🇮🇹Recommended by Bib Gourmand for 7 consecutive years! Truly delicious Italian cuisine hidden in a small alley 🍝
This Italian restaurant located near "Monzen Nakacho" is run by Chef Kiyotake Onuma and is a traditional Tuscan-style restaurant. He is deeply attracted to local cuisine, visiting the area personally to learn and incorporating those experiences into his dishes.
Upon entering the restaurant, you are first given the drink menu, and only after ordering drinks do you receive the food menu. Starting with a carefully prepared selection of appetizers, the dishes here are great for sharing among several people, and they provide separate plates if needed for everyone to enjoy together.
On this day, we had three appetizers, three types of pasta, and one risotto, and each dish was of very high quality. I'll let the photos do the talking! The prices are only slightly higher than those at typical restaurants.
We didn't get to try their famous charcoal-grilled meat dishes this time, but we will definitely return! Aside from my table, the rest of the diners were all Japanese, and to receive a recommendation for seven consecutive years is truly well-deserved!
This restaurant has a variety of dishes, mainly focusing on pasta, rice, and pizza.
This time I ordered garlic stir-fried chicken pasta. The pasta used by the restaurant is not the usual round noodles, but rather wide noodles. The pasta itself is actually quite good, but I personally find it a bit salty. Although the garlic flavor is still noticeable, the saltiness is more prominent. Additionally, the portion of pasta is quite generous, so there's no worry about not getting enough to eat. As for the chicken, aside from being a bit salty, it is tender and has a nice texture, making it quite tasty.
Overall, it's not bad. If anyone visits, you can ask the restaurant to make it less salty, and it will taste even better.
At a restaurant near the metro station, you can go in directly for dinner on weekdays without waiting. The interior decoration is quite interesting.
This time, I ordered a red wine braised beef noodles, which is a set meal that includes salad, soup, bread, a drink, and dessert. I think with this price and so many items included, it's a good deal.
Overall, I think I highly recommend it. If you live nearby, you might want to visit occasionally.
It seems like there is no information about this store online, so this should be the first post about it, while also helping everyone avoid a disappointment.
This time, I ordered the meat sauce pasta, and the restaurant offers a free drink with a few options like cola, Sprite, and black tea; if that's not enough, you can get a second cup at half price.
Overall, the pasta and the meat sauce pasta were not very good, and I won't be returning to this restaurant again.
This time we ordered a total of four main dishes: 3 portions of today's soup for $79 each, and 1 complete set for $210.
My impression is that it's tasty, but not tasty enough to make me want to return. 🤔 It's more like: it can be chosen for special occasions when you want to gather, but only if you're looking for something slightly different from the usual.
That's about the feeling I have.
👇 I’ll share my thoughts on the dishes at the bottom, and below is an explanation about the restaurant atmosphere.
This restaurant is close to Nangang Train/Subway Station, and there are buses nearby, making transportation very convenient.
Convenience level: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕
The chain of restaurants offers both Chinese and Western cuisine. This time we opted for Western, which includes pasta and steak, among others.
(OS. But the menu still featured fried rice 😂)
The entrance to the Chinese restaurant is very obvious, so much so that the establishment even placed a sign to inform you: to go to the Western restaurant, you need to walk next door; do not enter the wrong restaurant...
It's not hard to understand why they need to do this, as among the 4 of us gathered for dinner, despite countless reminders, someone still walked into the wrong place 😅.
The Western restaurant is hidden inside a bakery. From the entrance, it just looks like a bakery, and only upon entering can you discover that there are tables and chairs, and a kitchen — it's a restaurant 👩🍳.
However, saying this might help you imagine that with a bakery in front and a restaurant behind, the entire space actually feels cramped and not very spacious. To save corridor space, the seating felt a bit crowded, which greatly affected my dining mood 😩.
Just think about it: during the meal, I had to squeeze my bag with me; there was no place to hang my umbrella, so I had to leave it at the corner of the table; the air conditioning also didn’t feel particularly cool; the comfort of the environment really felt lacking.
I understand that space in Taipei is not cheap, but I also can’t ignore that the environment made it hard for me to enjoy the food🥲.
Environment rating: 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑
Food rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗
Personally, I think the value for money is about: 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑
Umeda, Osaka - After wandering around nearby, it was already quite late, past nine o'clock. We found this highly rated place specializing in cheese on the map, so we decided to give it a try!
