Travel Log/Restaurant Review: SunnyHills Bakery for Taiwanese Pineapple Cakes and Hotpot at Shaburi

There are a few famous Taiwanese foods (besides their street food at the night markets which is so fun to eat!) Otherwise, two of the most authentic and affordable Taiwanese eats are hotpot (or huoguo) and pineapple cakes.  I went to a few of the more famous restaurants for these treats and wanted to share my experiences.

What is hot pot?  It is basically shabu shabu or fondue or food you boil yourself.  It can be a fun individual or group meal.  You order a list of raw foods based around a type of meat - usually fish or beef.  Then you order your stock which can be light or spicy.  Your soup selection is brought to you along with vegetables (cabbage, enoki mushrooms, etc.) and starches (handmade noodles and fish dumplings - they are better than they sound and not fishy!)  It is SO fun just chatting with friends while leisurely cooking your meal.  You get to create your own dipping sauce as well (mmm for sacha sauce with dried shrimp!)  It is a cool, somewhat healthy way to eat out.

We went to Shaburi which is in ATT 4 Fun (who named this mall?) and has a really great ambiance.  It is a little pricier, but comes with salad and dessert as well.  You can save a little by going a la carte as well though sesame ice cream is definitely a great way to end this meal!

899 NTD (about $30)
ATT 4 Fun mall

To be honest, I never loved pineapple cakes.  Some brands were too greasy, others were too sweet.  But SunnyHills Bakery sets itself apart.  First, there are the ingredients: this international cast of ingredients includes butter from New Zealand, flour from Japan, and free range eggs as well as organic pineapple from Taiwan.  This adds up to a simple, flakey, and perfectly sweet (not too sweet) cake.  The second draw of the bakery is the location.  It is based in a quiet, tree-lined residential neighborhood in Taiwan.  The environment is artistic and chic and I loved the random art work throughout the place.  You can order cakes to go and the bakery will invite you to sit down for a complimentary cup of tea and a pineapple cake (two cakes for the price of one - score!) The last two pictures are from the website because I quickly devoured my cake and there was none left for photos!

350 NTD for 10 cakes (about $12)
No. 1, Alley 4, Lane 36 Section 5 MinSheng East Road, Songhan District

CnC Living Recommends: {Restaurant Review}: Mozaic, Bali, Indonesia

A place has got to be pretty good it if greets you with this right?

Bali shouldn't be known for just its beaches and markets, it should also be known for this restaurant.  Eating at Mozaic was one of my most unique and fun restaurant experiences to date (and in Pellegrino's World's 50 best restaurants).

If you're a foodie, eat the chef's (ahem, Michelin starred) table tasting menu here.  It'll be a good time and possibly your best meal in Indonesia and among the best meals in your life (this coming from someone who was getting over food poisoning in Bali but ate almost every tasty morsel here).

The chef's tasting menu was a Chic 'n Cheap Living experience - you sit in a private room with other patrons while the chef guides you through the dishes and offers tips along the way in a shining and enviable test kitchen.  It cost ~$100/person which was worthwhile considering the level of cuisine and personal attention from the chef.  This restaurant was memorable not really solely because it had good food, but because it provided such an intimate and personal dining experience.

A sampling of our courses:
Langoustine tails in a citrus ceviche

Foie Gras two ways - chilled with nashi pear and seared with candied kumquats and chocolate

Whipped celeriac ice cream with black truffle espuma (yes truffles can be eaten for dessert)

Chocolate truffles - mmm

These pictures and more uploaded to my Flickr photostream.

What was your last great restaurant experience on a vacation?

Restaurant Review: The Square (London) - Two Star Michelin food for the same price as a gastropub

lI'll admit it, I am a geek about reading reviews, particularly restaurant reviews - I love to know the general consensus about a place's food, service, and any must try dishes.  Mr. Spend 'n Chomp is an even bigger geek and is a Yelp elite member (basically, he posted quite a few reviews and got invited to some events on behalf of Yelp).  The two of us randomly happened upon a talk being given by Charles Campion, the food reviewer for the Evening Standard. He mentioned that the Square was one of his favorite restaurants in London and lunch was a great time to try it.

Two star Michelin food at £30.00 for two courses or £35.00 for three courses?  I'm there (and that was my nougaty, yummy reward at the end).  I'll share worthy restaurants in cities around the world in the hopes you'll find them delicious and worth a visit too.

 Tip: Lunch is one of the best times to try a high-end restaurant.  Prices are lower and it may be less busy leaving you with more attentive service.

I had an old boss that said "You can tell how good a restaurant is by how good their bread is."  I found the bread here to be divine - crispy, slightly warm, and soft inside.  Mmm.

The chef also sent out this amuse bouche of sea bass.  Divine.

Finally my meal began with a lovely duck terrine with delicate vegetable flavors of rhubarb and beets.

 Then my main was a venison (which I usually don't eat) but the berry flavors really lightened and balanced the dish.

Finally chocolate souffle - yes indeed.  The chocolate flavors really came out.

I'd definitely recommend the Square and will certainly eat there when I go to London.  Reservations for lunch were easy (we only made them a few days in advance) and service was lovely.  Bon appetit