Formosa Taipei

Why is it that Chinatowns tend to be Cantonese, and the Taiwanese/Northern Chinese restaurants always seems to be a bit further out?  OK, granted, I don't have that many data points.  I'm thinking of New York and Boston in particular.  In New York, the best Taiwanese food is definitely in Flushing, not in Chinatown.  Similarly, in Boston, the best Taiwanese food (with the exception of Taiwan Cafe), is also outside of the city.  My two favorites are basically in the burbs: Shangri La in Belmont and Chung Shin Yuan in Newton.  Even Jo Jo Taipei (Allston), Mulan (Cambridge), and Wisteria (Allston) are not in Chinatown.

More recently, some former members of the Jo Jo Taipei team left to open up a new restaurant in Lexington (another suburban Taiwanese spot!).  This location is literally a 5-minute drive from my church.  After church we are always looking for good places to eat in Lexington (and, honestly, there aren't that many), so we were excited to check this place out.

First thing's first. It's important to know that this is really just a take out place.  There are a couple stools and benches along this table on one wall, but that's it.  It's pretty hard to go with more than one person if you want to have meaningful conversation while you're there.  Unless if you don't mind all sitting in a line facing out the window.

They even serve everything in takeout boxes.

The first thing that tickled us were the super authentic fobby lunch boxes. This is the box that is holding the pork chop over rice (quintessential Taiwanese dish).  My friend, Emily, was like,

"they're importing boxes all the way from Taiwan!" For some reason, it really added to the authenticity of the experience.  I could almost feel like I was sitting on a train in Taiwan, ordering a "bian dang." (lunch box)

And inside, the pork chop over rice.  Despite its authentic exterior, we were underwhelmed with the pork chop.  It was a little soggy, the meat was kind of dry and overcooked.  The flavor was decent, but overall it was quite average.  The entire dish is pretty authentic, though, down to the soy sauce egg, the pickled radish, and the sour mustard greens.

I got the beef noodle soup, which is supposedly one of their best dishes.  It comes packaged separately, which is pretty nice.  You pour the soup & beef over the noodles when you get home.  This prevents the noodles from becoming overly soggy.

The flavor of the soup was pretty good - deep, rich, with a slight kick.  I thought the soup itself was quite oily, to the point that it detracted from my enjoyment of the dish.  The pieces of meat in this soup are quite fatty.  I would say it's only about 50% meat, while the rest is tendon, fat, and other cartilage.  Perhaps the authentic version of this dish requires some fatty pieces, but I thought it was just too much.  I ended up throwing out large chunks of gelatinous stuff.

My vegetarian friend got the 3-cup tofu, which actually has pretty good flavor. "3-cup" dishes typically have a 1:1:1 ratio of soy sauce, rice wine, and sesame oil.  There's also tons of basil, garlic, ginger, and sugar. This dish had nice, fragrant pieces of tofu infused with that beautiful combination of flavors.  I've actually had this at Jo Jo Taipei before, and it's pretty similar.  I think the former chef of Jo Jo Taipei is actually here, so that makes sense.

Sesame Beef: I think our friends who got this felt that this dish was a bit more Americanized than what they were expecting. I actually did not try this dish so I can't comment on it.

Bryan got this sesame flatbread (shao bing) with stewed beef shank and onions.  This was a very, very disappointing appetizer. Maybe I was expecting something else, but the flatbread was really dry and not really crispy at all.  I'm so used to the flaky and crispy ones (probably made with lard) from places like Shangri La. This tasted like a diet or lowfat version of the normal sesame flatbread.  Dry, no fat, kind of hard to chew.  I would not recommend getting this.

Boba tea was solid, and is really a must have at a Taiwanese place, right? ;)


Overall Thoughts
*SIGH* I really really really wanted to love this place.  It was so close to church.  It was Taiwanese.  It was opened by the Jo Jo Taipei folks.  I'm not sure what went wrong.  Did we order during an off time?  Or did we order the wrong things?  I still love the concept of having a Taiwanese take out place in Lexington, and considering that Lexington has a woeful selection of Chinese restaurants, this is actually a nice addition.  I might go back and try the dumplings (I think they even have soup dumplings!), and maybe something like the three cup chicken or something.  Bryan did originally want to order their "Ro Geng Mian" (Pork Bamboo Shoot Noodle Soup), but they had run out, so maybe we'll go back and try that.

