176. Taiwan Day 7: Tokyo Style Italian at Bellini Pasta Pasta / 日式義大利餐在 Bellini (Taipei: Da An District / 台北市: 大安區)

One of my favorite things about eating in Asia is the availability of fusion food.  The abundance of fusion fare comes not because the culinary world actually works to blend different cuisines but because it is almost inherently in their nature to do so.  The Japanese and Taiwanese especially have an affinity for Western cooking but use local ingredients to mimic dishes from their own culture.  These such blends are apparent in the dishes at Bellini Pasta Pasta, one of my favorite Asian inspired European restaurants, and I make a visit each time I visit Taipei. 

From spaghetti with shrimp tempura to sauce using squid ink or yuzu and mentaiko, there is a plethora of choices when it comes to Japanese-Italian fusion pasta.  One of my favorites is the spaghetti with shrimps & mushrooms in basil pesto sauce (羅勒青醬鮮蝦蘑菇起司麵).  At first glance it does not quite seem Japanese or Asian at all, but it does not appear to be authentic Italian either.  The creaminess of the pesto sauce, the use of full basil leaves, and the length wise cuts of the mushrooms create the Asian essence that the pasta exudes.  I love that toasted pine nuts and red chili flakes have been tossed in with the noodles already, and the sauce has a lightness that distinguishes it from other heavy cream sauces.

Since Japan and Taiwan are island nations, there is a heavy use of seafood in their traditional dishes.  This is reflected even in the fusion cuisine that they produce.  The pizza that we ordered, a mentaiko with calamari & tuna (和風明太子鮪魚中卷比起司薩), is another favorite.  The thin crust is toasty and crisp, and the cheese is light and does not take over the pizza.  The best part, though, is that nori is tossed over the top of the pizza right before serving.  With the tuna and nori combined, all that is missing is a bit of rice to make a sushi roll.  Yum!

We also ordered the Caesar salad, a beef carpaccio, oven baked clams & mussels, soup and desserts.  It's tough to contain myself here because all the dishes are made so well.  Until next time, let's all get S.O.F.A.T.

Bellini Pasta Pasta
台北市大安區忠孝東路四段98號4樓
No. 98, Zhongxiao East Rd., Section 4, Da An District, Taipei City
Bistro 98 Building, 4th floor
MRT: Zhongxiao Fuxing Station, exit no. 3 / 捷運忠孝復興站, 3號出口

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Post 6: Pancetta and Pepper Pasta with Pesto and Egg Coating

photography by JCS

I've realized that the previous posts have all included pork in one form or another: Korean pork belly, Spam, and bacon. After a request to post about something other than meat, I've decided that I will put the pork on hiatus... after this post.

To top off the pork belly, Spam, and bacon, I've decided on a pork product that is not consumed as an everyday breakfast meat but still revered as much as bacon... PANCETTA. I literally smiled just now, uttering the words... pancetta. May I present... pancetta and pepper pasta with pesto and egg coating.

Ingredients:

1. pasta

2. pancetta

3. tomatoes and mushrooms

4. bell peppers - red, orange, yellow

5. garlic and onions

6. pesto and fresh basil

7. eggs - scrambled

8. fats - heavy cream, butter, olive oil (OO)

9. crushed red pepper (CRP), salt and pepper (S&P)

photography by JCS

Directions:

Step 1. Salt the water; cook the pasta al dente.

Step 2. Drain; run under cool water to stop the cooking.
Toss in light OO to prevent sticking.

Step 3. High heat; sizzle the pancetta until you can smell pure pork heaven.
S&P and CRP. Use the fat to cook the remaining ingredients.

Step 4. Toss in the 'toes, 'shrooms, peppers, onions, and garlic.
Let 'em sweat. S&P and CRP again.





Step 5. Toss the cooked pasta on top of the ingredients. Toss, toss, toss.
 



Step 6. Cue delicious butter and generous pesto.



Step 7. Turn to low heat to prevent curdling.
Pour the heavy cream in slowly while stirring the pasta.
 

Step 8. Stir in the eggs super slowly. 

On first attempt, the pasta (sans garlic, onion, and CRP) seemed extra creamy and significantly bland. I immediately sent my minions, errr... sous chefs (thanks Joseph and Tiffany) to the local supermarket for emergency CRP. (Martha Stewart once said that crushed red pepper is the secret ingredient to all of her pasta dishes. Thanks, Ms. Stewart.) 

