Taipei | Hamamatsuya 濱松屋

Hamamatsuya 濱松屋
No. 12, Lane 119, Linsen North Road, Taipei, Taiwan
台北市林森北路119巷22號 (七條通)
(02) 2567-5705

Price: $$
Recommendation: 4.5 Stars

Taipei's infamous "Linsen North Road" is known for its "fun" and scandalous entertainment establishments as well as many of the most traditional Japanese restaurants in Taiwan. Situated in the historical Seventh Lane Alley 七條通, Hamamatsuya is one of Taipei's "Big 4 Eel Houses"! Their acclaimed made-to-order (or kill-to-order) Unagi (Eel) Rice Three Way 現殺鰻魚三吃 never fails to charm and satisfy Taipei-ers's picky taste!

Hamamatsuya's dark wood exterior and mini standalone shop sign complements with other Japanese homestyle restaurants in the area. Strolling along Seventh Lane Alley 七條通, I felt as if I was in an old shopping street in Japan.

Hamamatsuya's unagi rice differentiates from others by offering live and grill-to-order eels. While it may be a bit pricier, the money is totally worth it. Since our eels are freshly prepared, the wait can be up to 45 minutes, so we ordered a couple small dishes to eat while we patiently waited!

Tamago 玉子燒

When our waitress brought us the visually appetizing Tamago (Japanese omelette), I could still see hot steams coming off the glowing golden tamago. With a tiny dip of soy sauce and ground radish, the simple and comfortable taste of egg will make you wanting for more.

Fried Chicken 唐揚炸雞

You can't really go wrong with Japanese fried chicken! The seasoned chicken cutlets were both juicy and tender.

Fried Tofu 炸豆腐

Salad 和風沙拉

Fresh Unagi Rice Three Way 現殺鰻魚三吃

Finally, the highlight of the meal was the Fresh Unagi Rice Three Way, which came with a bowl of fresh unagi rice, hot spring egg, a plate of seasonings, seaweed soup stock, and a side of pickles and kimchi. The waitress carefully explained the three (or actually four) different ways of chowing down the ungai rice. I wasn't really listening, because I was really hungry by then and can't wait to devour the entire ungai bowl!

Fresh Eel Three Way

Covered by a thin layer of natural eel fat, the grilled unagi was literally glowing. At the same time, the excellent smell of unagi sauce mesmerized everyone at the table.

close up!

Followed what the waitress had told us, I split my unagi bowl equally into four sections. Each portion will be eaten in a slightly different way.

1. Original: First, obviously, I want to try the original taste of the eel without any decorations or seasonings - a way to really enjoy the freshness of the unagi.

original 原味

2. With Garnishes: Sprinkle a generous amount of sesame seeds, green scallion, and dried seaweed to add multiple textures and flavors to the simple dish.

with garnishes of Seaweed, Sesame, and Scallion 海苔, 芝麻, 青蔥

3. Chazuke Style: Chazuke is a traditional Japanese home cooking dish by pouring green tea, soup stock, or hot water over cooked rice with savory toppings. For the Unagi Rice Three Way, Hamamatsuya prepared a fragrant seaweed soup stock as the base. I also mixed a pinch of wasabi into the small bowl. Surprisingly, I was absolutely blown away by this plain-looking dish! The smooth seaweed soup and the strong sensation of wasabi brought a complex and hypnotizing taste that I had never experience before.

Chazuke: seaweed soup stock, wasabi 鰻魚芥末茶泡飯

4. With Hot Spring Egg: At last, I place the watery hot spring egg (half cooked egg) on top of my last piece of unagi and stirred them together. It was divine. I really can't decide whether this or the chazuke style was my favorite.

with hot spring egg 溫泉蛋

nom nom!

Hamamatsuya introduced new ways of enjoying the simple and popular eel bowl and allowed my palate to experience different sensations. The restaurant's Fresh Unagi Rice Three Way was both amusingly fun and absolutely delicious. One order might not completely satisfy my cravings; next time I will order two!

Taipei | Boulangerie Le Goût 那個 麵包

Boulangerie Le Goût 那個 麵包

No. 58, Lane 188, Ruiguang Road, Taipei, Taiwan

台北市內湖區瑞光路188巷58號

http://www.legout.com.tw/

Price: $$

Recommendation: 4.5 Stars

Located in Neihu's hidden alley, Boulangerie Le Goût is one of the most loved and desired bakeries in Taiwan, selling recipes and breads directed by Taiwanese Master pastry chef Wu Paochun 吳寶春, who won 1st place (2010) and 2nd place (2008) at the Coupe du Monde la Boulangerie, an international, invitational artisan baking competition held in Paris, France every couple years, a.k.a the Olympics of Baking!

