The Green Hornet

Cuisine Greater Taipei Restaurants
21

I tried the place on Friday, but while the food was good I was not too impressed with the atmosphere and service.

Firstly, they did not have the enchiladas or chili that we wanted to order. Another friend who came over from Wanlong to get some enchiladas left because of it. However, I did like what we eventually got. Nachos, the wings, and burritos. I loved the blue-cheese dip thing for the celery and carrot sticks that came with the chicken wings. So I would say the food is definitely good. The wait was a bit long, but we were there to sit and relax and chat so did not care.
The drinks were kind of sucky, though. It is very cheapā€¦only NT$40 for a coke, but the glass is so small that you have to keep ordering.

The service was not good. I must say, we arrived there just after 5:30 so I guess they were not expecting anybody, but stillā€¦
I actually expected a more stall-type place and was surprised to see it was a restaurant. Some points: after sitting with the menus for a while I gave a smile and wave to the woman behind the bar, but she did not come over, so I got up and asked her questions. When I asked for more water, she only refilled my glass, and not my husbandā€™s. The water glasses only got refilled once, and then only mine, after I asked. There were no side plates or napkins on the table. You either had to put your chicken bones back on the plate you were eating from, or on the table, which I know is the custom here, but that I donā€™t really like to do.
Aside from that, it seemed almost like we were imposing on peopleā€™s private dinner. There was a kid that seemed to belong to the place eating there that wandered over a couple of times staring at us, and people were having really loud conversations with each other all the way from the door to the back of the restaurant. At one point this kid communicated that he needed to poo, and that led to all kinds of bathroom preparations. The horror! :slight_smile:

But seriously, it would be the kind of place that develops into a tight little community, where everybody knows everybody. And the food is good, but the main reason you go is because you know the owner and all the regulars and you want to hang out. Nothing bad about that, right? But for me, if I wanted to listen to a loud conversation about white-collar crime in South Africa, Iā€™d just move back home.

So, to summarizeā€¦
Food: yes
Atmosphere and service: no

But good luck and I hope you do well.

22

Reading that last post made me giggle a bit. I wonā€™t deny its truth, but I insist itā€™s not how things normally operate here. I especially apologize for the loud conversation about crime in South Africa. I can guess who the annoying person was and oftentimes myself would wish that person just shut up for a change. Donā€™t care if he even reads this, to be honest, even though he is a friend.

The wings should be served with a small side plate - our mistake. Iā€™ll remind our servers. I sometimes forget this myself when I deliver wings to the table.

About the Coke, I was just thinking tonight that I should make one refill free. If you had ordered one of the canned sodas at $75, you would have got the whole can. (We have - for now, no promises about the future - A&W root beer, A&W cream soda, vanilla coke, grape soda, orange soda, ginger ale and Welchā€™s strawberry soda.)

To be honest, sometimes the staff, and even sometimes the kitchen, is not fully ready to go at 5:30 as we should be. This is something we need to improve upon.

Anyway, thank you for your feedback. Looking at the bills for the evening, Iā€™m guessing the kid who stared at you was my nephew. Heā€™s cute, hardly ever there, and yes we fuss over him a bit when he does come in because heā€™s so adorable. Hopefully, if you have kids of your own someday, youā€™ll feel likewise about them.

And we have enchiladas again until the sauce runs out again. It takes me three hours and two burners to make the sauce, which is why I sometimes donā€™t have any for a day or three. The latest sauce is very spicy.

23

With such positive response to my criticism, I will definitely make an effort to try your place again. Like I said, the food was good.
About the bratā€¦those things only get cute after 16, in my opinion. Donā€™t think you can convince me about that one. :slight_smile:

24

I had a good time at The Green Hornet this evening with my wife, daughter, and fellow Forumosans. The food was better than I had expected, and tasty enough for me to want to go back when Iā€™m in the area again.

