Eating in Taipei: July 2016

Taipei City - 阿月子油飯 Ah Yue Zi Oily rice

Value for money: 9/10

Cleanliness: 6/10

Service: 6/10

Quality of food: 9/10

Overall: 7/10

Tucked in an alley just off 泰順街 TaiShun Street near the ShiDa area of Taipei, waits this 38 year old restaurant.

These being the characters for oily rice - 油飯 yóu fàn

It's not a big place, and most of the rice sells out by around 12 mid-day. It opens up early in the morning, but shuts at 14:00, so get there early on.

At a guess, there are around 10 tables inside (including both rooms)

Usually a huge fan of the oily tofu 油豆腐, we decided to stick to what we heard was good, here. But, that will be tried next time, I'll make sure of that!

Certainly not a big menu, but these were what they still had when we got there around 12:30. It's very reasonably priced.

So, here's what we ordered:

1. 油飯 yóu fàn
Oily rice
$35

2. 米粉湯 mǐ fěn tāng
Rice noodle soup
$25

3. 油豆腐 yóu dòu fǔ
Oily Tofu
$15

4. 綜合黑白切 zōng hé hēi bái qiē
A mix of meat with offal
$50

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1. 油飯 yóu fàn
Oily rice
$35

Solid performance all round by this bowl of oily rice! However, I do prefer the one at YongLe Market...

2. 米粉湯 mǐ fěn tāng
Rice noodle soup
$25

This is delicious, and probably on par with the oily rice, I feel. The noodles were superb and the flavour was great.

3. 油豆腐 yóu dòu fǔ
Oily Tofu
$15
+
4. 綜合黑白切 zōng hé hēi bái qiē
A mix of meat with offal
$50

They put the tofu on the side of this dish (the right side). The tofu was very tasty and even though we only ordered 1 piece, they seemed to give us two. So, either their 1 piece is 2 squares of tofu, or they were feeling generous toward the end of the shift...?

There is a sign (I forgot to get a picture) near this little 'help yourself' trolley, telling you to be aware that the hot sauce is HOT. So, only take a bit. Let me tell you, it is HOT HOT HOT! Do listen to them (not like me, I took too much and couldn't finish it) and only take a little. It really does go a long way. Even though it is 'burn your tongue' hot, it has a good depth of flavour.

Opening Times:

Tuesday - Sunday

07:00 - 14:00

Monday - Off

Tel:

02 2362 6589

臺北市大安區泰順街2巷4號

No4, Lane 2, TaiShun Street, DaAn District, Taipei City

Happy Eating!

Labels: 7/10, DaAn District, MRTTaipower Station, Taiwanese

Taipei City - 金峰魯肉飯 JinFeng pork and rice

Value for money: 10/10

Cleanliness: 7/10

Service: 9/10

Quality of food: 9/10

Overall: 9/10

I came here a while back and didn't review it, but not because it isn't worthy of a review, I just haven't been back for aaaaaaaaages. Well, here we go, this place is just as good as the picture suggests it's going to be.

Just like pretty much any really decent Taiwanese place, it get's silly busy on a weekend. However, this was on a Thursday at 12:00... I waited around 5 mins in the 内用區 nèi yòng qū (eat in area), or you could choose to take out by lining up under the sign that says - 外帶區 wài dài qū (take out area).

Way too hot for soup, personally, but I am sure it is alright...

This area makes me smile with glee, makes my belly rumble and also makes me fear for my arteries all in one simultaneous second.

Oooohhhhh, ahhhhhh

They're definitely not winning any awards for cleaniliness based on this picture. However, they are aware that people are lining up outside and swoop in before you've barely swallowed your last mouthful to clean up and keep things moving.

Ok, let's take a look at the menu. You can have: noodles 麵 or 米粉 or 冬粉 (normal noodles, rice noodles or thick bean noodles), rice 飯, soup 湯, tofu 豆腐, vegetables燙青菜 or 筍乾 (braised vegetables or bamboo) or even chicken done in various ways - 人蔘雞 Ginseng chicken，蛤蜊雞 Chicken with clams，鳳梨苦瓜雞 Pineapple and bitter melon chicken

Bottom line - spoilt for choice!

Here's what I ordered for a quick lunch:

1. 魯肉飯 (中碗) lǔ ròu fàn (zhōng wǎn )

Braised pork over rice (medium bowl)

$40

2. 焢肉 kòng ròu

Belly pork

$35

1. 魯肉飯 (中碗) lǔ ròu fàn (zhōng wǎn )

Braised pork over rice (medium bowl)

$40

Deliciously silky fat cuts through delicate pork and a thick gravy layered on top of this bowl of lovely rice. I used to think rice was just rice, but it definitely isn't. If you go to one of the many 'buffet' places dotted around your neighborhood, you'll know that familiar soft and tasteless rice.

