🔅Actual dining date: 2024/10/16
*Photos cannot be reproduced or used commercially without permission.
I've always heard that the pancakes at bills are amazing, so I specially chose the seaside location to pay homage. Unfortunately, even though I had a reservation, I was not seated by the window… but the seating was quite comfortable, and there were still quite a few people visiting at 1:30 PM that day.
▪️Grilled Sichuan pepper chicken, iceberg lettuce, heritage carrots, mint and coriander salad, toasted peanuts ¥2200
I thought I could order a salad to add some veggies, but this one turned out to be quite flavorful. The chicken was tasty but a bit burnt from grilling; it was served with lettuce, sautéed carrots, coriander, and mint, and was spiced up and somewhat salty. Paired with the chicken and lettuce, I found the flavor just right and it was quite delicious! The taste was unexpected.
▪️Fresh Aussie - our not smoked salmon, poached eggs, steamed greens, avocado, and cherry tomatoes ¥2400 + toasted sourdough ¥300
This was like an Instagram-worthy brunch plate with salmon, poached eggs, spinach, tomatoes, sourdough, and avocado. I initially thought it would be a colder dish, but everything was cooked. Overall, the flavor combinations were quite tasty.
▪️Ricotta hotcakes, fresh banana, and honeycomb butter ¥2000
The highlight was the pancakes, three big pieces of them. They were very soft, but there was no gooey undercooked texture inside. The flavor itself is a bit mild, and it needs to be paired with the maple syrup, banana, and butter on the side. I think the standout was definitely the butter, which was very fragrant and adds a lot to these pancakes!!
▪️Yame matcha latte iced ¥900
▪️Caffè latte ¥750
The drinks were matcha (Kiyomizu matcha) and latte, and they were not grande-sized. The flavors were standard and not particularly memorable.
Overall, I quite liked this place. Although it wasn't extremely impressive, the prices were on the higher side typically seen in Instagram-ready spots. However, the overall flavors were quite good, the indoor environment was comfortable, and the sea view definitely added a lot to the experience. This is for your reference.
Review by a brace-wearer: There are three restrooms, quite clean.
This time, I went to Bills in Kamakura. Luckily, I made a reservation in advance, because even on a weekday afternoon, there were quite a few people. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a window seat; otherwise, we could have enjoyed a nice view of the sea.
We ordered:
Caffe latte 750 yen
Yame matcha latte iced 900 yen
Fresh Aussie - our hot smoked salmon, poached eggs, steamed greens, avocado and cherry tomatoes 2400 yen
Ricotta hotcakes, fresh banana and honeycomb butter 2000 yen
Grilled Sichuan pepper chicken, iceberg, heritage carrots, mint and coriander salad, toasted peanuts 2200 yen
The drinks were quite smooth, the Australian brunch plating was exquisite, the sourdough bread with butter was very fragrant, and the salmon tasted great. The grilled chicken salad was very spicy and flavorful; their world-famous pancakes truly live up to the hype, being soft and rich, with just the right amount of sweetness, perfectly balanced with honey and banana. The pancakes were still warm when served, making every bite satisfying. However, I must say, the beautiful view enhanced the overall experience significantly; without the sea view, I probably wouldn’t have made a special trip here.
📍Xinyi District, Taipei City Pet-Friendly | Australian Restaurant Chain with Multiple Locations🍴
I've been to Woolloomooloo a few times and find sitting on the 2nd floor of this branch to be a very comfortable and relaxing environment. You can see the green trees outside the window, and others bring their comforting dogs to dine together🐶.
However, this experience was disappointing. We were seated on the 1st floor, where the lighting was dim and the environment quite noisy. Sitting at a big table required sharing with others, and the distance from other guests was very close, so you could completely hear what the nearby tables were discussing.
The restroom was also quite messy, giving the impression that no one had tidied it in a long time.
🥘
Dishes Ordered
🫒 Pan-Seared Scallop Jade Risotto ($680):
After watching "Chef's Table," I've been craving risotto😆
The pesto flavor was a bit mild, pairing well with the cheese crumbs on top. The risotto was cooked such that you could taste a slightly firm rice core (I personally prefer an even firmer texture).
The scallops were smaller than those on the menu, so they gave five, and they were seared just right.
The downside was that the portion was really small and not worth the price.
🍝 Handmade Bolognese Pasta ($380):
These were wide noodles with no firm center, not my favorite pasta texture.
The Bolognese sauce was decent for the first few bites, with a mellow taste from long-cooked tomatoes. However, towards the end, it had a taste reminiscent of a 7-11 packaged pasta meal😮.
🍄
Will I return: No!
The meal prices are quite high, and the environment isn't very comfortable. I believe there are better options at this price range for a full meal.
✏️
Note:
🔸 A 10% service charge is added for dining in.
Overall Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑
Dickson's Fooday Food Review #246
This time, I am going to introduce a more exquisite Australian restaurant, which presents fine dining in a delicate manner.
