First One Bistro — Restaurant in Datong District

Bistro is normally a French restaurant but this was one was more Italian which I found mildly surprising. Taipei often mixes the two when they focus on northern Italian cuisine, which this one does though there were really no French dishes

Service was good. The wait wasn’t too long for a Friday night and we managed to get the last two free seats.

The beers were pretty good (the meal I ordered offered a choice of 2 and one appetizer for 399 or 619 if you chose the Trippa Fiorentina ) and they have a decent enough selection of them but most people there were not drinking so either the other dishes were good or it.

Cream of mushroom - this was the best dish. The consistency was nice. The bread was a good touch and the bacon was not too strong. About average dish for Taiwan standards.

Breaded Chicken ball with cheese inside - second best dish. It was cooked well but didn’t have much taste to it.

Trippa alla Fiorentina - This tomato sauce was a bit brown which flashed warning bells. The tripe was ok but overall the dish was a little salty and was bland like most of the other dishes.

Chicken Risotto - bland taste, rice consistency was very soft and mushy, almost like a congee. The chicken was cooked well but the mushroom choice was a little weird. Overall the dish was too stiff for a proper risotto and didn’t have the strong taste that is a hallmark for a good risotto.

Cannoli - this pastry was the worst part of the meal and no way to end the dinner. From texture to taste it really missed the mark. The filling was watery where it should have been firm and again it was very bland. The cookie was a little to hard which made the texture off and was rather tasteless.

Overall I give it two stars for being clean and good service and beer but when it comes to food it left a lot...

Spaghetti with Mullet Roe, Shrimp and Garlic ($380): You can ask for not putting garlic on your pasta. The shrimps were luscious but the mullet roe was the best part and the main reason why I wanted to try this pasta. The spaghetti also had one of the greatest and most satisfying texture ever.

Milk Tea ($120): It did have a rich milky flavour and tasted superior to most of the milk tea.

Moreover, I was also treated with a honey rye bread at the beginning, which was quite sweet and nicely baked.

In conclusion, moderate high prices but quick service and invaluable experience for me. Furthermore, MRT exit 1 should be the nearest to the restaurant but it’s being renovated so exit 2 or 6 are the best route for now. Overall, it’s definitely a 10 out of 10!

FYI, there’ll be 10% service charge...

Bring my sister for her birthday last night, order the dinner for three. all the dishes have authentic flavor. risotto and pasta are cooked perfectly, not too hard or too soft. Food material are fresh, and cooked in right temperature. Enjoy the expresso ice cream desert, make the whole dinner shine. Plus, it is nice I can make reservations on online.. do not need to wait, spend almost two and half hours enjoy every dishes. One by one.. no rush, but relaxing in this busy Taipei City. All about the turn ing fast table.. last night was the most enjoyable dinner without break my pocket.. It is a good choice, and thank chief prepared all those delicious...