Please check out the latest posts on the new site - http://www.thethirstypig.com
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Monday, May 10, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Astoria Cafe
It was so many years back when I noticed this famous cafe 'Astoria Cafe (明星咖啡館)' in 隱地's books. He was one of my favourite Chinese writers when I was a NZ high school student. He often mentioned that Astoria Cafe was a cafe where most literary authors loved to spend the whole day in there while only ordered one cup of coffee! The Astoria Cafe was closed in 1989 and what he missed that good old time so much.
I also felt so sad that I had no chance to visit this cafe during my summer vacation back to Taiwan. I almost forgot this since I started to work in this Taipei city.
Just about a few weeks ago, I happened to see the TV news saying the Astoria Cafe was reopened in 2004 and will be soon closed due to Taipei Capital Redevelopment Project. Suddenly, I was reminded how much I was so willing to visit this Cafe! So here I came!
Astoria Cafe is pretty easy to find the way - just opposite of the City God Temple (城隍廟) in 武昌街. The ground floor is Astoria Bakery and the first floor is the Cafe.
Probably because of the TV news of that previous day, there were so many people in the Cafe.
Astoria was established in 1949 by a few Russians. It was used to be a home restaurant for those Russians escaped from Communists Russia to China and then to Taiwan. Chiang Ching-Kuo (蔣經國) and his Russian wife were used to come here a lot for family events or Russian cultural events.
I was trying to recall what I read from 隱地's books about this Cafe. But my books were left in the NZ home. I was unable to check words by words with this Cafe where I was actually sitting in.
Don't know what's difference from the historical and the refurnished cafe. But I am sure each seat has an Internet plug-in port. You could come here with the laptop and spend a whole afternoon - or as long as you wish!
I was a little doubted all of these colourful pantings were here previously since 1949. After I bought the biography, I realised all of these paintings were the master pieces of the owner's grandson, Leland Lee.
Reminded me the cafe in Vienna.
The paintings hung in the Stairway were more classic and made me feel back to the old times.
historical photos
Astoria blended coffee NTD 180 --- BRILLIANT!
Astoria latte $180 - but sugars were already added in before served. No stirrer was provided and the sugar didn't dissolve completely. You could image how it was tasted......
cake set $180
The white stuff at the lower part is the famous Russian soft candy which is often mentioned in 隱地's books. Unlike its name 'candy', the white portion is not sweet at all. White portion is soft while walnut in the middle makes the taste very interesting. You could buy the pack in the Astoria Bakery and take it into the Cafe (so you don't need to spend $180 to buy the Cake set which I do NOT really recommend).
If you read Chinese, I recommend to read the owner's biography <<
武昌街一段七號>>. Its more than you could feel than just sitting in it and having a cup of coffee. Honestly speaking, I think Starbucks makes a better environment (I am NOT a Starbucks lover). But I admit that the history of Astoria Cafe makes everything different after I read this book.
What to Order: Astoria coffee NTD180, Russian soft candy
What not to Order: Astoria latte, of course
Parking situation: some parking spaces in 重慶南路 or 博愛路, but MRT is the most recommended.
Rating
1.5 pigs, $$
Read more!
I also felt so sad that I had no chance to visit this cafe during my summer vacation back to Taiwan. I almost forgot this since I started to work in this Taipei city.
Just about a few weeks ago, I happened to see the TV news saying the Astoria Cafe was reopened in 2004 and will be soon closed due to Taipei Capital Redevelopment Project. Suddenly, I was reminded how much I was so willing to visit this Cafe! So here I came!
Astoria Cafe is pretty easy to find the way - just opposite of the City God Temple (城隍廟) in 武昌街. The ground floor is Astoria Bakery and the first floor is the Cafe.
Probably because of the TV news of that previous day, there were so many people in the Cafe.
Astoria was established in 1949 by a few Russians. It was used to be a home restaurant for those Russians escaped from Communists Russia to China and then to Taiwan. Chiang Ching-Kuo (蔣經國) and his Russian wife were used to come here a lot for family events or Russian cultural events.
The white stuff at the lower part is the famous Russian soft candy which is often mentioned in 隱地's books. Unlike its name 'candy', the white portion is not sweet at all. White portion is soft while walnut in the middle makes the taste very interesting. You could buy the pack in the Astoria Bakery and take it into the Cafe (so you don't need to spend $180 to buy the Cake set which I do NOT really recommend).
