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.

Kitchen 66

Address: No. 11, Alley 3, Lane 74, Wenzhou St, Taipei City (台北市溫州街74巷3弄11號)
Telephone: (02) 2362-9668
Hours: Tues - Sun 11:30am to 10pm
Price: $$

I've been in the mood for a good bagel lately, so I thought I'd head over to Shih's Bagel in the Gongguan area and have a late breakfast. Turns out, Shih's Bagel is gone. In its place is Kitchen 66, a kitschy Americana diner selling American fare.

When I walked in, the interior was dimly lit (so dimly lit, in fact, I thought they were closed). There were only two other patrons, so there was this weird kinda-open-for-business-but-not-really vibe. The waitress handed me a menu, a glass, and let me sit wherever. Kitchen 66 is one of those rare places in Taiwan that offers free refills but, as I was to find out later, the soda was flat and not really worth the refill.

Looking over the menu, I noticed there were a lot of photos of people eating Kitchen 66 burgers and making a mess of themselves. The motto underneath was "Never use a fork". This sounds like a philosophy by which I can live quite easily. Though there were pizzas, fried chicken, steak, and fish & chips to tempt the wayward, I chose the Spicy Mexican Burger ($240 NT). The waitress warned me that this burger is "very spicy, too spicy", what with it's jalapenos, chipotle sauce, and tinge of Tabasco. Psssh! Please! Bring it on.

Ten minutes, two glasses of water, and thirteen pages later, the aromatic burger arrived at my table. This thing looked quite a sight! Bacon hanging out, cheddar cheese dripping, chipotle sauce running, burger still sizzling. Now this is what I'm talking about. 

The burger bun is quite delicious, second only to the Diner, and is lightly toasted. The lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle on the side were are fresh and, when added to the burger, made me long for a fork and knife. How was I supposed to eat this tower of food?! I managed to take a couple bites and was immediately hit with the heat. The chipotle, Tabasco, and thick, fat jalapenos definitely give this burger a kick. There's a lot of heat to contend with, but not so much that you can't appreciate the cheddar, bacon, and burger patty. This burger rides that fine line between perfection and overbearing heat.

The fries were hot, crispy, and well-seasoned. And because there's a bottle of Tabasco at every table, I thought I'd add a dash to my fries. Does it get any better than Tabasco-soaked fries? I'm not sure that it does.

I would definitely go back to Kitchen 66 to sample more of their burgers. I'll write off the weird vibe and flat soda to the early time of my arrival. I went on a Tuesday around noon, so they'd been open for a half hour before I showed up ... but still, completely flat soda? Anyway, there's no service charge, the manager speaks fluent English, and it's close to a lot of coffee houses and Belgian beer places (if you're looking for somewhere to go afterwards). 

Check out their Facebook page

The Door

Address: No. 26, Lane 57, Dàzhí St, Jhongshan District
Telephone: (02) 8509-8786
Hours: Sun - Thurs 10am to 9pm, Fri - Sat 10am to 10pm
Price: $$

Who would've thought an American diner such a lucrative concept in Taipei? Well, apparently, everyone. And they're right on the money.

In my new favorite part of town, there's an offshoot of the popular "the Diner" called the Door. Tucked down a tree-lined lane in Dàzhí, the Door is in a picturesque neighborhood. Walking from the Dàzhí MRT, you get the feeling that you're in Portland. What with all the college kids from Shih Chien University, tree-lined avenues, free Wi-fi cafes, bookstores, and small parks and green spaces, it's as close as you'll come to the real thing.

the Door is significantly smaller than the Diner and has only eleven tables inside, some able to accommodate five people easily, while others can accommodate two at best. Arriving on a Sunday around 2pm, I was told there was a 20 minute wait. So, I headed down to Kooka Coffee (yup, you read that right) for a cold latte; more on that later.

Taking a seat at my table for two, I immediately ordered the Asparagus and Chicken Omelette ($250 NT). I'm working my way through their amazing omelets and this one was next on the list. The omelets come with a choice of white or wheat bread, hash browns or potatoes O'Brien, and coffee or tea. There's a complimentary glass of kiwi juice that comes with each omelet order, a small cup of assorted fruit, and all omelets are made with organic eggs.

Several minutes later, my breakfast arrived, smelling divine. Tucking into the potatoes O'Brien, I was initially overwhelmed with the seasoning. There was a lot of salt and pepper on the potatoes and, though the potatoes weren't soggy, there was more oil than I'd care to see at the bottom of the plate. This was the first time I've had a less than wonderful experience with the potatoes O'Brien, so I'll definitely order them next time despite my latest disappointment.

If there's one thing the Door does right, it's most certainly the omelets. Fluffy and delicious, these omelets never disappoint (I should probably knock on wood). The eggs are cooked enough so that they aren't raw, but not so cooked as to taste like rubber. You immediately notice the cheese! It's the glue that holds the whole delightful concoction together. It's warm, gooey, flavorful, and present throughout the omelet, not just stuffed in the middle.

The diced chicken pieces are huge and lightly seasoned, adding another dimension to the omelet. My only minuscule complaint is that the asparagus pieces were quite tiny, a little lacking in quantity, and I had envisioned asparagus heads as being in the omelet, though this was never specified. Also, the onions got a little lost in the sauce, as the saying goes; but overall, I was immensely satisfied.

The wheat bread was lightly toasted and the whipped butter on the side was appreciated. Not wanting to leave, despite my hour-and-a-half-long stay, I decided to order myself a treat (as if a huge omelet wasn't enough). I debated between the milkshakes, nachos, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, until I remembered the list of imported sodas.

the Door serves three imported sodas ($60 NT for a 12 fl oz. can): Dr. Pepper, A&W Root Beer, and ... Mountain Dew? I've forgotten the last one. My eyes probably glazed over after reading Dr. Pepper. I ordered one and was tempted by the waitress to turn it into a Dr. Pepper float for an extra $40 NT, but didn't.

If you need additional reasons to love the Door (you know, besides the locale, Dr. Pepper, American style food, Wi-fi, and cute waiters), consider this; there's self-serve, all-you-can-drink hot coffee/hot tea/ice-cold water, and no service charge! My total came to $310 NT and I drank a swimming pool's worth. The menu is in English and Chinese and the staff speak both. The Facebook page is here.