pâtisserie Sadaharu AOKI paris (Bamboo)

Taiwan is gastronomically blessed with many things--night markets, niu rou mian, Din Tai Fung, Robuchon, and the list goes on and on...

Among that which we are culinarily endowed with is Patisserie Sadaharu Aoki. As far as I know, this god of a pastry chef only has locations in three countries: France, Japan, and now Taiwan. I can't walk past the display case without having a serious urge to purchase one of the meticulously crafted creations. Each one has a different color scheme and flavor profile that is curious, yet intriguing. I've yet to try all of them (I'll be honest, I kind of want one of each for Christmas) but my favorite, hands down, is the Bamboo. I plan on having many of them during my two week stay in Taiwan.

pâtisserie Sadaharu AOKI paris

Bellavita, B2

28, Song Ren Rd

tel: 02-8729-2759

Similar to an Opéra cake, the Bamboo is the perfect fusion of French technique with Japanese flavors. With repeating layers of matcha infused joconde, chocolate ganache, and matcha buttercream, in alternating shades of green and brown, it is a thing of beauty and perfection. Not too sweet and perfectly balanced, each bite has the texture of the almond biscuit and silky creaminess of the buttercream. The slight bitterness of the matcha flavor counteracts the sweetness of the chocolate. Granted, the flavor of the chocolate is not very apparent, but I believe it's presence is still subtly felt.

Reasons why I love the Bamboo:

1) it comes in amazingly cute packaging

2) green is pretty much my favorite color...especially when you put multiple shades together

3) matcha powder has recently become one of my favorite thing to bake with

4) look at that pristine layering! (I think Aoki and I may share similar OCD tendencies)

5) it's simply delicious

Be jealous.

Saboten Tonkatsu (勝博殿)

My brother and I don't get to hang out very often anymore. No longer are the days of playing Pokémon together on linked Gameboys or waiting under "our tree" for our mom to pick us up after school. I'm at college. He's at home, about to leave for college. Once that happens, I have a feeling I'll see him even less.

So when the opportunity came up for us to have a day together, just the two of us in Taiwan, I knew it was a rare occasion that should be treasured. My parents said we'd have to "fend for" ourselves for a day but I said we were going to "enjoy" ourselves. Granted, I already had a personal agenda for the day, namely one that involved a museum, but I also wanted him to enjoy being with me. I wanted to make him enjoy being with me and say to himself, "Hey, a day with my sister ain't so bad..."

Lunchtime came around and I was starving. I asked my brother if he was hungry.

"Not really."

"Where do you want to eat for lunch?"

"Don't care. "

Obviously he doesn't share my enthusiasm for food. It's okay. I love food enough for the both of us. I remembered that he used to LOVE tonkatsu when we were younger. I used to dread it--oily, dry, over-sauced fried piece of pork was not my thing. This was before the transformation of my never-hungry stomach to the bottomless pit it is today. This was also before the establishment of Saboten Tonkatsu in Taipei.

Nowadays, I love getting tonkatsu from Saboten. I crave tonkatsu from Saboten. I wouldn't even consider getting tonkatsu anywhere else in Taiwan. It is one of my guilty pleasures. After all, a fried piece of pork cutlet, no matter how perfectly golden brown and crispy, is still not good for you, but Saboten makes it worth it. I figured this was the perfect place to have lunch with my brother. It was.

It turned out the boy was actually pretty hungry. After we placed our orders he declared he was starving. Wasn't he not hungry JUST 10 minutes ago? Anticipating the food was making him hungry he said. Apparently he wasn't just hungry, he was ravenous--he downed a large size piece of pork cutlet, an entire boat of curry, so many refills of shredded cabbage I lost count (which by the way is probably more than the amount of vegetables my meat-loving brother consumes in an entire year), two large bowls of rice, and MY unfinished bowl of rice--down to the last grain. That boy can eat when he wants to.

Saboten Tonkatsu (勝博殿)

Mitsukoshi, XinYi, A9, 6th floor

No.9, Song Shou Road

Taipei, Taiwan

tel: 02-2725-5829

No. 2, Alley 290, Guang Fu South Road

Taipei, Taiwan

tel: 02-2771-7668

Saboten Tonkatsu originated in Japan's Shinjuku district 43 years ago. Today, it is the largest tonkatsu chain in Japan. All the set meals include all you can eat cabbage (to be enjoyed with a ponzu like vinaigrette or sesame tonkatsu sauce), complimentary starters such as sweetened Japanese black beans, pickled daikon, miso soup, a steaming bowl of rice, and ending with dessert.

