松餅也做得極好。如果你很幸運的住在台北或去旅遊的話,絕對要挑個人少的時候來享受一杯安靜的咖啡。

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[Taipei 台北] VVG Hideaway 好樣祕境

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VVG Hideaway

Add: No. 136-1, Jingshan Rd, Taipei City
Tel: (02) 2862 6488
Hours: 12-9pm
Price: 500-700 NTD
Visited: Dec 2016

This time in Taipei, I headed to Yangming Mountain to explore one of Taipei’s more popular cafe/restaurants, called VVG Hideaway. Online, this place has been described as “secret little white house nestled in the mountains” or “heaven-like dreamy secret hiding place”, which I found exaggerated to a point of being funny, but it is true that the photos look quite stunning. Though I was never a big fan of the food from VVG group, I was still willing to trek out there just to take a look at the space.

這次在台北,抽了一天上陽明山探了探當前人氣網紅店之一的 “好樣秘境 VVG Hideaway”。之前看到對這家店的描述,大多是 “坐落于山林間的秘密小白屋”,或著 “天堂般夢幻的白色秘境” 這類的。心裡想著這也太誇張了,不過看了照片後還是忍不住被吸引。雖然知道好樣集團出品的食物向來 “…”,不過爲了美麗的環境硬是要去踩個地雷 - 大概是這樣一個心態。

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To get to VVG Hideaway by public transportation, you need to take the MRT to “Jiantan Station” and hop on Bus #303 to “Qinshanli #2 Stop”. Personally I find that quite troublesome – apparently some people waited for an hour because they missed the bus – but if you happen to have a lot of time, or are lucky enough like I was to have a friend drive you, then why not explore?

如果搭乘公共交通前往,得坐捷運至 “劍潭站” 再轉搭 “303號公車” 在 “菁山里二站” 下車。個人覺得這太麻煩了(聽說有人沒看好公車時間,等了一個小時的),不過如果你剛好很閒,或著和我一樣幸運的有朋友開車載上山的話,倒不妨去瞧瞧。

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[Taipei 台北] Quelques Pâtisseries 某某。甜点

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Quelques Pâtisseries 某某。甜点

Add: 34, Lane 102, Section 1, Anhe Road, Taipei
Tel: (02) 2755 4097
Hours: Wed-Sun 1-7pm (closed Mon & Tue)
Price: [pastries] 160-200 TWD [tea] 110-120 TWD
Visited: Jun 2016

There has been a burst in growth of French-style pastry shops in Taipei during the past few years, and actually, quite a few of them were opened by fellow alums from Ferrandi, where I had completed my professional pastry training. On this recent trip back to Taipei, I visited one of them called Quelques Pâtisseries, which literally means “a few pastries” in French.

台北近幾年來法式甜點店一家接著一家開,其中不少是由和我在巴黎同一所學校(Ferrandi費杭第高等廚藝學院)的校友所經營。這次在台北短短幾天,在僅能擠出時間探訪一家的情況下,我選擇了去年底才開幕的 “Quelques Pâtisseries 某某。甜點”。

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The shop was started by two classmates – Lai, who is in charge of the kitchen, and Jiou Jiou, who takes care of everything front of house. I met both of them at Ferrandi and, knowing the perfectionists that they are, it’s no surprise that Quelques Pâtisseries is lovely from head to toe – the interior design, furniture, and of course, the pastries.

Quelques pâtisseries 法文直譯的意思是 “幾個甜點”,很可愛的名字。負責外場的 Jiou Jiou 和內場的 Lai 都是我在 Ferrandi 的好朋友,兩個完美主義者組合在一起,也難怪某某從店裝到甜點的每個細節都令人無可挑剔。

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[Taipei 台北] L’Air Café Néo-Bistro 風流小館

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L’Air Café Néo-Bistro 風流小館

Add: No.5, Lane 174, Jinhua Street, Taipei
Tel: 02 3343 3937
Hours: 12-3pm, 6-10pm (closed on Wed)
Price: [lunch] 1200+ TWD [dinner] 4000+ TWD
Visited: Jun 2016

L’Air Café, as casual as the name suggests, is actually a refined bistro serving delicate French cuisine. It’s a collaboration between the owner of Boite de Bijou, a boulangerie/patisserie I raved about back in 2011, and head chef Dana Yu, who has honed her skills under Singapore celebrity chef Justin Quek and Robuchon Taipei among other prestigious establishments. L’Air Café has been a favorite among many of my friends living in Taipei since its opening in 2012, but as I had left for Paris that year, it wasn’t until this recent trip that I finally got to pay my first visit.