This comfortably designed shop bakes a wide variety of tasty breads and pastries by using local delicacies as well as the best ingredients around the world. The mouth-watering bagels, croissants, and rolls are presented beautifully with a touch of the chef's inspiration and creativity. More importantly, many of their products are sold out by late afternoon, especially Master chef Wu Paochun's award winning creations.

Boulangerie Le Goût

On the wall of Le Goût showcases different breads from all over the world, including the butterfly decorated bread that earned Wu Paochun the world championship.

Showcase of Breads from all over the World

deciding what to buy

pastries!

Spread with glowing cod roes from Japan, the Mintako French Baguette is toasted to perfection and has a great texture. The strong savory taste of cod roe works perfectly with the crunchy baguette. Definitely a favorite!

Mintako French Baguette 明太子法國

Dum dum dum! The award-winning Longan and Wine Bread of Wu Paochun (2nd place)! The costly bread at NT$ 400 (~ US$13.5) uses Wufung's longan, red wine, and natural grape yeast with a base of wheat germ flour. A bite of this doughy delicacy comes a mesmerizing red wine aroma and taste. The fresh and lightly sweetened longans are generously diffused within the bread and surprisingly delicious!

Longan and Wine Bread 桂圓酒韻

Longan and Wine Bread 桂圓酒韻

Unfortunately, when I visited Le Goût, the champion "butterfly" bread is sold out - which gives me another reason to return to this awesome bakery shop!

Chicago | Lawry's The Prime Rib

As my spring getaway, I flew to Chicago to visit some of my best friends in the area. Although it seemed as if I was there to explore the windy city and catch up with friends, Jon and I, both know that it's for the tender and juicy cut of prime ribs at the Lawry's.

Lawry's The Prime Rib is my ultimate favorite steakhouse. Period. Writing this review even makes my mouth water and crave for a generous and thick slice of their famous roast beef. Unlike many chained steakhouses, such as Ruth's Chris, Outback, and Morton's, the classic and elegant restaurant operates in very few locations (only 4 in the US). As loyal as a customer can be, I have been to Lawry's in Beverley Hills (where it all started), Las Vegas, Chicago, and Taipei. Known for its top notch service, the restaurant prepares the prime ribs and side dishes to the highest quality across all locations.

Situated on the glamourous Magnificent Miles, the Chicago outpost occupies the historic light opera house, which made it the finest and most lavish branch of the Lawry's. When you enter this "magnificent" building, you will immediately be captured by the old English decor with beautiful chandeliers and aesthetic wood frames. Our host kindly led us to the dining room, which is further inside the building. Along with the shiny silverwares and antique high-back chairs, the high ceiling in the dining room elegantly established the superior and high class atmosphere at Lawry's.

Lawry's The Prime Rib

the dining room

The menu at Lawry's is simple. The only things I needed to decide were the portion of my steak and how I liked it prepared. There were also other options available. For example, a popular side order is two Australian lobster tails for just $21.

My meal started with the Famous Original Spinning Bowl Salad, which was accompanied by an elaborate presentation. First, the server gave us icy "chilled forks", so that we could enjoy the salad at its cold temperature. Immediately, he brought out a cart filled with the freshest ingredients and tools to perform a salad mixing show! Most people found it amusing, but I felt really awkward when I saw the server "spin the bowl."

waiter preparing our spinning bowl salad

As seen from the picture, a big steel pot was placed on top of a bowl of ice. The server filled the silver bowl with chopped romaine, beets, hard boiled eggs, croutons, and other ingredients. Then, he gave a forceful spin to the pot. As the bowl furiously spun, he drizzled the pink house made dressing and mix it with a spatula. Voila! The famous spinning bowl salad was made! The salad was amazing and a great starter for my dinner. I really liked the beets and the lightly sour dressing. Remember to season the salad with Lawry's famous pepper!

Famous Original Spinning Bowl Salad

Now came the moment I had been waiting for all night - The Prime Rib. The certified chef rolled out a spaceship looking "silver" cart, which is ridiculously expensive. The cart is used to not only preserve the temperature and juice of the meat but also allow the chef to hand carve the prime rib in front of us. The chef cordially greeted us and proceeded to prepare our prime ribs. It was really fun to interact with the chef and actually see the racks of prime ribs in the cart. I wished I could have a whole rack to myself...