There are multiple locations in Taiwan, but there are two that I frequent in Taipei. One is located inside the ShinKong Mitsukoshi XinYi A9 department store on the 6th floor. Although convenient for those who are tired from strenuous all-day shopping (such as myself), it can get incredibly crowded during meal times, with wait times averaging 30 minutes. My favorite location is one tucked away behind the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall on Guang Fu S Road. It tends to be a little less crowded, lending to a calmer, more tranquil dining environment.

I find the price range very reasonable--the price for a set menu varies depending on the cut of meant and size of the cut. For a leaner cut of pork(I don't know the name of the cut in English...maybe the loin?) prices range from 280NT-320NT (about $8-$10). For a fattier cut (one that I actually prefer) prices range from 280NT-350NT. Of course there are other menu options, such as fried shrimp or vegetables, but I can't help but always order that lovely portion of delicious pork.

I love the selection of condiments available--a wooden container of Japanese chili, Himalayan salt grinder, ponzu-like vinaigrette dressing, and the best tonkatsu sauce in the world. There really is no other sauce like it. I would describe it as "umami" but to be honest, I don't really think there is a set definition for the word. Slightly sweet, slightly tangy, the sauce is held in a large ceramic jar with a wooden ladle.

Food that is interactive always tastes better. At Saboten, one must work for the delectable sauce. Every place setting includes a mortar and pestle filled with black and white sesame seeds. Grinding the sesame into a fine powder is one of Kevin's best skills--look at him working away! Add in the previously mentioned tonkatsu sauce, and you have a delicious concoction ready for crisp, juicy pieces of fried pork.

The bottomless bowl of finely shredded cabbage is indispensible in enjoying tonkatsu. Any restaurant serving tonkatsu would have this snowy mound of cabbage. However, texture is everything. It must be THIS finely shredded. Any thicker, and the experience will not be enjoyable. Sadly, this is a mistake that many tonkatsu restaurants make. Not at Saboten though! It's shredded to such a delicate thinness that it's perfect for soaking up some of that ponzu vinaigrette.

The complimentary black beans and pickles daikon are great to snack on while waiting for your meal to arrive, but once it does, they're quickly forgotten...

...and the meal arrives. Every portion of pork cutlet is fried to a golden crisp. Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, it doesn't get any better than this. It's so expertly fried, with no visible grease disturbing the crunchy panko breading.

And something MUST be said about the rice served at Saboten. It's absolutely delicious! It's just rice, you say. It's not JUST rice. Every grain of short-grain rice here at Saboten is perfectly chewy and "Q." Most importantly, you can taste the flavor of rice. It's not just some plain stomach filling carbohydrate. It actually has flavor and aroma. Of course, we always end up messing up the pristine bowl of white rice with some Japanese curry, but that's because the curry here is also pretty tasty. Call me crazy, but it's the best rice I've ever had.

Finally, dessert is usually some green tea ice cream. I wish it was good ice cream so that I could continue gushing about how delicious Saboten is, but sadly, it's just ice cream and it's not that spectacular.

So although it's a meal involving a piece of fried pork, I'd say it's a relatively healthy meal ;) I mean, look at all that cabbage! In the end, though, Saboten is just so damn delicious, I usually don't need any kind of reasoning to indulge in a golden, deep-fried piece of tonkatsu. Needless to say, my brother and I both left full and satisfied!

After the meal, my brother and I visited the National Palace Museum in Taipei. While the exhibits were enjoyable--especially the piece of jade that looks like a head of napa cabbage--the crowds were not. The whole museum was literally overrun by tourists groups from China. Let's just say they were all a little pushy. However, a Chinese couple was kind enough to take this lovely picture of me and my brother :)

**This is a review of my last visit this past spring. Sadly, I didn't get a chance to dine at Saboten this time around before I got a wisdom tooth out. I'm desperately hoping I'll be able to eat normally enough to handle some tonkatsu before I leave Taiwan. Right now, the thought of eating those crispy, juicy pieces of pork seems impossible :(

L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon--7/9/10

Ever since my last visit to L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Taipei, I couldn't stop thinking about my meal there. In fact, for a while, I found myself a little jaded and unimpressed by meals elsewhere. Nothing I ate could live up to the same level of execution or deliciousness. I got a little worried. Of course, in time I got over this and reminded myself of the importance of "eating something for what it is." I can't always expect to get perfection in a meal.

Thus, one of the first things I did upon arriving in Taipei, was begin composing an email to Chef Suga, letting him know I was back in town and ready for another meal at L'Atelier. Since my family and I had already experienced the Menu Decouverte, and my dad had revisited multiple times afterwards, we wanted something different and new. I asked Chef Suga if we could have the honor of him creating a special menu just for us, and to my delight, he agreed to do so.

