Good Cho | 好丘

Location: 台北市信義區松勤街54號 (nearest MRT Taipei City Hall, I would suggest to take the Bus such as #22 from Taipei Main Station)
Telephone: 02-2758-2609
Hours: Tue-Fri 10:00-21:30 (closed on Mondays), Sat-Sun 08:00-18:00

Good Cho's is a small market bistro located at the Xinyi Public Assembly Hall (信義公民會館) that is actually a former military dependents' village back in the 1950's and was re-opened as a public space only 10 years ago. 

By entering Good Cho's you are met with their small home-made products market and that is really the first impression you get: home-made, fresh, nothing of that generic food stuff. 

We tried a Bagel with a sweet potato croquette (forgot the Chinese name), it also had a special ume-mayonnaise and some fresh cucumbers. This Bagel-set  takes longer to make (30min.) but it was so worth the wait!! With an additional 150NT, you can make it into a set menu that comes with a salad or soup and dessert (rice pudding, muffin or scone). 

We also tried the 咬咬女士 (200NT) which is a toast with cheese and ham in the middle, and on top, melted cheese and an egg and salad on the side. Crunchy crust, melted cheese and the toast is just perfect, I definitely recommend ordering this simple, but savory dish. By ordering this set, you can get 30NT off in whatever drink you choose. I drank the White fungi with Goji drink (100NT - 30NT = 70NT!). 

Good Cho's also sells individual bagels at 30-60NT, scones at 25-35NT and muffins at around 40-50NT. All hand-made and fresh! 

Visit their website for more information: http://tw.streetvoice.com/users/goodchos/

Confit Rémi Café‧Bistro | 黑米

Location: 台北市信義區忠孝東路四段553巷22弄5號 (near MRT Taipei City Hall)
Telephone: 02-2768-1106
Hours: 11:00-22:30

For the number of clients it attracts, it is advised to make a reservation before going especially during lunch hours. This small bistro is acclaimed for its risotto nero (300NT+10%). Its so creamy, flavorful and there's richness in every bite! Its a must try!

You can also chose a set menu that comes with soup-of-the-day, home-made bread or salad. By adding 90NT you can get one of the three. 130NT you can choose 2 and with 160NT you can have all three choices. If you're on a budget, you can always just order a drink for 50NT. If you're in the mood to splurge a little, you can also opt for the filet at about 450+NT.

Confit Remi also offers pizzas ranging from 200 to 280NT and spaghetti from 180-240NT. At the end of the meal, I strongly recommend to try their creme brulee (90NT). Lovely sugar crunch on top, creamy french vanilla on the bottom....must try!

For more information, visit their website: confitremi.com.tw

Eating Time

Location: 台北市大安區永康街18號 (near MRT Dong Men)
Telephone: 02-2351-3663

Eating Time is a little bistro&grill located by Yong Kang street serving a wide variety of dishes from sandwich, burgers, omelette, eggs Benedict  classic breakfasts, sweet breakfasts and so on... They usually come with a potato side dish and a drink (refill-able).

We decided to try out the BLT sandwich which is essentially toast with bacon, lettuce and tomato. The toast was way too oily. When making a BLT, to complement the bacon on the inside, the toast should be drier in the sense of being naturally toasted and if you really really want to add the extra fat and extra calories to it, you could spread some butter on the inside, but not on the whole piece of toast. (I still find butter in this case totally necessary). Sandwich also lacked the mayonnaise punch which is one essential component in a BLT. 

We also tried the burger which was good, the meat was juicy, the cheese was oozing with creaminess, but one thing they missed was to soak the red onions in ice cold water to remove a bit of the onion-bitterness. 

Last, but not least, we tried the Philly cheese steak sandwich which in my opinion it was the best one out of the three, but it should definitely consider changing its name to steak sandwich as it is not even close to the real Philly cheese steak in Philadelphia. 

Visit their Facebook page for more info: http://www.facebook.com/EATINGTIME

PS Tapas | 西班牙小酒館

Location: 台北安和路一段21巷19號1F
Telephone: 02-2740-9090
Hours: Mon-Sun. 11:30am-2:00am

Tapas comes from the Spanish verb 'tapar' which means to cover. In the culinary sense, Tapas are appetizers, snacks or finger foods in Spain that can be either cold or hot. Nonetheless, when you talk about Spain, the first thing that comes to mind is that savory golden coloured saffron Paella! Instead of going for the traditional one, we ordered the black one that gets its colour from squid ink. The dish is quite expensive (390NT) in respect with the serving size and as for taste, it really so so. 

The Spanish tortilla (220NT) is basically a thick omelette made of eggs and mainly potatoes. 

The churros though are worth the order. Very different from the commercial ones you find in the movie theatres in Taipei, but of course, still incomparable to the ones you'll eat in Spain. Indulge yourself in a hot crispy churro dipped in melted chocolate! 

Pizzeria Passione | 帕希諾 窯烤拿坡里坡薩

Location: 台北市大安區敦化南路一段233巷34號 (near MRT Zhongxiao Dunhua Exit 3)
Telephone: 02 2778 3030

Hours: 11:30-14:30 & 17:30-22:00

Pizzeria Passione is a warm little locale recently opened in Taipei City that brings Naples' flavours at your table. Naples (or in Italian Napoli) is the capital of the Campania region and it is also the third largest city in Italy . Neapolitan cuisine is widely known for its pizza (as it is commonly known for them to be the creators of it). And unlike the pizza you eat in Rome, the one in Naples has a thicker border and softer dough. 

