Restaurant review: Universal Noodle

Ramen has been a hot topic of discussion amongst TAS peeps lately. Three new ramen places have opened just in Tienmu in the past month or so...which is fantastic because now I get to sample all of them!

Universal Noodle is the newest of the 3 to have arrived - it opened its doors only a week ago! This is the place that many of my friends have been raving about and trekking down to Ximen to slurp down. I had not yet made the journey, so I was pretty pumped when I heard the new location was only a 5 minute walk from TAS!

Location: it's right behind Mitsukoshi on the corner between Spice Shop and JB's Diner - Alley 19 off of Tienmu East Road. 

Jordan and I arrived early (5:30 pm) for dinner and got seated straight away, but there are queue lines set up for (what I expect are) long lines, and when we left at 6 pm there were already people lined up. Clearly lots of people were hungry for ramen, too!

When we walked in, we were handed a menu and an order sheet (in English - yay!). There are 4 different broth options, and then the best part is that you get to totally customize your bowl! You can choose the broth thickness, spicy level, noodle thickness and firmness, pork belly or shoulder, and then extra toppings (oh yeahhhhh soft boiled eggs). 

The entry way of Universal Noodle - and where you pay at the end of your meal.

Filling out the order menus - one per person.

Once we turned in our sheets, we were ushered upstairs to a nice open space where we could see behind the busy kitchen counter. The decorations are super cute - lots of vibrantly colored posters of what appeared to be a Universal Noodle superhero! At each table was a nice array of interesting condiments. They asked us to sit on only one side of the table in case another group needed to use the other side, but there was plenty of room so it wasn't a big deal.

Condiments and a jug of ice water in the middle of each table.

And then our ramen arrived only minutes after we sat down! (I've become quite spoiled at how fast food comes out at most restaurants in Taiwan). I ordered the traditional broth while Jordan got the "Red King" - spicy! Our extra toppings came on the side, which was a new experience for me but kind of fun! We got seaweed, soft-boiled eggs, and extra tree fungus (sounds gross, but is absolutely delicious).

My bowl: regular broth, pork shoulder, green onions, seaweed and tree fungus...happy!

Jordan's bowl: spicy broth, pork belly, green onions and tree fungus...also a happy eating experience.

Extra toppings on the side!

We both gave our bowls big thumbs up! Jordan loved the pork belly in his, and when I took a bite I was also impressed - perfectly cooked and super thick. Yum! I got the pork shoulder which was tasty, but the pork belly beat it in overall awesomeness. We will definitely be back to try the more unique broth flavors - squid ink and basil...but we will be prepared to wait in line if it's after 6 pm!

Here is one happy noodle slurper!

Visit to Huashan 1914 Creative Park

This post is about 2 weeks overdue, but I thought it would still be worth writing since the current main exhibition at Huashan is still there! On the last rainy/typhoony Saturday, Jordan and I decided to do something a little more cultural than just sitting on the sofa avoiding the windy rain (which is usually what a typhoon makes one do). I've been trying to read up on the blogs to see if any cool new events are happening in Taipei, and I stumbled across a post about National Geographic's 125th Anniversary Exhibition at the Huashan 1914 Creative Park [here's a link to the Taipei Trends post about it]. I had always wanted to stop there, but never had the chance...so here was the perfect opportunity!

Because of the rain, Jordan and I took a taxi but it's also easy to get there on the metro [Zhongxiao Xinsheng on the blue line]. Huashan Park is actually an old wine factory, so the whole complex has a cool "industrial" feel. We decided to save our explorations for later and made a beeline for the National Geographic show. 

What a great experience!! The exhibition was divided into 8 different themes, full of fantastic photographs dating all the way back to the late 1800s when National Geographic was founded. It took about an hour or so to get through. I would highly recommend going especially if you want inspiration for where to travel next!

Snapping a pic at the entrance!

Cool set up at the entrance. They had every cover from all of the Nat Geos since like 1896!

Checking out the Taiwan photos.

One of my favorite pics from the whole exhibition.

Another one of my favorite pictures - and we just finished the Maya Unit at school!

One of the most famous of all Nat Geo covers. Gorgeous!

