Cafe Campagne

I have told you about honey's weakness for duck, but I forgot to mention mine. Not only would I order foie gras at EVERY place (yes, I know that traditional foie gras is goose liver, though most, if not all, foie gras served in the US are duck livers =P) , my knees would go weak at the mention of duck too. So when I found out that Cafe Campagne, my favorite happy hour place, was offering the Twenty Buck Duck deal last month, I knew we had to go.

Hubby shared Soup du Jour ($6), a spiced carrot soup, with J. It was creamy and well seasoned. Hubby thoroughly enjoyed it, he didn’t even detect the ginger flavor that he dispises. However, cumin and ginger, such spices are more suited for matured taste buds, instead of a 6-year-old.

My Twenty Buck Duck started with Oeuf de Canard Poché. A poached duck egg sat on two thick potato slices deep fried in duck fat, with duck jus. I'm not big on runny yolk mixed into the dish, but I have to admit that it makes things better. Individual component wise, it was really bland despite the fact that the egg was flawlessly poached, the potatoes were perfectly fried. J, however, preferred this and ditched his soup.

My entreé, the Confit d'Cuisse de Canard, was a flavorful Muscovy duck hen leg confit with the skin beautifully pan fried to crispiness. Now, as much as I love duck, I often hesitate on ordering since I've had more than my share of dried out tough legs, and gamy breasts. I vaguely remember (I must be getting old and forgetful now =) visiting the Campagne restaurant upstairs during the Duck offer last year, and feeling disappointed. That's when Campagne dropped off of my favorite restaurants list. However, this time, Campagne has certainly rectified itself, even though the leg was completely intact, it was so tender that the meat fell apart at the lightest touch. The surrounding puy lentil ragout, studded with finely diced carrots, onions, and bacon, was wonderfully savory. Even the escarole pieces, soaked with the juice, was delightful. As picky as I am, I have nothing to complain about this dish! =)

Hubby's Steak Frites ($23) was roasted to a nice medium pink. It was served with garlic sautéed escarole (a little too garlicky for our liking), and crispy pommes fries. The star of the dish though, at least to me, was the Roquefort butter accompaniment. The smooth butter not only mellowed out the salty and tangy Roquefort cheese, it also made it lighter with a hint of sweetness. It was so good that even though I was already satiated with all that duck and lentils, I still couldn't help myself but smearing a thick layer of this on a large piece of bread. Yummmm!

Now, if only they have more dairy-free offerings, this would be the perfect place for us. (Yes, I know I'm greedy, but a girl can dream, can't she? ;)

Cafe Campagne
1600 Post Alley (between Pine St & Stewart St), Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 728-2233

ART's Second Chance

When we had the unsatisfying lunch at ART back in March, I vowed to steer clear of the place. However, I swayed when I saw the reviews on yelp, and decided to give it a second chance. J didn't have school on Veteran's day, so off the two of us went.

Like most hotel restaurants, ART knows how to take care of kids. As soon as we sat down, J was offered a small dish of fresh fruit which he chowed down in record time. (He was really fascinated with the wire place mats. =) It was even more promising when the bread wasn’t as hard and dry as last time.

The TV trays were probably very badly received in March that ART changed their format this time to a true 3-course meal. Planning on sharing everything with J, I ordered Crispy Calamari ($8) with chipotle aioli from the regular menu. The calamari was well cooked - tender inside with crunchy batter. It didn't even need the aioli. The aioli was smooth and creamy, with only the slightest punch that even a kid would love.

Our 3-course started with the Escarole Caesar topped with white anchovies and foccacia croutons. The salad was just OK. While the anchovies weren't really fishy, for some unexplainable reason, the salad was.

J decided on our entree - Grilled Herbed Quail. It sat on top of braised greens and Medjool date brioche stuffing, drizzled with pomegranate sauce. The quail was nicely done. But it was SO small that it should only be called an appetizer.

