5 Hidden Delights!
AD Posey once said that good food warms the heart and feeds the soul. As life ramps up with end-of-year exams, projects, or the beginning of college, good food becomes all the more necessary to fuel the body and the soul. As the Pen & Palette editors are all based around Tianmu, Taiwan, we wanted to shine a light on the less well-known (but no less delicious!) restaurants in our local area. Here are five hidden gems to check out, whether you're craving something Italian, Chinese, or... demonic?!
Contributors: Ethan H, Davina J, Jamie L, Bita S, Rae S
RUNNY EGG BURGER
Address: 111, Taipei City, Shilin District, Alley 40, Lane 91, Shidong Rd, No. 2, 1st Floor.
Runnyegg Burger is a small burger spot tucked away in a little alleyway. Many residents have never heard of this cute little restaurant, and that’s a shame, as it serves the best American-style burger and fries in the area. Their juicy burgers feature fresh toppings such as a handmade patty, Runnyegg Burger’s signature scrambled eggs, fresh lettuce, tomato, and others. You can also add toppings not included in the burger of your choice for as little as 10NT. The shoestring fries are thin, crispy, and delicious, and there is a 30NT discount on drinks with their combo meal. The cute diner-style interior is a perfect place to take aesthetic photos, no matter how bad you think your photography skills may be.
日野燒肉
Address: 111, Taipei City, Shilin District, Alley 40, Lane 91, Shidong Rd, No. 2, 1st Floor.
日野燒肉 is a small “restaurant” tucked away in an alleyway. There aren’t any seats, meaning meals are always to go (for example, I took mine to the neighbouring park). However, these small inconveniences are completely overshadowed by the high quality of food. Each bento box comes with rice, cabbage, two vegetable sides, an egg, and a meat of your choice. The beef bento I got was seasoned to perfection, with a slightly smoky aftertaste. The sauce they used was also delicious — drizzling it over the rice elevates the whole bowl to a whole new level. The cabbage soaks up all the seasoning and sauce from the meat while balancing out the strong savoury flavour.
The egg has a wrinkly, textured skin, and is also generously seasoned. While I typically dislike hard-boiled eggs, this one is delicious. Pairing it with the cabbage or beef creates “the perfect bite”!
While I was surprised to find the sides randomized every time I ordered, I was even more shocked when I found I enjoyed every one. From stir-fried tofu to steamed seaweed, each side is healthy, vegetarian-safe, and delicious.
As the stand is run by only two (very talented) cooks, make sure to call 30 minutes ahead of time with your order if you don’t want to wait! The stand is open to people with various dietary restrictions. Support this local restaurant and buy a bento!
FANFANS CAFE
Address: 108, 5th Floor, No. 92-1, Kunming Street, Wanhua District, Taipei City.
FanFans Cafe is a restaurant with light meals in the heart of Ximending. It changes its theme every few months to a different anime series, complete with cardboard cutouts, themed foods and placemat sets, official merchandise, and decorations. Past series include Hololive, My Hero Academia, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Spy X Family; the restaurant has a collection of tiny acrylic stands with characters from every series they’ve covered.
When I went with my friend, the restaurant was Chainsaw Man-themed. A welcoming space with simple all-white decorations—quite unlike the generous blood and death found in Chainsaw Man, but it complemented the cast’s dark outfits surprisingly well—and meals designed around various characters awaited us. It’s a relatively clean and well-maintained space, and being on the fifth floor gives you a view of Ximen through the floor-to-ceiling windows. You can even see the people below if you sit near the edges.
The food is decent—I particularly enjoyed the tomato and beef stew with rice—but it was mildly overpriced, which tends to happen at events based on licensed designs and art. However, we appreciated how the restaurant incorporated character’s styles and canon events into the meal design.
You’ll have to tilt your head up to look for the FANFANS CAFE logo or distinctive decorations.
阿堂鍋貼水餃
Address: No. 21-5, Lane 8, Tianmu E Rd, Shilin District, Taipei City, 111.
The fried dumplings are the highlight of the store. Compared to many other places that sell similar items, the fried dumplings here are filled to the brim with soup that bursts in your mouth the moment you bite in. You can even taste a bit of the fried batter on top of the dumpling, giving it a very authentic flavour. On top of that, the bottom of the dumpling is incredibly crisp and crunchy, giving it some nice texture. Dip it in some soy sauce and humanity has peaked with food. They also serve regular dumplings, soy milk, corn soup, and 虱目魚湯, which are all highly recommended as well, but the fried dumplings are absolutely the star of the show.
The serving time is around 5-15 minutes depending on how busy the restaurant is.
IL VICINO PIZZERIA
Address: No. 59, Section 7, Zhongshan N Rd, Shilin District, Taipei City, 111.
Il Vicino Pizzeria is a hidden delicacy among Tianmu residents within walking distance from many local high schools with good reviews on Google Maps, and food that looks absolutely delightful.
Atmosphere
Il Vicino Pizzeria is a hidden delicacy among Tianmu residents within walking distance from many local high schools with good reviews on Google Maps, and food that looks absolutely delightful. Upon entering, the soft, romantic jazz music and gentle heat emanating from the large pizza oven immediately warms the heart. Coral pink walls create a homely, cozy vibe, and the inside of the restaurant is actually quite big, contrary to its appearance on the exterior. The lighting is very aesthetic, and the waitress is very kind and sociable. Honestly, a cute, friendly waitress really a bonus to the overall atmosphere of the store; I’d go just for these casual conversations and interactions.
Menu
Il Vicino, as a pizzeria, of course specializes in its pizzas, which are 10 inch pizzas with thin, crispy crusts. Its pizzas are on the expensive side, especially compared to other pizza places in the Tianmu area. However, they are still worth a try, as their dishes use fragrant herbs, well-balanced to bring out the unique flavors of the freshly prepared ingredients. Other items on the menu include delicious pastas and risottos, which both have vegetarian options. As a vegetarian myself, there were many more options once I asked the waitress for more vegetarian dishes available! Whether you decide to order pasta, risotto, or pizza, you can add $130 to upgrade to the set menu, which includes soup or salad, drink, AND dessert. Additionally, there is a limited-time menu written on the black board, which includes seasonal dishes such as escargots. I ordered Homemade Fettuccine with Sicilian Vegetables in Tomato Sauce, upgrading to a set with fresh salad served with handmade balsamic vinegar, iced black tea and panna cotta (a classic Italian custard) for dessert.
Conclusion
Il Vicino’s handmade wide noodles are very good, with first-class texture and bite, and are surprisingly filling (I definitely underestimated the portion size). The tomato sauce and handmade balsamic vinegar is a 10/10, though I think some cheese would have made the pasta taste better. That’s a personal preference, though. I enjoyed the food very much, and will definitely be visiting again to try other menu items like the Handmade Fettuccine Pesto Pasta. Again, I’d like to emphasize that it is important to have an enthusiastic and kind waitress, which really made the dine-in experience at Il Vicino much better and more welcoming.