Here, expect nicely cooked rice, steaming hot and clean - delicious.

2. 焢肉 kòng ròu

Belly pork

$35

I am a huge of fatty pork, but I haven't seen this depth of colour before on a piece of belly pork. It falls apart when you touch it and the fat just melts in your mouth the way you want it to. There's a slightly aromatic flavour mixed in with a light Chinese spice flavour. It ticks all the boxes, for my liking!

I didn't get any vegetables this time, but I should've done!

Here's my instagram post from a different time I visited, where we ordered the 燙青菜 and 筍乾 with the 油豆腐 (oily tofu). I won't order the tofu again, as it wasn't anything special. But the bamboo and the other veggies were both delicious.

A catch up lunch with a friend when I'm flying back to the UK tomorrow looks like this... 金峰魯肉飯 -$240 #Taipei #Taiwan #eatingintaipei #taipeitasty #exploretaiwan #travel #travelog #travelling #journey #eat #eating #food #foodie #bamboo #rice #braisedpork #pork #greens #bellypork #ilovefood #iloveeating #feedme #Taiwanese #delicious #photooftheday #picoftheday #instafood #instagram

A photo posted by Eating in Taipei (@eatingintaipei) on Jul 14, 2016 at 3:11am PDT

臺北市中正區羅斯福路1段10號

No. 10, Roosevelt Road, Section 1, ZhongZheng District, Taipei City

Happy Eating!

Labels: 9/10, MRT ChiangKaiShek Memorial Hall, Taiwanese, ZhongZheng District

Taipei City - 藍家割包 Lan Family GuaBao

Value for money: 10/10

Cleanliness: 7/10

Service: 10/10

Quality of food: 9/10

Overall: 9/10

Heading back to the UK next week, so I'm filling up on the foods I'll miss whilst I'm back for a month.. this was first on the list - 藍家割包 $50 #Taipei #Taiwan #eatingintaipei #eat #eating #food #foodie #love #instafood #guabao #ilovefood #Saturday #brunch #loveit #picoftheday #photooftheday #Taiwanese #checkit #gongguan #foodsimiss #travel #travelog #taipeitasty #igerstaiwan

A photo posted by Eating in Taipei (@eatingintaipei) on Jul 8, 2016 at 9:47pm PDT

I don't know how I have gone this long without sharing this place!

Each on is $50 and is comprised of one of the steamed buns below...

Then it is filled with your choice of fatty pork, lean pork, mixture of the two and also peanut sugar, coriander and pickled vegetable.

綜合割包 zōng hé guà bāo
Mix of fatty and lean pork guabao
$50

They don't skimp on the meat, here! It's also topped with coriander and a peanut sugar.

The meat is delicious: delicately falls apart with very little chewing and sings with flavour.

I think mine was gone in like 4 bites...

Also, don't miss the famous bubble milk tea place across from the guabao restaurant! Check out my post here for further details.

臺北市中正區羅斯福路3段316巷8弄3號

No.3, Alley 8, Lane 316, Roosevelt Road, Section 3, ZhongZheng District, Taipei City.

Happy Eating!

Labels: 9/10, MRT GongGuan, Taiwanese, ZhongZheng District

Taipei City - 天恩至德素食糕餅 MaoKong Steamed bread and gift shop

You just have to love MaoKong 貓空 in the WenShan District 文山區 in Taipei near the zoo. In summer, it's definitely one of my favourite places to take a ride up to...

(this is not me)

Driving past the MRT station in MaoKong and continuing on ZhiNan Road 指南路 you'll eventually come to this lovely temple (shame about the car parked in front ruining the nice view).

And, next door to this temple, is this wonderful place - admittedly, it doesn't look it.

Friendly greeting

Perfect gift: some home made soap shaped like Taiwan.

They have some really weird scented soaps, this one is sponge cucumber!
Hand made soap - $125

Anybody like dried, sour plums? I hated them when I first arrived here as they are incredibly sour. But, with a cup of oolong tea, they're the perfect accompaniment.

These are also delicious, but quite sweet! They're olives, believe it or not
$50 橄欖 gǎn lǎn.

Yes, please!

$140 / bag, or buy 5 bags and get 1 bag for free

Home-made biscuits, anyone?

These are tea flavoured

Assorted flavour home made biscuits $180

This traditional Japanese dessert/snack is called mochi 麻糬

I am a big fan of these, they go down wonderfully with a cup of Taiwanese Oolong tea. Japanese style slightly sweetened jelly, this flavour is 紅豆 hóng dòu Red Bean.

Red bean jelly - $25