As it now stands, though, I would rank many places in Boston, including Shangri La in Belmont, Chung Shin Yuan in Newton, and Taiwan Cafe in Chinatown above this place.  However, if you are in Lexington and in the mood for Taiwanese food, this is still a decent option. It IS quite authentic.

Formosa Taipei
315 Marrett Road, Lexington, MA 02421
Lexington, MA 02421

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The Upper Crust

The secret's in the dough. And they're not telling a soul about it.

My friend likes to play with pizza dough - to the point that she's gotten into the habit of asking for a bit of pizza dough to play with when she goes to pizza restaurants. Bertucci's sells their pizza dough, and will gladly give you a bit to play with.

Guess what? The dough at The Upper Crust is so proprietary they won't let it out of their sight. So my friend wasn't able to even get a sample.

This secret dough results in some pretty tasty pizzas.

Jordan Tobins, the 31-year old founder of this place, spent a year playing around with the ratios of yeast, water, and rising times to figure out the optimal recipe for this pizza dough.  What results is a crust that is amazingly thin, crunchy, yet holds its own against the toppings.

Tobins says that the secret is actually in the freshness of the ingredients.  "The real key is freshness. The fresher the sauce, the sweeter it is . . . use fresh ingredients and it will taste great every time." Though he was a pre-med student in college, he abandoned that after graduation to pursue a career in the restaurant industry, opening up his first Upper Crust in Beacon Hill in 2001.  It was a huge success, and since then he has opened countless more, mostly in the New England area.

My favorite is the Harvard Street, which is essentially like a Margarita pizza, made with fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, basil, and garlic.  I love chewing on the crunchy, thin crust.

The Lucky Luciano, which has chorizo sausage, hearts of palm, fresh tomatoes, and scallions, is quite creative and really good as well.

Other pizzas I've tried there that I like include "The Newbury" (a margarita pizza with breaded veal slices on top), "The Uncommon Pizza" (pineapples, bacon, and jalapenos), and the "Slightly Pesto" (pesto, tomatoes, and garlic).

They try to be environmental, and at least in Harvard Square, their delivery guys deliver the pizzas on bicycles!  It's hilarious to see these bikes maneuvering around Cambridge with a stack of pizza boxes tied to the back.

Upper Crust pizzas taste fantastic fresh out of the oven.  I love going to the restaurant and eating it there. The pizza loses a bit of its magic when delivered, although it's still pretty enjoyable, and still better than any other delivery option I can think of.

The Upper Crust has been expanding quite rapidly in the last year or so.  I was pretty thrilled when they opened one up in Harvard Square really close to me this past year.  We often get delivery (on bikes!) from them.  Prices are on the higher end, with large pizzas costing around $20.  A large pizza can comfortably feed three larger eaters and 4 smaller eaters.

Even though some lament the "chainification" of this place (arguing that it has lost some of the quaintness of the original Beacon Hill location), I personally love how it's more accessible now.  I definitely go to the one in Lexington on a regular basis, and I've been known to stop by the Beacon Hill one on occasion too if I happen to be in the area and need a quick bite to eat.  Of course, since I live in Cambridge, I definitely order from the Cambridge location as well (which is too tiny for sit-down anyway).

They also sell by the slice, which makes it a pretty good place to drop by for a quick lunch or dinner.  Several of them have alcohol licenses, so you can even enjoy a glass of wine with your pizza slice.  This place has become Bryan's default choice for a quick dinner whenever he's in the Lexington area.

Of course, there are specialty places in Boston that have better pizza (Emma's and Gran Gusto immediately come to mind).  However, when it comes to finding a place that's quick, delicious, inventive, and delivers, this place can't be beat.

The Upper Crust (Beacon Hill)
20 Charles St
Boston, MA 02114


The Upper Crust (Lexington)
41 Waltham St
Lexington, MA 02421


The Upper Crust (Harvard Square)
49b Brattle St Harvard Sq
Cambridge, MA 02138

The Upper Crust

The secret's in the dough. And they're not telling a soul about it.

My friend likes to play with pizza dough - to the point that she's gotten into the habit of asking for a bit of pizza dough to play with when she goes to pizza restaurants. Bertucci's sells their pizza dough, and will gladly give you a bit to play with.