What to Order: Astoria coffee NTD180, Russian soft candy
What not to Order: Astoria latte, of course
Parking situation: some parking spaces in 重慶南路 or 博愛路, but MRT is the most recommended.
Rating
1.5 pigs, $$
Read more!
Saturday, April 10, 2010
The Return to Animal
A group of us had dinner at Animal the other day. I didn't want to write much, but just post up some pictures. Check out my previous entry here.
Hamachi, torn herbs, fish sauce vinaigrette, and crispy shallot 13
Crispy Hominy, lime 5
Lettuce, beets, avocado, pita, feta, creamy sumac 10
barbeque pork belly sandwiches, slaw 12
barbeque pork belly sandwiches, slaw 12
duck confit, apple, pecans, dates, arugula 14
baby broccoli, pancetta, parmesan, soft egg, bread crumbs 11
balsamic pork ribs, apple & fennel slaw, almonds 14
poutine, oxtail gravy, cheddar 15
foie gras loco moco, quail egg, spam, hamburger 35
flat iron, artichoke hash, truffle parmesan fondue 25
pig ear, chili, lime, fried egg 11
bacon chocolate crunch bar, s&p anglaise 7
pound cake, macerated strawberries, cream 7Read more!
Friday, April 9, 2010
Truck Feasting at its best, The Frysmith Food Truck
This is the last in a series of Truck Feasting Week. Check out my earlier posts of the Flying Pig, Lomo Arigato, World Fare, and Border Grill.
The more and more I try different food trucks, and I have tried a lot, I realize some of the more successful ones keep their menus simple and do what they do really well. And Frysmith is the ideal case. All they do are french fry's with different toppings.
Their menu features fry's with different combinations of meats and flavors. They even have vegan chili fries, as well as Beef/Steak, Chili, and Chicken. They also have weekly specials - this week being the poutine fries. Tonight, I shared a kimchi fries - Kimchi with Kurobuta pork belly, onions and cheddar cheese. My personal theme of pork, hence my name the Thirsty Pig, wasn't a surprise choice. Like the crispiness of the fries, the pork was crisp, yet juicy from the fat and cheese. The kimchi was spicy, but not overpowering. The fries remained crispy, and not soggy from the chili - and that's a great thing.
I admit I was full from dinner, and that this was only a snack. Next time I want to try the Chicken Sweet Potato - Free-range chicken in tomatillo-tamarind sauce over sweet potato fries topped with cashews and the Rajas Fries - Fire-roasted poblano chiles, caramelized onions and shawarma-marinated steak with Jack cheese.
What to Order: Kimchi with Kurobuta Pork Belly
What not to Order:
Parking situation: Look for street parking anywhere the truck is parked.
Rating
2 pigs, $$
Frysmith
http://www.eatfrysmith.com/
http://www.twitter.com/Frysmith
The Simple menu - fries and drinks.
Follow them on twitter to find out where they'll be next. @frysmith
It helps to have pictures of what you'll be eating.
The cheesey goodness poured over the fries.
Unfortunately, I think I gain a few more pounds, clogged a couple arteries, and cost a few minutes of my life after eating this.
This dog really wanted some of my fries.
Read more!
The more and more I try different food trucks, and I have tried a lot, I realize some of the more successful ones keep their menus simple and do what they do really well. And Frysmith is the ideal case. All they do are french fry's with different toppings.
Their menu features fry's with different combinations of meats and flavors. They even have vegan chili fries, as well as Beef/Steak, Chili, and Chicken. They also have weekly specials - this week being the poutine fries. Tonight, I shared a kimchi fries - Kimchi with Kurobuta pork belly, onions and cheddar cheese. My personal theme of pork, hence my name the Thirsty Pig, wasn't a surprise choice. Like the crispiness of the fries, the pork was crisp, yet juicy from the fat and cheese. The kimchi was spicy, but not overpowering. The fries remained crispy, and not soggy from the chili - and that's a great thing.
I admit I was full from dinner, and that this was only a snack. Next time I want to try the Chicken Sweet Potato - Free-range chicken in tomatillo-tamarind sauce over sweet potato fries topped with cashews and the Rajas Fries - Fire-roasted poblano chiles, caramelized onions and shawarma-marinated steak with Jack cheese.
