Chez Jimmy (法樂琪 - 美食精品)
15, Lane 178, Chungcheng Road, Sec. 2, Taipei (中正路二段178巷15號); tel 2876-5388. 10am to 10pm. Average meal: NT$300. Credit cards accepted. English menu.
Have you ever wanted to have a taste of five-star food without the hassle of getting all tricked out for a meal at a fancy restaurant? Jimmy Chang, the Chef de Patron of Chez Jimmy has the perfect answer - a casual venue that combines a delicatessen with a coffeehouse-style dinning area. Check out the pumpkin soup, which makes an ideal snack-meal, accompanied by some fresh roles. For something a bit more substantial, you can't go wrong with the roasted cheese sausage with Jimmy's homemade sauerkraut or the roast beef sandwich on fresh-baked whole wheat bread. The eggplant salad and with mushroom are also highly recommended.
These dishes and the contents of the deli are all extensions of Jimmy's two restaurants located just a stone's-throw away. Fresh bread, special salad dressings, cold cuts, cheeses and ready-to-cook roasts provide an easy way for would-be chefs to bring a touch of Jimmy's skill and invention into their own homes. Things such as marinades and dressings are all made with Jimmy's own recipes, which range from the most traditional to innovative combinations of east and west - try his wasabi salad dressing to spice up your next salad.
Papa Giovanni (喬凡尼義大利美食餐廳)
22, Alley 6, Lane 170, Chunghsiao E. Rd., Sec.4, Taipei (忠孝東路四段170巷6弄22號); tel 2711-8720. Bakery: 2 to 5pm. Restaurant: 11:30am to 2pm and 6 to 10:30pm. Average meal: NT$200. Credit cards accepted. English menu. (afternoon tea: 2:30-5pm)
We've been to Papa Giovanni's before, but rumors about the great sandwiches at the adjoining bakery brought us back. If you haven't time for a sit-down meal in the restaurant, then Papa's sandwiches, produced under the direction of Mimi, are a delicious substitute. Sandwich bread is specially prepared with an eye to both taste and visual appeal three-deck sandwiches use white, whole meal and carrot bread and are filled with creamy, cheesy fillings that are quite distinctive. Try the shrimp or the salmon sandwiches, which are particularly sumptuous. Choose take-out or sit down in the cozy wooden dining area and relax with a coffee.
There are also a variety of breads for those who want to make their own sandwiches. These have a distinctive European flavor. They are soft and springy and according to Mimi, are much easier on the stomach than the softer, stickier breads favored by many Taiwanese bakeries. There are plenty of styles to choose from: classics such as focaccia, ciabatta, and house whole meal bread and original recipe selections like salami bread and chocolate bread. At Papa Giovanni's even the humble bread stick, or grissini, has been brought to melt-in-the-mouth perfection.
Uli's Euro Deli (福利得利歐式餐坊)
17 Kechiang Street, Shihlin; 士林區克強街1號; tel 2831-2741. 10am to 9pm. Average meal: NT$400. Credit cards not accepted. English menu.
Is there anything more quintessentially German than sausages and mash? Or for that matter, pig knuckle and sauerkraut? When the large knuckle, golden and crisp on the outside, soft and pink within, is placed before you, perhaps with a large chilled Erdinger or Hannen by its side, you can be sure that there is a little bit of Taiwan that is forever Germany. Pork knuckle is a specialty of Uli's but it is far from being the only thing on the menu. Spicy Nuernberger and mild-mannered white sausage have both established themselves among Uli regulars.
Uli's is a place to go for meat, whether it is pressed meat, cold cuts or sausages. According to Jocelyn Siy, the store's purchasing manager, much of Taipei's foreign community does in fact rely on Uli's, with homesick staffers at Siemens and Audi soothing their culture shock with back-home food. After all, Uli proudly proclaims that all his meat products conform to German regulations and preservatives or artificial flavorings are verboten.
Although much of the produce feels German, it is in fact made in Taiwan. The authentic taste comes from the spices, which are Uli's own mix.
Note: Pork knuckle needs to be ordered a couple of hours in advance.
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