After a few tweaks with the crushed red pepper, the pasta tasted much, much better. The CRP was the much needed kick to the pasta. (I've decided that crushed red pepper does to Italian food what Sriracha does for Southeast Asian food.) I couldn't taste the pancetta as much as I could the pesto or creaminess of the egg coating, but it's still a delicious tasting pasta. What's nice is that this pasta is not as heavy as other pastas swimming in alfredo sauce.

Fallen basil leaf. Stealing the thunder from the pasta.
photography by JCS

I later made a version sans heavy cream for the ever-so-healthy friend (same one that pointed to the bacon cupcakes). There was definitely a stronger savory flavor exuding from the saltiness of the pancetta and the bite of the fresh garlic. Visually, I think the version sans heavy cream looks more aesthetically appealing because it's brightened up with the colors from the bell peppers and tomatoes.

King of the hill. If only the cherry tomato had a flag...

A few more ingredients than some of the previous dishes, but definitely worth the time to dice up the veggies. Try it out, and let me know how it goes for you! Until next time, let's all get S.O.F.A.T.

Mentions/Credits:
The Best Thing I Ever Ate on Food Network (Jan. 11) for the egg-coated pasta idea...
Photography by Joseph is featured in this post...
... and thanks to Tiffany for slaving over the mushrooms with me...

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Post 4: Bacon for Breakfast, Bacon for Dessert (SD: La Jolla)

I am, yet again, ready to describe another strange culinary peculiarity... except that this time I had nothing to do with the creation of this concoction.

After a packed birthday brunch for a good buddy of mine this weekend, we decided to walk a few blocks down the streets of Downtown La Jolla to digest everything that we had eaten at the Coffee Cup Cafe.

A hand cannot wait to grab the first bite.
Black bean dip with avocado, melted cheese within. Salsa on the side adds a slight kick.



The Omar Special. The best tasting of all items on the menu.
Egg whites under a layer of fresh pesto. Brown rice and vegetables on the side.


The Coffee Cup French Toast. Swirls of blueberry jam; not overly sweet.
Bacon fried to a perfect crisp but not burnt; eggs over medium.


Roast Beef Hash with horseradish; a pleasant change from the usual corned beef hash.
Cilantro was unnecessary taste-wise, but it did add a nice green to the presentation.

The goal of helping my digestive system dissolve all that food quickly became a distant dream as this buddy of mine, as health-conscious as ever, pointed to Cups, the new cupcake store that opened on Girard. By the time he had started to ask, "Do you wanna..." I had already taken three steps towards the store. (I have been waiting for a fitting challenge to the ever-popular Sprinkles red velvet cupcake for a while now.)

I walked straight to the display counter, and I found the holy grail of cupcakes...

THE BACON CUPCAKE

Attendant: "Can I help..."
Me: "Bacon cupcake, please."

Attendant: "How ma-..."
Me: "Just one!"
Attendant: "Well, it's buy five, get one free..."
Me: "Errrr..."

I was too easily conned into buying half a dozen.

The Limone Ricotta cupcake and the Goober (peanut butter and jelly) cupcake.


The Liliko'i (Hawai'ian passion fruit) cupcake.


The Gingerbread cupcake and the Vanilla Bean cupcake.

So much for digesting breakfast. I was already all over my dessert!

To tell you the truth, though, the cupcakes looked better than they tasted. Each of the cupcakes could have been a bit more moist, and the frosting could have been thicker. The frosting had already begun to melt by the time we walked out into the San Diego sun. Perhaps the frosting was made from butter rather than cream cheese... but the one cupcake that was worth the dollar-per-bite was the bacon cupcake. As I bit down into the buttery frosting, I tasted a sweetness unlike the sweetness that typically comes from dessert. It was more like a... brown sugar? Maple syrup? And the cupcake itself had texture more of pancake than anything. I was amazed. The bakers really put some thought into the flavorings of the bacon cupcake. It was like I had bitten into breakfast all over again... bacon for breakfast, bacon for dessert. I think the group silently decided that we needed to walk a few more blocks...

The La Jolla Cove. The seals nest to the left.


Slightly further north. The natural humility of the Pacific.


The northern curve of the cove. Del Mar is just beyond.

The cupcakes may not beat Sprinkles in taste, but Cups does shine in creativity. The store is definitely worth a visit, and the bacon cupcake is definitely worth a try. It's not everyday that a cupcakery (and not a froyo store) has the spotlight on creative flavors. Their progressive imagination went so far as to become one of the first cupcakeries to make their desserts from all organic ingredients. They have some cupcakes that are gluten-free and/or vegan as well. See their website for a complete list of flavors. The grand opening is at the end of the month.

Until next time, let's all get S.O.F.A.T.

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