Return to Tutto Bello

I have raved about how much I loved Tutto Bello when I went for the first time back when I went to Taipei with my parents. We decided to have our first dinner in Taipei here and Tutto did not disappoint! I think the first time was probably more impressive since it was a surprise but the food was still delicious and service was extremely polite and professional. Every dish was executed well and presented beautifully. The plating was absolutely gorgeous and the ingredients were fresh and of high quality. It was definitely a lovely evening with great food and amazing friends :)

TRUFFLE BUTTER. Give me. 

mmm handmade linguine with truffle 

Such lovely attention to detail 

Amazingly juicy, tender, flavorful lamb. YUM

Tutto Bello

Shuang Cheng Street

Lane 25, Number 15

Taipei 104, Taiwan 

Kitcho

I went on another one of those blink of an eye excursions over the weekend to Taipei :) There was a fun party for Halloween so we assembled a crew and flew over to join in the fun! Unfortunately we had really little time for food so we had to make sure each meal was well planned. On Friday we went to Tutto Bello, you may remember my previous post regarding this delicious Italian restaurant. The post on that will be posted soon :)! On Saturday we decided to have a nice sushi dinner at Kitcho. A has heard great reviews about this place and the online reviews were also extremely promising. The restaurant is very small and all diners are seated at the sushi bar where we are able to witness the sushi chefs in action. Diners can choose from different omakase menus at different prices. The chefs explained that the amount of food is similar, the only difference is the ingredients given in regards to the price. The majority of us opted for the basic omakase while two of our friends indulged in the pricier option. In hindsight I would have wanted to try the pricier option but we will save that for next time! The sushi was very fresh and the chefs were skilled and friendly, I would not say it's the best sushi I've ever had, but it was a enjoyable experience and some pieces of nigiri was extremely delicious. The meal consisted of sashimi, nigiri, and cooked items. We were positively stuffed. Service was polite and efficient.

I'm ready!

This is art.

Kitcho
No. 48
Lane 181, Section 4
Zhōngxiào East Road
Daan District 
Taipei City
Taiwan

永康牛肉麵 Yong Kang Beef Noodle Soup

Yong Kang Beef Noodle Shop was another "must eat" on Taipei's foodie list. Luckily when my parents and I went it was not crowded and all and we were able to grab a table right away. You can also buy beef jerky to bring back for your friends or for yourself :) I bought a pack for my bestie C as a souvenir.

The menu 

The famous beef and tendon noodles 
The tendons and beef was melt in your mouth tender and had good flavor. The noodles were firm but I would have wanted them to be a bit more chewy and for the soup to be stronger and richer. Overall a good bowl of noodles but the hype and fame made me have higher expectations. 

Spicy dumplings
I've had this dish in many different places and even though this dish is not the famous dish here I thought it was super delicious! The spicy and nutty sauce was bursting with flavor and the dumpling had nice thin firm skin with a juicy meaty filling. 

Mmmmm super tender beef 

永康牛肉麵 Yong Kang Beef Noodle Soup

No. 17, Lane 31, Section 2

Jinshan South Road

Taipei

Taiwan

Ay Chung Flour Rice Noodle

When my dad first described what a bowl of Ay Chung flour rice noodle was like, my mom and I were not that keen on trying it at all. He said that it was a bowl of overcooked noodles that was slimy and very soft, but really yummy. It definitely did not sound too appealing, but my dad insisted that it was delicious and a must try in Taipei. The headquarters of Ay Chung is located in the popular Xi Meng Ding and has been in operation since 1975. So I guess it really must have some secret charm if it has been so popular for this amount of time. My dad came back with a steaming bowl of the noodles and we all started slurping it up with our plastic spoons. The store has no tables and no chairs, everyone just stands around slurping this bowl of runny noodles up.

Everyone standing around with their bowls 

Flour rice noodles 
Although it sounds strange, I now understand what my dad means. Overcooked slimy noodles are not ones usual idea of delicious, but it was actually quite good in its own special way. The soup was slimy and tasty, with a nice vinegary tang to it. The noodles were really smooth and soft. I think this would be a great post drinking snack. 