The Maple Cheesecake with a walnut bacon shortbread crust wasn’t exactly to my liking. Luckily it was only a bite size pyramid that I didn't consume much unnecessary calories. =P

Even though this lunch still didn't impress me, it was certainly a huge improvement from the March offerings. I think they have potential to be great. I'm also hoping that their regular entrees are more fulfilling. =) Whatever ART lacks, it excels in taking care of the junior patrons. J was offered a cotton candy that made him ecstatic.

ART Restaurant and Bar
99 Union Street (Four Seasons Hotel), Seattle, WA 98101
(206)749-7070

Palisade, Revisited

November came and went. For most people, November is synonymous with Thanksgiving. Well, yes, but to me, more importantly, it meant Dine Around Seattle month.

Couple of weeks ago, we celebrated J's birthday. After having those wonderful lunches at Palisade in March, I wanted to share my find with the family. I wanted to declare Palisade as my favorite restaurant.

The evening started wonderfully. Palisade seems to be THE place for celebrations. There were many tables with rose pedals and cards, including ours. A little detail like that made J's evening, and warmed our hearts.

The bread was exactly the same as before, and as good as I remembered. I ordered the butter lettuce salad again, and hubby had the made-to-order shellfish chowder. Consistency is a good thing, but it could get a little boring. The salad was almost exactly the same as last time. Hubby's chowder was rich and creamy with lumps of Dungeness crabmeat and shrimp.

Back in March, I recommended Palisade to a friend. When she went for dinner, she also got the butter lettuce salad and the sirloin. My lunch salad had one prawn, and her dinner one had more. At dinnertime, the sirloin was really a surf and turf dish paired with prawns. So I was slightly surprised that my salad was exactly like my previous lunches - with just one prawn - only sloppier presentation. Were they trying to reduce cost?

When our entrees came, my suspicion was confirmed. Hubby's sirloin was the only protein on the plate, accompanied by asparagus, chanterelle mushroom pieces and potato galette. While the steak was cooked to a perfect medium, it was too peppery for hubby. The potato was a bit dry.

My crab cakes were quite disappointing. The two cakes were only average with mild seasoning. The escarole watercress salad with lemon vinaigrette was underwhelming. And the sweet corn succotash was extremely bland. The only tasty component of the whole dish was the sweet and sour plum butter sauce! I should have chosen the third option - King salmon.

The kids' teriyaki steak bites weren’t bad, but that’s all they were - teriyaki for kids!

I can't say that the dinner was disastrous since our Chocolate "Lovers" Cakes were as sinful as I remembered. However, as a whole, it fell short of my expectations. Even though, $30 is still a very attractive price for a three-course meal at Palisade, both the quality and quantity were either on par or below my $15 lunches.

Did they just cut cost on dinners? Or was lunch always a better value? With all these questions, I made a point to go back to Palisade for lunch during the last week of November.

As usual, I ordered the butter lettuce salad and the sirloin. The salad had no prawns at all now! The julienned pear was all wet and limp, not crisp at all. I would pin that to some over-ripe pears, and not hold it against Palisade though. My sirloin was not very peppery, and almost exactly the same as our dinner. Maybe it was slightly smaller, I couldn't tell. The chanterelle mushrooms were much better.

On this particular day, service was so slow, I had to get dessert to go. Wanting to try something other than the chocolate cake, I got the Pineapple Bread Pudding made with vanilla custard brioche, caramelized vanilla bean Maui gold pineapple and maple rum anglaise. By the time, I had the bread pudding, it was all cold. It was still good, but the chocolate cake would have been much better.

Other than the missing prawn, the only thing they cut down during lunch service was the bread. So yes, lunch is the way to go. Even though, the meal wasn't as spectacular as it was in March, I'd reckon that Palisade still serves one of the best, if not THE best, Dine Around Seattle lunches. It's just unfortunate that I no longer feel that I could declare it as my favorite restaurant. Oh well, the search is on!

Palisade Waterfront Restaurant
2601 W Marina Pl, Seattle, WA 98199
(206) 285-1000

Taiwan, Part XXI - Da Wan Yakiniku

For my very last dinner in Taiwan, we went to a yakiniku restaurant - Da Wan. The competition of yakiniku restaurants in Taipei are almost as fierce as hot pot restaurants.

