Omelet to Go

We discovered this little gem of a restaurant a little while back, and it's rapidly become one of our new favorite Western breakfast places. It's hidden away in a small alley off of Renai, and I almost don't want to tell all of you out there in Internetland about it, since I don't want all of you (ok, like one or two of you) to rush over and take all the available seating. Yes, it's small, and probably seats about 10 people comfortably, 14 if you count the outdoor seating.

But that's what I like about it. It's homey. It's cozy. The chef is right out in the open, cooking on a traditional four burner gas stove. The waitresses/prep chefs are friendly and chatty (and also speak fluent English), and the overall effect is that you're in someone's kitchen, watching them prepare a fine meal for you as you chat with friends.

Besides an assortment of omelets (all 90NT each, but no sides), Omelet to Go also offers Mexican dishes (all around 150NT or so), which is awesome for me because I love Mexican food and have been hard pressed to find decent places. Luckily, I need to search no more. I was quite happy with my burrito that I ordered, and thinking about it now is making my mouth water.

Our waitress told us that David, the chef, likes to experiment a lot, and every Tuesday they offer a new creation of his on the menu. One of his experiments that has now become a staple, is the pesto fried rice. I definitely recommend it. It's different, and it works.


Last weekend we headed over to find a brunch special for 200NT. It came with two pancakes, cheesy scrambled eggs, hash browns (these were really good), and sausage. I'm not sure if this was a one time special or if they're going to start having this all the time, but even if they don't, the omelets are always a good choice. Actually, everything is a good choice, so definitely try Omelet to Go!

Omelet to Go
Keelung Road, Section 1, No. 350-69*
(02) 2720-8782

*The address to this place is very misleading, because it's not anywhere near Keelung at all. It's in a small alley off of Renai, close to where Renai ends at Taipei City Hall. If you need more specific directions, drop me a line. Otherwise, I recommend calling for directions, because it's near impossible to find it based on the address itself.

Bongos

For those of you sick of the long wait at The Diner, check out Bongos. I'm not saying that The Diner isn't good, because it is, but sometimes that wait time is just brutal. Also, whenever we tried to call for reservations, they never had any available the day of. Thank goodness for Bongos, then. Even without reservations, the longest we've ever had to wait for a table was about 10 or 15 minutes. And, more importantly, the food is definitely on par with the quality at The Diner - actually, at this point I would say that only thing The Diner has over Bongos is that they serve milkshakes.

In fact, I think I actually like the hamburgers at Bongos better, if only because I feel healthier eating them. They serve all their hamburgers on wheat buns, and in addition to the tradition lettuce and tomatoes, my hamburger came with alfafa sprouts. Here's the Deluxe Bongos Burger I ordered last time - it comes with bacon, Gouda cheese, and what they said was a "special" sauce, but tasted like Thousand Island dressing to me. I don't know, maybe that dressing is special here in Taiwan.


Another thing that I was really excited about at Bongos is that they have Mexican food on their menu, and it's actually quite decent. The chicken enchiladas are a thumbs up, and the chili is also good.

So, next time you call up The Diner and find that they're booked solid, head on over to Bongos.

Bongos
Wenjou Street, Lane 74, Alley 5, No. 3*
(02) 2365-6059

*It might be a good idea to call for directions, since Bongos is tucked away in a small alley near National Taiwan University (Exit 2 from the MRT Taipower Station). In fact, their business card says, "If lost, call Debby 0952-821-930."