Aniki Burger

Address: No. 1, Lane 238, Section 1, Dūnhuà South Rd, Daan District
Telephone: (02) 2711-6077
Hours: Mon - Sun 11am to 9pm
Price: $$

Sometimes, I visit food porn websites. I'm sorry you had to find out this way. Getting lost in the images of cinnamon buns, steaks, cupcakes, and eggs Benedict, I think, "How is it possible to take a photo of food like that?" Well ladies and gentlemen, at Aniki Burger I came as close as I possibly could.

Aniki Burger was established in 2010 near a small SOGO on Dūnhuà South Road. From the front, it looks a little like an Asian restaurant. Only upon closer inspection do you notice the small English sign proclaiming delicious burgers live here. The interior is a mish-mash of several themes (though the owner was trying to go for the "American diner" look): modern and minimalist meets wannabe diner. I actually think that this works out in Aniki's favor. Too many places here try to replicate that 1950s Americana look and Aniki would just be "one of many"; the modern vibe offsets that.

The menu is outrageous. I spent a solid 10 minutes flipping through the menu, debating. The appetizers range from cheese fries to calamari ($100 - $180 NT) and the salads ($120 - $180 NT) are among the biggest I've seen in Taiwan. The eggs Benedict ($220 - $250 NT) come with a variety of toppings like smoked turkey and smoked beef, and the omelettes ($220 - $270 NT) are equally as diverse with fried beef, salmon, Mexican chili, and Provence chicken.

The sandwich and burger section is extensive (chicken burgers, fish burgers, tofu burgers) but one burger stood out to me: the peanut butter hamburger ($230 NT). Now, I'm no maverick burger connoisseur who dreams of burgers with truffles or caviar or fine Italian mascarpone lightly added on top. But I do like to see inventive burgers and people thinking about a traditional American food in a new way. I've heard of peanut butter burgers back home and thought today was a good day to jump out of my comfort zone.

Good news, unlimited refills! Or at least unlimited soda, coffee, and red tea refills. I opened up my laptop and logged onto Aniki's Wi-fi while waiting for my burger. I noticed that some of the tables are retro Plinko games that you can actually play. I saw at least three patrons making great use of these games while waiting for their food; it got quite competitive at one table!

The moment I'd been waiting for. The peanut butter burger arrived at my table in all its peanut buttery glory. It was fantastic. The bun was sweet, lightly toasted, and the size of a small plate. The fries were crispy, flavorful, and hot. And there was peanut butter everywhere. I mean, absolutely everywhere. It was dripping down the plate and my hands and face. ... I looked like a small child and enjoyed every second of it.

While it's true you can't really taste the burger (or the cheese for that matter), there would be bites that had a greater meat to peanut butter ratio and that's when you would taste the juicy, flavorful goodness of the burger. It was the perfect marriage of peanut butter to burger. Yes, the peanut butter was the main focus, but the kitchen didn't throw any ol' patty on that bun. I highly recommend it.

Aniki has a policy of no outside food or drinks (honestly why would you want to?!) and you need to spend  a minimum of $100 NT. There's no service charge and the Wi-fi is good and reliable. It's password protected, but everyone speaks English and asking for help shouldn't be a problem. Also, there are milkshakes on the menu! You can look at the menu here or stalk photos on their Facebook page. It's definitely worth a visit.

Chef Jason - My Place

Address: No. 258-1, Ruì'ān Street, Dà'ān District (台北市大安區瑞安街258號之1)
Telephone: (02) 2703-8516
Hours: Not listed
Price: $$

I'm not sure what it is, but recently I've been craving all sorts of American food: hot dogs, hamburgers, barbecue ribs, Philly cheese steak, Buffalo wings, whole Maine lobster, you know. So I thought I'd head over to Gusto Street Hot Dog next to the Diner. And wouldn't you know it? It's gone too. If this isn't the month for failed reviews....

Gusto Street Hot Dog is now Chef Jason - My Place. Taking a quick glance at the menu outside, I see there are burgers. Fits the criteria. Settling into a table at the back, I'm pleasantly surprised with the decor. It's fun without trying too hard. There's a Hulk hand smashing through the wall, a couple amusing "Wanted" posters, random paintings, some Americana photos. I can't quite figure out why but, I like it.