What we received was an inspired menu composed of à la carte menu items and some of Chef Suga's newest creations that haven't even made it on the menu yet. As a result, there was no printed menu for referencing. Therefore, the description and titles given to these dishes are what I managed to deduce from the description given in Chinese by the servers. In a nutshell, I made these names up. Just trust me when I say, everything was absolutely delicious.

Also, these photos can't even begin to do these plates justice. Keep in mind I was still pretty jet lagged and, as the meal progressed, more than slightly tipsy off our bottles of champagne and wine. The restaurant also seemed to have installed a new display in their bar area--a summer seascape scene consisting of white pepper sand, star anise, and dyed pieces of edible fungus for anemone. Cute, but unfortunately it was either fluorescently lit or LED lit because it affected the quality of my photos. I find them a little overexposed :(

We began with the usual spectacular L'Atelier bread basket. This time, however, we had a different amuse. From what I understand, this is a very classic Robuchon amuse--consisting of a foie gras mousse, port wine gelée, and parmesan cheese foam. Served in a little shot glass, one little spoonful of this warm concoction was luxuriously rich and creamy. Definitely left me wanting more--which is exactly what you want in an amuse.

LE CAVIAR

Ossetra caviar and sea urchin in a tender consomée jelly with cauliflower cream

The sweet, creamy sea urchin suspended in what tasted like a seafood consomée was only elevated by the salty bursts of caviar. All together, not only a beautiful dish to look at--with its perfectly spaced, micro-piped green dots--but also a light flavorful start to the meal.

L'AMAEBI*

fresh tomato, capellini angel hair pasta, dried mullet fish roe

This was the first of Chef Suga's creations we had that night. It was unlike any other pasta dish I've ever had. I watched at he put an immersion blender to a bright red sauce, as he had a taste of it with a plastic spoon, tossed the spoon, slightly wrinkled his eyebrows, sprinkled a little of what I assumed to be salt, and immersion blended it again. I watched as he carefully wound a mound of long thin strands of pasta around a fork and laid it on a plate. It was only later, with my first bite, that I realized this pasta dish was delightfully cold. The bright red sauce tasted like a sauce of fresh tomatoes--uncooked. The pasta was just al dente and the amaebi shrimp sweet and supple. The crowning touch--salty slivers of dried mullet fish roe from Taiwan.

L'ASPERGE BLANCHE*

white asparagus, San Daniele ham, summer truffles

The thick, meaty pieces of tender white asparagus bathed in a light, creamy sauce were enough to make me swoon. Add in the paper thin slices of salty proscuitto and fragrant summer truffles from France and I was powerless to stop the silly grin spreading across my face.

L'UNAGI*

foie gras, baby arugula, apple purée

Eel, foie gras, apple, arugula--the same exact ingredients found in this dish I had at a Hatchi BreadBar dinner except this time, it was executed a million times better. Thus, this dish, to me, was the perfect example of how the same ingredients can either work harmoniously or fall short of perfection. Needless to say, the ingredients in Chef Suga's version worked together so harmoniously, they could've been singing Handel's Messiah. This dish also represented an exercise in restraint and subtlety. While the unctuous foie gras and oily eel needed the sweet, tart contrast of the apple purée, it was only sweet enough to serve it's purpose. Taken with a bite of foie, eel, and bitter arugula, the purée didn't scream apple, but it was enough to balance the bite.

LE SAINT PIERRE

steamed pomfret with clam jus sautéed leeks and seaweed butter

Another beautifully plated dish--served underneath a porcelain dome so that when lifted, the wonderful aroma of the briny clam broth hits your senses. The vibrant, colorful vegetables cooked in the clam broth were not only appealing to look at, but also cooked perfectly. The steamed pomfret was amazingly tender and flakey--a perfect blank canvas for the flavors of the broth and other garnishes such as the lightly fragrant celery leaves, salty bits of olive, and what I assumed to be a piece of sweet roasted red bell pepper.

LE CANARD

spice roasted duck breast with sautéed ginger leeks

I believe this dish is on the à la carte menu, though I'm not completely sure the description is of what I ate. There were indeed slices of duck breast and leeks, but were they "ginger leeks?" Not sure. All I know is, this is probably my favorite preparation of duck breast EVER. I always order duck if it's on the menu, but I've never had duck this tender at such a beautiful medium rare temperature. I watched, appalled, as my mom took the skin off her pieces of duck breast. Deliciously spiced, and slightly sweet, the skin was one of the best parts! The leeks I didn't love because, in general, I don't love leeks. The turnips were surprisingly pleasant, though I was too absorbed in the duck breast to really appreciate their presence. Finally, I will say, I actually enjoyed the pomme purée a lot more this time. I still couldn't finish it though--it was just too much butter on my conscience.