What to Order: Kimchi with Kurobuta Pork Belly
What not to Order:
Parking situation: Look for street parking anywhere the truck is parked.
Rating
2 pigs, $$
Frysmith
http://www.eatfrysmith.com/
http://www.twitter.com/Frysmith
The Simple menu - fries and drinks.
Follow them on twitter to find out where they'll be next. @frysmith
It helps to have pictures of what you'll be eating.
The cheesey goodness poured over the fries.
Unfortunately, I think I gain a few more pounds, clogged a couple arteries, and cost a few minutes of my life after eating this.
This dog really wanted some of my fries.Read more!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
More Truck Feasting . . . The Flying Pig Truck
If you are looking for food trucks, you can follow my twitter list of mobile food
Flying Pig is a regular at Downtown LA's artwalk - 2nd Thursday of every Month and Venice's First Friday (of every Month).
During a recent artwalk in Downtown LA, I stumbled upon the Flying Pig truck. I admit, that I was looking for other food trucks and the Flying Pig Truck was more of decision based on lines. The other truck's, the more well known ones, had longer lines.
But I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised. I ordered the braised pork belly buns, the tamarind duck taco, and the crab ball snacks. I would have order pork belly if it was in a pile of dirt. I noticed the people behind the scenes in the Flying Pig Truck were Asian, and deduced that they probably knew how to do pork belly. The little buns, like the ones you use for Peking Duck, wrapped itself around a chuck of pork belly. I could say it was succulent, juicy, and well flavored, as you could expect. But I liked the buns more. It was only a matter of time, before some truck was going to use the Asian (Chinese) buns as the delivery system for mobile hand held food. My next prediction would be the pita bread, if it hasn't been used already in a truck(but you can see at California Chicken Cafe). Anyways. . .These pork buns weren't even the best thing on the menu.
The Tamarind Duck Taco's were, IMHO (in my humble opinion), the showstoppers. The flavors of the duck were bold and came out nicely. I don't know what else to say, but to strongly recommend to try it. I may have wanted to try it in the buns, for the familiarity of the Peking Duck. And for only $2.50, it was a good deal.
Anyways. . . check out the Flying Pig. One of the better, unspoken food trucks.
What to Order: Tamarind Duck Taco and Braised Pork Belly Buns
What not to Order: Crab balls
Rating
2 pigs, $
Flying Pig Truck
Los Angeles, CA
714-234-5107
flyingpigtruck.com/
twitter.com/FlyingPigTruck
The Flying Pig Truck. I believe they are Korean owned.
It's a tough market out there for Food Trucks, with over 50 trucks in the Southland area. But look for and follow the Flying Pig Truck.
Dinner or late night snack?
The braised pork belly – red onion escabeche, sesame cucumber - $3
The tamarind duck taco – toasted almond, pickled beet salad, $2.50
The crab ball snack – cilantro-lime chimichurri, $2
Read more!
Flying Pig is a regular at Downtown LA's artwalk - 2nd Thursday of every Month and Venice's First Friday (of every Month).During a recent artwalk in Downtown LA, I stumbled upon the Flying Pig truck. I admit, that I was looking for other food trucks and the Flying Pig Truck was more of decision based on lines. The other truck's, the more well known ones, had longer lines.
But I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised. I ordered the braised pork belly buns, the tamarind duck taco, and the crab ball snacks. I would have order pork belly if it was in a pile of dirt. I noticed the people behind the scenes in the Flying Pig Truck were Asian, and deduced that they probably knew how to do pork belly. The little buns, like the ones you use for Peking Duck, wrapped itself around a chuck of pork belly. I could say it was succulent, juicy, and well flavored, as you could expect. But I liked the buns more. It was only a matter of time, before some truck was going to use the Asian (Chinese) buns as the delivery system for mobile hand held food. My next prediction would be the pita bread, if it hasn't been used already in a truck(but you can see at California Chicken Cafe). Anyways. . .These pork buns weren't even the best thing on the menu.
