Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Many years ago, our friends, the Ls, decided to invite their single Canadian guy friends over for Thanksgiving. This became a tradition. As the years went by, some got married, some had kids, but no one strayed. The group grew as the girlfriends, wives, and kids joined the party. Hubby was one of those guys.

Every year, we look forward to Thanksgiving at the Ls'. When it snowed on Sunday, I didn't think too much of it. However, by Tuesday, the snow still didn't melt. I started getting worried about our Thanksgiving feast. There is no way that we would miss our yearly traditional for some measly white flakes, even if we have to pack snow chains, sleeping bags, and toiletries. =) Unfortunately, the Ls couldn't negotiate a sled service contract with the deer and raccoons to take people up the hill in front of their house. So they had to reschedule Thanksgiving to Friday. While to us Thanksgiving is when we celebrate at the Ls', to the rest of you, Happy Thanksgiving! =)

Taiwan, Part XX - Ji Pin Seafood Restaurant

Ever since the first time I heard about the "quicksand" bun, I was enchanted. On my last day in Taipei, I was determined to have this unique dessert at Ji Pin. Besides the famous "quicksand" buns, Ji Pin is a seafood restaurant, specializing in shark fin and abalone.

Ji Pin's clientele consists mostly regulars. The boss and the manager walked around the room, greeting and chatting with people. Their lunch "specials" change from time to time. When I visited, there were 4 options, all 9 course meals, price ranging from NT$1280 to NT$2980. Yes, these would be expensive lunches. A little shocked by both the price and the amount of food, I stayed away from the specials, and ordered a few dim sum items. In hindsight, I should have gone to Ji Pin with an empty stomach, and splurged on an extravagant lunch, instead of having a pre-lunch snack.

When my Cantonese Sausages with Rice in Clay Pot (NT$200) came, the clay pot was still hot. The rice on the bottom got very crispy. After mixing together the rice and the sausages, every bite had some crunchy, some soft, and some meaty. This was really tasty. The only thing is that like most dishes with Chinese sausages, it's a bit greasy.

The Ji Pin Shark Fin Dumplings (NT$240, 3 pieces) are steamed with shark fin, shrimp, carrots, bamboo shoots, tree mushrooms, and shiitaki mushrooms. Shark fin is a very mild-taste ingredient. So these are very similar to shrimp dumplings, with bits of slightly crunchy vegetables. Don't get me wrong, they were good, just not much of a surprise.

The signature dessert - Quicksand Buns (NT$120, 3 pieces) are really molten custard buns. They are very similar to steamed custard buns. When the bun is hot and torn open, the custard would run out. Their menu translated the name to Steamed Salted Egg Custard Bun because the custard was mixed with cooked salted duck egg yolk. The dough was nice and fluffy, like regular custard buns, with a little sweetness. Unlike regular custard buns, the filling was sweet and salty, creamy and gritty at the same time as the duck egg bits hit your tongue. It was quite an experience.

Ji Pin Seafood Restaurant (吉品海鮮餐廳)
Address: 25 Dun Hua South Road, Section 1, 2nd floor
Telephone: 02-2752-7788
地址：台北市松山區敦化南路一段25號2樓
電話：02-2752-7788
Address: 236 Xin Yi Road, Section 4, 2nd floor
Telephone: 02-2700-3311
地址：台北市信義路四段236號2樓
電話：02-2700-3311
Hours: 11:30 am - 2:30 pm 5:30 pm - 10 pm
營業時間：11:30 - 14:30 17:30 - 22:00

Taiwan, Part XIX - Master Ji

There is a famous sushi stand at Shi Dong Market called Master Ji. (It's truly a "stand". There isn't any place to sit.) From what I've read, normally people just tell Mr. Ji their budget, and let him decide everything. Since this was my last day in Taipei, and I had another plan for lunch, I knew exactly what I wanted to get. The small downside was that I wanted to get to my final lunch destination at a reasonable time, so I didn't wait for Mr. Ji, or the official 11 o'clock opening time.