Da Wan is located on a side street in the busy Dun Hua business district. Other than the bar area, there are only couple of tables. We put our name down before they opened for dinner, and were told that we had only an hour and half to eat. When you arrive, you get a locker for jackets, purses, etc., so your belongings don't smell of the smoke. The wait staff will help you grill almost everything, making the experience even more enjoyable and entertaining, not to mention risk-free. (If I were to grill things myself, I'm sure I'd have overcooked and ruined a few pieces.)

The three of us started with a Japanese wakame salad (NT$140). I love wakame. And this salad was perfect to cleanse our palate for the parade of meat that was following. =) Our feast started with the Salted Green Onion Beef Tongue (NT$240). I've never been a fan of animal tongues. In fact, I used to dislike green onions so much that I'd pick them off of my food till a year ago. However, these beef tongues were so tender and juicy that I couldn't tell them apart from some nice steak. They were only grilled on one side, but there was more than enough heat to cook the green onions on top as well. The green onions added a nice aroma to the tongue. They were the perfect accompaniment. Dipped in lemon juice, these were heavenly. We loved these so much, we got a second order.

The Salt and Pepper Pork Cheek (NT$160) and the Brisket Marinated with BBQ Sauce (NT$260) were just as succulent. While I didn't really enjoy the Salt and Pepper Chicken Cartilage (NT$140), my friend J loved it. We also had one of the specials - the Wagyu Combo (NT$1680) which included Australian wagyu top blade steak, rib-eye steak, and rib cap. When I had wagyu filet mignon carpaccio style at Alexander's Steakhouse, I thought they were delicious. These grilled wagyu were even better. They were marvelous without any seasoning. The marbled meat literally melted on my tongue. These might be expensive by Taiwanese standards, but they are much more affordable compared to what wagyu steaks command in the States.

To balance off our meal, we also had Salt and Pepper Chicken Leg Mushroom (NT$80), Corn (NT$80), and Okra (NT$80). The mushrooms and corns were good. What really surprised me was the okra. I normally don't like okra due to its sliminess. However, these okra weren't slimy in the least bit. The outside was grilled to subtly crispy. The inside was perfectly tender. Who knew that I would enjoy okra! =)

The Japanese style Salmon Tea Soaked Rice (NT$80) and the Buttered Enoki Mushroom Soup (NT$80) were so comforting, that they were almost homey.

We added an order of Hokkaido Capelin (NT$180) at the end since you can't get capelins here. These tiny fish had bulging stomachs filled with eggs. They are quite difficult to grill - if you flip them too early, they would stick to the wire and tear; if you flip them too late, they'd burn. The taste isn't exactly my favorite, but it was very interesting.

As my last meal in Taiwan, we certainly ended on a high note. The meal was so satisfying, I was ecstatic.

My Taiwan recap has come to an end. It's been almost as fun as the trip itself. I already miss my friends and can't wait to go back again. Oh, there are so many more places to visit and things to do!

Da Wan Yakiniku (大腕燒肉專門店)
Address: 22 Lane 177, Dun Hua South Road, Section 1
地址：台北市敦化南路一段177巷22號1樓
Telephone: 02-2711-0179
電話：02-2711-0179
Hours: 6 pm - 2 am
營業時間：18:00-02:00

Taiwan, Part XX - Ji Pin Seafood Restaurant

Ever since the first time I heard about the "quicksand" bun, I was enchanted. On my last day in Taipei, I was determined to have this unique dessert at Ji Pin. Besides the famous "quicksand" buns, Ji Pin is a seafood restaurant, specializing in shark fin and abalone.

Ji Pin's clientele consists mostly regulars. The boss and the manager walked around the room, greeting and chatting with people. Their lunch "specials" change from time to time. When I visited, there were 4 options, all 9 course meals, price ranging from NT$1280 to NT$2980. Yes, these would be expensive lunches. A little shocked by both the price and the amount of food, I stayed away from the specials, and ordered a few dim sum items. In hindsight, I should have gone to Ji Pin with an empty stomach, and splurged on an extravagant lunch, instead of having a pre-lunch snack.