Selfie out front! :)

After we finished the Nat Geo exhibit, we wandered around the rest of the Park and discovered lots of cool little shops. There are restaurants, a wine shop, a gelato place, a coffee shop, and lots of little cute shops - all worth checking out. 

I can never resist gelato! Although it did make me miss the gelato in Rome...

How hilarious are these postcards?? A perfect representation of Taiwan night markets!

So if you're looking for something to do in the next few weeks, this is a perfect afternoon excursion. The Nat Geo exhibit is around through the middle of November! Enjoy!

Addiction Aquatic Development Review

After Jordan and I both posted some Instagram pics of our fabulous sushi dinner at Aquatic Addiction Development on Friday night, I feel like it's all I've talked about with people this weekend! I realized that it might be easier to just write about the place so people can get more info and see some pics. And what better way to spend a hot Sunday afternoon than doing some productive blogging?

Aquatic Addiction Development is apparently in the building that used to be the Taipei fish market but has been converted into a fairly upscale/posh restaurant and market (that description will make more sense once you see the pics, I promise!). It's near the Songshan airport, but not really within walking distance from any MRT stops, so we just took a cab from Tienmu. Here's the address in Chinese to show the cab driver:

No. 18, Alley 2, Ln 410, Minzu E Rd

台北市民族東路410巷2弄18號

(02) 2508-1268

The website has English on it, though once you actually get to the place there isn't much English on the menus. 

From the outside the building doesn't look like much, but once you walk in there is SO much to see! You enter into the fish tank area, which is fascinating and full of the biggest crabs I have ever seen. My suggestion would be to go immediately to the sushi restaurant to grab a number (our wait was about 45 minutes on a Friday night at 7 pm) and then kill time by exploring the rest of the place. 

View of the entrance from the outside. Easy to spot sign!

We first walked over to the cute wine bar to sit and have a nice glass of white. Not cheap, but good quality wine. 

Nice date atmosphere!

There were lots of different types of wines, champagnes, and sakes. We just ordered one of the whites by the glass.

Posing for the camera!

We then explored the home shopping section which was full of cute decorations like vases and candle holders. It is right next to the grocery store-esque section that has fruits, veggies, and fresh fish.

This area is right next to the wine bar. It's full of fun gift ideas!

Next we walked to the back and checked out the raw/seafood bar. At this point we realized that we could have gone there first since there was no wait and the raw oysters that people were slurping down looked totally magical. They also had steamed king crab legs (same crabs that are in the tanks when you walk in) that looked delicious. Definitely eating there when we go back! You can also buy some of the seafood and sushi to-go near the front of the building if you don't want to stand and eat.

The raw seafood bar at the back of the place. Look at those massive crab legs!

Then we walked back to the entrance area to look at the tanks. The king crabs literally look like an alien species!

Ahh scary alien monster crab!!!

Fresh raw oysters!

Watching one poor crab get carried to his death...

Finally our number was called! When we walked up to the entrance (i.e. a rope) the host asked if we needed help reading the menu - yes! We basically described the things we wanted, and he helped us find them on the menu. It's standing room only, which was kind of fun and different. We were lucky to get a spot overlooking the prep area so we could watch the chefs at work. They were super busy! The food was all amazing and of great quality. 

Our view of the chefs at work. It was nice just having two of us...I would say that the maximum number of people to go with is 4 otherwise it would be too hard to talk seeing as though you're standing in a row.

Get in my belly RIGHT NOW! All was delicious, but Jordan said the scallop was his favorite.

I've recently become enamored with salmon roe eggs, and these were particularly salty and delicious.

We were standing right in front of the miso soup man and could see him putting all of the extra fishy parts into the pot to make the broth nice and rich.

And here's what we were really waiting for! This was the $600NT nigiri set that came with miso soup. Great variety and totally fresh.

In total we spent about $2000NT for one sashimi bowl, two hand rolls, two nigiri sets, and two beers, and we both left feeling full and satisfied. Definitely felt like it was worth the money! My parents will be visiting in a few weeks and I'm putting this at the top of my list of places to take them as it's not only delicious, but also a unique experience. And if anyone wants to go in the interim, just let me know as I'll be happy to go back!