The location is on the 9th floor of the "NU Chayamachi" department store. We took the elevator up, and the atmosphere was very bright, comfortable, and clean. The staff kindly asked us to wait for a moment, and we were seated in less than two minutes. The menu had English text available, and we ordered the following:
📍 White Wine Scented Cheese Fondue ¥1738
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌘
"Vegetables / With Baguette" added "Chicken Fritters" fried chicken + ¥550
This cheese fondue comes with some vegetables and bread for dipping. We added fried chicken😍. First, they brought it out and started heating it from below to melt the cheese. The staff informed us to wait for a while until it melted before we could dip and eat. The cheese was really rich, with a milky flavor that was slightly salty, and dipping the fried chicken in the cheese was simply delightful! However, dipping the bread in the cheese made it lose its crispy texture. Other vegetables were more normal when dipped.
📍 Boskaio Chicago (Chicago Pizza with Three Types of Mushrooms and Bacon) ¥1078
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
This dish is Chicago pizza, paired with three types of mushrooms and bacon (that’s how it’s translated XD). The outer crust is quite thin, wrapped around a lot of cheese, making it very dense. Unfortunately, the outer crust was overcooked, making it a bit bitter and necessary to peel off. Another downside was that I felt there was less mushroom and bacon filling; instead, the cheese dominated, which became heavy towards the end.
📍 Lemonade ¥660
The drink, lemonade, was very tasty, with fresh lemon aroma mixed with a light honey flavor, topped with a hint of mint. It was slightly on the sweet side.
📍 Oolong Tea ¥495
Just a regular oolong tea, nothing special.
▶️ Environment
🔹 The restaurant space is quite large, with a bar for cocktails and drinks. The seating can accommodate about 50-70 people, with some semi-open private booth seats.
🔹 Ice water is provided, but you need to actively inform the staff!
🔹 Cutlery is self-service at the table.
▶️ Helpful Reminders
🔹 There are no restrooms within the restaurant; you have to go outside (to the department store’s restrooms).
🔹 It's recommended to make a reservation online in advance.
▶️ Overall Evaluation
🔹 This place is very suitable for chatting and drinking; many locals come here on Friday nights for dining and a drink! Unfortunately, I don't drink much, or else the cocktails should be pretty good with a bartender on-site! The food was also delicious, so if you like cheese, don’t miss this place!
❤️ The affordable Salia, loved by everyone from elementary school students to office workers, is a good friend of our wallets. Each post includes actual dining photos, even if it's just a photo of a drink, to prevent some users from faking their dining experience without meal pictures. Overall rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗
📍 Located directly across from Yadong Hospital Station, it's just a 1-minute walk from the exit of the Yadong Hospital MRT station. There are plenty of seating options and restroom facilities available.
🚗 It's recommended to park at the Yadong parking lot (30 TWD/hour), and there are many parking spots available.
🏍️ Most motorcycles are parked inside the alley at Lane 142, South Yanan Road.
💬 This is another affordable restaurant I've been going to since my student days. Today, not wanting to be disturbed, I chose a relatively hidden location at the Yadong Hospital branch. Compared to other outlets, this one is quite large, but the number of diners isn't as many as at other branches. Sometimes, after leaving the main library, I find myself wanting to spend some time here. Even if you don't order a drink, you can have unlimited ice water, so there's no worry about being rushed if it's too crowded.
Additionally, I sincerely recommend pairing Focaccia with pasta; dipping Focaccia into the pasta sauce is simply a perfect match (how great would it be if they sold Focaccia with pasta sauce without the pasta...).
Food Quality: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
Service Quality: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕
Restaurant Atmosphere: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
Value for Money: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕
Please continue reading for more detailed meal reviews ❤️
Mexican Spicy Stewed Chicken Pizza 🍕
The pizza here is of a crispy style, with a thinner and crunchier crust compared to the common pizzas found in stores, resembling a cookie in texture, which is completely different from the thick crust of chain brands. This crispy pizza paired with the Mexican-flavored spicy stewed chicken features a rich chili flavor with a slight spiciness that complements the crust’s crunchiness, making every bite full of layers. Overall, I enjoy the crispy style.
Caesar salad has always been a classic, but the Caesar salad I tried this time was quite ordinary. The lettuce leaves were accompanied by a store-bought Caesar dressing, leaving every bite with a hint of flavor. A sprinkle of Parmesan cheese on top added a bit of taste, but overall the flavor was very mild. The crunchy croutons added different textures to the salad, enriching each bite even more.
#Pig Theme Restaurant #Roast Whole Chicken on the Table
2024.08.13 Store Visit - Dancing Pig Bistro
The restaurant is located near the MRT Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall Station and mainly sells Italian cuisine.