When my Cantonese Sausages with Rice in Clay Pot (NT$200) came, the clay pot was still hot. The rice on the bottom got very crispy. After mixing together the rice and the sausages, every bite had some crunchy, some soft, and some meaty. This was really tasty. The only thing is that like most dishes with Chinese sausages, it's a bit greasy.

The Ji Pin Shark Fin Dumplings (NT$240, 3 pieces) are steamed with shark fin, shrimp, carrots, bamboo shoots, tree mushrooms, and shiitaki mushrooms. Shark fin is a very mild-taste ingredient. So these are very similar to shrimp dumplings, with bits of slightly crunchy vegetables. Don't get me wrong, they were good, just not much of a surprise.

The signature dessert - Quicksand Buns (NT$120, 3 pieces) are really molten custard buns. They are very similar to steamed custard buns. When the bun is hot and torn open, the custard would run out. Their menu translated the name to Steamed Salted Egg Custard Bun because the custard was mixed with cooked salted duck egg yolk. The dough was nice and fluffy, like regular custard buns, with a little sweetness. Unlike regular custard buns, the filling was sweet and salty, creamy and gritty at the same time as the duck egg bits hit your tongue. It was quite an experience.

Ji Pin Seafood Restaurant (吉品海鮮餐廳)
Address: 25 Dun Hua South Road, Section 1, 2nd floor
Telephone: 02-2752-7788
地址：台北市松山區敦化南路一段25號2樓
電話：02-2752-7788
Address: 236 Xin Yi Road, Section 4, 2nd floor
Telephone: 02-2700-3311
地址：台北市信義路四段236號2樓
電話：02-2700-3311
Hours: 11:30 am - 2:30 pm 5:30 pm - 10 pm
營業時間：11:30 - 14:30 17:30 - 22:00

Taiwan, Part XIX - Master Ji

There is a famous sushi stand at Shi Dong Market called Master Ji. (It's truly a "stand". There isn't any place to sit.) From what I've read, normally people just tell Mr. Ji their budget, and let him decide everything. Since this was my last day in Taipei, and I had another plan for lunch, I knew exactly what I wanted to get. The small downside was that I wanted to get to my final lunch destination at a reasonable time, so I didn't wait for Mr. Ji, or the official 11 o'clock opening time.

One of the highly praised items was the sea urchin Ezo Bafun Uni (scientific name: strongylocentrotus intermedius) flown in from Hokkaido. "Bafun" means horse manure. What a distateful name for such a delicious delicacy. Well, name aside, the urchins were so smooth and amazingly sweet.

I also ordered two other highly recommended items - salmon roes and toro. Those didn't quite live up to my expectations. Salmon roes were just OK, nothing special. I've had better. At dinner, my friends told me that the salmon and salmon roes in the Pacific Northwest are much better than the ones in Taiwan. No wonder, I would definitely skip this in the future.

The toro was VERY fatty. (The second picture is the puddle of tuna oil left behind the toro.) It was torched, topped with the super fine menegi (leek sprouts). I don't like the strong pungent flavor of raw onions, green onions, etc. The menegi, however, was very mild, perfect with sushi. I felt the torching was unnecessary. It rendered a lot of the fat into oil, and completely covered the fish, that all I could taste was the oil. I would much more prefer a perfectly cut and unaltered piece of toro nigiri.

There is always a pot of fish soup at the end of the counter that the customers are welcome to help themselves. The broth was well prepared with pieces of random fish (with bones) that didn't make to sushi. Some other bloggers have mentioned that if you spend over certain amount, you'd get the special soup with shrimp that they keep in the back.

My two hand rolls and one piece of nigiri rang up to NT$600. It's unfortunate that I didn't like the salmon roe or the toro. Next time, I would definitely wait for Mr. Ji, and get more uni.

