Pâtisserie ALEX

Address: No. 18, Lane 553, Section 4, Zhōngxiào East Rd, Sinyi District
Telephone: (02) 2762-3236
Hours: Mon - Sun 11:30am to 9pm
Price: $$

Overlooking the Songshan Cultural Park, Pâtisserie ALEX is a cheery cafe that offers a range of European cuisine. From apricot raspberry almond tarts ($120 NT) to Russian tea cakes ($24 NT for two) to pistachio cakes with tropical fruit mousse and pineapple cream ($130 NT), Alex has a varied dessert menu.

On this occasion, I initially decided to forgo the desserts. All were quite small (as desserts here are wont to be) and I was in the mood for a meal. I ordered the salmon salad ($200 NT) and sat down with my book. I love all the natural light pouring into the cafe! The large windows looking over the park give patrons a nice, sunny view in the summer. It's in a prime location too - one of the exits for the Songshan Cultural Park  is mere feet away.

I wasn't expecting the salmon salad to be quite so huge! And after my experience at the Consulate Cafe, I wasn't expecting the salmon portion to be on the generous side but, surprise surprise!, it was more than I hoped for. The salmon salad included eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers, and some onions. Unfortunately there was a watered down ranch dressing on most of the salad (underneath the salmon). This was my fault though; I've forgotten that salads in Taiwan automatically come with some sort of sauce. Still, I was able to scrap the majority of it off.

I loved that they gave you four slices of slightly buttered bread! The salad is much more filling with a carbohydrate on the plate and, if you wanted, you could turn your salad into a sandwich. I am nothing if not a fan of versatility. I all but inhaled the salad and then decided I had room for some dessert.


Alex offers little desserts, like Russian tea cakes and honey lemon Madeleines ($28 NT for two), in pre-wrapped plastic bags. These desserts are extremely small (they can typically fit in the palm of your hand) but they're a safe bet if you don't want to purchase a $140 NT piece of cake you might hate. I purchased the Russian tea cakes and ate them in the park. Gone quickly, the tea cakes tasted like the ones I remember back home. All in all, a very delicious experience. Maybe next time I'll spring for the more expensive desserts...

 

Pâtisserie ALEX has a Chinese and English menu, and the waitstaff are extremely friendly and attentive. There's no service charge and as far as Wi-fi goes I wasn't able to find a connection. If you're around the Songshan Cultural Park area, I highly recommend a visit!

Jeanlook Coffee Only

Address: No. 4, Alley 6, Lane 553, Section 4, Zhōngxiào East Rd, Sinyi District
Telephone: (02) 2763-9909
Hours: 12pm to 10pm, days not listed
Price: $$

A block away from the Taipei Comedy Club, Jeanlook COFFEE ONLY is a specialty coffee shop a la Roaster Family Coffee. There are many coffee shops in Taipei that roast, grind, and brew exotic beans but I was eager to see what Jeanlook had to offer.


The interior of Jeanlook is very minimalist: white walls, tiled floor, wooden tables, stainless steel appliances. It has an upscale feel to it, a vibe contributed to by the patrons. The menu, for all intents and purposes, is in Chinese. ... Okay, the title of the beverage is in English, but not much else. I ordered a coffee smoothie but was told they hadn't the necessary ingredients. Looks like I'll settle for a cold tiramisu latte ($230 NT).

I really wanted to like this drink. Honestly, I did. Overall, the presentation was good. It looked aesthetically pleasing and photographed well. 
But looks aren't everything. 
The first thing I noticed upon pulling the drink closer? The latte was room temperature. The ice cubes hadn't yet worked their magic and the barista thought nothing of handing me a lukewarm latte. 

I know there are different ways to make a tiramisu latte. Toppings can consist of whipped cream, steamed milk, caramel sauce, cocoa powder, cinnamon, or whatever else evokes the taste of tiramisu. Though I'm used to whipped cream as the main topping, foam is fine. I'm not really drinking the beverage for the toppings, so as long as the actual liquid portion of the drink is on point, I'm satisfied. 

It takes me just a sip to realize something is horribly wrong here. Where's the shot of tiramisu? Or, failing tiramisu syrup, gingerbread/caramel/cinnamon/french vanilla syrup? Really just ANY syrup? This latte was exactly that ... a latte. A latte with foam on top. A latte with foam on top for $230 NT. I asked the barista if this was my tiramisu latte and she confirmed that, yes, it was. 

 

While normally I would try to give Jeanlook another shot, the prices preclude me from making that promise. The prices range from $160 NT - $330 NT; the fancier brews are most expensive, while items like the coffee smoothie are on the cheaper side. I'm not willing to gamble on this particular cafe, but if you're more adventurous (and your Chinese is good) order anything but the tiramisu latte. There's no service charge and the afternoon tea sets looked delicious (albeit expensive).

Their Facebook page is listed under Zhanlu Coffee, as is their main website. I'm not sure if they're changing their name or changing management, so I can't shed any light on the discrepancy.