The interior decorations are well thought out, with cute pig figurines and decorations everywhere.
For group dining, there are no worries about selection obstacles, as they offer packages for two, four, or six people.
This time, we opted for the 【$1199】 couple’s package. ✨✨
🥣 Daily Good Soup
Today's soup was onion soup, which tasted sweet and refreshing.
🥗 Chef's Special Salad
Lettuce and raw ham
Paired with a kumquat vinaigrette that has a fruity and slightly sour flavor.
🐽 Model Bread
Topped with a pig pattern dusted in powder, super cute. ✨✨
Served with mango sauce, kids will definitely love it when they see it.
🍝 Unique Special Ham and Egg Yolk Creamy Pasta with Onsen Egg
The combination of cream and onsen egg is unbeatable.
It’s not greasy, and there’s quite a bit of ham in it as well.
The pasta is on the harder side.
🍗 Spicy Taiwanese Girl’s Roast Whole Chicken
As soon as the whole chicken is served, it becomes the focal point of the entire place. ✨✨
The staff also reminded us that the roasting tray is hot, so be careful.
Just gently peel off the chicken leg, and it comes off easily.
The chicken is very tender and not dry, marinated with a mix of spices that is flavorful and aromatic. 🤤
🍕 Love You for 10,000 Years Peanut Pig Pizza 👍 #Super Top Crust
I didn’t expect peanut sauce to pair so well with pizza.
The filling includes some onions, giving it a salty and sweet taste.
Although the crust is thin, it has a bit of thickness and is soft to bite.
Even after sitting for a while, it still retains a wonderful chewy texture. ✨✨
🍮 Dreamy Caramel Flan
The texture is quite smooth with a hint of milk flavor.
Comparing it to lemon jelly, it’s much milder. 🤭
🍋 Sour Sweet Youth Lemon Jelly #Must-Order for Sour Lovers
Made with pure lemon juice,
The top is covered with sugar for enjoyment.
Still, I found it too sour 🍋 and couldn’t stop salivating.
Desserts are decorated with the restaurant's homemade pig meringues 🐽. ✨✨
Each one has a different expression, super kawaii.
🍹 Floating Ice Red Tea
The ice cream is lychee flavored.
The taste is quite special, but personally, I wasn't particularly fond of it.
🍸 Soju/Peach Fizz
When dining at the restaurant, there’s a chance to win a cute bow-tie pig keychain!
Overall, it's a pig-themed restaurant that I would recommend for gatherings with friends. 🐷
📌 No. 48, Lane 290, Guangfu South Road, Daan District, Taipei City
📌 Business Hours: 11:30-14:30, 17:30-22:00 (Closed on Mondays)
📌 Cash only, with a 10% service fee applied.
📌 (02) 2731-6469
Visited this coffee shop for the second time - right by the Dragon Pond.
It has excellent lighting with large floor-to-ceiling windows, and the space is very beautifully designed.
There is a minimum order of one item, and the dining time is 90 minutes.
If you order a savory dish, you can add a drink of your choice for an extra 130 TWD.
You need to order and pay at the counter, and any additional drinks after that will be at the regular price.
Both savory dishes and desserts are delicious 🫶
It's very suitable for family or friend gatherings and for having afternoon tea.
✨ Personal recommendation
◽ Chef's handmade rich shrimp sauce wide flat noodles ✨ 480 TWD
Comes with thick soup and bread
(The soup has a rich creamy flavor, perfect for dipping the bread)
Six shrimp 🦐 included ~ fresh but not peeled or deveined
The sauce is slightly spicy, infused with the aroma of fresh shrimp sauce
Add 130 TWD for a drink of your choice ✨
◽ Exclusive sauce grilled Matsusaka pork pizza 🍕 400 TWD
The pizza crust is chewy and delicious, with a slightly sweet sauce
◽ Handmade wood-fired brown sugar or latte ✨ 180 TWD (original price)
This is the extra charge for savory food, so it’s 130 TWD
◽ Earl Grey tea cheesecake ✨ 200 TWD
You need to check the dessert cabinet for cake flavors
Smooth and delicate texture, accompanied by the fragrance of black tea
📍 No. 22, Lane 8, Jinlong Road, Longtan District, Taoyuan City
☎️ 03 480 5008 (Reservations not accepted on weekends, entry is permitted only when the whole party is present)
⏰ 11:00–21:00 (Closed on Wednesdays)
💰 No service charge, minimum order of one item
🚌 Bus stop names: Jinlong 1st Street, Longtan High School, Dragon Pond
🅿️ You can park in roadside parking spaces on Xinlong Road.