Master Ji (阿吉師)
Address: 100 Shi Dong Rd (Shi Dong Market, 1st floor, stand #88)
地址：台北市士東路100號(士東市場一樓88攤)
Telephone: 02-2834-6136 0936-132578
電話：02-2834-6136 0936-132578
Hours: 11 am - 5pm, closed on Mondays
營業時間：週一休息，平日11:00am-5:00pm

Taiwan, Part XVII - Mu's Beef Noodle Restaurant

Beef Noodles are such a big part of Taiwanese local food scene, that there is even an annual Taipei International Beef Noodle Festival dedicated to it. So one day I set out to try a place that's the Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou's favorite - Mu's Beef Noodle Restaurant.

Mu's is a small hole-in-the-wall kind of place, located across the street from Taipei Medical University's front gate. Even with 2 floors, the space is very limited. I arrived shortly before noon, and walked down the steep staircase to the basement. Ninety percent of Mu's menu are various beef noodles and soups. When you order noodles, you can choose thin or home-made thick noodles, they will also ask if you'd like green onions and cilantro. I love tendons, so I ordered the Half Tendons and Half Meat Noodles (large NT$190, small NT$170) with thick noodles. The tendon was melt-on-your-tongue tender without disintegrating. The meat was also very tender, but not as outstanding as the tendons. I would probably just get all tendons next time. The broth was flavorful without the taste of MSG. The noodles were just the right level of al dente for me.

Another specialty at Mu's is the dry-cooked layered pancake, which comes with the Shredded Pork (NT$150) / Beef (NT$160) in Peking Sauce, or stuffed with beef (NT$100). Since I've already ordered beef with the noodles, I went with the shredded pork. The pancake was so flaky and light. Since there is no oil, you only taste the natural sweetness of the flour. While the pancake is quite large (it’s folded into quarters on the plate), it's so good that most people would just eat it by itself, end up finding the one piece that comes with the dish insufficient, and order another one (NT$40). A friend told me to request the Shredded Pork in Peking Sauce cooked with some chili. The sauce was sweet, salty, and mildly spicy. This would be perfect with rice too.

The food is served really quickly at Mu's. The place gets filled up just as fast. When I arrived at 11:40, it was still half empty. However, when I left at 12:15, not only the place was packed, there was already a long line waiting. (That's when I took the picture of the outside.) Don't get discouraged, it's totally worth the wait. If I had more time, I'd definitely visit Mu's again.

Mu's Beef Noodle Restaurant (穆記小吃牛肉麵斤餅店)
Address: 239 Wu Xing Street
地址：台北市吳興街 239號 ( 台北醫學院正門口附近 )
Telephone: 02-2723-9372, 02-2722-2707
電話：02-2723-9372、02-2722-2707
Hours: 11 am - 9 pm
營業時間：11:00～21:00

Taiwan, Part XVI - KiKi Restaurant

I know it might sound like I had a lot of mediocre food, but I did have some great food too. KiKi Restaurant was one of the memorable experiences.

KiKi has 6 locations, including a cafe and a Thai restaurant. Even though I cannot vouch for the quality at other locations, I believe KiKi's popularity is largely due to the dishes being consistently delicious, instead of the celebrity ownership.

Having only a pepper pancake for lunch, we showed up for dinner when they opened, ready to devour anything. Like most restaurants in Taiwan, there are many small appetizers at the counter for the customers to choose and take to their table. My friends picked the Sichuan style Shredded Bamboo Shoots (NT$80). It was a very good start! The bamboo shoots were tender and moderately spicy.

KiKi has a long list of house specials. The number one is Crispy Deep Fried Egg Tofu (NT$200), and that's a well deserved title. The skin was paper thin, and deep fried to golden brown. The inside was so soft and tender that you'd think you are eating custards, not tofu! This was definitely my favorite!

The Stir Fried Minced Pork with Chinese Chives and Fermented Black Beans (NT$220) is extremely popular as well. I've never been a fan of Chinese chives, so I can't declare this as a favorite. We asked for mild, even though there were a lot of chili peppers, it wasn't spicy at all, a little bland for me. Next time, I would ask for medium spiciness.

The Thinly Sliced Boiled Pork in a Piquant Garlic Dressing (NT$220) was indeed "piquant". =) The meat was thin and tender, the garlic was very mild, the sauce was what made the dish.