LE PÊCHE

peach liquor granita, wild strawberries, peach

A refreshing pre-dessert, I liked this preparation a lot more than the one I had last time. The peach liquor granita was fragrantly boozy, with the strawberries and chunks of peach probably also having absorbed a good amount of this liquor. Topped off with a sprinkling of what I can only deduce to be freshly cracked black pepper, it was definitely a nice shot glass of palate cleanser in preparation for MORE dessert :)

LE PAMPLEMOUSSE

grapefruit segments, grapefruit foam, milk ice cream, basil mint sorbet

This dessert is best described in one word: refreshing. Served in a decently-sized glass cup, the bottom layer was composed of a gelée of Taiwanese yuzu--comparable to the flavor of a Southern California Oro Blanco grapefruit. Inside the gelée, there were segmented pieces of fresh grapefruit. The combination of grapefruit, basil, mint, and milk worked surprisingly well. This is one dessert that, while satisfying, won't weigh you down.

LE VIOLET

saffron honey mousse, violet, wild strawberries, lychee, port gelée, pomegranate, vanilla sauce, milk ice cream.

Although I've had a similar dessert from this L'Atelier, I still can't surpress the excited squeal that escapes my mouth every time I see one of these sugar spheres. I just can't resist the crackly, crunchy sugar shards that intermingle with the creamy mousse and fresh fruits once you break open the perfect sphere. The quenelle of cold milky ice cream is just as welcome as always, and the pieces of port gelée added not only a different texture, but a deeper flavor component. My happiness in devouring this sugar sphere hit a climax when I chanced upon the pieces of fresh, fragrant lychee fruit.

Outside the beautiful Bellavita that houses L'Atelier here in Taipei with my wonderful parents. I'm so lucky they love food almost as much as I love food!

All in all, another wonderful experience at L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Taipei. I can't imagine a fantastic meal more suitable for the humid, summer heat currently enveloping the city of Taipei. The progression of cold plates to hot plates could not have been handled more expertly, and we left the meal feeling full and satisfied but also feeling light and lifted. Chef Suga's newest dishes (denoted with an *) were not only creative, but also executed perfectly--not an easy feat. Anyone can be creative, but only some are skillful enough to realize their creations.

Shilin Night Market (士林夜市)

Why is the Shilin night market one of the best night markets in Taiwan? Cheap, yet DELICIOUS, eats would definitely be at the top of the list of reasons. It is also one of the biggest and most famous night markets in Taiwan--encompassing many little alleyways, buildings, and even a newly constructed indoor food court. I have never been inside the indoor food court although it seems to be a very successful mix of modern amenities and traditional street fare. There are more than enough street vendors outside to keep me occupied and satisfied. I would say no trip to Taiwan is complete without a night at the Shilin night market. It really is quite an amazing experience.

I also love the Shilin night market for sentimental reasons. There is a stand that sells every imaginable kind of hair tie, hair clip, hair band...basically all hair accessories under the sun. I've been using hair ties from that stand for who knows how many years. When I go, I buy enough hair ties there to last me a year. Are they better than the ones you can get anywhere else? Maybe not, but I refuse to use ones NOT from that stand. There are stores here that I always walk into. There are ones that I never do. I've been to this night market so many times, there are places that I walk to compulsively.

I have so many childhood memories here. I remember one especially humid summer night. I had been begging my mom to take me to the night market--I had wanted to look at all the little trinkets there (This was before my obsession with food, but not before my obsession with little things that are cute) Finally, my mom caved and we drove all the way from our house to the night market. Five minutes after stepping outside the car I was dripping with sweat from the heat and humidity. Five more minutes of pushing through the huge crowds of other sweaty people and I looked at my mom and said, "I think I'm ready to leave now."

I supposed most of my memories regarding the Shilin night market are with my mom. I know that she also has many memories of being at the same night market when she was younger. Most of her memories are from her college days of hanging out with friends at the night market. Nowadays, the crowd is still mainly young adults, out for a night of good, cheap eating. The Shilin night market is very light on the wallet :) However, there are also many tourists. But the crowds of bumbling tourists only adds to the ambiance of a night market. The more the merrier. Although, luckily I can navigate this night market like a local, and not an overwhelmed tourist ;)

There is, without a doubt, a plethora of sights and smells and raunchy looking foods to try at the night market. I am not about to claim that I have tried them all. Heck, there are still some parts of the night market I have not yet explored. However, the following food stands that I'm about to disclose are a few of my favorites--the stuff that I absolutely HAVE to eat each time I'm there...the stuff that YOU absolutely have to have if you're ever at the Shilin night market.