This place focuses on Australian-themed dishes, featuring unique ingredients and flavors, and the prices are not overly expensive. So if you’re looking to try some special Australian cuisine or ingredients, you might want to give this place a shot!
Of course, the atmosphere is also very suitable for celebrating various holidays. However, regarding the Australian dishes, I can only say that a few are quite distinctive, but not all the flavors may be to everyone's liking.
There are a few dishes I found quite hard to understand, which really comes down to personal taste.
From the positioning of this restaurant, it can be categorized as a mid-range fine dining exotic cuisine restaurant. So everyone is welcome to come and experience Australian food in a well-lit and pleasant atmosphere! You can choose to dine here!
Food: 🌕🌕🌖🌑🌑
Drinks: 🌕🌕🌖🌑🌑
Atmosphere: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌘
Service: 🌕🌕🌖🌑🌑
Price: 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑
⭐️ Food Section:
👉 Thyme / Enoki Mushrooms / Acacia Seeds
This dish is considered the first appetizer, but I didn't quite understand it. It was mainly presented in a fried manner and initially felt overwhelmingly strong in flavor, which I personally didn't particularly enjoy. 🥲🥲
👉 Bonito / Kohlrabi / Finger Lime Pepper
This one leans towards the vegetable category, with the fish placed inside the kohlrabi for a combination. I felt this dish was fairly decent and much lighter than the previous one.
👉 Scallop Pie
I really liked the scallop pie. Besides the basic scallops, it also included other condiments on top and a base of cookies—it’s a texture and flavor combination that I think most people would find acceptable.
👉 Queensland / Prawns / Tomatoes
This cold dish featured prawns and tomatoes. I found it somewhat above average, giving off a refreshing salad vibe.
👉 Beef Bone Marrow / Kangaroo / Harissa
This dish was my favorite of the day. It was cooked and presented using skewers, so each person gets to enjoy a stick of meat. Though it may look similar to other skewered meats, the different kind of meat used makes it quite satisfying and novel. You’ll even find kangaroo meat in here! I doubt many have tried kangaroo meat regularly, but it doesn’t differ too much from other meats. Overall, it’s a flavor and texture that people can generally accept. I found this dish quite special and one of my favorites.
👉 Clams / Sweet Potato / Salmon Roe
This dish was presented in a semi-soup style. Overall, it didn't leave a significant impression and felt quite common, something you could find elsewhere.
👉 Potatoes / Desert Raisins / Australian Barramundi
I felt the seasoning on the barramundi was a bit too mild, but paired with the potatoes and raisins, it made for quite a wild experience. I thought it was still a decent experience!
👉 Chicory / Duck Breast / Cherries
Moving on to the main course, the duck breast was handled pretty well, with good doneness and quality. The accompanying cherries and other sauces were good, but I thought the portion was a bit small.
👉 Hot Cake / Eucalyptus / Caramelized Butter
The hot cake came with ice cream, so you need to eat it quickly! Eucalyptus is, of course, a common ingredient in Australia, but overall the flavor didn’t add much benefit.
👉 Desserts
The dessert section included macarons and a cake, which I think overall was quite good.
Overall, I think the meals at this restaurant didn’t have significant errors, but they lacked in terms of distinctiveness and flavor. It left a sense of no memorable highlights, which is a pity.
I hope they can incorporate more Australian characteristics to carve out a niche in the market!
⭐️ Atmosphere Section:
I think the best aspect of this restaurant is its atmosphere. Just from the large transparent windows outside, you can see the dining conditions and ambiance inside. The overall atmosphere is quite well-designed, leaning towards a deep and steady style.
During my dining experience, there weren’t many other customers in the restaurant, so the overall dining atmosphere was excellent.
⭐️ Service Section:
In terms of service, I’d say it was just average. For fine dining, the knowledge and understanding of the staff about the dishes are crucial since introducing the menu and usage methods is also part of the service evaluation.
On that day, the staff did provide precise introductions to each dish's content and usage, but to some extent, I felt the explanations were not very detailed, a bit like textbook definitions.
That was a slight disappointment.
Overall, other basic service aspects were just about standard.
⭐️ Price Section:
In terms of exotic fine dining, this establishment’s positioning and pricing aren’t overly expensive, making it quite accessible.
So it’s suitable for important holiday gatherings or celebrations.
However, I personally felt the dishes didn’t meet my expected value, so regarding the cost-to-value ratio, I thought it fell short.
After all, in similar fine dining restaurants of the same level, the same prices might lead to better options!
⭐️ In Summary:
I think this restaurant’s main feature is being an Australian cuisine establishment, but in terms of the food's taste and flavor, it depends on how much one enjoys and accepts the dishes.
Of course, there aren’t many specialized Australian cuisine restaurants in the Taipei area, and this is a more exquisite dining option. So I believe, for those interested, I can still recommend coming here to give it a try! 👍👍
After this mountain climbing, I made an appointment with this Australian restaurant that I haven't been to for a long time. I actually don't know the difference between Australian food and Western food. In short, it is common Western-style dishes such as pasta, pizza, meat dishes, etc.
