What Taipei restaurants are a “must”. A bonus lick on the ear if you can tell me if they are open during CNY. Thanks in advance.
I have Alleycats on my list. Anything else?
What’s your budget and cuisine targets?
Surely the quintessential ‘Must Do’ Taipei restaurant would be Din Tai Fung, the famous dumpling restaurant written up in the New York Times a few years ago as one of the world’s top ten restaurants. It’s THE one to take visitors to Taipei to. The long lines to get in are a real advertisement.
Din Tai Fung
194, Hsinyi Rd, Sec 2, Taipei
(02) 2321 8927
10am to 8:30pm, 9am to 8:30pm, on Sundays
I don’t know if they are open during CNY so I will take a pass on the ear lick. Doubt if they would be open New Year’s Eve or Day but probably otherwise during CNY week.
VASTLY overrated IMO. A real tourist trap of a place. Walk past it, turn into Yungkang St. and go to any of the several dumpling restaurants there. Much better.
No budget and western food!
It’s Din Tai F-U-n-g, which is exactly what I wrote. Why does it turn into “Feng” when posting? Mods?
Yes, those places are cheaper but they are the typical roach trap Chinese restaurants and you don’t see lines of people (locals, not tourists) lined up in cold or rain to get in them. Din Tai F-U-n-g is a better dining experience and better quality, IMHO. I wouldn’t take a visitor to one of those holes in the wall to show them top quality Chinese cuisine.
Suggest then that you rename this thread to “Must do western-style restaurants in Taipei.”
Carnage, of course, and Alley’s.
Check the Indian restaurant threads because you’ll be needing to stuff some curry down your neck.[/quote]
No budget and western food![/quote]
Then for the best burgers and BBQ ribs in Taipei, I would recommend you visit Taipei Sports Bar. La Terrasse is highly recommended for French food but I have no experience. I have experienced Portofino which is on DunHua S. Rd which I think is excellent but is pricey so you may take a pass 
.
I disagree. I find it much too frantic, the wait staff are surly, they rush you through your meal in order to get the table free, and the dumplings simply aren’t so great. There are much better options for dumplings.
And most of the customers aren’t locals – they’re out-of-towners, overseas Chinese or Japanese tourists.
Portofino is still around? I haven’t been there for many years. Very nice food, but you should check – I’m not sure that they’ll serve a hick from Kaohsiung. 
Portofino is still around? I haven’t been there for many years. Very nice food, but you should check – I’m not sure that they’ll serve a hick from Kaohsiung (Gaoxiong). [/quote]
Probably chicken butts and fried crickets. :s
Hotel Buffets.
Can’t beat them. The Westin is good. So is The Howard. The best I’ve had is The Far-Eastern. I hear The Grand Formosa is fantastic.
[quote]I disagree. I find it much too frantic, the wait staff are surly, they rush you through your meal in order to get the table free, and the dumplings simply aren’t so great. There are much better options for dumplings.
And most of the customers aren’t locals – they’re out-of-towners, overseas Chinese or Japanese tourists.[/quote]
Can’t agree with you there. I’ve had pleasant relaxing meals there with no pressure to leave. There are several different dining areas so it never feels too noisy or crowded to me. Those wanna be’s around the corner are basically just riding off Ding Tai Fung’s reputation, which is what generates the long lines at DTF, be they tourists or locals. I’m not even a dumpling fan and I find their’s delicious. Light and tasty, never greasy or overwhelming like most.
Btw, I don’t really see the point of this thread. I only posted because I thought it was about restaurants that were landmark or famous for Taipei. What’s the basic difference between this thread and the “Favorite Restaurants in Taiwan”? You will get the same repeated opinions and posts.
None, I guess. I’m just too polite to tell DB to look at the stickies at the top of the Restaurants Forum.
Dan Ryan’s on Sunday or Monday for their Prime Rib with baked potato and sour cream.
Two huge cuts for NT$750.
In fact, I’m locking this thread. There’s nothing worth adding to the Favourite Restaurants thread and I think all the info DB needs can be found there.