Shilin Night Market Favorites

hours: around 4pm until well after midnight

metro station: Jiantan Station on the Danshui line

Blurry, I know, but it was difficult taking a picture of it while walking during nighttime. I couldn't waste time stopping and finding appropriate lighting. I had to attack it before it got cold!

Pig blood cake. Pieces of pig's blood and glutinous rice on skewers pulled from a wooden steamer, dipped in soy sauce pasted and brushed-on hot sauce, takes a tumble in some peanut powder before a sprinkling of cilantro. If no one told you this was pig's blood, you wouldn't know. You'd preoccupied with how delicious it is.

Following something hot and salty, we need something cold and sweet. Time for some "snow flower ice" or "snow flake ice." I have no idea what to call this in English. Essentially it's shaved ice, but shaved much finer into "sheets" of ice. Also, it's not really ice made with water...it's more like frozen blocks sweetened milk. Thus, the resulting bowl of shaved ice is a creamy, sweet pile as light and fluffy as freshly fallen snow.

They offer flavors other than milk (the original) including coffee, peanut, green tea, and some others. I always go with the milk flavor topped with some condensed milk and stewed red bean. This is the best bowl of shaved ice you'll EVER have. I have yet to have better anywhere else.

Look for the shop with the line out the door. Trust me. Stand in that line. The shop across the street with essentially the same menu and absolutely no line might seem tempting but don't do it. Always go where the line is. I feel bad for the shop across the street but there is a reason why one is packed and the other is essentially empty. It just doesn't cut it. My mom and I went in there one time and were so disappointed, we had to eat another bowl at the better shop right after.

No time for breaks at the Shilin night market. There's too much to eat. After that icy bowl of milky sweet goodness, I'm ready for something salty again. This time, in the form of a GIANT piece of fried chicken. GIANT. This thing is the size of my face. On busy nights, the line for this stand overflows on to the street, potentially impeding traffic. This is definitely one of the most popular and well-known stands at the Shilin night market.

Although it's size might be a little intimidating for some, me included, once you take a bite, it'll be hard not to consume all of it. Who knows how many pieces of chicken, breaded in some mysterious concoction that results in a ridiculously crispy, yet chewy crust, is deep fried until golden and dropped into the waiting hands of customer every night. A sprinkling of chili powder adds a spicy kick that only makes it even more addicting. It's delicious and I've never had fried chicken like this anywhere else.

Okay, even my bottomless-pit of a stomach gets pretty full by this point in the night. Luckily, there is an endless amount of things to see and places to shop at the night market. I love dogs and there's a row of pet shops that we usually walk by. It's sad seeing them caged up but they're also incredibly cute at the same time. At least they all have street-facing views in their cages I guess. Even if you don't go in the pet shops, you can see them from outside. For those looking to buy a little puppy, these little poodles and maltese are actually pretty expensive.

I saved the best for last. This is one stand you CANNOT miss if you ever visit the Shilin night market. They make scallion pancakes they way they should ALWAYS be made--deep-fried, topped with an egg, and drenched in a delicious sauce. There is nothing better than taking a bite of the crispy pancake, breaking open the runny egg yolk of the fried egg it was topped with, and then taking ANOTHER bite WITH the runny egg yolk. It's amazing how something so simple can be so good.

They have trays and trays of dough waiting to be rolled out and immediately dropped into the hot oil along with an egg. I don't know how they get the dough so chewy. It's amazing. I don't know how long they've been using the same pot of oil and I don't want to know. However, the deep golden brown they get on the pancakes kind of indicate that the oil has been around for a while.

I have no idea how long this stand has been here. All I know is, my mom loved these when she was young too. They've been featured in newspapers, magazines, etc. Although they were probably dirt cheap a few years back, they are currently about $0.50 for one fried pancake without egg and almost $1 for one topped with a fried egg. Go for the one with the fried egg. You'll thank me with you see the runny egg yolk.

As a child, my mom and I made a pact every time we went to the night market: we could eat whatever our hearts desired but we were not, under any circumstances, going to admit any of the eating we did to my slightly more cautious dad. Who knew what kind of bacteria-ridden ice was used to make that delicious, pillowy mound of shaved ice? Who knew how long that cauldron of oil has been frying up crispy, golden disks of dough? I like to think of the night market as an adventure for your taste buds, and a challenge for your stomach. The food is amazing, the mixture of smells is intoxicating and nauseating at the same time, and while it's origins may be questionable, in the end I say it's worth it.