After asking about the meat dishes that I originally wanted to order, I found out that they were only available for dinner. We were dining in the afternoon and there were no meat dishes🥲 so we had to reconsider. We mainly ordered brunch series, pizza, noodles, etc. The food tastes very delicious, but the price is on the high side. But deliciousness is the most important thing! If you have a dinner party, this is the place to come!
This Australian restaurant is located near Zhongxiao Fuxing Station. The restaurant is decorated in gray and black tones, giving it a calm and elegant feel. Sitting inside makes you feel very comfortable.
This is Fine Dining. There are two price menus for lunch and evening. This time we came for lunch on Sunday and chose the Tasting Menu for $1550 + 10%. There are a total of 9 dishes. We also ordered a kangaroo. Meat skewers ($300+10%), the portions of each meal are quite exquisite, but starchy meals such as bread and gnocchi are provided, so you will feel full after eating them all
BTW, water has to be paid separately. You can choose mineral water or sparkling water, or room temperature or ice. This time we chose mineral water (180+10%), which is really not cheap hahaha
(Introduced below in order of serving)
Thyme/Maitake Mushroom/Acacia catalpa
It tastes just like fried mushrooms, quite oily. The clerk said that the mushrooms will have the aroma of coffee and chocolate, but there is nothing to it. This dish is not particularly amazing. It also comes with a bowl of soup, which is cooked with thyme and swordfish. It's quite rich and delicious, but it's also a bit oily. After eating this whole dish, you'll want to drink water.
Bonito/kohlrabi/lemon pepper fingers
The whole dish of bonito tartare looks green. It has a refreshing taste and is very refreshing. I don’t know why the first bite has the taste of fennel, followed by the umami taste of raw fish. The taste is very layered, but the lemon pepper taste. The taste is not very outstanding
Scallop pie
As soon as you enter the mouth, the taste of curry slowly emerges. Paired with scallops, it is very novel and delicious.
Octopus/citrus/ricotta cheese
Originally this dish was rouge shrimp and tomato, but since neither of us eats shrimp or tomatoes, we changed it to octopus and citrus, paired with Australian Ricotta cheese (the clerk said it has a honey flavor, but I didn't taste it); The first taste of it scared me. It tasted like lemongrass (but my friend said there was no lemongrass flavor, and there was indeed no lemongrass in the ingredients). I don’t like lemongrass, so this is not my dish.
Kangaroo skewers
The sauce above is anchovy oil (originally a beef bone sauce, but my friend doesn’t eat beef). The kangaroo meat tastes a bit like beef. It’s roasted very fragrantly. The texture of the meat is between tender and chewy. It’s perfect. The above The sauce has a bit of mayonnaise feel, I personally like it very much, this one is in the top three this year
Sourdough bread/Australian spice cream
The bread is baked so it's crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The butter is green and tastes like matcha but not matcha. It's very special and magical. The aroma is great. It's really harmonious and delicious when paired with the bread. It's a delicious meal. I was reluctant to part with the finished bread and almost wanted to buy a can of butter to take away, but it was specially made by the chef and was not sold outside.
Clams/Sweet Potato/Salmon Roe
Sweet potato gnocchi is served with salmon roe, clams, and chickpea miso bubbles. The gnocchi is cooked very soft, and there is also some sweet potato puree. It is full of sweet potato sweetness. The clams are very big and there is a lot of salmon. It goes well with the gnocchi. It's good to eat together, but it's a bit greasy towards the end.
Cruciferous/Pork Tenderloin/Grilled Pickles
The side dishes on the side are grilled a little bit and are delicious (personally I think it is even more amazing than the main character pork); the pork tenderloin is very tender and tastes a little sweet when paired with burnt cream and cabbage puree.
Hot cake/eucalyptus/burnt cream
The clerk said this is Australian Christmas Cake, because Australians eat hot cakes at Christmas; there is a ball of burnt cream ice cream on top of the cake, and underneath there is custard sauce made from eucalyptus leaves, which has an essential oil flavor; but this I think it smells like lemongrass again, and it’s different from the hot cake I imagined. This dish is not my cup of tea either.
small dessert
It's a peach fudge and a mint chocolate cake. The fudge is a bit sour, which I don't like very much. The cake is quite sweet. I suggest that people who are afraid of sourness can eat the fudge first and then the cake.
BTW today is my friend’s birthday. I made a note when making the reservation. The restaurant thoughtfully put candles on the last dessert.
The clerk was very nice and introduced each dish to us carefully. He also worked hard to help us add water and clear the table. However, the toilet paper was put away too quickly. Sometimes I just wiped my mouth and took it away. Service It's good, but it inevitably feels a bit wasteful and rubbish.
The speed of serving food was quite fast at the beginning, almost as soon as one portion was finished, the next one was served immediately. However, we had to wait for about ten minutes before the last dessert. The speed of serving food may need to be adjusted again.
Overall, I feel that half of the food is pretty good, and the other half is a bit confusing, but the price is still affordable among fine dining. If you want to try fine dining, you can give it a try ~