BIANCO

Date Visited: 23rd of October, 2011

Name:
BIANCO義式餐廳

Address:
No. 19, Lane 112, RenAi Rd. Sect. 4, DaAn District, Taipei City (Near RenAi Circle)
台北市大安區仁愛路4段112巷19號（近仁愛圓環）

Hours:
Sun-Thurs   9:00AM~10:00PM
Fri-Sat.   9:00AM~11:45PM

 

 

 

My little love spot ❤

 

Giveth to me now!

 

An open kitchen

 

 Yup, only ONE slice of bread per person…what is this, Reconstruction Era in the South?!

 

 House Salad

 

Apple and Salami Risotto (360NT)

 

 

I find this to be such an odd pairing. The salami brought a lot flavors to the risotto. 

 

 

Organic Risotto with Black Truffle in Cream (400NT)

 

 

I love truffles! Some truffle oil was used in the risotto sauce; not all the truffle taste came from that little pile on top!

Dessert Time

 

 

Pistachio and Vanilla Gelato

 

 Chocolate and Vanilla Gelato

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Not the best, not the worst. The risotto was a little bit overcooked but the flavors are good. This caters more to the local preference.

VVG Bon Bon

Date Visited: 2nd of October, 2011

Name: VVG Bon Bon
好樣棒棒

Address:No. 13, Lane 161, DunHua S. Rd., Taipei City
台北市敦化南路一段161巷13號

Hours: Mon-Fri 12:00PM~9:00PM
Sat-Sun 11:00AM~9:00PM

Kid in a candy store!

Front door of the restaurant

 

 Kinda really pink

 

 

Looks like it could be a Pokemon battle

 

 

Cupcakes! Around 80NT each!

 

Reminds me of an old school candy shop… but maybe in the upper east side of NYC

 

These are so cute!

 

Raspberry flavored meringue cupcake with homemade raspberry sauce (80NT)

Kind of reminds me of this

 

 

 The meringue frosting is an interesting idea. It’s not too sweet and it’s fluffy in texture. The little homemade raspberry sauce syringe is a cute, interactive idea. I’m not sure how this appeals to men but it surely appeals to women! Unfortunately, that cake is dry like the Atacama desert. The meringue frosting is too solid to spread it around the cake. 

 

Marshmallow and chocolate cake (220NT)

So much chocolate. The top chocolate layer has the same density as a chocolate bar! The cake is densely packed but is slightly dry. That’s what the vanilla ice cream is for! 

 

Homemade chocolate bread pudding (250NT)

Ginger-full. Too much for my liking. But the texture is good! Still prefer the one at Chaya Brasserie in LA (read about it here). 

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VVG has several branches around this area. Back in March, I went to VVG Bistro for brunch! Click here

They also serve food, not just desserts.

 

Hara Donuts

Donuts. Is there anything they can’t do? –Homer Simpson

Name: Hara Donuts
はらドーナッツ

Address: Ueno Train Station
上野駅

Hara Donuts is a chain over in Japan. Completely different from the traditional American donuts I am used to eating. Their ingredients include okara (soy pulp) and soy milk batter. This concept originated in Nara as a tofu shop, which is still in business and provides the ingredients for each shop.

The donuts taste “healthy”…never thought I would say those 2 words in the same sentence!

My first visit:

 Quite popular with the locals!

 Fresh donuts!

 Donut in a half plastic half wax paper bag…

 Hara’s Original donut (￥120)
Dense dense donut…I can see it being a perfect complement for coffee. Very light in flavor. I suppose I expect my donuts to be very sweet so my brain was not ready for this. 

 Strawbery Ice Cream (￥280)

At first I thought the ice cream had cookie bits mixed in but it turned out to be donut bits! This is probably where their old donuts get used…how resourceful!

Yes, I had to eat on the streets. Tokyo and benches do not go hand-in-hand. 

Visit 2: 

 White chocolate donut (￥130)

 Cinnamon donut (￥130)

Visit 3: 

For my last meal in Tokyo, all I desired was a donut from Hara’s. What an unexpected liking! By a Japanese donut! This time around I got to sit down in their salon and enjoy the full experience. 

 

 Window into Ueno Station

 

 Pick-up window

 

 

 

Tamba black bean kinako donut (￥150)
This must be the healthiest donut ever! Like the Hara original donut, it is light in flavor and very low in sugar (could barely taste it, actually). 

Tamba is a region in Japan, north-west of Kobe (mooooo). The region is famous for their black beans! 

Remember kinako from Gonpachi? In case you forgot, kinako is finely grounded soybeans. 

 

 Are those donut bits you are eating donut bird? How cannibalistic of you. 

 

 Bitter Chocolate (￥280)
Yes, the chocolate is not that sweet, on the contrary, the texture is creamy and  rich. I’m guessing 78%-85% cocoa percentage.  It was very cold and it wouldn’t melt. Another plus to their ice cream is the amount they present to you; just enough to satisfy your ice cream craving without feeling too guilty afterwards. =P

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Despite not being the conventional donut I am used to, I quite fancy these little edible health hoops and I think I would be a regular customer if I lived in Tokyo.

Learn some Japanese!!

