Weekend trip to Tainan, Taiwan

Over the long National Day holiday weekend, we traveled to Tainan to attend a wedding. Given the holiday weekend, we were thankful to have found a hotel room at a good price the week before through Hotels.com.

We stayed at the Young Soarlan Boutique Hotel, which was perfectly adequate for one night. There was a refrigerator (handy for refrigerating the snacks we had brought down in a cooler), four bottles of water, an electric tea kettle, plenty of space for our carry-on luggage, flat-screen television, and desk. The bedding and towels, and the bathroom, seemed to be bleach-white clean. The air conditioning was much appreciated, as the wedding had been held outdoors bando-style in unusually warm weather.

At breakfast the next day, there was a small buffet of mostly Taiwanese-style breakfast offerings: rice porridge with sweet potato and typical porridge toppings, steamed rice, stir-fried noodles, various tofu and vegetable dishes, chicken nuggets, and steamed egg. There was also toast and steamed buns available. The only beverages on offer were coffee and tea.

My only two quibbles about the hotel were minor: the bed was firmer than I'd like (though this is generally true of Taiwan, and even the Shangri-la in Taipei is not immune to this problem), and that when we arrived to breakfast, there was a shortage of plates. I constantly had to ask the server for dishware, which he promptly refilled. To be fair, we had arrived towards the end of breakfast service.

As a side note, I must mention how much I like Hotels.com, for several reasons:

• Finding rooms in relation to a specific part of town, such a certain district or landmark, is easy;
• The booking process is quick and streamlined, and customer service has been great when we've had to use them;
• Their Rewards program is awesome, with basically a 10% return, as they have a 1 night free for every 10 completed nights booked through them;
• You can stack their Rewards program savings by going through a shopping portal, such TopCashback, which is currently running a 5% return on completed stays. I've used TopCashback for a few years now, and have been pleased with how well it works;
• You can stack further savings on top of that by using a credit card that rewards travel spending;
• Since it's an hotel room aggregator, you're not tied to a specific chain. While room upgrades and lounge access at a preferred hotel chain are nice, it's also nice getting a return on travel spending when that isn't an option.

Later, we caught up with friends at the 新化體育公園, which was a lovely park with lots of trees shading the playground area. Our friends told us that the park is rarely crowded. There's a public pool at the park, and while we did not swim, we took a peek. The pool is much more appealing than pictured, as in person it seems very spacious with a lot of natural light.

Lunch was nearby at Pa Pa Yummy, a delightful pizzeria with a comfortable, light-filled setting. The salad was ok, more Taiwanese-style, but we enjoyed the pizzas which seemed to utilize fresh, not canned, ingredients, such as the thinly-sliced pineapple on the Hawai'ian pizza.

The kids enjoyed the presentation of the freshly baked pita bread.

My favorite pizza was the most unusual one on offer, featuring honey, ricotta, and apples.

When we left, we bought a whole-wheat boule loaf with longan, which was a good reminder of the trip. Just across the street from Pa Pa Yummy and a few storefronts down is 筱庭杏仁豆腐冰, which is a wonderful shaved ice and almond tofu place. I highly recommend the almond tofu, which has the silkiest texture I've ever had for almond tofu, which can be served atop shaved ice. Delightful.

Overall, we had a great trip, even though the traffic on our drive back to Taipei was awful. 

Young Soarlan Boutique Hotel, 揚悅精緻大飯店- 台南館
No.487 Section 2, Jiankang Road, South District, Tainan, Taiwan
70249台南市南區健康路二段487號
+886-6-264-0999

Pa Pa Yummy 柴燒美食基地
台南市新化區武安里中正路301之3號
+886-6-590-3595

筱庭杏仁豆腐冰
台南市新化區中正路328號
+886-6-580-0972

Shop Review: Lunada Bay Market

Lunada Bay is a beautiful neighborhood in Palos Verdes Estates, California. There are a limited number of commercial centers on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, and probably one of the most charming ones is the Lunada Bay Plaza, which has a little coffeeshop, a few restaurants, and small businesses. In the summer, the Lunada Bay Homeowners' Association sponsors a summer concert series - I went to one concert last year and it was a lot of fun, with a beautiful green lawn, children dancing to music, and a few booths set up featuring some community organizations. 

Recently opened, the Lunada Bay Market is a small market with a selection of natural, organic, and high-end grocery items, beautiful produce, seafood, and meats, wine, and a deli counter offering a few salads, a handful of sandwiches, and smoothies. I ordered their tuna beet sandwich, which was comprised of tuna salad mix, diced beets, greens, radish, tomatoes, and cucumber on an oat french roll. The sandwich was tasty, and I like the idea of adding beets to tuna salad. Maybe Miss Nomad Foodie will be more inclined to try some foods if they are (naturally) colored pink?

tuna beet sandwich from Lunada Bay Market

In any case, it's a charming grocery store - bright and clean, and catering to the affluence of the surrounding area - and certainly a good option if you want something less corporate and with a more neighborly feel than the Trader Joe's up the street at the Golden Cove Plaza. All of the staff members I met were uniformly friendly and attentive.

