The Greasy Spoon is just a few minutes walk away from our apartment. I went there with my wife the other night, after we had been past it several times. It’s exactly what I’d been looking for, a cosy minimalist style eating place which opens late (until 12am), and serves good food.
We had chicken strips, fries, mushroom and bacon spaghetti, and a burger. The burger was definitely one of the best I have eaten, and amazingly it was one of the first burgers I have ever seen which actually looked like its photo. It was absolutely stacked. Prices were great, and we hope to try their surloin in the future. The owner Jim was very friendly (ex-San Francisco), and invited us to phone ahead to order next time if we liked. Decor is minimalist, entire cafe is only 20 pings, but it’s very well designed and feels comfortable.
Here’s a review from the Taipei Times, earlier this year. Here’s the summary:
[quote]Address: 254, Xinhai Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市辛亥路四段254號)
Open: Tuesdays through Sundays from noon to midnight; kitchen closes at 9pm
Average Meal: NT$220 to NT$440
Telephone: (02) 2932-9698[/quote]
Some excerpts:
[quote]The menu appears to favor espresso drinks and teas at first glance, with just four burgers and two pasta dishes, ranging from NT$200 to NT$300.
But the food is definitely the star of the show, thanks to some homemade goodness and a little sweat. Chan says he heads to Neihu every morning at 7am to fetch the day’s ingredients at a fresh produce market and Costco, then rushes back to grind the beef and whip up hamburger patties before opening at noon.
The mushroom melt burger (NT$250), topped with sauteed white and shitake mushrooms and sliced jack cheese, was so good the first time I ordered it again on two follow-up visits. The beef patties, about 1cm thick, have a hearty, brothy flavor and are cooked medium rare, unless diners request otherwise.[/quote]
[quote]The burgers, which Chan calls “Texas-style,” come as a towering mass of beef patty, lettuce, tomato and raw onion sandwiched between a tall, buttery bun. Managing the first bite was a bit of a challenge, but also part of the fun. Make sure to ask for extra napkins.
The restaurant’s name aptly describes the food but is outclassed by the shop’s interior, which has a minimalist gallery look: white walls, gutted ceiling painted black and halogen lights.
Chan attributes his obsession with keeping things “simple and clean” to his military past — the 37-year-old is a US Marine veteran who served in Afghanistan and Iraq. A severe head injury from a friendly fire incident put him out of commission for several years and forced him to retire.
But maybe this also drives him to keep this 20-ping shop cozy and soothing. Ambient electronic or jazz always plays in the background, and natural light coming through wall-sized windows on two sides of the shop gives the space warmth And he even manages outdoor seating on wooden patio decks.[/quote]