An unexpected plus was that my 3-year-old daughter found a pile of toys to play with, which kept her well occupied. I think itā€™s a pretty good place to take a small child, and she also enjoyed the food - which is quite worthy of note since sheā€™s a very, very picky eater.

25

Itā€™s the new French chef :wink:

26

Hi, a friend and I went scooted down to the Green Hornet last night for a great dinner. We shared the Greek Salad, Veggie Nachos and Pesto Pasta with sundried tomatoes! It was all very tasty and perfect so, well worth the trip down there. I canā€™t wait to go back again! :thumbsup:

27

Now that I am back in the 'Dian, I ventured across the bridge to enjoy some fresh Moosehead and met Dear Peter and a few of the regulars. Enjoyed a big mess of wings with my Mooseheads. Very nice place. Zena, the bar lass was very sweet and hospitable, and while Peter was busy cooking, I did get the chance to chat a bit with him as I was leaving. Nice bloke, nice place, great prices. Only a 5 minute stroll from my new digs too. And the lovely Miss Flops was welcomed by all except the racist beagle. :snoopy:

28

Xiandian ehā€¦? Booze ehā€¦? The Deuce might just drop by sometime.

29

Went there this past weekend. Nice place. Had already eaten so didnā€™t try any food. They probably have the cheapest Guinness Draught in the Taipei area at $160 NT per pint.

30

Just a shout out for this place. I went there last night to meet up with some old friends. Feeling a bit overtired and undernourished, after having spent most of the week eating waffles at Melange (what is it with Taiwanese women and that place?). Lovely people, fresh, simple, tasty food. Exactly what I needed.

Had fajitas and then was being greedy and added Hummous with carrots and bread.

Any food review of mine right now goes through a lense of my living in small town China, so my thoughts are just ā€˜cleanā€™ ā€˜Good quality ingredients!ā€™ rather than a sophisticated breakdown, but would definitely recommend it. My friendā€™s enchilequiles(?) was great too.

31

[quote=ā€œErmintrudeā€]Just a shout out for this place. I went there last night to meet up with some old friends. Feeling a bit overtired and undernourished, after having spent most of the week eating waffles at Melange (what is it with Taiwanese women and that place?). Lovely people, fresh, simple, tasty food. Exactly what I needed.

Had fajitas and then was being greedy and added Hummous with carrots and bread.

Any food review of mine right now goes through a lense of my living in small town China, so my thoughts are just ā€˜cleanā€™ ā€˜Good quality ingredients!ā€™ rather than a sophisticated breakdown, but would definitely recommend it. My friendā€™s enchilequiles(?) was great too.[/quote]
Sorry I missed you. I was there until 7. Will probably drop in tonight tho.

32

Itā€™s been a flying visit. Ivebeen exhausted and fighting some virus so Iā€™m not good company anyway. Next time!

33

This looks like fun.

34

Went by Green Hornet the other early evening maybe 6pm-ish.

Seemed like I was walking into someoneā€™s living room. Household items spread out everywhere floor, tables, bar and didnā€™t really look like any spot to sit down. Looked like family members doing family things. Green Hornet sign visible and menu outside by the door so it must be the right place.

I didnā€™t go in.

1 Like
35

Yeah I went in once and wasnā€™t too impressed with the service and didnā€™t bother again. But I think it depends on when you go there exactly.

1 Like
36

Itā€™s like that all the time now. I watched a World Cup game in there and their young kid was wandering around desperately trying to get attention from people at their tables. I felt sorry for the kid but also wanted to watch the game and drink a beer with my mates

2 Likes
37

You couldnā€™t have gotten in anyway as dining in is/was forbidden in NTC

1 Like
38

Itā€™s not forbidden starting todayā€”though individual shops may still keep doing take-out only.

But your point regarding tangoā€™s Xinbei adventure is on the mark.

Guy

39

The old comments in this thread are testament to the food and beverage situation really improving in Taipei.

Ive been there, its just an expat dive-bar with passable mexican food that you could imagine finding in Taoyuan or Nantou.