2201 Palos Verdes Drive West, Palos Verdes Estates - 310-377-2025

Dine: Bistro1979 at Hotel ICON (Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong)

I dined at Bistro1979 at the Hotel ICON as part of a corporate event. Bistro 1979 is a student operated restaurant of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU). I was told that only guests of the hotel, as well as members of the PolyU community, may dine at Bistro1979, but the website indicates that anyone may make a reservation when the service is available, as with any restaurant affiliated with a culinary school. I highly recommend dining there if you get the opportunity.

We were served a fragrant slice of warm pumpkin bread with butter to start, followed by a tasty, if not particularly memorable, bowl of cream of cauliflower and celeriac soup. The soup apparently came with a sweet corn purée and buttered popcorn, but obviously I didn't really notice it. If I wasn't trying to control my intake of bread, I would've tried to filch another slice of the pumpkin bread - it was that good.

Grilled seabass fillet with beetroot purée, honey beans, brussels sprouts, and blue cheese crumble

I found the fish excellent - the fish itself I thought was almost Chinese in flavor, although all of the accompaniments were Western. While I didn't care for the blue cheese crumble, which was the dollop of sauce pictured on top of the fish, that was easily shoved to the side. What was called "honey beans" on the menu is what I'd call sugar snap peas. The vegetables were great.

Dulce de leche with pan-fried vanilla egg brioche and sweet potato sorbet

Dessert was my favorite - I'm not sure what was the dulce de leche part (perhaps the sauce on the sorbet?) but the brioche, in combination with the berries, fruit coulis, and sorbet, was awesome. This was the most memorable dish I had while I was in Hong Kong.

Do: Hua Hin Hills Vineyard Tour & Lunch (Hua Hin, Thailand)

We took the vineyard shuttle bus from their cellar shop in Hua Hin town (in the Villa Market shopping center), which was 300 Baht per person, which the concierge at our hotel had booked a few days before for us. Before we boarded the van, we were given a chilled bottle of sparkling water. We left at 10:30a. The drive was very smooth and pleasant, and took about 45 minutes.

Entrance to the Sala restaurant at Hua Hin Hills Vineyard

Upon arrival at the Vineyard, we were led to a table in the Sala, a modern building that showcased the scenic views beautifully, and presented with chilled glasses of grape juice.

View of the vineyards from balcony seating at the Sala.

About 15 minutes after arrival we were invited to go on a Jeep tour of the vineyard. The menu said it was a charge of 100 Baht per person, but we weren't charged, so perhaps now its complimentary. In any case, we enjoyed seeing the vines up close and hearing about which varietals are grown as well as how they're grown.

Back in the Sala, we enjoyed a delicious lunch. Note that there is a menu book as well a separate tapas menu, which we did not realize until after we'd ordered from the menu.

Marinated chicken coconut milk salad with lotus root and coconut vinaigrette

Spicy minced pork salad wrapped with bacon and apple sauce

Smoked duck breast with Tamarind nam prik

Phad Thai - stir fried rice noodle with river prawn along with two tasting flights, top row (L-R): one of the Shiraz, White Shiraz, and Colombard, and on the bottom row, (L-R): a Chenin Blanc and Muscat.

The Colombard was described as having "citrus aromas with a touch of green apple. Crisp acidity and clean, pure lemon and grapefruit." Mr. Nomad Foodie and I did not care for the White Shiraz.

The Chenin Blanc Late Harvest was described as "nectar-like aromas of dried fruits, orchard apple and white peach" while the Fortified Muscat was described as "lychee and roses" - we preferred the Muscat to the Chenin Blanc.

We also did a tasting flight, and particularly enjoyed the Columbard, Shiraz, and Muscat. If we'd had more time, we would've liked to do a hike or bike around the vineyard - there are marked trails - but the return shuttle was scheduled for 2p. All in all, it was a pleasant day trip.

Related post:
Review: Hyatt Regency Hua Hin

Review of Dine L.A.: Bettolino Kitchen (Redondo Beach, CA)

Somehow, I was notified that AmEx had a $5 off offer for Dine L.A. restaurant week, so on a whim I checked out the website and realized there were some intriguing menus at restaurants in my area. I thought this would be a great excuse to get my brother and sister-in-law, as new parents, out of their home and eat something nice. So we went to Bettolino Kitchen, a restaurant that I would have never noticed even though I'm in the Riviera Village area often.