One of the highly praised items was the sea urchin Ezo Bafun Uni (scientific name: strongylocentrotus intermedius) flown in from Hokkaido. "Bafun" means horse manure. What a distateful name for such a delicious delicacy. Well, name aside, the urchins were so smooth and amazingly sweet.

I also ordered two other highly recommended items - salmon roes and toro. Those didn't quite live up to my expectations. Salmon roes were just OK, nothing special. I've had better. At dinner, my friends told me that the salmon and salmon roes in the Pacific Northwest are much better than the ones in Taiwan. No wonder, I would definitely skip this in the future.

The toro was VERY fatty. (The second picture is the puddle of tuna oil left behind the toro.) It was torched, topped with the super fine menegi (leek sprouts). I don't like the strong pungent flavor of raw onions, green onions, etc. The menegi, however, was very mild, perfect with sushi. I felt the torching was unnecessary. It rendered a lot of the fat into oil, and completely covered the fish, that all I could taste was the oil. I would much more prefer a perfectly cut and unaltered piece of toro nigiri.

There is always a pot of fish soup at the end of the counter that the customers are welcome to help themselves. The broth was well prepared with pieces of random fish (with bones) that didn't make to sushi. Some other bloggers have mentioned that if you spend over certain amount, you'd get the special soup with shrimp that they keep in the back.

My two hand rolls and one piece of nigiri rang up to NT$600. It's unfortunate that I didn't like the salmon roe or the toro. Next time, I would definitely wait for Mr. Ji, and get more uni.

Master Ji (阿吉師)
Address: 100 Shi Dong Rd (Shi Dong Market, 1st floor, stand #88)
地址：台北市士東路100號(士東市場一樓88攤)
Telephone: 02-2834-6136 0936-132578
電話：02-2834-6136 0936-132578
Hours: 11 am - 5pm, closed on Mondays
營業時間：週一休息，平日11:00am-5:00pm

Taiwan, Part XVIII

In the States, the Asian supermarkets are often associated with being dirty and messy. However, I find the supermarkets in Asia very clean and often much more upscale the normal Safeway's or QFC's. On this trip, I was particularly impressed by the sushi selections at a supermarket. I don't know how they taste, but they sure look scrumptious.

There are another type of markets in Taiwan, similar to permanent farmers markets. You can find produce, meat, poultry, fish, and other random things. They are sort of like Pike Place Market, only that these places are not tourist attractions, they don't toss fish for show. Shi Dong Market is supposedly the best. (Do you see how large that winter melon is? Even with the ends chopped, it's still over 3 feet long.) Walking around, you'd see the regulars greet the merchants. There are tanks filled with live crabs and other shell fish. There is cooked food, next to a stand with raw animal parts hanging. I have to admit that walking by some of the stands, you need a strong stomach. At the same time, it's very fascinating. This is the kind of place where you get to see how the locals eat and shop.

Taiwan, Part XVII - Mu's Beef Noodle Restaurant

Beef Noodles are such a big part of Taiwanese local food scene, that there is even an annual Taipei International Beef Noodle Festival dedicated to it. So one day I set out to try a place that's the Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou's favorite - Mu's Beef Noodle Restaurant.

Mu's is a small hole-in-the-wall kind of place, located across the street from Taipei Medical University's front gate. Even with 2 floors, the space is very limited. I arrived shortly before noon, and walked down the steep staircase to the basement. Ninety percent of Mu's menu are various beef noodles and soups. When you order noodles, you can choose thin or home-made thick noodles, they will also ask if you'd like green onions and cilantro. I love tendons, so I ordered the Half Tendons and Half Meat Noodles (large NT$190, small NT$170) with thick noodles. The tendon was melt-on-your-tongue tender without disintegrating. The meat was also very tender, but not as outstanding as the tendons. I would probably just get all tendons next time. The broth was flavorful without the taste of MSG. The noodles were just the right level of al dente for me.

