Targeting top-tier clientele – a new basement restaurant at Hongxi Building also serves “gourmet steak”

Text and photos byMi’er

Located opposite Taipei 101, Hongxi Building garnered much attention a few years ago for its upscale “Dafang Teppanyaki.” Little did anyone expect that its basement would quietly open a boutique hotel, “Sipork,” and even more surprisingly, this entire space-built small hotel on the underground level boasts two well-appointed restaurants. Aside from the more business-oriented Italian restaurant Patio no3, there’s also B-cape Black Cape Steakhouse.

Due to the unique architectural design, an open-air atrium plaza has been preserved, allowing Sipork, even on the basement level, to enjoy natural lighting. The entire Sipork hotel follows a small-but-beautiful concept, not only using numerous circular motifs to highlight the theme of “Sipork” – sparkle (as in bubbles) – but also featuring many privately collected artworks owned by the proprietor, such as tire-material sculptures and paintings by artists, becoming eye-catching highlights.

Actually, I didn’t have high expectations for B-CAPE at first, possibly because it had just opened and not many people knew about it. That day during mealtime, we were practically the only table, so I was somewhat skeptical. But after ordering and the bread arrived, I was pleasantly surprised — every type of bread was quite good. Then came the appetizers before the set meal, with beautiful color schemes and plating, which began to raise my expectations for the upcoming dishes.

Forgot to introduce the menu here: lunch offers a four-course business lunch starting from 980 NT$, or you can opt for the more extensive and refined evening set meals. Currently, the most highly praised is probably the six-course chef’s recommended set, where the main course is American prime ribeye cap steak served with fleur de sel (at first I didn’t know what ribeye cap steak was, but seeing the English description, I learned it’s the ribeye cap, also known as the gourmet steak), priced at 2980 NT$. Other selected set meals start from 1680 NT$, where you can enjoy a main course of American premium ribeye steak; the most expensive option is the Australian 12A wagyu ribeye, costing 7200 NT$. However, since I personally don’t have a particular preference for Australian wagyu, I still prefer the sweetness and texture of American PRIME-grade steak. Basically, I think the 1680 NT$ set meal, which includes a five-course American PRIME-grade ribeye, is quite a great value.

Since we were a large group, we ordered different set meals, and it was clear that the ingredients for each dish were carefully selected. But while dining and taking photos, I kept feeling that the “presentation” and “look” of these dishes seemed familiar. It wasn’t until the chef came over to greet us that I learned the chef responsible for grilling the steaks had trained at the famous steakhouse 168 PRIME, and the chef handling appetizers and soups had worked at 32 Xingguan for many years. No wonder the presentation felt so familiar — it turns out they came from renowned establishments!

It’s worth mentioning that while many restaurants treat desserts as an afterthought, B-CAPE’s desserts showed the chef’s dedication. It turns out the dessert chef, Tong Ying, has won a gold medal at the Korea World Chefs Competition and a silver medal in the creative dessert category at the Asia Hong Kong Food Competition. No wonder both the presentation and overall taste were highly impressive — even after eating a full meal, I couldn’t help but finish the entire dessert. Though a slight downside is that it seems only one flavor of dessert is offered per day. Since everyone who ordered different set meals received the same dessert, we couldn’t try other flavors. It might be even more perfect if different desserts were designed for different price-tiered set meals!

The menu cover — to be honest, since there was no visible sign at the restaurant entrance, I only learned the steakhouse’s name was B-CAPE, or 黑角牛排 (Black Cape Steak) in Chinese, from the menu.

The appetizers — aren’t the colors gorgeous? That day it was smoked salmon with three-colored sauces: balsamic vinegar, beetroot, and yellow mustard, paired with edible flowers and greens, very eye-catching.

There are three types of bread, each delicious, with crispy crusts and soft, moist interiors. Especially the chocolate bread, which received high praise from everyone. But beware of eating too much, or you might not have room for the main courses later!

There are three types of bread spreads: tomato salsa, pesto, and butter. But I later found out that they’re actually great even without any spread.

Steamed king prawns with seafood sauce — the plating of this appetizer really looked familiar because Mi’er had once eaten something similar made by Chef Jimmy at 32 Xingguan. With fresh ingredients and delicate presentation, it excelled in both color and flavor.

Chilled sweet shrimp with clam sauce — the plating style was also recognizable. The sweet shrimp perched on roasted zucchini looked adorable, and the clam sauce was well-balanced, so much so that Mi’er, who doesn’t eat clams, didn’t even realize it was made with them!

Pan-seared seasonal fish with creamy garlic fish sauce — the fish that day was “stamp fish,” with very tender flesh. The savory sauce brought out the natural sweetness of the fish, making for a very interesting hot appetizer.

Classic two-tone tomato soup — a combination of tomato soup and potato soup that can be enjoyed separately or mixed together. Rich and flavorful, I really liked it.

Creamy pumpkin soup with Hokkaido scallops — I found this chef’s thick soups are all very well executed. They’re smooth and velvety, preserving the flavors of the vegetables and fruits without any odd seasonings. This pumpkin soup isn’t overly sweet either, offering a well-balanced flavor.

Before the main course is served, they offer a Sprite slushy, primarily fruit-flavored with a sweet and sour taste. I skipped it since I don’t eat ice… haha~~

Sauce options and garlic slices served with the steak.

The staff will come to your table to ask those ordering steak which type of salt they’d like — there are five choices.

Pan-seared wild-caught fish with seasonal vegetables and seafood sauce, 2080 NT$. The type of fish may vary depending on daily supply, but the richly flavored seafood sauce enhances the natural taste of the fish, making it a refreshing main course option.

Grilled French lamb chops with seasonal vegetables and port wine sauce, 2080 NT$. The portion of lamb chops is quite generous, with excess fat trimmed so the gaminess isn’t strong. The meat is also fairly tender, though the sauce could use more depth — it needs salt to bring out the sweetness of the lamb.

Sipork aged American ribeye, 1680 NT$. For a PRIME-grade steak, this set meal’s price is quite reasonable. At 8 ounces, it’s very filling, and the quality of the meat itself is definitely up to standard.

American prime ribeye cap steak with fleur de sel, 2980 NT$. At 6 ounces, it’s just the right portion size for me. The ribeye cap itself has excellent texture — no further explanation needed.

Steak sides, including zucchini, king oyster mushrooms, cauliflower, and potatoes. Just pan-seared to bring out their natural flavors reveals the inherent aroma and sweetness of the ingredients.

The dessert looked great — the chocolate tart base had many layers, and the crushed pistachios on top added texture. The overall taste wasn’t overly sweet, balancing crispness and creaminess, which I really liked!

Black Cape Steakhouse B-CAPE

B1, No. 16, Section 5, Xinyi Road, Taipei City

02-2758-8850

"Author of this article: Mi'er, who graduated from the Department of Chinese Literature at National Chengchi University and dove straight into a career as a food journalist. Coupled with being raised under the guidance of her chef mother, she has a highly developed sensitivity to food—she not only loves eating but also enjoys cooking. Due to her work, she frequently travels around the country in search of delicious cuisine, sharing her food experiences on her blog and often organizing group dining events. She is the author of the book 'Group Food Tasting Reports.'"

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