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.

O2 Brunch Cafe

Address: No. 47, Section 3, Mínquán East Road, Jhongshan District
Telephone: (02) 2506-6529
Hours: Mon - Fri 10am to 11pm, Sat 9am to 11pm
Price: $

Becoming a recognized name throughout Taiwan, the O2 cafe has opened ten cafes since January. Immensely popular, this brunch cafe serves sandwiches, burgers, risotto, pasta, bagels, and the famous O2 Roll. 

Walking inside, I can instantly see why the O2 is popular. It's bright, cheery, and clean, with some classical music softly piped through the speakers. When the waitress hands me the menu I'm pleased to discover that this meal is going to be cheaper than I expected. 

 For the price of a Starbucks latte, you can have a proper O2 Brunch meal consisting of their famous roll, french fries, and a beverage. I chose the O2 smoked chicken roll for $55 NT, though there are many other options such as bacon, garden salad, and egg. If you decide to "make it a meal", which I recommend doing, it'll set you back a mere $39 NT (includes a drink and french fries). I really wanted an ice latte though, so I forked over the extra $30 NT.

The latte was just the thing I needed on such a hot, muggy day! I liked that there wasn't a lot of ice in the glass, but there was a preponderance of foam which was a little bizarre. The foam was quite thick, very sweet, and didn't really dissolve into the latte. I drank the latte from a straw and scooped the foam out and ate it independent from the latte. Perfect!

The french fries arrived next, hot and crispy with a side of ketchup. I like ketchup on my fries, but the O2 fries were so crunchy, flavorful, and delicious that I didn't want to ruin them with any condiments. Like many Taiwanese restaurants, the food is brought out to your table as it's ready. I'm not saying I want cold fries, but I wish things were a little more coordinated in the kitchen. C'est la vie.

 Next, the famous O2 roll that's made such a splash in Taiwan! The roll is made of toasted flatbread, something you don't see much of in Taiwan. There's a lot of lettuce, some smoked chicken, an egg, a tomato, and some secret sauce in the roll. The sauce tastes like Thousand Island dressing but has the consistency of water, so maybe it's watered down dressing? Not sure. But the roll is really good and is probably one of the healthiest things I've eaten in Taiwan.  

I like that the O2 serves delicious food in decent portions at good prices ($124 NT for anyone that was keeping track). With all of their locations, it's quite easy to accidentally run into one. I'm also a fan of their decor. You can tell they put effort into their cafes and it shows (in a good way). Little touches like pumpkins as table markers definitely win them points in my book.

I'm curious to see how the O2 does risotto, so that's definitely on my to-do list. The menu at the restaurant is in English, but the menu online is only in Chinese. The wait staff are really friendly and if you're ever in the mood for good, cheap food, you'll know where to go!