"Silver" Cart

I ordered the thick 16 oz. bone-in Diamond Jim Brady Cut. I used to always get the largest Beef Bowl Cut (24 oz.), named in honor of Lawry's tradition to serve super thick slices of prime rib to the football players in the annual Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Sadly, I can't finish it anymore. I guess I'm getting old!

Seasoned with Lawry's famous pepper and other spices, the mouth watering prime rib was divinely roasted to perfection. The temperature was perfect, the texture was excellent, and the smell of the roast beef would make you go crazy. A bite of the tender and juicy steak with its natural beef au jus literally made me the happiest person on Earth. The prime rib at Lawry's was truly addicting.

The "Diamond Jim Brady" Cut

with mashed potatoes

In addition to the salad, the roast beef came with mashed potatoes and Yorkshire pudding. The Yorkshire pudding is a special savory dish at Lawry's. I didn't like it at first, but I actually quite enjoy it now. The soft and puffy pastry dipped in prime rib au jus brought out an interesting texture with the full flavor of the prime rib.

Yorkshire Pudding

Lawry's also have a selection of tasty sides, including creamed corn, creamed spinach, sauteed mushroom, and etc. Their creamed corn was absolutely to die for. I couldn't stop munching on the fragrant extra creamy and buttery sweat corn. I even tried to make it myself; everyone loved it! You can find the recipe here.

Creamed Corn

The Best!

Lawry's The Prime Rib in Chicago

I simply adore Lawry's The Prime Rib. The restaurant has elaborate presentations for its famous spinning bowl salad as well as the roast beef, which is hand-carved in front of you from an expensive silver cart. Without a doubt in my mind, Lawry's perfect roast beef is unquestionably the best I have ever tasted. The service was attentive and excellent. More importantly, the server always kept a smile on his face; it definitely added to the already awesome dining experience. To all the meat lovers, Lawry's is a must try!!

Lawry's The Prime Rib
100 East Ontario Street
Chicago, IL 60611
http://www.lawrysonline.com/

Price: $$$$
Recommendation: 4.5 Stars
The number one roast beef in the world.
The tender and juicy cut of prime rib will definitely keep you coming back for more!

also in various international locations: Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Dallas, Taipei, Tokyo, Osaka, Hong Kong, and Singapore

Boston | The Oak Room at The Fairmont Copley Plaza

I'm sure we all have read The Great Gatsby some point in our lives. Ever wonder what life is like during the roaring 20s? The Oak Room at the Fairmont Copley Plaza takes you back to that glamorous era. Since the hotel's grand opening in 1912, it has represented Boston's rich history and refined taste. The restaurant prides itself as a traditional steak house but offers some of the best Bostonian flairs, such as lobster bisque, raw platters, and Boston cream pie.

The food experience at the Dining Room was absolutely surreal. I felt as if I was in an old movie set in the earlier days of America. The high ceiling is decorated with gold and delicate designs, framed by dark wood and grand windows. The atmosphere of the Oak Room is simply fabulous!

The Dining Room

Our waiter delightfully introduced us to the wide collection of champagnes as well as great red and white wines. I was really tempted to have a glass, but I had a lot of work to do later that night - we all know that nothing will be accomplished after drinking......

Champagnes and Wines

Bread Basket

In addition to the typical butter, the restaurant brought us olives and hummus spreads. They complemented so well with the flavorful selection of warm breads.

Three Spreads: Olives, Butter, Hummus

The lobster bisque was definitely the best I have had for a very long time. The creamy bisque gave a strong and tasty lobster aroma - which I absolutely loved!

Oak Room Lobster Bisque

Grilled 7oz Tenderloin

Au Poivre Sauce, Wild Mushrooms, Roasted Root Vegetables

As recommended by my friend, I ordered an additional side of truffle mac and cheese; it was light and tasty with a strong scent of black truffle - an interesting dish to try.

Truffle Mac and Cheese

Oak Room Boston Cream Pie & Cappuccino 

Rice Pudding, Poached Pears and Passion Fruit Jelly

Complementary Cotton Candy!

The Oak Bar is such a classy spot to drink. Just look at the room! I think they are famous for their excellent martinis.

As part of my restaurant week adventure, the check ended up $33.11 plus tax and tips. The service was excellent and on par with the food. The place can be pricey without the restaurant menu, but I think it's definitely worth it just for the special experience.

Well, now I know I can also live the life of the old money.

The Oak Room at The Fairmont Copley Plaza
138 St. James Avenue
Fairmont Copley Plaza
Boston, MA 02116
http://www.theoakroom.com

Recommendation: 4.5 Stars
For the decor and atmosphere, the restaurant is definitely a Boston top choice!
The lobster bisque is simply awesome. I still think about the soup!