Guess what? The dough at The Upper Crust is so proprietary they won't let it out of their sight. So my friend wasn't able to even get a sample.

This secret dough results in some pretty tasty pizzas.

Jordan Tobins, the 31-year old founder of this place, spent a year playing around with the ratios of yeast, water, and rising times to figure out the optimal recipe for this pizza dough.  What results is a crust that is amazingly thin, crunchy, yet holds its own against the toppings.

Tobins says that the secret is actually in the freshness of the ingredients.  "The real key is freshness. The fresher the sauce, the sweeter it is . . . use fresh ingredients and it will taste great every time." Though he was a pre-med student in college, he abandoned that after graduation to pursue a career in the restaurant industry, opening up his first Upper Crust in Beacon Hill in 2001.  It was a huge success, and since then he has opened countless more, mostly in the New England area.

My favorite is the Harvard Street, which is essentially like a Margarita pizza, made with fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, basil, and garlic.  I love chewing on the crunchy, thin crust.

The Lucky Luciano, which has chorizo sausage, hearts of palm, fresh tomatoes, and scallions, is quite creative and really good as well.

Other pizzas I've tried there that I like include "The Newbury" (a margarita pizza with breaded veal slices on top), "The Uncommon Pizza" (pineapples, bacon, and jalapenos), and the "Slightly Pesto" (pesto, tomatoes, and garlic).

They try to be environmental, and at least in Harvard Square, their delivery guys deliver the pizzas on bicycles!  It's hilarious to see these bikes maneuvering around Cambridge with a stack of pizza boxes tied to the back.

Upper Crust pizzas taste fantastic fresh out of the oven.  I love going to the restaurant and eating it there. The pizza loses a bit of its magic when delivered, although it's still pretty enjoyable, and still better than any other delivery option I can think of.

The Upper Crust has been expanding quite rapidly in the last year or so.  I was pretty thrilled when they opened one up in Harvard Square really close to me this past year.  We often get delivery (on bikes!) from them.  Prices are on the higher end, with large pizzas costing around $20.  A large pizza can comfortably feed three larger eaters and 4 smaller eaters.

Even though some lament the "chainification" of this place (arguing that it has lost some of the quaintness of the original Beacon Hill location), I personally love how it's more accessible now.  I definitely go to the one in Lexington on a regular basis, and I've been known to stop by the Beacon Hill one on occasion too if I happen to be in the area and need a quick bite to eat.  Of course, since I live in Cambridge, I definitely order from the Cambridge location as well (which is too tiny for sit-down anyway).

They also sell by the slice, which makes it a pretty good place to drop by for a quick lunch or dinner.  Several of them have alcohol licenses, so you can even enjoy a glass of wine with your pizza slice.  This place has become Bryan's default choice for a quick dinner whenever he's in the Lexington area.

Of course, there are specialty places in Boston that have better pizza (Emma's and Gran Gusto immediately come to mind).  However, when it comes to finding a place that's quick, delicious, inventive, and delivers, this place can't be beat.

The Upper Crust (Beacon Hill)
20 Charles St
Boston, MA 02114


The Upper Crust (Lexington)
41 Waltham St
Lexington, MA 02421


The Upper Crust (Harvard Square)
49b Brattle St Harvard Sq
Cambridge, MA 02138

Rancatore's

My favorite thing to order at Rancatore's - the ice cream sandwich with French vanilla ice cream! YUM. The chocolate wafer is crispy (not soggy like those grocery store kinds), and the premium homemade ice cream is dense, creamy, and pairs perfectly with the crunchy chocolate wafer.

I have tried ordering sandwiches with other flavors, such as Hydrox cookie or coffee. I find that the other flavors are either too sweet or too strong and do not complement the chocolate wafer as well. The simplicity and subtleness of vanilla works so much better.

Some background
Rancatore's ("Ranc's") and Toscanini's ("Tosci's") are owned by brothers Gus and Joe Rancatore. Gus got into the business first and opened Toscanini's. Joe then learned the art of ice cream making from Gus and opened Rancatore's. Toscanini's, which is in Cambridge, tends to carry more exotic flavors, such as jasmine tea, grape nut, and cucumber sorbet. Ranc's, on the other hand, has more traditional suburban flavors, such as Hydrox cookie, chocolate, vanilla, etc. Nevertheless, even though Ranc's carries less interesting ice cream flavors, it trumps Tosci's in one major way because it has these amazing ice cream sandwiches!