Another specialty at Mu's is the dry-cooked layered pancake, which comes with the Shredded Pork (NT$150) / Beef (NT$160) in Peking Sauce, or stuffed with beef (NT$100). Since I've already ordered beef with the noodles, I went with the shredded pork. The pancake was so flaky and light. Since there is no oil, you only taste the natural sweetness of the flour. While the pancake is quite large (it’s folded into quarters on the plate), it's so good that most people would just eat it by itself, end up finding the one piece that comes with the dish insufficient, and order another one (NT$40). A friend told me to request the Shredded Pork in Peking Sauce cooked with some chili. The sauce was sweet, salty, and mildly spicy. This would be perfect with rice too.

The food is served really quickly at Mu's. The place gets filled up just as fast. When I arrived at 11:40, it was still half empty. However, when I left at 12:15, not only the place was packed, there was already a long line waiting. (That's when I took the picture of the outside.) Don't get discouraged, it's totally worth the wait. If I had more time, I'd definitely visit Mu's again.

Mu's Beef Noodle Restaurant (穆記小吃牛肉麵斤餅店)
Address: 239 Wu Xing Street
地址：台北市吳興街 239號 ( 台北醫學院正門口附近 )
Telephone: 02-2723-9372, 02-2722-2707
電話：02-2723-9372、02-2722-2707
Hours: 11 am - 9 pm
營業時間：11:00～21:00

Taiwan, Part XVI - KiKi Restaurant

I know it might sound like I had a lot of mediocre food, but I did have some great food too. KiKi Restaurant was one of the memorable experiences.

KiKi has 6 locations, including a cafe and a Thai restaurant. Even though I cannot vouch for the quality at other locations, I believe KiKi's popularity is largely due to the dishes being consistently delicious, instead of the celebrity ownership.

Having only a pepper pancake for lunch, we showed up for dinner when they opened, ready to devour anything. Like most restaurants in Taiwan, there are many small appetizers at the counter for the customers to choose and take to their table. My friends picked the Sichuan style Shredded Bamboo Shoots (NT$80). It was a very good start! The bamboo shoots were tender and moderately spicy.

KiKi has a long list of house specials. The number one is Crispy Deep Fried Egg Tofu (NT$200), and that's a well deserved title. The skin was paper thin, and deep fried to golden brown. The inside was so soft and tender that you'd think you are eating custards, not tofu! This was definitely my favorite!

The Stir Fried Minced Pork with Chinese Chives and Fermented Black Beans (NT$220) is extremely popular as well. I've never been a fan of Chinese chives, so I can't declare this as a favorite. We asked for mild, even though there were a lot of chili peppers, it wasn't spicy at all, a little bland for me. Next time, I would ask for medium spiciness.

The Thinly Sliced Boiled Pork in a Piquant Garlic Dressing (NT$220) was indeed "piquant". =) The meat was thin and tender, the garlic was very mild, the sauce was what made the dish.

The Pan Fried Omelet with Dry-Salt Meat Sauce (NT$200) didn't stand out against the other plates, but it didn't disappoint either. I remember the sauce being the star.

The Sauteed Diced Chicken Legs with Chili Peppers (NT$330) wasn't like what you get in the States. The chicken pieces were small. They were deep fried to such a crispy level that they were almost crumbly. Again we asked for mild, and as alarming as those chili peppers and garlic slices might look, it wasn't spicy.

The Whole Pan Cooked Fish in a Piquant Molasses and Vinegar Sauce (NT$320) was deep fried, then topped with a sweet and sour sauce. (Their translator must really like the word "piquant". =) The fish was perfectly tender. The sauce was titillating. While I’m not much a rice person, I'd be content with a bowl topped with this sauce.

Can you believe the three of us ate all of THAT? And every dish was so delectable that I'd order it again. Even the freshly brewed Hot Fruit Tea (NT$170), with diced fresh apples, pears, oranges, and pineapples, etc., was so fragrant, it was the best fruit tea I've ever had. This was definitely one of the most gratifying meals of the trip.

