Eating in Taipei

Taipei City - 1976 Hong Kong Restaurant

Value for money: 10/10

Cleanliness: 7/10

Service: 8/10

Quality of food: 8/10

Overall: 8/10

When I first arrived in Taiwan, I wasn't much a fan of the sticky and gloopy rice known as Congee. However, if you ever feel a bit ill or sick, then this is a sure fire way to make you feel that little bit better. Or, better still, is to get this when winter sets in and you start to feel cold.

Self-proclaimed first Hong Kong style restaurant in this Taipei area, 1976 offers up some very good dishes.

You can even buy some Cantonese style sausages outside the shop, next time!

Within the last 2 years or so, the restaurant has been through a refurbishment, and it since looks so much better!

The kitchen is fairly clean, and the staff are attentive from the moment you step in.

Choose what you would like from the Dim Sum 點心 cabinet, or order off the menu.

This time, we went for two dishes:

狀元及第粥
zhuàng yuanjí dì zhōu
The best congee
(self-proclaimed, I didn't make this up!)
$90

豬肝撈麵
zhū gān lāo miàn
Pork liver with Lao noodles
$110

Their congee is thick (I much prefer this style) and nicely salty. The fried dough sticks are good and the flavour of the meat and the liver inside is delicious. It's a big bowl of hearty goodness.

I wasn't quite expecting this much liver, but then again, I am not complaining. A lot of people find liver a bit overpowering with an iron flavour, and whilst I do get that it is a strong flavour, I just can't get enough!

Biting in to the liver, it is creamy and silky smooth with a strong liver flavour. It melts in your mouth and then comes through (slightly) hard noodles and thick salty sauce. I could eat this every day.

香港菠蘿油包
xiāng gāng bō luó yóu bāo
HK Pineapple bun
$50

We couldn't leave without trying it. Turns out, next time, I probably won't order it again. The one at YanJi street does a much better pineapple bun. This one here isn't going to win any prizes, but it will do the trick to satisfy your craving. However, I like mine warm, crunchy and the butter should be melting.

A firm favourite for congee and liver in Taipei.

Opening Times:

Monday - Sunday

11:00 - 21:00

Tel:

02 2777 1976

台北市大安區敦化南路1段233巷11號

No. 233, Lane 233, DunHua South Road, Section 1, DaAn District, Taipei City

Happy Eating!

Labels: 8/10, DaAn District, Hong Kong, MRT ZhongXiao DunHua, Noodles

Taipei City - 維記茶餐廳 Victoria Restaurant

Value for money: 7/10

Cleanliness: 8/10

Service: 7/10

Quality of food: 8/10

Overall: 7/10

The original shop is in XiMenDing which has proved so popular that they have opened a second branch in the popular DaAn District near SYS MRT station and the ever popular ZhongXiao East Road.

The menu is vast, but it's nice to have the option of going for a 'meal' or 'dim sum' style of food in the same restaurant. This time, we went for more of a 'meal'.

Here's what we ordered:

1. 熱絲襪奶茶 rè sī wà nǎi chá $70
2.臘味煲仔飯 là wèi bāo zǎi fàn $300
3.乾隆蜜汁花雕雞qián lóng mì zhī huā diāo jī $280
4.菠蘿油 bō luó yóu $70
5.奶醬豬 nǎi jiàng zhū $70

1. 熱絲襪奶茶 rè sī wà nǎi chá $70

I am English, so ever since a young boy I have drank tea around 3-4 times per day. Each time, this tea has been presented with full fat milk (unfortunately now having to be replaced with skimmed milk as full-fat is just too fat - surprise?) and no sugar. So, it is nice to get a good strong cup of milk tea. This hits the spot!

2.臘味煲仔飯 là wèi bāo zǎi fàn $300

Long grain rice made crunchy in the bowl with some of the rich soy sauce spooned on top. The rice has the crispiness that I like and it's a welcomed change from the Taiwanese rice so often eaten.

Nicely presented, before the sausage is removed and rice stirred around.

We have 2 kinds of sausage and one 叉燒肉 which is the sweetened pork Char Su we are all so fond of (I think. Well, at least, I am). We have 2 cured sausages: the lighter coloured one is just a fairly standard cured sausage which is a little sweet, and the dark (black) one is a heavier tasting sausage which isn't for the faint hearted - get the heart burn tablets at the ready!

The dish is pretty good, but it is very salty and rich.

3.乾隆蜜汁花雕雞qián lóng mì zhī huā diāo jī $280

This is my preferred dish here. The chicken and noodles are stirred together in the same bowl with the same cooking juices and oils. The chicken is fantastically succulent and the Udon 烏龍 noodles are thick, juicy and great. The sauce is (again) slightly sweetened but works well together.

You have to try some of this spicy chilli sauce. Often you see this sauce in breakfast shops and it is mostly just tomato flavour with a slight hint of chilli - not here! This is mostly chilli sauce with a slight hint of tomato, and is sure to add that ever craved spice that you're looking for!

4.菠蘿油 bō luó yóu $70

Have to get this whenever it's on the menu. But, I prefer the one at YanJi Street.

5.奶醬豬 nǎi jiàng zhū $70

Peanut butter on toasted oven bottom muffins with condensed milk layered on top? This is decadence at its greatest! You have to try it!

Overall, I think I would say it is a different experience to that of the Hong Kong Tea restaurant on YanJi Street but for me, I think I prefer the YanJi Street one: It's less expensive, it is less rich and it is far less salty. I would say that for the amount we ordered, $869 isn't a bad price, but I feel somewhere more around the $600 mark is what the meal is worth. The service charge I am happy to pay for the fact that the staff bring the food to the table and they took off the sausage from the rice and stirred the rice and also attended to the chicken with noodles. However, the main waitress/owner who took our order didn't particularly come across as friendly, in any way.

Opening times:
Everyday 12:00 - 22:30

Tel:
02 2382 6388

Victoria Restaurant on Facebook

臺北市大安區光復南路280巷25號

No.25, Lane 280, GuangFu South Road, DaAn District, Taipei City

Happy Eating!

Labels: 7/10, DaAn District, Hong Kong

A collection of some of my favourites, so far...

As I reach 20,000 views on my website, I would like to share with all of you who have supported me, in one way or another, my top 10 restaurants/stalls/places I've posted about.

This is my top 10, but they're in no particular order - click the title for the link to my original post to read more.

Enjoy!

1. 阜杭豆漿

Recommended order: 鹹豆漿 xián dòu jiāng Salty soy milk

2. Whalens

Recommended order: Mexican or Maple and Bacon Poutine.

3. 香港茶水攤茶餐廳

Recommended order: 星洲炒米粉 xīng zhōu chǎo mǐ fěn Spicy Singapore vermicelli AND
黑米仙草奶撈 hēi mǐ xiān cǎo nǎi lào Wild rice, grass jelly and milk pudding