The locale offers a selection of appetizers ranging from the most traditional ones such as Prosciutto e Melone  (怕馬火腿哈密瓜), Rucola Salad (芝麻葉沙拉) or Antipasto Caprese (水牛起司番茄) to others like Scugnizzielli Vuolo (頑皮小孩) that are rarely seen around Taipei. Scugnizzielli is a very typical Neapolitan dish that consist of pizza dough being fried and served with savory seasoning as an antipasto or sweet for dessert. 

The menu comes with a wide selection of pizzas. We started off with the Margherita (D.O.C) Pizza (馬格麗特 D.O.C.) that is made of very simple flavors of fresh tomato sauce, Mozarella Buffala and Basilico leaves. Simple ingredients that render you with a complex mouth feel. And most importantly, when it comes to pizzas, the dough plays a crucial role as it is the base that will hold in all the flavors in. The dough here has that consistency. Its very smooth with a chewy texture and it has that wooden aroma from the fire-oven that brings together the  flavors in your topping. Its one big harmonious balance that gives you that wow-taste factor you need!

For those who like a stronger taste on their palate can opt for the Napoletana Pizza (拿破里塔納) that comes with anchovies. I also recommend the one with Prosciutto e Rucola (怕馬火腿芝麻葉) that is made with imported Parma ham, rucola and Parmiggiano Reggiano shavings. 

For dessert we tried the sweet Scugnizzielli that was very crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and above all, it is infused in Nutella, a creamy hazelnut chocolate. The Tiramisu was good, but the cream was a little on the soft side. Nonetheless, both desserts were a perfect ending to curve from the savoriness of the pizzas. 

Last, but not least, to end an Italian meal is of course a nice cup of espesso!

The pizza here range from 240NT to 510NT and appetizers from 120NT to 260NT. The average consumption of one person is approximately 450-500NT. I recommend to come with one or more people so you can taste different pizza flavors and also share the bill.

Visit their Facebook Page for more information: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pizzeria-Passione-%E5%B8%95%E5%B8%8C%E8%AB%BE_%E7%AA%AF%E7%83%A4%E6%8B%BF%E5%9D%A1%E9%87%8C%E5%9D%A1%E8%96%A9%E5%B0%88%E9%96%80%E5%BA%97/246944052098134

Ikki | 藝奇 新日本料理

Location: 台中市西屯區福雅路95號(近福科路口) and another 8 branches also in Taipei City.
Telephone: 04 2461 6022
Hours: 11:30 - 14:30 & 17:30 - 22:00

Ikki is a Japanese restaurant chain owned by the renowned Wowprime Company (王品集團). Easily found in various locations, the restaurant offers set menus for 680NT + 10% service fee. 

The meal begins with a Dobin mushi which is a Japanese steamed seafood broth. Then you get to pick 1 of the 3 appetizer choices in which I strongly recommend the fish skin appetizer if you're into the chewy-gummy feeling. if not you can always go for a classic salad. 

It was then followed by a choice of sashimi, scallop with smoked salmon or roasted garlic shrimp. The one-bite scallop with smoked salmon was truly to die for! Fresh, sweet and tender covered by the smokiness of the salmon, really good!

Followed by a small dish iwth another 3 choices: a cherry shrimp with steamed egg, which I believe it wasn't really good. the consistency was just all mushy and gooey. The second one was a cod in grapefruit and lastly, a little cup of mushrooms.

For the main dish, I ordered their classic stone cooked beef, but the one that has been already cut and cooked. My friend instead ordered the one that you get to cook it by yourself (岩燒石板牛肉). The meat was good, but lacked a little seasoning and above all a wow-factor. Nonetheless, I found the pickled pumpkin really special since you only usually see pickled daikon or carrots. 

Last, but not least, you have 3 different rice choices: a 'hand roll' in a Romain lettuce, rice with salmon or rice with duck.

Lastly the desserts ranging from the black fungus drink, azuki bean tiramisu and azuki bean&sesame crème brûlée. 

Drinks included coffee, a selection of tea, juices (the one below is aloe juice, made from fresh) and others.

Overall it is a restaurant that delivers its food according to price, but what it lacks is that kick in its dishes to make you want to go back and revisit the restaurant again.

Ikki's website for more information: http://www.ikki.com.tw/

Eccola Pizza | 愛客樂純手工窯烤披薩

Location: 新北市八里區中山路二段191號
Telephone: 02-2610 7860

Hours: Mon - Sun: 10:30 - 21:00 (Closed on Tuesdays)

Opened on October 2012, Eccola Pizza is a little pizzeria located near Danshui. The name "Eccola" in Italian is the combination of the word 'ecco' meaning 'here' and 'la' which is a direct object pronoun, thus meaning "Here it is."

Handmade pizza and baked in a wood-fire oven to order, the pizzas here take a twist on the traditional Italian pizzas and gives it its own Bali signature. They offer a variety of flavors from the most commonly known Hawaiian (that actually originated in Canada and not Hawaii) to Kimchi pork flavored pizzas. Crunchy crust with wooden aroma flavors and fresh toppings, one couldn't ask for anything better. Each pizza is approximately 10'' inches so its fairly enough for two people to eat and prices range from 230NT to 280NT per pizza.

For more information, you can check out their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/EccolaPizzabalihomemadepizza/info