KiKi Restaurant (KiKi 餐廳)
Address: 28 Fu Xing South Road, Section 1
地址 :台北市復興南路一段28號
Telephone: 02-2752-2781
電話 : 02-2752-2781
Hours: M-Sat 11:50am - 3pm 5:15pm - 11pm Sun 11:50am - 3pm 5:15pm - 10pm
營業時間 :週一至週六11:50~15:00 / 17:15~23:00　週日11:50~15:00 / 17:15~22:00

Taiwan, Part XV - Bei Tou You Yu

We got a variety of Taiwanese dishes from Bei Tou You Yu one day to enjoy at the comfort of home.

All the dishes were small, but they certainly added up to quite a feast. The signature combination seafood soup (NT$75) had cuttlefish, squid, pork, and a Taiwanese specialty - that ground fish meat and bone into a paste then deep fried. The soup was very nice, the cuttlefish and squid were very tender, I thought the special deep fried fish paste was just OK.

I requested spicy stinky tofu (NT$55) since I felt it was something I had to try in Taiwan. Well, I couldn't even finish one piece of stinky tofu. The smell was just way too overpowering. I tried to eat the other ingredients in the dish, like pig blood sticky rice cake, etc. and didn't enjoy any. I guess stinky tofu is just not for me. I much more prefer the deep fried tofu (NT$30).

The spicy noodles (small NT$45, large NT$65) were tasty, but way too spicy. We asked for mild, yet it practically burned my mouth that I couldn't really taste anything else for awhile. The bean thread noodles (small NT$40, large NT$60) wasn't very memorable.

Bei Tou has quite a few dishes that are good, just not the best by comparison, like the Spiced Pork Stew over Rice (small NT$25, large NT$40) which was not as flavorful as Jin Xian's, or the wontons in spicy oil (small NT$55, large NT$85). The filling was very flavorful. I would have loved it if I didn't have Din Tai Fung's. Truth be told, I'm not sure if any place could make a better sauce. =) The spicy duck blood (NT$55) was in the same boat. It was good, better than Man Tang Hong's, just the exterior wasn't as tender as Tripod King's.

The braised pork belly wasn't exactly what I expected. In Chinese, the dish is called "Red Cooked Meat". I always thought that meant big pieces of pork belly braised for a long time in a soy sauce based broth. The result should be slightly brown, and very moist. But Bei Tou's version looks and tastes more like Chia Siu. Maybe this is the Taiwanese style?

"You Yu" means squid. You have to order squid from a place that has "squid" in the name. While the squid (NT$80) was very tender, it was a little fishy.

The winter melon tea with grass jelly (NT$20) was refreshing. It would be perfect for a hot summer day.

If you search for Bei Tou You Yu (in Chinese that is), there are a slew of bloggers singing its praises. It's unfortunate that I didn't find any dish outstanding. Maybe it was because we got takeout. I would give them another chance, but I would choose dine in.

Bei Tou You Yu (北投魷魚)
Address: 96 De Xing East Road
台北市德行東路96號 2832-0638
Address: 156 Fu Hua Road
台北市福華路156號 2832-1872
Address: 3 Lane 290, Guang Fu South Road
台北市光復南路290巷3號 2711-1128
Address: Xin Yi A-11 Shopping Mall, B2 Food Court
台北市信義A-11館B2美食街 2723-3639
Address: Nan Jing West Road, South West 1 Shopping Mall, B2 Food Court
台北市南京西路南西1館B2美食街 2567-5481
營業時間：11:00 - 22:00

Taiwan, Part XIV - Taiwanese Snacks

It wouldn't be a trip to Taiwan without sampling some simple snack food. Since the weather wasn't very nice, we ended up getting take out a lot.

Goose is more commonly consumed in Taipei than an once-a-year holiday bird. A very popular goose meat place is in Tienmu. People call it "Tienmu goose meat stand" since it's only a stand without an official name. Look for the sign with red "goose meat" characters. We had the regular and smoked. It was very tender. The texture is similar to dark chicken meat. Even though goose meat contains even more fat than duck meat, the fat was mostly rendered out that it wasn't greasy. I prefer the smoke flavor with their special sauce.

