Restaurants: A Cut Steakhouse

By Ian Bartholomew
STAFF REPORTER, Taipei Times
Friday, Nov 23, 2007, Page 15

Top quality food served with the utmost simplicity is A Cut's secret. PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE AMBASSADOR HOTEL

Danny Deng, the culinary maestro behind the Ambassador Hotel's newest endeavor, is aiming for the very top. "We think we have a chance at the title of best steakhouse in Asia," he said of A Cut Steakhouse, which opened two weeks ago in the hotel's basement.

The moment you turn into the stairway leading to A Cut, you leave behind the conventional decor of the hotel lobby and are enveloped by a cigar-bar atmosphere of dark wood, stitched leather, plush carpets and subdued jazz.

For all the money that has clearly gone into creating an ambiance of refined luxury, the real point of A Cut is the meat, and this is something that Deng and his bevy of chefs take seriously. The name of the restaurant refers to a cut of meat that Deng calls the "cap" of the rib eye.

"In a cow weighing 700kg, we can get only about 2kg of this 'cap,'" Deng said. As it is not normally served separately from the rib eye, it has no accepted name, so Deng went ahead and called it the "A Cut," the restaurant's signature dish.

A Cut Steakhouse Address: Ambassador Hotel, B1, 63, Zhongshan N Rd Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市中山北路二段63號B1) Telephone: (02) 2571-0389 Open: Daily, 11:30am to 2pm; 6pm to 10:30pm Average meal: NT$1,500 and up Details: English menu, credit cards accepted

The Chef's "A Cut" Signature House Cut (NT$1,500 for a 10oz steak) is good value, with a succulence that justifies the price tag. The meat is served very simply, seared and presented in a cast-iron dish with a small serving of sauteed mushrooms. A variety of salts are the only garnish. "Very simple, very high quality," Deng said. The usual steakhouse side dishes such as mashed potatoes and vegetables are also available.

Simplicity marks the restaurant's other steak dishes. A 16oz USDA Prime Center Cut Rib Eye (NT$2,400) is intended for two and a 22oz version of the same (NT$3,300) serves three. "We wanted to incorporate the idea of Chinese-style dining," Deng said, "where good things are shared."

Although steak is the centerpiece of A Cut's menu, the menu includes many other meat and seafood options, with main courses starting at around NT$700. The choice of appetizers includes seared foie gras with braised baby abalone and wine poached pear (NT$700). The dessert menu demonstrates the restaurant's overall sophistication: the chocolate souffle with raspberry sorbet (NT$350) is a delight.

A wide range of wines, including a 16 house wines, means that pairing wines and courses can be easily managed even for small tables.

Restaurants: Ocean Blue

By Ian Bartholomew
STAFF REPORTER , Taipei Times
Friday, Oct 26, 2007, Page 15

Ocean Blue makes a splash with a huge tank of blacktip reef sharks and innovative Thai-Italian cuisine. PHOTO: COURTESY OF OCEAN BLUE

A large aquarium, replete with reef fish and live coral, establishes the seaside theme at Ocean Blue, a new restaurant-cum-lounge bar on the fringe of the trendy Dinghao (頂好) district.

The sand-colored wallpaper and the fluid lines of the ceiling are unobtrusive, and the slightly secluded dinning area has a pleasant intimacy. Downstairs, deep sofas and areas separated by bead curtains lend the place a cozy feel, which is contrasted by a huge tank of blacktip reef sharks that adds an edgy touch. Feeding the sharks is part of the late night entertainment.

The food at Ocean Blue is an unusual fusion of Thai and Italian cuisines designed by head chef Gilbert Chua (蔡文要).

With dishes such as Thai beef capaccio (NT$320) and mango pumpkin soup (NT$200), the menu is intended to surprise. The soup, which uses mango juice instead of the usual cream as its base, is light and tangy. Chua is also adept at more conventional Thai dishes such as green curry chicken (NT$380). The curry itself is mild, but flavorful. The restaurant stocks a wide selection of New World wines that compliment the innovative fare. Set menus are paired with selected wines. Live lobster, giant prawns and Pacific oysters are other options, all made with a Thai twist.