The prix fixe menu featured three starters, which we got one of each. SIL thought her Insalata d'Estate - romaine, watermelon, cherry tomatoes, mixed olives, onion sprouts, feta cheese, and lemon dressing, was fresh and good. I thought my brother's Crostone di Funghi e Pecorino - sliced speck and sautéed crimini mushrooms, was excellent. My Zuppa d Piselli - cold mint scented peas, zucchini and yogurt veloute with squash blossom and pea sprouts was delicious, although the pea sprouts, which were long and thin, made eating it with a soup spoon difficult.

Pappardelle con Ragu d'Antica

For the secondi, brother and I both had the Pappardelle con Ragu d'Antica - stewed and shredded duck leg, pine nuts, and tomato sauce while SIL had Salmon al Salmoriglio - petite salmon fillet, herbed cous cous, sauteed zucchini, red bell pepper, eggplant, garlic, fresh oregano & parsley, lemon and extra virgin olive oil. The pappardelle was excellent. Alas, while the eggplant and salmon was good, the cous cous was overly salty and the zucchini perhaps a bit too old as it was bitter.

Salted Caramel Semifreddo

Our waitress presented us with a complimentary Salted Caramel Semifreddo - semi-frozen salted caramel mousse, layered graham crackers, and chocolate sauce, as she had given the wrong order to the chef, increasing wait time for our entrée. I didn't particularly mind the wait time, and I thought it was quite nice of her to proactively offer the semifreddo, but I wish she had done so prior to my ordering of dessert, because we were then too full. The semifreddo was very rich - it's definitely a dish to be shared - and depending on how into the salty-sweet trend you may be, potentially too salty.

Our Peach Melba - poached peach, vanilla gelato, raspberry sauce, almond crumble was pretty decent. We had to deconstruct it because of SIL's newly imposed dietary restrictions, so perhaps we didn't eat it as intended. The peach and gelato were very good, but I thought there was too much almond crumble, which featured semolina.

deconstructed Peach Melba

Overall, I really liked our appetizers and mains. I would go back again for those, but would instead go around the corner and across the street to Desserts by Patrick for some gelato after the meal.

Eat: La Petite Folie (Hyde Park, IL)

Dinner courtesy of the University of Chicago was at La Petite Folie, where the chef-owner is also a alumnus of the school. The restaurant's website shows this menu as a prixe fixe of $38, which would make it an excellent value. I would return to this restaurant before Found.

Spinach tart with arugula - tasty but not memorable

roasted filet of fresh Atlantic salmon with braised wild greens (green Swiss chard, green kale, collard greens, spinach) roasted baby potatoes; citrus herb emulsion - nicely prepared salmon and potatoes, the greens were stand out - I'm still thinking of it today!

Peach tart - tasty, but not memorable

Eat: Little Goat Diner (Chicago, IL)

Dinner on Monday night was courtesy of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Columbia College of Chicago and held at Little Goat Diner in Chicago's former meatpacking district. We had appetizers to share, which was a good thing as portions were quite large and the food, being a diner, quite rich. Instead of an entrée, I decided to go with three sides as my main.

Goat Chili - goat flavor was not overpowering, but it was just a bowl of chili.

Corn Elote - very fresh, almost slightly crunchy, corn kernels. A nice contrast to the richness of the goat and tempura mashed potatoes.

Tempura Mashed Potatoes - slaw and crunchy tempura crust contrasts with smooth and rich mashed potatoes.

Crispy shrimp "cocktail" - it was good, but not amazing

Macho nachos - very nice

We also shared fried pickles & onion rings as well as the cake of the day, a chocolate cake. The Moscow mule was highly recommended by our host, but preferring gin, I ordered a Moscow goat instead, which had gin, ginger beer, grapefruit, lime, and was indeed quite delicious.

Eat: Found (Evanston, IL)

At Found Kitchen & Social House, dinner–-courtesy of Northwestern–-was served family style:

• kale and swiss chard salad with blueberries - excellent, lightly dressed
• black-striped bass, chinese broccoli, radish, green goddess & walnut pesto - my surprise favorite entrée
• grilled farm steak, roasted baby beets, faro & herbed labneh - good, but I did not taste the labneh
• lemon pound cake, blueberry sauce, apricot ice cream - excellent

We were seated in a private room in the back around round tables, which was a good setup for dinner conversation. 

Eat: Xoco (Chicago, IL)

We had the Goat Barbacoa Torta and Chicken Escabeche Salad, the first time I've had chicken that was perfectly cooked, instead of dry, in a salad. The children had tortilla chips, Chicken Caldo, and Horchata Agua Frescas. For dessert, we had the Dark Chocolate Cherry Tart and Hazelnut-glazed Churro. The adults preferred the tart, which was not as sweet and had more complex flavor, to the churro. We also enjoyed the choice of complimentary still or sparkling water. Service was uniformly excellent, delivered with a real sense of warmth.

