Allen & Dickson, which recently opened its second location near Shida night market, looks like it could have served as a set in Happy Days, Grease or the first Back to the Future movie. Vintage ads for products like Aunt Jemima’s pancake syrup, Coca Cola and a now-politically incorrect label for a frozen watermelon-flavored treat called Picaninny Freeze line the walls. At night, a disco ball shines on black-and-white checkered tabletops and a chrome lunch counter. Classic rock hits add to the kitschy Americana atmosphere (though, according to the menu, the chain was founded after its owner spent some time cooking in Spain). Allen & Dickson’s large menu features diner classics like all-day breakfasts, milk shakes and burgers — but the food doesn’t quite live up to its colorful surroundings.
I hoped for a heart attack on a plate when I ordered the fettuccine with seafood and chicken in a creamy white wine sauce (NT$280). The sauce, however, was bland and the mixed toppings, including a few pieces of crabmeat, shrimp and fish, were dominated by chunks of slightly dry chicken. On a separate visit, my companion ordered the Alice hamburger (NT$240), topped with grilled onions, mushroom and cheese. The patty was small and just as forgettable as my pasta dish had been, and the bun was a little too sweet. Burgers are served with French fries, mashed potato or cheese bites. My companion ordered the mashed potato, but the two lumps on his plate were almost unrecognizable. They looked like fritters and it was only after a bite that I realized they were actually two very small scoops of slightly undercooked smashed potatoes with the skin left on.
My entree, sizzling chicken and shrimp (NT$260), was also supposed to come with a side of mashed potato, but the pulverized tater pile was actually served underneath chicken strips (just as dry as they had been in the pasta), bacon bits and shrimp. Everything was smothered in melted cheese on a sizzling cast iron plate. The dish was greasy to the point of being almost unpalatable and I wished I’d ordered the “homemade health seafood porridge” (NT$200), one of the few items on the menu targeted to calorie conscious diners.
Our meals were disappointing, but we fared better with dessert. The fried ice cream with cinnamon and caramel (NT$160) is a big scoop of vanilla ice cream served in a crunchy fried pastry shell and smothered in whipped cream, loads of cinnamon and caramel sauce. The flavors combined to taste like Cinnamon Crunch cereal. The chocolate caramel brownie sundae (NT$170) was also good, with the gooey brownie served hot, all the better to let the vanilla ice cream melt around it in a decadent puddle. Other offerings include the fried banana cheese bite sundae (NT$160) and a banana split (NT$260) for three to five people.
Allen & Dickson’s also offers pizza, a brunch menu that consists mostly of omelets, a selection of milk shakes (including peanut butter, Oreo and toffee) and cocktails, including a 30-ounce margarita for NT$350. The entrees might not live up to the restaurant’s lively interior, but Allen & Dickson’s sweets menu just might past the Fonz’s scrutiny.
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