The Tamarind Duck Taco's were, IMHO (in my humble opinion), the showstoppers. The flavors of the duck were bold and came out nicely. I don't know what else to say, but to strongly recommend to try it. I may have wanted to try it in the buns, for the familiarity of the Peking Duck. And for only $2.50, it was a good deal.
Anyways. . . check out the Flying Pig. One of the better, unspoken food trucks.
What to Order: Tamarind Duck Taco and Braised Pork Belly Buns
What not to Order: Crab balls
Rating
2 pigs, $
Flying Pig Truck
Los Angeles, CA
714-234-5107
flyingpigtruck.com/
twitter.com/FlyingPigTruck
The Flying Pig Truck. I believe they are Korean owned.
It's a tough market out there for Food Trucks, with over 50 trucks in the Southland area. But look for and follow the Flying Pig Truck.
Dinner or late night snack?
The braised pork belly – red onion escabeche, sesame cucumber - $3
The tamarind duck taco – toasted almond, pickled beet salad, $2.50
The crab ball snack – cilantro-lime chimichurri, $2Read more!
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
The Magic Sauce from Lomo Arigato
Vote for the best food trucks at MobileCraving.com. And if you are interested in starting your own food truck, try these two resources Road Stoves and Mobi Munch.
On a nice day in Downtown LA, my friends and I found the Lomo Arigato food truck.
The sauce from Lomo Arigato is this yellow-greenish thick sauce. I believe this sauce is called ají amarillo - yellow chilis with milk, bread, cheese, and walnuts. The Aji has a mild kick, but not so bad that almost anyone can take.
Lomo Arigato features three entrees - the Lomo Saltado, Chaufa, and Tallarin Saltado. The lomo saltado is a rice dish with meat, potatoes, and peppers. The chaufa is a fried rice. And the Tallarin Saltado is a fried noodle dish. Unfortunately, the lomo arigato's selection resembles Chinese food - fried rice and noodles. Though the lomo saltado, as the truck's specialty, is their best dish. I know it is tough to serve fast Peruvian cuisine on the road like Ají de Gallina, Arroz con pollo, or a Ceviche. But I commend the truck with their Aji sauce. I used it on all three.
So, if you catch the Lomo Arigato truck, make sure you get the Aji sauce. The Inca Kola is also great, too.
What to Order: Lomo Saltado
What not to Order: fried rice and fried noodles
Rating
1 pigs, $
Lomo Arigato
www.lomoarigato.com
twitter.com/lomoarigato
The Lomo Arigato Truck features Peruvian cuisine.
The menu. They specialize in 3 dishes. Following the mantra of keeping it simple and doing it well.
This Peruvian soft drink does better than Coke in Peru.
The Fried Noodles - Tallarin Saltado
The Fried Rice - Chaufa
The Lomo Saltado
The Aji Sauce
Read more!
On a nice day in Downtown LA, my friends and I found the Lomo Arigato food truck.The sauce from Lomo Arigato is this yellow-greenish thick sauce. I believe this sauce is called ají amarillo - yellow chilis with milk, bread, cheese, and walnuts. The Aji has a mild kick, but not so bad that almost anyone can take.
Lomo Arigato features three entrees - the Lomo Saltado, Chaufa, and Tallarin Saltado. The lomo saltado is a rice dish with meat, potatoes, and peppers. The chaufa is a fried rice. And the Tallarin Saltado is a fried noodle dish. Unfortunately, the lomo arigato's selection resembles Chinese food - fried rice and noodles. Though the lomo saltado, as the truck's specialty, is their best dish. I know it is tough to serve fast Peruvian cuisine on the road like Ají de Gallina, Arroz con pollo, or a Ceviche. But I commend the truck with their Aji sauce. I used it on all three.
So, if you catch the Lomo Arigato truck, make sure you get the Aji sauce. The Inca Kola is also great, too.
What to Order: Lomo Saltado
What not to Order: fried rice and fried noodles
Rating
1 pigs, $
Lomo Arigato
www.lomoarigato.com
twitter.com/lomoarigato
The Lomo Arigato Truck features Peruvian cuisine.
The menu. They specialize in 3 dishes. Following the mantra of keeping it simple and doing it well.
This Peruvian soft drink does better than Coke in Peru.
The Fried Noodles - Tallarin Saltado
The Fried Rice - Chaufa
The Lomo Saltado
The Aji SauceRead more!
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