On the menu it says that this is a "burgers & pastas" joint, an interesting fusion. There are a lot of appetizers like nachos, onion rings, chili cheese fries, calamari and there's A&W Root Beer and Mountain Dew ($80 NT). There's a wide variety of burgers (Chili, Cowboy, Jalapeno, Philly, Regular Ham/Cheeseburger, et al.) and I ordered the BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger ($230 NT) with a Coke ($60 NT). 

The music at Chef Jason's isn't so loud as to disturb reading or conversation, but it's loud enough that you can listen to it and hum along. My massive 8 oz. burger arrived on a toasted bun with all the accoutrements necessary for a delicious burger: a big green lettuce leaf, huge slice of onion, thick slice of tomato, melted cheddar cheese, two pieces of Applewood bacon, and zesty barbecue sauce. Two hands are definitely necessary. As far as burgers go, this might be my new favorite.

The hot fries were cut thick and perfectly seasoned with crispy exteriors. After eating the burger, finishing the fries is quite the challenge. Jason came out and asked me how everything was. Umm, most delicious burger I've ever had? As we chatted, he told me he bought the place in February, created the menu, decorated the restaurant, and used all of his sous chef knowledge to put together fantastic dishes (he didn't say that last part). Maybe that's why I like this place. You can sense from the moment you walk in he's excited to have his own place.

I like that Chef Jason - My Place focuses on a couple types of food (burgers, pastas, sandwiches), and avoids over-extension. There are also salads and quesadillas on the menu and a section for vegetarians. All the food is fresh, never frozen, and Jason makes almost everything himself (including the pasta sauces). The menu is in English and Chinese, there's no service charge, and there's a fairly good chance you'll get to speak with the proprietor himself. Look out for my pasta review coming soon!

Consulate Cafe

Address: No. 257, Zhōngzhèng Rd, Danshuei District
Telephone: Not listed
Hours: Not listed
Price: $$

Type "Consulate Cafe Taipei" into any major search engine, and you'll get a lot of results. The majority won't even reference a cafe. Sometimes referred to as "The Embassy Cafe", Consulate Cafe is hard to miss on Zhōngzhèng Road and is across the street from the Fort San Domingo entrance.

This conveniently located cafe welcomes a lot of tourists who come to visit the Fort and former British Consulate, students from Aletheia University, and day-trippers visiting from Taipei. The fare is light and moderately priced. You can find cheaper food and drinks at the street stalls; this air-conditioned cafe is not the place to seek a bargain.

Though the menu boasted many drinks (hot/iced green tea, hot/iced black tea, beer, juice, soda, chocolate milk and hot chocolate, "ice cream soda", coffee, lattes, etc.), I decided water would be best, what with the humidity and my state of dehydration. I wanted to eat something light that wouldn't weigh me down, but thought a salad too boring. Dessert sounded good, but cheesecakes and brownies aren't really all that light. A sandwich it was.

The sandwich selection was tuna, ham, smoked salmon, or German sausage with sauerkraut ($140 - $190 NT). Quite the eclectic smorgasbord. I chose the smoked salmon sandwich with herb bread (possible alternatives: croissant, "milk" bread) for $160 NT.

The sandwich was a lot bigger than I had anticipated. The "herb bread" was actually two large pieces of olive and rosemary focaccia bread. The olive and rosemary were married well, though the focaccia seemed a little oily, bizarrely so. There was a good amount of lettuce, some nice ripe slices of tomato, several cucumbers, and (disappointingly) a sliver of salmon. All of this was smothered with some sort of salad dressing (even more disappointing). 

While I suppose it is my fault for not asking them to make the sandwich without dressing, it never stated on the menu that dressing was even a potential component. I think I hear the smallest violin in the world playing just for me.... Anyway, I was a little miffed that I had purchased a smoked salmon sandwich with almost no smoked salmon, but such is life. There was a dollop of the salad dressing and relish on the side, but the sandwich was drowning as is. Unnecessary.

The real appeal to this cafe is the location. Located right on the riverside, there are beautiful sunset views and lovely nighttime views of Bali. Consulate Cafe is located close to Big Tom, in fact, just walk down Zhōngzhèng Road and you'll bump into both of them (about a three minute walk from one another). There's no website for Consulate Cafe, but you can search "Consulate Cafe Taipei" or "The Embassy Cafe Taipei" and sift through the results.

The menu is in English and Chinese, there's a 10% service charge, and the staff speak a limited amount of English. My opinion on Consulate? Just head over to Big Tom. The view is quite similar, there's no service charge, the riverside view is indoors with floor to ceiling windows, the food and drinks are cheaper, the ambiance better, and all the Wi-fi for which you can ask!