Ay Chung Flour Rice Noodle (Headquarters)

No. 8-1

Enmei Street

Wanhua District 

Taipei City

Taiwan

Tutto Bello

Sorry for the hiatus! After being on a roll on updating I had to take a break and concentrate on job hunting and interviews. Back in the game now! My friends were amazing and gave me amazing lists of places to eat at when I told them I was going to Taipei, one name that kept popping up was Tutto Bello, an italian restaurant. I was not too keen on eating italian food in Taiwan since I felt that that was something I could have in Hong Kong. Thank goodness I tried Tutto Bello because it was absolutely MIND BLOWINGLY GOOD. The food was just incredible, both my parents and I could not stop raving about it. The chef came out to speak to us after and was smothered with praises. Like Gordon Ramsay likes to say, "Absolutely amazing". Unfortunately the lighting in the restaurant was very dim so I had to use flash for some of the photos which resulted in not the best quality photos as the plate reflected the light too much. I unfortunately also don't remember all the names of the dishes but will do my best! The meal started with bread and truffle butter, which is a GREAT start.

Seared foie gras 
Beautiful plating, highest quality foie gras with amazing richness and flavor, seared perfectly. 

Highest quality salmon with caviar 

Frogs legs 
The execution of this dish was absolutely impeccable. The mini bites of heaven were tender, crispy, and flavored perfectly. The plating was also once again a joy to look at. 

Pasta with mixed mushrooms 
This dish may sound simple, but the pasta was cooked perfectly and the selection of mushrooms were top notch. The chef was able to bring out the best flavors of the mushrooms, it was earthy and incredibly rich. The texture of each type of mushroom was a joy to bite into. This truly revealed the skill of the chef and the quality of the ingredients. 

Iberico and black truffle pasta 
Once again, pasta is cooked perfectly and covered in a black truffle mixture. I actually am not 100% sure but it does look like truffle to me. All I remember was that it was delicious. So so delicious. Sorry not being helpful here. 

Prime fillet steak with seared foie gras and duck liver jus 
The beef was a perfect medium rare and had great flavor. But it was just like any other piece of great steak I've had. The duck liver was once again delicious. I really love the plating of every dish. The placement, the colors, the little flowers, the small sprinkles of garnishes, the pop of colors, beautiful! 

Overall, it was an unforgettable meal. The food was impeccable and service was attentive and polite. The atmosphere is sophisticated and not overly stuffy. Definitely can't wait to come back to this gem of a restaurant.

Tutto Bello

Shuang Cheng Street

Lane 25, Number 15

Taipei 104, Taiwan 

Taiwan getaway: Shilin Night Market 士林夜市

Parents decided to jet off to Taiwan for short weekend trip which means another foodie adventure for me. Shilin night market is considered to be Taipei's largest and most famous night market and is one of Taipei's top tourist destinations. Apart from food stalls, there are also hundreds of stalls that sell clothes, jewelry, bags - anything your heart desires. There are also many game stalls where you can practice your aim or test your skill in scooping up little shrimpies. My parents and I skipped out on the game and shopping stalls and headed straight to the indoors food court. When we first arrived it was fortunately not too crowded and we had a great time looking at what each stall had to offer. To be honest none of the food was that amazing, perhaps we chose the wrong stalls or the food was just not our cup of tea. But I was not super impressed, it is definitely worth it to visit for the atmosphere because it is a very lively and unique area, but I was a little disappointed with the food. The night market is definitely a feast for the senses and when I return to Taipei again I would love to give the food another try.

Outdoor area 

Interesting...

Huge sausages! 

One of the night market's most popular dishes: oyster pancake

Meat and vegetable bun
The bun was piping hot and the filling was meaty and gingery. The bottom of the bun was also very crispy. Yummy but not something I would rave about. 

Big bun wrapped around small bun 大餅包小餅
Another well known dish at the market, did not try this as it looks too incredibly deep fried and mother is not a big fan of that.

White bitter melon milk shakes were surprisingly refreshing and strangely appetizing. 

A very interesting name for a dish. Translation: Spraying pee chicken cutlet haha!

Stinky tofu
I have always wanted to try stinky tofu! This was my first time and I was not impressed. I have heard that although it is as stinky as the name implies, the taste is actually quite delicious. The tofu was not appealing and we stopped eating this after a few bites.

Oyster pancake 
Little oysters mixed with a batter and fried with an egg was one of the most popular dishes we saw as we walked around the food stall. Unfortunately the stall we picked did not make this dish well at all. It was slimy and tasteless. The pancake was smothered with this ketchup sludge concoction with a few withered bits of lettuce. No thank you.

A little awkward english is always funny 

One of the game stalls where you try to hook little shrimps 

Shilin Night Market 士林夜市

Can either go by cab or closest MRT station is Jiantan Station on the Tamsui (Red) line