Chicken Escabeche Salad

Dark Chocolate Cherry Tart

Hazelnut-glazed Churro

Update (July 25, 2016) - I returned on our last day in Chicago to order their hot chocolate, both the authentic and classic. Both were excellent although the children did not care for bittersweet chocolate flavor, even though both were very smooth. At first, I thought the cups were rather small, but after drinking them, they are perhaps a shade generous given the richness of the drink.

My favorite restaurant experience in Chicago.

Eat: NYC Dining

Brunch at The Grey Dog (Chelsea/Meatpacking District) - salad of avocado, smoked salmon, and poached eggs on arugula was yummy; kids loved the dog bone shaped pancakes. We ended up getting another order to satisfy them. The chicken soup with meatballs was a tad salty but otherwise good. Alas, as with nearly every meal in NYC, it was pricey.

Broadway Bites at Greely Square

Broadway Bites at Greely Square - awesome seasonal pop-up in a park-like setting. I enjoyed the Connecticut lobster roll from Red Hook Lobster Pound. Gua bao from Kaya was decent but doesn't compare to the ones back home in Taipei. Jicama California Street Food - kids enjoyed the watermelon agua fresca (I liked that it wasn't too sweet), taco was decent, and the tamale was a little disappointing (too mushy). But an excellent different experience just minutes from our hotel.

Yuma Southwestern Grill: fabulous falling-off-the-bone ribs

Yesterday, after Shan and I got our haircuts, we decided to head over to what I refer to as Taipei's newest gourmet ghetto for lunch. We we're thinking perhaps Mary's Hamburger, or Toasteria, or Alleycats. (The great benefit to a gourmet ghetto is that you don't have to make decisions until you arrive and then choose whatever strikes your fancy.) As we walked down the alley off of Lane 216 past Din Tai Fung, we were struck by the bright facade of Yuma Southwestern Grill.



The menu posted on the sign looked promising, and most importantly, the food some diners were having looked good. So we decided to try it out. We chose to sit outside as the inside still smelled a little of paint (the restaurant had opened just a day before), and ordered:

Roasted Pumpkin Soup, NT$90


The Duke - flame grilled ribs with your choice of sauce (we chose cranberry and honey), handcut fries, and coleslaw, NT$430


and a Sierra Spinach Wrap, NT$175


The pumpkin soup was so good, I obviously forgot to take a photo until we had eaten half of it. Unlike most pumpkin soups in Taiwan, it wasn't watery with "essence of cream" flavor and just a hint of pumpkin. It was thick and creamy, and a dollop of sour cream on top provided richness and contrast.

The ribs were delicious - falling-off-the-bone tender, juicy, and the sauce was just the right balance of tangy and sweet. The coleslaw that came with it was one of the best coleslaws I've ever had. Just enough mayonnaise to keep it moist, just enough tang to keep the flavor sharp, and crunchy veg.



The fries are very good, too - not at all greasy, soft and mealy on the inside, and crisp on the outside. The first time had them, I personally found them a little too brown on the outside for my taste (I think the chefs forgot to sprinkle on chili powder), so the browned flavor was overwhelming, although Shan thought them just right. The second time I had them, the fries were dusted with chili powder and were perfect.

The only disappointment to our meal was the spinach wrap, which was overwhelmed by the cranberry and orange vinaigrette. Joe, the manager, assured me that they are still tweaking that recipe. Yuma's founders include Alan Pontes, the founder of Alleycats Pizza, so I'm confident they'll be able to deliver. They already have a promising start.

Overall, it was a great meal. If you know your Taipei Tex-Mex options (and there aren't that many), it is as good as Chili's, but less greasy and more reasonably priced.

The restaurant has a fairly spacious patio, and since it located on a quiet alley off of the lively Lane 216 on ZhongXiao, you don't have to worry about inhaling scooter fumes along with your food. On the inside, there is a small bar and large spaces with gaily painted walls that would be suitable for a large group of friends. There's also a smaller room that would be great for a private party.

Update 11/26: I enjoyed my dining experience so much, I got a jonesing for their ribs and returned three days later. This time, I tried their dry rub ribs and it was excellent. I also tried the chicken salad, which was very good as well. I especially liked the ranch dressing, which was very thick and creamy. Yum.



Yuma Southwestern Grill - highly recommended now closed
#21 Alley 11, Lane 216, ZhongXiao East Road, Section 4, Taipei
台北市忠孝東路4段216巷11弄21號
+886-2-8773-8895