Smoothie found in Spain

The restaurant took their name from the first impression people feel toward Spain: passion, love, and warm. They want their customers to feel the same way when stepping into the restaurant. The outside decoration creates a parallel to their name: high bar chairs, brick-and-stone-built bar, yellow warm light, and wooden roof which gives the illusion to people for being on an island in the Mediterranean. The restaurant is famous for the drinks such as smoothie, juice made from seasonal fruits, cocktail for special holiday and slush. While they has various kinds of drinks on the menu, some of them are only available in certain time. That is the reason why the restaurant change the menu or add new dishes, drinks in occasion.

The first time I went there was in a chilly, cold day so I didn't order the popular smoothie. Instead, I got several recommended dishes which are famous as well.

















Potato with cheese, mushroom and risotto. The baked potato with warm cheese and mushroom tastes  flavored especially in a freezing, cold day on an empty stomach. The risotto is cooked with savory sauce which is made from fresh, seasonal vegetables. The dish is sold in limited and the quantity is depending on how many potatoes they baked in a day.



















Braises rice with taro sauce. This one is my father's favorite. The dish is seasoned with appetizing taro, shiitake (an edible mushroom which is commonly used in Asia), and edamame; bell peppers, green brocoli are put in as well. The sweet tasting from the rice and savory flavor surrounded with taro are just wonderful in your mouth. That's why my father ordered twice for this dish and at last, we had five set meals in total for mere three people.


















Rice with Indian curry sauce and cheese. Not until I was about to finish did I notice that I hadn't take picture yet. I think I was too hungry then. I enjoyed the savor of curry combines with pepper and other ingredients which I could't recognize then.

Shi Ban Ya Bin Sha
No.3, Ln. 87, Fuxin St., South Dist., Taichung City 402, Taiwan

French Cuisine in Herb House

Escargot is the first thing Taiwanese people pop up when they heard of French cuisine. Yet, Herb House uses another ingredient to take the place of snails: Hericium erinaceus (lion's mane mushroom), a kind of edible mushroom which can be identified by its beared appearance. This kind of mushroom has very special texture which is said to be same as seafood. Combined with the sauce and pepper, the mushroom tastes flavored and chewy but fairly different from the mushroom we usually have in daily. There are green cauliflower, corn and asparagus beside the brown rice; these provide a milder taste which are just matched to sauced-mushroom.

Another recommended dish is England potato pie. The pie is combined with potato mash, mushroom, ginkgo seed, taco and topped with flavorsome cheese. You can also feel the potato pieces in the mash and the sweetness of pie later in every bite. Similar to the previous dish, vegetable and rise are served beside the pie; the rise is rather brown rise but plain one with pesto and several herbal spices. The mixture of cheese with potato and ingredients is just the wonderful combination, though this potato is not French cuisine but England dishes. 

The food is served as set meal which means that you don't need to worry about what to eat or which to choose. The salad has three kinds of dressing: island, fruit vinegar and France sauce; each one provide various flavor. In terns of the appetizers, there are 8 different kinds such as baked mushroom with cheddar which is popular food in the restaurant, Mozzarella with tomato, Thailand sesame bread, and so on. After the appetizers, pumpkin cream soup or vegetable and tomato soup is provided. The pumpkin is my favorite one because the soup taste heavy and is rich with the smashed pumpkin. Then beverage includes coffee, juice or tea. I ordered the mulberry vinegar and I love this sour, berry-flavored juice. The interesting thing is that you can tell the vinegar is not diluted  with lots of water from every rich sip. Get a nip if you are going to Herb House!

Herb House http://www.herbhouse888.com/


No.111, Wuquan W. 3rd St., West Dist., Taichung City 403,Taiwan

The Pillow Pizza

You might have seen the square pizza, heart-shaped pizza or others which was rolled up like burrito. Yet a "pillow pizza" may be out of our imagination when encountering this name for the first time. This special cuisine gets its name from the extraordinarily unique shape. Plump, bulging with sweet-potato-like shape, the pillow pizza is highly recommended by the people who had been to the Shu-Guo restaurant. The food is not only famous for its unusual shape but also the tasty inner filling: vegetable, mushroom with flavored pesto. Every bite contains flavorsome creamy inner stuffing and soft but edge-crispy pastry. 