With an emphasis on well-made drinks, rather than gimmickry, the bar is a welcome addition to Taipei's nightlife scene. It's no surprise that there are plenty of tropical-themed cocktails (the mango martini is definitely worth trying, even for those not partial to fruit cocktails), but it's the range of single malt whiskeys served with a single giant ice cube that is the clincher. With its view of Da-an Road, the bar at Ocean Blue also makes a pleasant change from the usual dark rathskeller spaces favored by interior designers of night spots.

Ocean Blue Address: 180, Da-an Rd Sec 1, Taipei (台北市大安路一段180號) Telephone: (02) 2704-7561 Open: 11:30am through to 3am Average meal: NT$800 Details: English menu; credit cards accepted; live DJs Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; wireless Internet access

As an elegant place for a business lunch, a cool quiet hide-away during the afternoon, a chic restaurant to take a date or a place to chill out with friends in the early hours, Ocean Blue, with wireless Internet access, DJ booth, shark tank and solid selection of food and wines, combines youth and sophistication - no mean feat.

Restaurant Review - Lvsang Canteen

Lvsang-Intestinves in Miso
Originally uploaded by ianish2005

Lvsang Canteen (呂桑食堂)
Address: 12-5 Yongkang St, Taipei (台北市永康街12-5號)
Telephone: (02) 2351-3323
Open: 11:30am to 2pm; 5pm to 9pm
Average meal: NT$200 and up
Details: Picture menu (no English), credit cards not accepted
On the net: lvsang.myweb.hinet.net

Much is made of the delights of Taiwan's snack foods -- its little eats (小吃) -- but the unfortunate truth is that there are only a relatively few places where the true potential of these dishes is realized. One of these establishments, which specializes in food from Ilan county, is Lvsang Canteen. This unpretentious restaurant, inconspicuous among the crowd of restaurants along Yongkang Street, offers many dishes which are readily available at any street-side noodle stand, but in terms of quality, it is a world apart.
Simple dishes such as Ang Chow Pork (紅糟肉), a pork cutlet marinated in red yeast rice, smoked shark (鯊魚煙), or cold cut chicken (白斬雞), show Lvsang's quality immediately. These, among many other dishes are presented at a glass-fronted counter just inside the door, where guests are encouraged to place their orders; more complex dishes are prepared behind the scenes. Some speciality dishes are listed on wooden boards hung from the wall, and regulars will order from memory, but if you request a menu, staff will direct you to the food counter.
Apart from an array of "little eats" regulars, there are also many unusual dishes, some Ilan standards, others showing the strong Japanese influence on Taiwanese cuisine, to tempt even the most experienced diners. Many dishes are remarkable for the simplicity of their presentation, such as the blanched squid (現撈透抽), oysters with fried bean paste (豆酥鮮蚵) or the routinely excellent steamed fish (the variety and preparation vary from day to day, depending on what looked best at market that morning.) In these dishes, the freshness and quality of the ingredients are allowed to speak for themselves. Other dishes show off the skill of the kitchen staff. Most notable is the humble deep fried tofu (日式炸豆腐), which at Lvsang is prepared with a coating of paper-thin shavings of bonito. It is a whole new route to culinary heaven.
Also highly recommended are the steamed ground pork with pickle served with a sauce of salted egg yoke (金莎瓜子肉) and stewed pig's intestines in miso (味曾大腸).
Most dishes are between NT$120 and NT$180, with a small number of exceptions (the steamed fish is NT$250). Portions are small and two people can easily handle four or five dishes. To fill in the gaps, order a bowl of minced fatty pork over rice (魯肉飯) or soup noodles (切仔麵). To wash it all down, and excellent kumquat tea is available for free. Many of the dishes also make an excellent accompaniment to a bottle of cold beer, if all you want is a quick snack. Set menus of rice with sashimi, eel or prawn cakes are also available from NT$160 to NT$200.
Service is brisk, but also courteous and well-informed, and unlike many similar mid-range restaurants of this sort, there is a strong air of professionalism that leaves you in no doubt that these people take the preparation and serving of outstanding food seriously.

Published
Taipei Times (Friday Sept. 28)