Although it represents a nation not normally associated with haut cuisine, Taipei's German eatery, Gasthaus Zum Adler has been giving many of the capital's ever popular Italian and French restaurants some stiff competition since it opened in August last year. The brainchild of German national Bernard Soffner, the establishment's many interesting Teutonic dishes along with its simple but pleasant cafe-style interior have made it a popular haunt with both the business crowd and those out for an evening of wining and dining.
The Adler offers lunchtime diners the choice of daily specials, those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of rain-soaked winter afternoons a special tea time menu, and evening diners the chance to savor German beers and wines.
PHOTO: GAVIN PHIPPS, TAIPEI TIMES
Hailing from near the city of Stuttgart, Soffner has tried to ensure that the food he conjures up in his kitchen is as close as possible to the food he grew up eating in southern Germany.
This means that meat, especially wieners, rather than fish is the staple for many of his dishes, all of which are very reasonably priced at between NT$230 and NT$390. Served with noodles or potatoes, the wiener dishes include wiener with brezel (a large German pretzel) (NT$250), and the wiener with handmade noodles and goulash (NT$270).
In addition to the set dishes, the menu includes an interesting array of side orders for those diners still looking for a little extra nourishment. These include chicken strips (NT$170 to NT$330), pan-fried potatoes (NT$80 to NT$350), salads (NT$45 to NT$520) and a choice of wieners and liver sausage (NT$290 to NT$570).
Vegetarians needn't feel left out at the Adler. Soffner offers non meat eaters the chance to chow down on baked vegetables with cheese (NT$230), crispy pan-fried mushrooms (NT$80 to NT$350) and, of course, all the sauerkraut anyone could ever wish for (NT$80 or NT$150).
Along with belt-busting savory dishes the Adler also serves up a selection of truly delicious and reasonably priced desserts. While the most popular of these are the various flavors of cheesecake, the most filling and certainly most eye-catching is the banana and biscuit covered in rich creamy chocolate.
In addition to the German desserts, Soffner also offers patrons the chance to savor some of the finest Italian-style homemade ice cream to be found anywhere in Taipei.
Made with milk and without the addition of artificial additives or preservatives, the ice cream served up at Gasthaus Zum Adler is as pure and as delicious as it gets. Available in a multitude of flavors including passion fruit, mango and hazelnut, Soffner's ice cream is a great way to finish any meal at the Adler.
Climate change, political headwinds and diverging market dynamics around the world have pushed coffee prices to fresh records, jacking up the cost of your everyday brew or a barista’s signature macchiato. While the current hot streak may calm down in the coming months, experts and industry insiders expect volatility will remain the watchword, giving little visibility for producers — two-thirds of whom farm parcels of less than one hectare. METEORIC RISE The price of arabica beans listed in New York surged by 90 percent last year, smashing on Dec. 10 a record dating from 1977 — US$3.48 per pound. Robusta prices have
The resignation of Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) co-founder Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) as party chair on Jan. 1 has led to an interesting battle between two leading party figures, Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) and Tsai Pi-ru (蔡壁如). For years the party has been a one-man show, but with Ko being held incommunicado while on trial for corruption, the new chair’s leadership could be make or break for the young party. Not only are the two very different in style, their backgrounds are very different. Tsai is a co-founder of the TPP and has been with Ko from the very beginning. Huang has
A dozen excited 10-year-olds are bouncing in their chairs. The small classroom’s walls are lined with racks of wetsuits and water equipment, and decorated with posters of turtles. But the students’ eyes are trained on their teacher, Tseng Ching-ming, describing the currents and sea conditions at nearby Banana Bay, where they’ll soon be going. “Today you have one mission: to take off your equipment and float in the water,” he says. Some of the kids grin, nervously. They don’t know it, but the students from Kenting-Eluan elementary school on Taiwan’s southernmost point, are rare among their peers and predecessors. Despite most of
A few years ago, getting a visa to visit China was a “ball ache,” says Kate Murray. The Australian was going for a four-day trade show, but the visa required a formal invitation from the organizers and what felt like “a thousand forms.” “They wanted so many details about your life and personal life,” she tells the Guardian. “The paperwork was bonkers.” But were she to go back again now, Murray could just jump on the plane. Australians are among citizens of almost 40 countries for which China now waives visas for business, tourism or family visits for up to four weeks. It’s