I Just had the best Eggs Benedict in Taipei. 
Great Hollandaise! Though I needed to ask for grated cheese on the side… They do breakfast all day oooh!
I think its newly open.
No 145 Rui’an St. 1st street along Heping East Rd at the NE Heping/Jianguo quadrant.
I walked by this place when i was going to Gusto Hotdog. (across the street)
I glanced at the menu, and it was in English, and looked awesome.
I didn’t try anything there, but I definitely plan to.
IMO, the more Western eateries here, the better.
Competition is good.
EDIT-Thanks to Dragonbones for providing this map!
I went here for breakfast this afternoon, and was really impressed. I had the two eggs with bacon, hash browns, and toast. Came with free refills on the coffee, an apple, and cranberry juice all for $150nt. And (I know this will be the kicker for a lot of people…) NO SERVICE CHARGE!! The food was pretty good quality too: organic eggs, and real hash browns. Well, I think they still used frozen hash browns, but they were the stringy type, not just the triangle-shaped ones. But the real kicker was the price, for $150nt, you can’t beat it. It’s not a big place, so I have a feeling once people find out about it, it’s going to be pretty busy.
I went there for all day breakfast yesterday, and it was good. Friendly staff, good food and low prices.
:hungry: 
:uhhuh:
Very nice burger. RichardM, you might want to give this a try.
Tel.: 2700-1680
Just had the Eggs Benedict there and it was as Candlelight said… excellent!
Definitely recommended for anyone who wants to have a very nice breakfast for a very nice price!
[quote=“Tigerman”]:hungry: :uhhuh:
Very nice burger. RichardM, you might want to give this a try.
Tel.: 2700-1680[/quote]
You said the magic word. I’ll be sure to make it by soon.
do they have salmon eggs b per chance…?
[quote=“Richardm”][quote=“Tigerman”]:hungry: :uhhuh:
Very nice burger. RichardM, you might want to give this a try.
Tel.: 2700-1680[/quote]
You said the magic word. I’ll be sure to make it by soon.[/quote]
They have a double cheeseburger with bacon… my boy said it was good.
I didn’t think you were one for understating things. 
Because of Tigerman’s remark and 4 emoticons (dead giveaway, he’s never used that many) I journeyed across town tonight to try out the Diner. The eggs benedict posts had appeal, but a comment of a “very nice” burger was a clincher.
the Diner was opened on May 8th by Amy and Dean (owners and operators), a late 20’s – early 30’s local couple. The interior is newly remodeled with a clean layout and seats 45-50 people. Non-smoking but there is a table outside. The menu options, light alternative rock music playing, and the customers/staff make it feel like you are in a diner in a college town but better.
They follow the KISS principle and it works. The menu consists mainly of breakfast classics (eggs, breakfast burrito, salmon hash, and the eggs benedict, etc.) which are $150-280, Omelettes/Omelets (Denver, vegetarian, cheese and bacon, etc.) $180-240, burgers/sandwiches (hamburger, gardenburger, mushroom & Swiss cheese burger, and the Jumbo Burger) $120-230. The basic hamburger is $120 but you can add cheese and/or bacon for $30 each.
They also have other options such as Philly steak, tuna melt, club sandwich, country fried steak, meatloaf, etc. As well, they have desserts (apple pie, pecan pie, cheese cake, strawberry shortcake, ice cream sundae, etc.)
The beverage selection includes A&W root beer, Coke, and others. Beers that are available include the usual suspects (Heineken, Budweiser, Boddingtons, and San Miguel).
Now that I’ve got the basics out of the way, on to the good parts.
the Diner’s catch-phrase is “Comfort on a Plate” and boy they got that right.
I immediately spied the “Jumbo Burger” which is a double patty, double cheese, and double bacon hamburger. Fans of In and Out’s double-double beware. This is the real deal. Two thick handmade all-beef patties with each patty topped with a slice of cheese and two strips of bacon. Note that the bacon is on each patty not just on the top patty. Therefore, the Jumbo Burger is a double-double-double.
I’ll go on record as saying that the Jumbo Burger I had at the Diner tonight was the best burger/cheeseburger/bacon cheeseburger that I have ever had in Taiwan (outside my own bbq special burger). The patty is all beef meaning no garlic, no onions, no filler or other spices mixed in with the meat. We just found out the answer to “Where’s the beef?”.
I’ll definitely be back to try the breakfast/brunch items. They said they are working on a corned beef hash!
A couple of notes:
The burger comes medium well by default meaning that it is still pink inside. This is how I like it, but if you like it well done be sure to tell them first.
The bacon is also medium well so if you like it crispy or well done, tell them. It isn’t bacon sashimi like Mei-Er-Mei but it isn’t brown either.