I love Taiwanese Spiced Pork Stew over rice. While there were lots of food that I set out to try, Spiced Pork Stew is one thing I knew I'd have. In fact, I'm surprised at myself that I didn't eat it everyday. =) After our relaxing massage, we got some from a place that's known for their spiced pork stew over rice. It was almost all fat, the sauce was a bit too sweet, and on the thin side; however, it was delicious nonetheless. I'm used to having light Western style breakfast. One day, my friend reheated some pork stew after my breakfast, the smell was so enticing that I couldn't resist but getting a bowl as well. It was THAT good!

We missed lunch time one day and ended up getting pepper pancakes (NT$40 each) from this stand that was featured in a Japanese travel site. Even at 2:30 in the afternoon, they were sold out. I had to wander around for half an hour to wait for the next batch. =) Do you like black or white peppers? If so, you'd LOVE these. They were cooked in a clay-lined barrel-like vessel over fire wood. Eaten piping hot, the pork and green onion filling was so juicy and peppery. The dough, rolled in sesame seeds on one side, was nice and flaky. One of these in the winter would definitely warm you up inside.

Another pancake I had was on the day I went to the National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial. After the tsukemen, gyoza, and shaved ice, I really couldn't take another bite. However, the Tianjin Green Onion Pancake stand was highly recommended, and it was only steps away from Yong Kang 15 under the sign for the Thanh-Ky Vietnamese Noodle Restaurant, I couldn't help but getting one too. I got an original one (NT$25) which is very thin and flaky. Unfortunately, it was no longer flaky hours later when I was able to eat again. If you want something more filling, you can also get it with egg (NT$30), or with ham and egg (NT$40), or with everything (NT$50). What a deal! Next time, I will definitely save some room for these pancakes. =)

Tienmu Goose Meat Stand (天母鵝肉攤 - 店招牌是寫紅色的鵝肉兩個大字)
Address: 23 Lane 8, Tienmu East Road
地址：台北市天母東路8巷23號 (廣田洋菓子旁巷子)
Hours: 3pm - sold out (most likely before 7pm), closed on Mondays
營業時間：下午3點出攤 7點前就可能賣完 週一公休

Jin Xian Spiced Pork Stew over Rice (金仙魯肉飯)
Address: 127 Fu Gang street, Shi-lin District
地址: 台北市士林區福港街127號
Telephone: 02-2881-8625
電話：02-2881-8625

Pepper Pancakes (胡椒餅)
Address: Lane 269, Nanjing East Road
地址：台北市南京東路三段269巷口

Tianjin Green Onion Pancake (永康街天津蔥抓餅)
Address: 1 Lane 6, Yong Kang Road
地址：台北市永康街6巷1號
Telephone: 0918-401-855
電話：0918-401-855
Hours: 11am - 10:30pm
營業時間：11:00～22:30 無公休
Phone Order: (02)2321-1336 before noon, (02)2321-3768 after noon
電購專線：上午12時前(02)2321-1336 下午12時後(02)2321-3768

Dumpling Fever

When Din Tai Fung opened on Sunday, it was reported that the wait was over 2 hours! Isn't that insane? Anxious to compare the wontons in spicy oil, I thought I'd just go get some take out on a weekday. It shouldn't be a problem then, right? Nah, so wrong! I stopped by this morning and found a line that's at least 20 yards. I didn't ask, but I'm guessing the wait was probably at least 45 minutes. Can you believe that? It's 11:15am on a Tuesday. They currently don't offer takeout either. *sigh* I suppose I will just have to show up early one day when I have plenty of time to stand at one spot. So if you are planning on going, bring a book. =)

Taiwan, Part XIII - Din Tai Fung

After the disappointing dinner at Shin Yeh, my friend was determined to take me to a place that would impress. Din Tai Fung is the most famous steamed bun restaurant in Taiwan. It has become an international enterprise, with locations all over the world. Besides the normal offerings, they also have the special mini buns with soup on the weekends. So it was decided that we'd head over on Sunday morning. Honestly, I wasn't sure what to expect. I had been to the Din Tai Fung in LA years ago. I don't remember it being particularly special.