The size of the pizza is quite big: three fists big are possible to fill in an empty crust; people who choose the set menu with pillow pizza should come with an "empty, unfilled" belly. 

I did not order this one but one of my friend who chose this set meal ended up leaving the whole empty-filling pastry for she couldn't finish the entire pillow. 

Another type of pizza is made in flat and oval shape. This one is more like the typical pizza we have known except for the lettuce and tomato are topped after the crust is baked. The pastry is more chewier than the previous one: the sweetness of pastry you may taste while chewing. Another distinction is that the pastry is added with little sweet sauce on the surface of the crust. The fresh vegetable provide a distinctive and gentle flavor from the creamy pillow. People who prefer to have a mild and original taste should never miss this one. 

The size is also big: two-palms length long. I didn't finish all either. 

The set meal include the appetizer such as fruit and yogurt salad or vegetable with thousand island dressing, soup including mushroom or pumpkin, a cup of rough rice and then drinks and desserts. The restaurant called Shu-Guo which has only 8 branches in Taiwan. The new chain on Chung Kong road was just open this summer. People live in Taichung should make sure that you don't miss this delicious pillow.

Shu-Guo http://www.sufood.com.tw/

Peace of Mind and Healthy Diet: Ramen

Yi-Pin is famous for its ramen with special, healthy and natural cooking. The size of this restaurant is not big, compared to other noodle shops, yet this small, decorated restaurant gives you a warm shelter to keep away the cold weather. Yi-Pin is run by the family who have been vegetarian for 20 years. They encourage to have a low fat, natural, and little processed-food-reliance meal. Simmered with fresh vegetables and other ingredients for hours, the soup tasted fresh and delicious. The texture of noodles are a little chewy which offers a wonderful combination with the refreshing soup. 

There are several flavor of the ramen: traditional Japanese sauced, miso, Hokkaidio milk, Nagoya wahu, kimchi, Hong-Kong spicy. The restaurant also offers sides dishes such as soup, seaweed salad, boiled vegetables and homemade kimchi. For those who love ramen should not miss the natural flavored meal in Yi-Pin.

With the rich and flavored milk soup, the Hokkaidio milk ramen tastes so delicious that the mixture of milk and noodles offer the toothsome savor. This dish will  be a good choice for people prefer a special combination of ramen.

The Nagoya wahu ramen: the vegetable-stewed soup doesn't taste mild or plain but flavored and appetizing. You might feel the sweetness of the fresh cabbage or carrot from the very last sup. The mushroom, pak choi and konjac also taste good.

upper left: the dried tofu is one of the most common sides dishes in Taiwan, so make sure you order this one if you visit Yi-Pin!


down left: the chewy seaweed rice cake combines with salted mustard and shredded ginger.

right: special offer for people who eat in the restaurant can add more noodles for free!











Yi-pin http://www.wretch.cc/blog/geter1523

No. 28, Sec. 2, Huamei W St., Xitun Dist., Taichung City 407, Taiwan

Never Failed to Encounter the Traditional Dishes

Located in a peaceful community in north district of Taichung, Roa-shiu is just the right place to chat with friends and enjoy leisure time in the evening. The name of the restaurant, called Roa-shiu cha xuan, literally means the place for people to enjoy tea and the tranquil feeling as the quiet water flow you may get. The name do explain the spontaneous atmosphere there: several people are chatting joyfully, some are busily digging in the food to have a rush lunch-time meal, and some are just sitting alone near the window and watching the bustle scene on the street.

The restaurant is famous for its traditional Taiwanese tea dessert(resembles the afternoon tea dessert in western culture). One of my favorite is fried tofu. The tofu is not actually what we eat in the night market but a deep-fried cooking instead. Outside skin of the tofu is brittle and crispy; soon you will feel the tenderness of tofu slide through the tongue. The pickled vegetables taste sweet and sour so I will recommend to eat with tofu together.

Milk tea with wheatgerm is recommended if you prefer to have drink during the chatting. You can feel the texture of wheatgerm  and smooth milk tea wandering inside your mouth. I order this every time I come here; I suppose that I like the wheatgerm better than the milk tea.

The restaurant also offers meal such as noodles, rice, hotpot and soup; yet they are in small portion. The reason for that is because the restaurant prefers customers to have various options instead of only ordering one. (Taiwanese people has the exact habit of ordering main dishes, soup and side dishes in every meal.) Compared to the food in night market, the dishes here cooked with less oil and healthier; and most importantly, they all taste like the real Taiwanese homemade dishes which is warm and family-like. 