A special note:
One customer next to me ordered a hamburger and when it came he asked if it was all beef. Amy told him that it was. He looked again at the burger. Amy immediately asked him if he wanted to change his order! (I’m sitting there incredulously as the burger with Swiss cheese that he ordered looked great. Did he want the beef “watered down” with soy filler?) He said no that it was okay. She asked him at least 5 more times if he wanted to change to something else. Now I know you might say it was a face thing, but it wasn’t (well maybe on the customer’s side). She was truly sincere. This type of service should be applauded. I left before I saw whether or not he changed his order. However, I did overhear the reason for the confusion. It appears he thought a hamburger was made from pork. (I hadn’t thought of that before, maybe we should all check to see if this is a common misconception.)
Service was prompt and friendly.
After one try, I probably won’t consider ordering a burger anywhere else in town.
Richardm your cheeseburger thread can now be lock. Go right now and have the Jumbo Burger.
They are right across the street from Gusto Hot Dogs.
the Diner
145 Rui-an Street
2700-1680
Closed Mondays
English menu and English speaking staff
Thanks Tigerman! Next time I see you (or should I say Tigerboy) a pint (or two) is on me.
and if I had more thumbs I’d add another thumbsup or two.
Actually, Amy confirmed that they are indeed homemade fresh hash browns from real potatos. They are not frozen.
I was there tonight and had the mushroom swiss cheeseburger… very good.
I asked the gal about the salmon, and she replied that if requested they could do it.
elektronisk,
I must have just missed you. I was there after work, at about 8:00.
While I was there, a Taiwanese fellow ordered the meatloaf, which was brought out with a ketchup-tomato sauce on it. The guy looked at it and complained that when he had meatloaf in the US it came with gravy. The gal was happy to take it back and bring out a new plate with meatloaf covered in gravy. When I paid my bill, which was just over NT$ 500 for my burger, fries and drink, plus my wife’s omelette and my boy’s cheeseburger and drink (which I took away), I told her that meatloaf is an example of home-cooking (jia chang cai), and every home does it a bit differently… and some folks do put lots of ketchup on meatloaf, and others prefer gravy.
I mentioned Forumosa, and she showed me a paper on which someone else had just previously jotted down the F.com website address for her. Was that you?
Glad you liked the burger.
[quote=“Tigerman”]I must have just missed you. I was there after work, at about 8:00.
I mentioned Forumosa, and she showed me a paper on which someone else had just previously jotted down the F.com website address for her. Was that you?[/quote]
!#@%#&^$%()^)((&)(**()_)
I had a very, very, very strong sixth sense that I would run into either you or Richardm. I left around 7:30 I think. I must have just missed you. :taz: In fact, I ordered a to-go burger and waited thinking I would run into one of you. :double taz:
Yes that was me. I just wanted them to take a look at all the good things people have been saying about their place. I’m sure it will make them feel proud. Good work should be rewarded.
Great place.
Just got back from a lunch at the Diner. Very pleased with the hamburger. No, I didn’t go for the jumbo–just went for the regular burger and added some cheese and bacon (and they were happy to accomodate my request for crispy bacon.) It came with fries and some nice toppings. A slice of pickle on the side was nice, too.
I look forward to trying out more of the menu, including the meatloaf and all of the breakfast items.
Nice decor, good music, friendly service.
Thanks for the capsule review from Electronisk, and for the heads-up in this thread from the OP and Tigerman.
No emoticons (since I’m posting in quickly reply), but I will give it a big thumbs up.
“Comfort on a plate,” indeed.
So the closest MRT stop has to be the Technology Building stop on the brown line. Right?
I don’t know if I can go tonight, but I don’t know if I can stay away. What with all these rave reviews.
That’s right. Just exit the MRT station and walk down to Heping and cross Fuxing and walk on the north side of Heping toward Jianguo… Ruian St. is on the right just before you get to the corner of Heping and Jianguo. Turn right on Ruian and The Diner will be up away past the little park on the right hand side just opposite of Gusto Hot Dog.
There you go.
[quote=“Richardm”]So the closest MRT stop has to be the Technology Building stop on the brown line. Right?
I don’t know if I can go tonight, but I don’t know if I can stay away. What with all these rave reviews.[/quote]
Yup. You’d head west along Heping and turn right into the street that’s kind of opposite the teaching college.
[quote=“elektronisk”]
I immediately spied the “Jumbo Burger” which is a double patty, double cheese, and double bacon hamburger. Fans of In and Out’s double-double beware. This is the real deal. Two thick handmade all-beef patties with each patty topped with a slice of cheese and two strips of bacon. Note that the bacon is on each patty not just on the top patty. Therefore, the Jumbo Burger is a double-double-double. .[/quote]
Aww man that was the best food review I’ve read in a long time. :bravo: And do they make fries as good as In and Out? I’m slobbing all over the place now from that memory. 
Thanks Namahottie.
The fries are good, but I spent most of my time trying to eat the whole burger that I got too full to eat more than a few. BTW I wasn’t able to eat the whole burger. I’d like to know who could.
My boy finished a whole burger.