Also, Rancatore's is right in Lexington Center right on the Minuteman Bike Trail. One of my favorite activities is to bike from Cambridge all the way to Lexington on the trail, treat myself to a nice ice cream sandwich, and then bike back!

You could even stop by Toscanini's for a second round of ice cream in Cambridge!

1752 Massachusetts Avenue
Lexington, MA 02421

(781) 862-5090

Rancatore's

My favorite thing to order at Rancatore's - the ice cream sandwich with French vanilla ice cream! YUM. The chocolate wafer is crispy (not soggy like those grocery store kinds), and the premium homemade ice cream is dense, creamy, and pairs perfectly with the crunchy chocolate wafer.

I have tried ordering sandwiches with other flavors, such as Hydrox cookie or coffee. I find that the other flavors are either too sweet or too strong and do not complement the chocolate wafer as well. The simplicity and subtleness of vanilla works so much better.

Some background
Rancatore's ("Ranc's") and Toscanini's ("Tosci's") are owned by brothers Gus and Joe Rancatore. Gus got into the business first and opened Toscanini's. Joe then learned the art of ice cream making from Gus and opened Rancatore's. Toscanini's, which is in Cambridge, tends to carry more exotic flavors, such as jasmine tea, grape nut, and cucumber sorbet. Ranc's, on the other hand, has more traditional suburban flavors, such as Hydrox cookie, chocolate, vanilla, etc. Nevertheless, even though Ranc's carries less interesting ice cream flavors, it trumps Tosci's in one major way because it has these amazing ice cream sandwiches!

Also, Rancatore's is right in Lexington Center right on the Minuteman Bike Trail. One of my favorite activities is to bike from Cambridge all the way to Lexington on the trail, treat myself to a nice ice cream sandwich, and then bike back!

You could even stop by Toscanini's for a second round of ice cream in Cambridge!

1752 Massachusetts Avenue
Lexington, MA 02421

(781) 862-5090

Dabin

I had a great meal at Dabin over the weekend. Dabin is a Japanese/Korean restaurant in Lexington Center. We like to go during lunchtime on Saturdays. There's always open tables, the food is good, and the prices for lunch are an exceptional value (especially compared to the dinner prices)

I like getting the chirashi ($13.95) because the fish is pretty fresh. Honestly, I thought the fish here was tastier than the sushi I had at Daikanyama the week before. In fact, I thought some of the fish at Daikanyama was a bit bland. At the time, I thought it was because I had just come back from Japan where I had enjoyed the best sushi I'd ever had in my life. I thought my tastebuds had been "ruined" for life.

Fortunately, that's not true. I thought the fish in my chirashi was very flavorful. Additionally, the sushi rice in the chirashi is mixed with flying fish roe, which makes for a more colorful and flavorful dish.

Another cool thing is, because it's a Korean restaurant, you get all the free little appetizers in the beginning. Yum . . . .

Some other dishes ordered at my table:

Nabeyaki Udon (which comes with two pieces of shrimp tempura!) $10.95

They also offer bento boxes at reasonable prices. This is the tempura bento for $10.95.
Dabin Restaurant
10 Muzzey Street
Lexington, MA
(781) 860-0171

Dabin

I had a great meal at Dabin over the weekend. Dabin is a Japanese/Korean restaurant in Lexington Center. We like to go during lunchtime on Saturdays. There's always open tables, the food is good, and the prices for lunch are an exceptional value (especially compared to the dinner prices)

I like getting the chirashi ($13.95) because the fish is pretty fresh. Honestly, I thought the fish here was tastier than the sushi I had at Daikanyama the week before. In fact, I thought some of the fish at Daikanyama was a bit bland. At the time, I thought it was because I had just come back from Japan where I had enjoyed the best sushi I'd ever had in my life. I thought my tastebuds had been "ruined" for life.

Fortunately, that's not true. I thought the fish in my chirashi was very flavorful. Additionally, the sushi rice in the chirashi is mixed with flying fish roe, which makes for a more colorful and flavorful dish.

Another cool thing is, because it's a Korean restaurant, you get all the free little appetizers in the beginning. Yum . . . .