The Pan Fried Omelet with Dry-Salt Meat Sauce (NT$200) didn't stand out against the other plates, but it didn't disappoint either. I remember the sauce being the star.

The Sauteed Diced Chicken Legs with Chili Peppers (NT$330) wasn't like what you get in the States. The chicken pieces were small. They were deep fried to such a crispy level that they were almost crumbly. Again we asked for mild, and as alarming as those chili peppers and garlic slices might look, it wasn't spicy.

The Whole Pan Cooked Fish in a Piquant Molasses and Vinegar Sauce (NT$320) was deep fried, then topped with a sweet and sour sauce. (Their translator must really like the word "piquant". =) The fish was perfectly tender. The sauce was titillating. While I’m not much a rice person, I'd be content with a bowl topped with this sauce.

Can you believe the three of us ate all of THAT? And every dish was so delectable that I'd order it again. Even the freshly brewed Hot Fruit Tea (NT$170), with diced fresh apples, pears, oranges, and pineapples, etc., was so fragrant, it was the best fruit tea I've ever had. This was definitely one of the most gratifying meals of the trip.

KiKi Restaurant (KiKi 餐廳)
Address: 28 Fu Xing South Road, Section 1
地址 :台北市復興南路一段28號
Telephone: 02-2752-2781
電話 : 02-2752-2781
Hours: M-Sat 11:50am - 3pm 5:15pm - 11pm Sun 11:50am - 3pm 5:15pm - 10pm
營業時間 :週一至週六11:50~15:00 / 17:15~23:00　週日11:50~15:00 / 17:15~22:00

Taiwan, Part XV - Bei Tou You Yu

We got a variety of Taiwanese dishes from Bei Tou You Yu one day to enjoy at the comfort of home.

All the dishes were small, but they certainly added up to quite a feast. The signature combination seafood soup (NT$75) had cuttlefish, squid, pork, and a Taiwanese specialty - that ground fish meat and bone into a paste then deep fried. The soup was very nice, the cuttlefish and squid were very tender, I thought the special deep fried fish paste was just OK.

I requested spicy stinky tofu (NT$55) since I felt it was something I had to try in Taiwan. Well, I couldn't even finish one piece of stinky tofu. The smell was just way too overpowering. I tried to eat the other ingredients in the dish, like pig blood sticky rice cake, etc. and didn't enjoy any. I guess stinky tofu is just not for me. I much more prefer the deep fried tofu (NT$30).

The spicy noodles (small NT$45, large NT$65) were tasty, but way too spicy. We asked for mild, yet it practically burned my mouth that I couldn't really taste anything else for awhile. The bean thread noodles (small NT$40, large NT$60) wasn't very memorable.

Bei Tou has quite a few dishes that are good, just not the best by comparison, like the Spiced Pork Stew over Rice (small NT$25, large NT$40) which was not as flavorful as Jin Xian's, or the wontons in spicy oil (small NT$55, large NT$85). The filling was very flavorful. I would have loved it if I didn't have Din Tai Fung's. Truth be told, I'm not sure if any place could make a better sauce. =) The spicy duck blood (NT$55) was in the same boat. It was good, better than Man Tang Hong's, just the exterior wasn't as tender as Tripod King's.

The braised pork belly wasn't exactly what I expected. In Chinese, the dish is called "Red Cooked Meat". I always thought that meant big pieces of pork belly braised for a long time in a soy sauce based broth. The result should be slightly brown, and very moist. But Bei Tou's version looks and tastes more like Chia Siu. Maybe this is the Taiwanese style?

"You Yu" means squid. You have to order squid from a place that has "squid" in the name. While the squid (NT$80) was very tender, it was a little fishy.

The winter melon tea with grass jelly (NT$20) was refreshing. It would be perfect for a hot summer day.

If you search for Bei Tou You Yu (in Chinese that is), there are a slew of bloggers singing its praises. It's unfortunate that I didn't find any dish outstanding. Maybe it was because we got takeout. I would give them another chance, but I would choose dine in.