1. Donut  –  ドーナッツ (pronounced dō-nat-tsu)

2. Ice Cream – アイスクリーム(pronounced ai-i-su-ku-rī-mu)

3. Black Bean – 黒豆 (pronounced ku-ro-ma-me)

Pierre Hermé – Bar Chocolat

Date Visited: 11th of September, 2011

Name: Pierre Hermé (Aoyama Branch)
ピエール・エルメ・パリ(青山)

Address: 1・2F, 5-51-8 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
東京都渋谷区神宮前5-51-8 ラ・ポルト青山1・2F

Boutique Hours: Mon-Sun 11:00AM~8:00PM

Bar Chocolat Hours: Mon-Sun 12:00PM~8:00PM (last call at 7:30PM)

I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS!!!

This shop looks nicer than the one in Paris haha. It got marble floors and everything.

 

Monsieur Hermé! Kawaii~

 

Bienvenue to the Bar Chocolat, located on the 2nd floor of their shop. Arrived around 4:00PM on a Sunday afternoon and had to wait 15-20 minutes. 

 

As you can see, they can’t seat that many at a given time. Then again, with these prices, not many people can afford to eat here.

ITADAKIMASU!!!

Coupe Glacée Faubourg St. Honoré –  Caramel ice cream, chocolate sorbet, hazelnut meringue, shanti/shanty, caramelized hazelnuts (¥ 1,575)
What, it looks good?? Let me tell you, your eyes do not deceive you!! Everything is made so delicately and you can taste the difference. The 2 scoops of chocolate sorbet are different in flavor – one is original and the other is, what tastes to be,  rum raisin. What a nice little treat on a hot summer day!

 

Crème onctueuse au chocolat Manjari, chantilly chocolat Manjari, et fruits croquants à  la gelée de vinaigre balsamique – (using my crappy French) Smooth Manjari chocolate cream, Manjari chocolate whipped cream and balsamic vinegar flavored jelly
The first little glass to catch my eye is this one with the crushed ice on top. It’s less commonly seen than the other 2.  At the time, I was filled with eagerness so I took my spoon and got a spoonful of the jelly, ice and chocolate cream. Heaven…with a hint of alcohol. The ice serves a purpose! They infused the ice with a little of alcoholic kick! 

 

Mousse au chocolat Caraïbes, granité au Beaumes de Venise et pêches au muscat – Caribbean chocolate mousse, Beaumes de Venise granita and peaches with muscat(?)
I’m unsure about the  pêches au muscat translation. Is it peach muscat (a species of muscat)? Or I’m crazy and there were actually 2 fruits on top – peaches and muscats. Or was there a typing error and they meant pêches en granité au muscat de Beaumes de Venise (peach granita with Beaumes de Venise muscat)? Which is something that does exist as well…
Anyways,  this is the sweetest one of the 3. The menu specificially says this one is MOUSSE, not crème. Indeed, the texture of this one is lighter than the other 2. It balances the stronger flavor of the fruit toppings. 

 

Crème onctueuse Caraïbes, praliné noisette croustillant et chantilly chocolat au lait – Smooth Caribbean cream, cripsy praline and hazelnut, and milk chocolate whipped cream
Hazelnut + chocolate = winning combo
This chocolate cream is really rich, the kind of richness that can only be fully appreciated in small quantity. This is my favorite of the trio.  

 

Signature Chocolate Mousse (¥ 1,680)
Aka, the trifecta!  

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I believe Pierre Hermé used Valrhona chocolates I went to their website to check out what in the Carmen San Diego is Manjari and Caraïbes and what are their differences.

MANJARI 64%: Pure Madagascar. Fresh, acidic, sharp bouquet with red fruit notes.

“You must go to the island of Madagascar, off the coast of Africa, to harvest the precious and fragile Criollo and Trinitario beans used to make this Grand Cru Valrhôna indulgence. Manjari has a cocoa content of 64% and is made with candied Spanish orange peel, striking a perfect balance between the tart and sweet flavors. The intense chocolate flavor and its aroma are, at first, quite pungent, but then the fruity orange notes develop and leave a long, aromatic taste.” 

CARAÏBE 66%: Aromatic and long finish reveals almond and delicate roasted flavors.

“In the Caribbean, for generations the Trinitarios cacao trees have been grown under the tropical heat in a loamy clay soil. The rich scents of these fine cocoas produce a chocolate with an exceptional bouquet. Its fruity sweetness, with only a hint of sugar, brings out the delicate flavors of almond and roasted coffee. Caraïbe 66% is a harmonious marriage of the warm nutty notes of Caraïbe with balanced taste and velvety texture.”

Source

It’s hard to find words to describe such delicacies…

Up next… Pierre Hermé macarons!

Awfully Chocolate

Date Visited: 29th of May, 2011

Name: Awfully Chocolate

Address: 1st F., No. 1, ChengDe Rd. Sect. 1, DaTong District, Taipei City (in QSquared)

中文地址: 台北市大同區承德路一段1號1樓 (京站時尚廣場)

Hours: Sun-Thur 11:00am-9:30pm, Fri-Sat 11:00am-10pm

Your awfully chocolate ice cream comes in a take out box haha.

Chocolate Ice Cream (100NT for 1 scoop, 180NT for 2 scoops)

Well nothing really completes my day like chocolate. My friend recommended this place so we went after the movies (Kung Fu Panda 2…Skadoosh!). I must say…this does get my stamp of approval. The texture of the ice cream is very thick and creamy. It reminds me more of a chocolate truffle than ice cream (this could be the reason why my scoop looks choppy). Given this, the flavor of the ice cream is not very overwhelming nor artifical! It tastes like REAL chocolate!

I found a really cool article on the founder of Awfully Chocolate. Makes me like it more. =) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11701575