Some other dishes ordered at my table:

Nabeyaki Udon (which comes with two pieces of shrimp tempura!) $10.95

They also offer bento boxes at reasonable prices. This is the tempura bento for $10.95.
Dabin Restaurant
10 Muzzey Street
Lexington, MA
(781) 860-0171

Daikanyama (Lexington, MA)

Daikanyama is a relatively new sushi restaurant that opened in Lexington Center less than a year ago. It was started by Judy and Ming Chow. Before this endeavor, Judy Chow was a partner at Fugakyu Cafe in Sudbury. Her husband Ming Chow worked as a sushi supervisor at Whole Foods for seven years.

If I'm in the Lexington area, I like coming here for lunch because the prices are reasonable and the sushi is pretty good. Sadly, ever since I went to Japan and had the most amazing sushi ever, I have not been able to enjoy sushi in America as much as I did before.

Nevertheless, this place is a nice place to go for lunch, and I've never had to wait for a seat.

Here is the makimono lunch special, which is only $9.75

The sushi-sashimi lunch special is a good deal for only $13.75.

The sushi lunch special is also good, and you get to choose which maki you want, plus it's only $9.00. Here, my friend has chosen the Alaskan maki, which is salmon with avocados (yum!).

Green tea is free, and the ambiance is nice. On Sundays they only offer the dinner menu during lunchtime, so if you want to enjoy the good value of the lunch specials, go Mon - Sat.

Daikanyama
43 Waltham St
Lexington, MA
(781) 860-9388

Daikanyama (Lexington, MA)

Daikanyama is a relatively new sushi restaurant that opened in Lexington Center less than a year ago. It was started by Judy and Ming Chow. Before this endeavor, Judy Chow was a partner at Fugakyu Cafe in Sudbury. Her husband Ming Chow worked as a sushi supervisor at Whole Foods for seven years.

If I'm in the Lexington area, I like coming here for lunch because the prices are reasonable and the sushi is pretty good. Sadly, ever since I went to Japan and had the most amazing sushi ever, I have not been able to enjoy sushi in America as much as I did before.

Nevertheless, this place is a nice place to go for lunch, and I've never had to wait for a seat.

Here is the makimono lunch special, which is only $9.75

The sushi-sashimi lunch special is a good deal for only $13.75.

The sushi lunch special is also good, and you get to choose which maki you want, plus it's only $9.00. Here, my friend has chosen the Alaskan maki, which is salmon with avocados (yum!).

Green tea is free, and the ambiance is nice. On Sundays they only offer the dinner menu during lunchtime, so if you want to enjoy the good value of the lunch specials, go Mon - Sat.

Daikanyama
43 Waltham St
Lexington, MA
(781) 860-9388

Dabin

Dabin is a Japanese/Korean Restaurant (seemingly staffed and owned by Chinese) in Lexington Center. I've only been there for lunch, so I can't really comment on the dinner menu.

Dabin is usually pretty empty during lunch on a Saturday, so it's a good place to go with a larger party. You will most likely be seated right away.

My favorite dish at Dabin currently is Chirashi. It only costs $13 and comes with a generous assortment of items on top of the roe-speckled sushi rice. My bowl of chirashi contained shrimp, tuna, salmon, tamago (egg), octopus, and crab stick. I thought the sushi rice mixed with tiny roe (fish eggs) tasted really good, and the toppings were really good as well.

I've also had the dosolt Bibimbop (bibimbop in a hot, stone bowl) which was very tasty.

Over all, a pretty good Japanese/Korean restaurant in Lexington.

Dabin

Dabin is a Japanese/Korean Restaurant (seemingly staffed and owned by Chinese) in Lexington Center. I've only been there for lunch, so I can't really comment on the dinner menu.

Dabin is usually pretty empty during lunch on a Saturday, so it's a good place to go with a larger party. You will most likely be seated right away.

My favorite dish at Dabin currently is Chirashi. It only costs $13 and comes with a generous assortment of items on top of the roe-speckled sushi rice. My bowl of chirashi contained shrimp, tuna, salmon, tamago (egg), octopus, and crab stick. I thought the sushi rice mixed with tiny roe (fish eggs) tasted really good, and the toppings were really good as well.

I've also had the dosolt Bibimbop (bibimbop in a hot, stone bowl) which was very tasty.

Over all, a pretty good Japanese/Korean restaurant in Lexington.