Bei Tou You Yu (北投魷魚)
Address: 96 De Xing East Road
台北市德行東路96號 2832-0638
Address: 156 Fu Hua Road
台北市福華路156號 2832-1872
Address: 3 Lane 290, Guang Fu South Road
台北市光復南路290巷3號 2711-1128
Address: Xin Yi A-11 Shopping Mall, B2 Food Court
台北市信義A-11館B2美食街 2723-3639
Address: Nan Jing West Road, South West 1 Shopping Mall, B2 Food Court
台北市南京西路南西1館B2美食街 2567-5481
營業時間：11:00 - 22:00

Taiwan, Part XIV - Taiwanese Snacks

It wouldn't be a trip to Taiwan without sampling some simple snack food. Since the weather wasn't very nice, we ended up getting take out a lot.

Goose is more commonly consumed in Taipei than an once-a-year holiday bird. A very popular goose meat place is in Tienmu. People call it "Tienmu goose meat stand" since it's only a stand without an official name. Look for the sign with red "goose meat" characters. We had the regular and smoked. It was very tender. The texture is similar to dark chicken meat. Even though goose meat contains even more fat than duck meat, the fat was mostly rendered out that it wasn't greasy. I prefer the smoke flavor with their special sauce.

I love Taiwanese Spiced Pork Stew over rice. While there were lots of food that I set out to try, Spiced Pork Stew is one thing I knew I'd have. In fact, I'm surprised at myself that I didn't eat it everyday. =) After our relaxing massage, we got some from a place that's known for their spiced pork stew over rice. It was almost all fat, the sauce was a bit too sweet, and on the thin side; however, it was delicious nonetheless. I'm used to having light Western style breakfast. One day, my friend reheated some pork stew after my breakfast, the smell was so enticing that I couldn't resist but getting a bowl as well. It was THAT good!

We missed lunch time one day and ended up getting pepper pancakes (NT$40 each) from this stand that was featured in a Japanese travel site. Even at 2:30 in the afternoon, they were sold out. I had to wander around for half an hour to wait for the next batch. =) Do you like black or white peppers? If so, you'd LOVE these. They were cooked in a clay-lined barrel-like vessel over fire wood. Eaten piping hot, the pork and green onion filling was so juicy and peppery. The dough, rolled in sesame seeds on one side, was nice and flaky. One of these in the winter would definitely warm you up inside.

Another pancake I had was on the day I went to the National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial. After the tsukemen, gyoza, and shaved ice, I really couldn't take another bite. However, the Tianjin Green Onion Pancake stand was highly recommended, and it was only steps away from Yong Kang 15 under the sign for the Thanh-Ky Vietnamese Noodle Restaurant, I couldn't help but getting one too. I got an original one (NT$25) which is very thin and flaky. Unfortunately, it was no longer flaky hours later when I was able to eat again. If you want something more filling, you can also get it with egg (NT$30), or with ham and egg (NT$40), or with everything (NT$50). What a deal! Next time, I will definitely save some room for these pancakes. =)

Tienmu Goose Meat Stand (天母鵝肉攤 - 店招牌是寫紅色的鵝肉兩個大字)
Address: 23 Lane 8, Tienmu East Road
地址：台北市天母東路8巷23號 (廣田洋菓子旁巷子)
Hours: 3pm - sold out (most likely before 7pm), closed on Mondays
營業時間：下午3點出攤 7點前就可能賣完 週一公休

Jin Xian Spiced Pork Stew over Rice (金仙魯肉飯)
Address: 127 Fu Gang street, Shi-lin District
地址: 台北市士林區福港街127號
Telephone: 02-2881-8625
電話：02-2881-8625

Pepper Pancakes (胡椒餅)
Address: Lane 269, Nanjing East Road
地址：台北市南京東路三段269巷口

Tianjin Green Onion Pancake (永康街天津蔥抓餅)
Address: 1 Lane 6, Yong Kang Road
地址：台北市永康街6巷1號
Telephone: 0918-401-855
電話：0918-401-855
Hours: 11am - 10:30pm
營業時間：11:00～22:30 無公休
Phone Order: (02)2321-1336 before noon, (02)2321-3768 after noon
電購專線：上午12時前(02)2321-1336 下午12時後(02)2321-3768