風流小館是台灣知名的珠寶盒面包店和兔子聽音樂的老板開的法式餐廳,是我很多住在台北的朋友都喜歡的店。餐廳位于永康商圈一個安靜的角落,有大片的落地窗,望出去是金華公園的一整片綠。掌管廚房的女主廚 Dana 在新加坡名廚 Justin Quek 手下工作多年後,加入了台北的 Robuchon 的開幕團隊,最後來到了風流小館。 之前在網上和她稍有交流,這次回台北,決定來嚐嚐她的料理。

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L’Air Café is located at a quiet corner in the Yongkang neighborhood. I came by during lunch time, and my mood was immediately elevated by 1) the ample sunshine pouring in from the floor-to-ceiling windows, and 2) this lovely-looking menu dotted with Spring and Summer colors, bright enough to cast away any dark clouds.

當季菜單的設計,非常春夏的顔色,拿在手裏心情都輕飄飄了起來。

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The meal started with this: white asparagus jelly, lemon-flavored crab meat, white asparagus slices, chorizo, and caviar. From the color to the flavor to the texture, each element is light and elegant, a most pleasant start.

Dana 的料理風格溫柔細致,比如這道白蘆筍凍搭配檸檬風味蟹肉、白蘆筍片、西班牙香腸及魚子醬,從顔色至風味和口感都清淡優雅,非常怡人。

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Sweet fish (ayu), sweet fish liver, honeydew.

香魚與香魚肝佐哈密瓜。

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[Taipei 台北] Plants

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Plants

Add: 1F, No 10, Ln 253, Sec 1, Fuxing S. Rd., Da-an Dist., Taipei
Tel: (02) 2784-5677
Hours: [Tue-Fri] 11:30am-9:30pm [Sat-Sun] 10am-9:30pm
Price: 500-800 TWD/person
Visited: Jun 2016

If you’ve been following my blog, you know that I’m far from being a vegetarian – as a food blogger, I pretty much eat everything and anything the restaurants serve. When on my own, however, I rare order or cook any meat, preferring light meals filled with lots of veggies. So when my friends in Taipei took me to Plants, a recently opened vegan/gluten-free/whole foods cafe, I was immediately charmed by it.

我本身並不是素食主義者,不過最近的確是吃的越來越輕盈了。這次在台北被朋友帶去了才剛開幕的 Plants,馬上喜歡上這家由兩個女孩子 Square 和 Lily 經營的 “植物性、無麸質、全食物小食堂”。

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Plants prepares their food based on three principles: “plants-based” – their food is free from eggs, dairy, honey and all other animal products; “gluten-free” – they do not use any wheat, barley, rye nor any grains with gluten, and instead use certified gluten-free oats, carefully choosing their sources to avoid cross-contaminated with gluten; “whole foods” – they use whole ingredients, unrefined sugars, and no overly processed food nor funny additives.

“植物性” (plant-based),以不傷害動物爲原則,完全采用全植物食材,也沒有蛋、奶、或蜂蜜;“無麸質” (gluten-free),不使用引起麸質過敏的食材;“全食物” (whole foods),指的是未精致過、可看到天然樣貌的食材。光聽就知道是家用心的好店。

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“Count nutrients, not calories”. Word.

小小的食堂清新明亮,牆上寫著 “Count nutrients, not calories”,透過櫃台能隱約看到後面的廚房。

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[Taipei 台北] Shoun Ryugin 祥雲龍吟

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Shoun Ryugin 祥雲龍吟

Add: 5F, No.301, Le Qun 3rd Road, Taipei
Tel: (02) 8501 5808
Hours: [Tue-Sun] 6-9:30pm (last order), closed on Mon
Website: www.nihonryori-ryugin.com.tw
Price: 6500 TWD + 10%
Visited on: Jun 2016

Please note that this was an invited tasting.

One of the meals I most looked forward to on this trip to Taipei was dinner at Shoun Ryugin, the sister restaurant of three Michelin star Ryugin in Tokyo. I visited Ryugin five years ago and was quite blown away by Chef Seiji Yamamoto’s impeccable cuisine, so naturally I was excited to try his Taipei establishment, which features the richness of Taiwan’s local ingredients while striving for the same memorable dining experience.

請注意這是餐廳安排試吃。

五年前慕名去了東京米其林三星的龍吟,當時就對山本征治主廚的極致料理相當佩服。後來聽說他在台北開了家姐妹店,而最近才知道這家分店和RAW(以及很多台北其他的餐廳)都是HASMORE赫士盟餐飲集團經營的。這次多虧了他們的邀請,讓我嚐到了這兩家餐廳。

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Upon entering, I was first served a cup of cold brew tea at the reception area (godsend on this hot hot summer day in Taipei), and once our entire dinner party has arrived, we were led into the elegant dining room via a stone path.

