@Cafe 主婦之店
305 Fuhsing N. Rd (復興北路305號), tel: 2716-0022. Open: 7am to 11pm. Average meal: NT$200; English menu; no credit cards.
The @Cafe on Fuhsing North Road used to be called Chubi's for its sandwich part and Buzz the Buzzer for its Smoothies. When it changed names and management earlier this month, it kept the same tasty sandwiches, simplified its menu and got a lot cheaper. Sandwiches used to cost between NT$180 and NT$280. Now they top out at about NT$130. The good news is, they're as delicious as ever.
PHOTO: DAVID FRAZIER
Sandwiches at @Cafe include non-standard and creative varieties like terriyaki chicken, New York spicy chicken, fried fish and others. Old favorites, like the club sandwich also seem a little different as it combines chicken, ham, bacon, veggies and mayonnaise. The buns come from a stock of surprisingly fresh, good bread and come in a variety of shapes and sizes including rolls, buns and even focaccia bread.
@Cafe also has unusually convenient hours and serves American style breakfast until 10:30am for around NT$70. Combo breakfast meals include elements like ham, bacon, eggs and French toast. The shop's menu is further fleshed out with a few pasta dishes and salads. The smoothies -- a blended ice and fruit drink -- are another solid draw. The dining room is also comfortable with a stylish pastel design, odd eating nooks and some pretty comfortable chairs. It's almost even suitable for a date, though a casual one.
Taipei Fine Arts Museum Cafeteria 台北市立美術館餐廳
PHOTO: DAVID FRAZIER
4181 Chungshan N. Rd., Sec. 3 (中山北路三段181號), B1, tel: 2595-7656. Open: 9am to 5pm, closed Mondays. Average meal: NT$100; no English menu, no credit cards.
While most museum cafes go for gourmet, ethnic or European food, the Taipei Fine Arts Museum Cafeteria serves nachos and chili cheese dogs. Never mind that this is American baseball stadium food, these nachos and chili cheese dogs are among the best and most authentic in Taipei.
So why ask why? Let it be enough that TFAM imports real American-style nacho cheese, which is dispensed at the push of a button from something that resembles a soda fountain. Even more remarkable, the chili is dispensed from the same machine and in the same way.
PHOTO:DAVID FRAZIER
It is important to note that the cafeteria staff will divide the dog in half, putting only chili on one end and only cheese on the other -- unless you tell them to overlap the two condiments, that is. They will also put the nacho cheese on the side of the corn chips (which are impressively fresh and zingy), unless you ask them to put it on top. Servers say this is due to local eating preferences, but they are also happy to accommodate individual tastes should you ask.
Other menu items at the TFAM cafeteria include lunch boxes of sushi rolls or cold noodles, canned sodas, peanut butter and chocolate toast and coffee. The coffee is pretty good, but not too good. After all, who would want to ruin a perfectly good chili cheese dog with a gourmet roast?
Taco House 搭可屋專賣店
108 Aikuo E. Rd., (愛國東路108號), tel: 2351-5061. Open 10:30am to 8:30pm. Average meal: NT$130; English menu. no credit cards.
Not only is Taco House an alternative to Taipei's normal lineup of fast food, it's also an alternative to Mexican food. The general verdict is that Taco House's tacos, burritos and enchiladas are not quite authentic, but close enough. "My mom would give them an `E' for effort," said one diner.
Taco House's tacos and burritos are virtually identical, except that a tortilla mysteriously costs NT$20 more because more people order it and it's easier to eat.
What we recommend is ordering the taco version (bean, beef or chicken) and asking for a fork. Taco House uses smoked chicken for all of its chicken dishes, including the aforementioned Mexican varieties and its chicken burger. Some diners feel that the smoked chicken flavor is incongruous with Mexican flavoring and don't like it, while others find it delicious.
Another suggestion for Taco House dining is ordering a la carte. The value meals don't add much value, because the fried potato cakes aren't very good and the nachos are skimpy. Drinks are cheap enough to compete with convenience store prices anyway, unless you think that saving NT$7 is really worth the trouble.
The shop's assets include a friendly mom and pop staff, a cozy dining room and proximity to the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial, which makes for nice picnicking on a sunny day if you carry the food out. So while it would be incorrect to call the food genuinely delicious, Taco House is definitely a refreshing break for your taste buds every once in a while.
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