The restaurant opens from 10am to 12am. For people who tend to have midnight snack, Roa-shiu will be the perfect place to fill your belly.

















No. 15-41, Section 1, Shānxī Rd, Bei District, Taichung City, Taiwan 404

Steam-fried Baozi

Most of the foreigners puzzle when they first encounter "shui-jian-bao", since they have only heard of baozi. These two type of food actually share several similar making before they become the real dishes. The ingredients are almost the same: flour, sugar, yeast, and different fillings that you favor the mo. Yet the difference depends on how to cook them. Baozi is known as cooked in the bamboo steamer while the shui jian bao, literally means steam-fried baozi, is cooked in the pan with oil first and then water.

The old couple have more than 20-years experience in cooking shui-jian-bao and they are truly good at this (the shui-jian-bao experts I assume). The puffy buns with slight golden-crust edge, and large amount of fresh vegetable fillings inside. My recommendation is to eat this when is hot since you could taste both crispy(surface) and soft(inner skin) at every bite!

The food stand opens at the evening and closes when the food is sold out. They also sell Chinese traditional pancake with sweet red beans filling yet the shui-jian-bao is the best seller. Go and get a hot shui-jian-bao if you are a traditional food lover!

Have You Had A Slice Lately

The restaurant owner built the stone oven by himself.

Pizza has become one of the popular fast food in recent decade in Taiwan. Numerous pizza restaurants pop up in the downtown area; people can always grab a slice easily without taking long-time walk. This round, flat, and various-flavored dishes can not only find in chain but also in a wide rang of restaurants; you can even buy one in the convenient stores. Since the food is so welcomed that some pizza lovers demand a more delectable toppings and original-flavored crust instead of a instant food baked in the electric oven. That 's how The Moment In The Garden built the traditional  wood-fired brick oven instead of a electric oven for pizza baking.

The restaurant is famous for their homemade pizza. Five different flavors are provided, including one special sweet pizza: Apple slices with cinnamon. I ordered this one because I haven't tried the sweet pizza before. Furthermore, I had no idea how the food taste like which is supposed to be salty. To my surprise, the pizza was pleasant-tasting with seasoned cinnamon powder, juicy and sweet sliced-apple, which you won't notice until the last few chewing before swallow, and flavorful, warm cheese on the top.  The tender crust still remained mild heat left by the brick stone oven. You won't stop eating unless you have little space for the belly.  For people who haven't had a piece shouldn't miss this sweet delicacy.

The two upper pictures are apple with cinnamon. The bottom are pizza with

mushroom, pepper, corn, carrot and celery.

The restaurant also provide delicious risotto with five flavors for you to choose.
Rice with mushroom vegetable pesto: people who prefer a herbal and refreshing scents can order this one
Rice with oyster mushroom and double cheese cream sauce: for those who love warm, creamy cheese
Rice with pumpkin and mushroom cream sauce: an extraordinary flavor with seasoned, sweet pumpkin
Rice with tomato and chili tomato sauce: choose this one if spicy and slight sour sauce is your favorite

You can get additional cheese for NT$ 50. The meal includes soup or drinks or fruits
(choose one).

Dàdé St, Bei District, Taichung City, Taiwan 404

Plant Plan

Imagining you are sitting in the coffee shop and reading the magzine with cappuccino held in hand. A sound strikes you when the rumble sound came from your belly; you want to have pasta or light food to satify your hunger. Then Plant Plan will be the suitable place for you to go.

The restaurant provides meal such as pasta and risotto. For people who want to cram themselves with light food, bread would be the best choice. Five freshing flavors with several bread options(tortilla, bagel, burger, focaccia and french loaf) for each. Waffles and snack are served for those who have a sweet tooth. Last but not least, flavoured coffee and warm, wholesome soup would be the wonderful substitutions for soft drinks. Every Meal gets addiotnal drinks (or soup) and dessert if extra NT$ 59 is paid.

I tried the vanilla peper-ham focaccia with honey mustard in it. The sauce was too heavy that I could barely taste the other ingrediant at the very beginning. So I chewed it carefully instead in order to let my tongue sensed the mixed flavour. The combination actually taste perfect unless you devour your food as a wolf.