抵達後,服務人員讓我在休息區稍坐,幷送上一杯冰涼的冷泡茶(台北夏天,太需要了)。店內沈穩優雅的風格,和東京本店有些相似。

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[Taipei 台北] Officine Universelle Buly 1803

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Officine Universelle Buly 1803 Taipei

Add: No. 263, Section 1, Dunhua South Road, Taipei
Tel: 02 2703 1898
Hours: 11am – 9pm
Website: www.buly1803.com/en
Visited: Jun 2016

Not too far from where I lived in Paris is a beautiful shop called Officine Universelle Buly 1803. Upon entering by chance one day, I was immediately charmed by the soothing fragrance, vintage decorations, and gorgeous packaging of this French skincare brand. This time in Taiwan, I was delighted to find that the first Buly shop outside of Paris opened in Taipei. Needless to say, I went for a visit and came out with a few items…

我在巴黎6區租的公寓附近有家很美的店,叫做 Officine Universelle Buly 1803。推門而入時溫柔環繞上來的除了優雅香氛,還有店裏濃厚的古老靈魂:19世紀藥局的樣貌、古老木質櫥櫃、沈靜大理石,各種精凋細琢的細節令人著迷 - 好吧,先承認一下我在了解什麽 Buly 歷史、天然成份之前早已臣服于這家店複古美麗的裝潢和包裝,而這些品牌故事精神雲雲都是之後才查的。這次在台北驚喜的發現 Buly 全世界首家分店開在這裏,忍不住進去逛了一圈(當然也忍不住買了一些東西)。

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The details start at the door, with the elegant logo being hand-painted on stroke by stroke, instead of using stickers typically seen on most shop windows.

除了産品本身的堅持之外,Buly 在裝潢上的細節也非常細膩 - 比如落地窗上古典優雅的金色 logo 不是常見的卡典西德轉貼,而是專業師傅一筆一畫手工繪制完成。

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Stepping inside the shop is like entering another time period. To reconstruct the ambience from the Paris, materials and artisans were flown in from France to make sure that everything’s done properly à la française, though there are also a few intentional differences between the two boutiques – for example, the colors of the floor tiles have been changed to reflect the climate in Taiwan, and the Taipei boutique also boasts a beautiful painted ceiling, something that cannot be done in Paris due to the building structure itself.

踏入店裏,空氣中有沈靜的古典樂、天然蠟燭的芬芳、搭配著複古精致的裝潢,讓人有種時空錯置的感覺。爲了重現巴黎本店的氛圍,台北店所有板材都從法國空運,也專程請了原班法國工匠來施工,從組裝、上色、保養到打蠟都細心完成。不過我也發現台北店的一些不同,比如地磚的顔色,以及天花板上有著巴黎本店沒有的拱形彩繪(據說巴黎店礙於是老建築,所以天花板僅能維持原本的結構)。

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[Taipei] Wellspring Spa 沐蘭 Spa

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Wellspring Spa 沐蘭 Spa at The Regent Taipei

Address: 20/F The Regent Taipei, 41 Chungshang N. Road, Section 2, Taipei
.              台北市中山南路2段41號晶華酒店20樓
Tel: (02) 2523 2828
Hours: 10:00am~10:00pm
Website: http://www.grandformosa.com.tw/EN/SPA
Price: Traveler’s Perk (1 hr 45 min) 4,200 NTD
Visited on:  2012-01-25

I discovered Wellspring Spa at The Regent Taipei on a recent trip to Taiwan, and I was thoroughly impressed. Take a look at the pictures below and you’ll understand. Then, do yourself a favor and book a treatment right away. Thank me later ;)

Wellspring Spa at The Regent Taipei

Waiting area

The spacious reception area, with the sound of trickling water, is instantly calming.


Reception

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[Taipei] James Kitchen 大隱酒食

James Kitchen 大隱酒食

Address: 65 Yongkang Street, Da’an District, Taipei / 台北市大安區永康街65號
Tel: (02) 2343 2275
Hours: 11:00am~2:00pm, 5:30pm~12:00am
Price: 300~400 NTD/person
Visited on:  Jan 2012

In times like these, nothing feels quite so comforting as a little piece of the past. That’s the charm of restaurants like James Kitchen 大隱酒食 (Da Yin Jiu Shi). Despite the fact that it opened only 4 years ago, the restaurant looks as if it’s been there forever. The refurbished interior and down-to-earth service foster this illusion, as does the familiar, unthreatening menu with its nostalgic lineup of 扁魚白菜滷 braised cabbage with flat fish, 菜脯蛋 fried eggs with dried turnips, 炸蚵酥 fried oysters, and 蔥香豬油飯 scallion lard rice.

大隱酒食 James Kitchen

Storefront

Sign

The restaurant is small, so book ahead. They do have a second location on the same street in case the space fills up. Scroll to the bottom of this post for the address and phone number.

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