Beitou Squid Snack Review

I'm definitely on a roll...2 reviews in 2 days! Now that I have the Blogger app on my phone, it's so much easier to snap food pics and instantly upload them. Ahh the power of the SmartPhone!

Tonight's restaurant review is of Beitou Squid Snack next to the Zhishan MRT (exit 2). This is a chain and there is another one in Tienmu [on Dexing East Road between Zhongshan & Zhongcheng], but the one we always go to is across the street from where the taxis line up at Zhishan. It's hard to miss!

View from the MRT side of the street looking across.

Easy to see sign that's hard to miss!

This is a great place to grab lunch or dinner as it's super efficient, it's tasty, and it's cheap! The trifecta of success in a Taiwanese restaurant. You can tell that it's popular as it is pretty crowded during lunch and at peak dinner time. One issue: no English menu, but I have a photo of the translated menu (and would be happy to send you the translated menu if you want it). 

English version of the menu. Message me if you want the original!

Now on to the food...like I said, it's quite yummy! It is a pretty standard Taiwanese noodle shop with lots of noodle dishes, soups, and wontons. They also have grilled squid (I'm assuming that's where the restaurant's name came from) and other grilled dishes. And for the adventurous, there's always the spicy duck blood! (Jordan recommends it). One of my favorite parts is the fact that they have choose-your-own side dishes. You can just walk over to the shelf and grab whatever looks tasty! I usually go for the Japanese eggplant, the green beans, or the cucumbers. 

Food wall of choose-your-own side dishes. Love it!

Tofu on the left. Super delicious green beans and eggplant on the right.

Close up: Yummy side dish that I don't know the name of but I think it's tofu (fingers crossed).

Close up: These green beans are fantastic! Crunchy with the perfect amount of garlic. 

I'm also a huge fan of these cucumbers because they are served cold - perfect on a hot summer day!

Dry noodles with pork & shrimp wontons. I always get the small size which is plenty to fill me up, but Jordan gets the big one.

And, in the end, if you really need to you can just point at the pictures on the wall :)

This is definitely on the weekly rotation of restaurants that Jordan and I run through on a regular basis. For the two of us to eat dinner usually costs under $300NT - gotta love Taiwan prices!

Food post #2: Tianmu Kushiyaki Place

The first food post from last week garnered some interest, so here's a go at a second one!

Tonight's restaurant is another new one in Tianmu - a yummy Kushiyaki (or Yakitori) place! Again, the name of the restaurant isn't in English, so I don't know what it's called but it's pretty easy to find. It's down the alley that is next to Subber across from Carrefour on Dexing West Road. You will see the restaurant on the right immediately after turning down the alley. 

Front of the restaurant. Look for the large hanging lantern!

The interior is nice and new with a variety of tables and bar stools. There are even two tables out front, but no one was sitting at them when we were there. Best of all: there is an English menu! Ordering was not a problem as we just marked what we wanted on the order sheet. 

Bar stools over looking the grill area.

Another view of the bar from the other side.

The menu that has both Chinese and English - easy!

The food was quite good, although it did take awhile to get all of it. It's pretty standard for food to come out in waves at a Kushiyaki place, so it wasn't a huge deal...but probably not the best place to eat if you're in a hurry! We left feeling satisfied for about $840NT for 2 people. 

Kimchi at the beginning of the meal. Not a huge serving, but enough to feel happy about it.

Pork belly with leek on the left. Lamb rib (we think) on the right.

Japanese eggplant on the left. Green pepper (or capsicum) on the right.

Chicken thigh with leek. Really tasty!

Beef rib that was quite juicy but a little on the chewy side.

A great end to the meal - an entire grilled squid! Beautiful presentation, but we did have to ask for them to cut it up for us otherwise we couldn't figure out how to eat it.

We will definitely be back, especially since its literally a 4 minute walk from my apartment. It's nice to add a little variety to the weekly dining menu, and I don't know of any other Kushiyaki places in Tianmu! And hopefully they'll get a bit faster in the kitchen with a little bit of practice :)

Last thought: the only weird thing we encountered was the fact that they were playing Adele's "Someone Like You" on repeat...hmm. Maybe they'll have a better DJ next time!