Like many popular places in Taipei, it's best to go to Din Tai Fung with a reservation. Since we didn't have one, we showed up before they opened and watched a group of employees standing around the table making the special mini buns. It was really fascinating how efficient the process was and how fast they could churn these out.

To go to Din Tai Fung and not getting any XiaoLongBao (steamed buns) would be like visiting Paris and not going to the Eiffel Tower. So of course, we had to order some. We got the Pork XiaoLongBao (NT$190/10), and the weekend special Mini Pork XiaoLongBao with Soup (NT$320/20). The wrappers are super thin and soft, yet they didn't break easily. The juice was flavorful. The soup was refreshing. They were VERY good, but I think the fillings could be a little more tender and flavorful. I'm sure I'm biased, but I think my grandma makes THE best dumplings in the world. And her fillings taste better than these. Oh, how I miss my grandma's dumplings. =)

I grew up eating dumplings and wontons, but Wontons in Spicy Oil is a Taiwanese specialty that I had never felt the urge to try before. My friend ordered the Spicy Vegetable and Ground Pork Wonton (NT$140). I was completely taken by surprise at how ambrosial the sauce was! Seriously, I was ready to drink that. =) So we ended up getting an order of Spicy Shrimp and Pork Wonton (NT$160) as well. The sauce was spicy, salty, a little sweet and sour all at the same time. It was simply wonderful! You must try this!

To balance off our meat heavy meal, we also got the Stewed Bean Curd (NT$65), and Stir Fried Water Spinach (NT$170). The Stewed Bean Curd is a Shanghainese specialty called Kao Fu. I'm not sure why they translated it to "Stewed Bean Curd" since it's really a gluten product. Regardless of the translation, this little appetizer was very authentic. The water spinach was fresh, and perfect for my conscience. (I have long lost count of my daily calories intake during this trip. =)

Din Tai Fung's noodles are equally well prepared. We had the Noodle with Spicy Sesame and Peanut Sauce (NT$100), also known as Dan Dan Noodle, and the Noodle Mixed with Special Sauce that's not on the menu. I forgot to take a picture of the one with the special sauce. You would be surprised at how plain it looks - they were just light brown noodles. However, it tasted phenomenal. The sauce was delicious, and the noodles were coated thoroughly and evenly. Even though they didn't advertise it, I'm convinced the noodles were made from scratch. This is one of my friend's favorites.

Can you believe the three of us ate all that? It was really a lot of food, but we had to have some dessert too. We asked the waiter and got half order each (5 pieces) of Steamed Red Bean Dumplings (NT$160/10) and Steamed Taro Dumplings (NT$170/10). The wrappers are just as good as the steamed buns. The red bean paste was good, but not exceptional. The taro paste was wonderful. I always knew Taiwanese loved taro, and often wondered why - the taro desserts I've tasted in the States were just mediocre. But this taro paste answered my question. It was smooth, creamy, slightly sweet, earthy yet refreshing.

Without me saying anything, my friend knew she had succeeded in finding a place that wow'd me. Now, I can't wait for the Din Tai Fung to open in Bellevue. I'm utterly in love with the spicy oil from the wontons. I can foresee myself hogging two plates of them. =)

(Hmm, it turns out that Din Tai Fung opened TODAY! Gotta check it out soon. =)

Din Tai Fung (Tienmu branch) 鼎泰豐(天母店)
Address: 77 Zhongshan North Road Section 6, Shi-lin District (SOGO shopping center B1)
地址：台北市士林區中山北路六段77號(太平洋SOGO百貨B1)
Telephone: 02-2833-8900
電話：02-2833-8900
Hours: M-Th 10:30am - 9:30pm, F 10:30am - 10pm, Weekends & Holidays 10am - 10pm
營業時間： 週一~四：10:30-21:30 週五：10:30-22:00 週六及例假日前夕：10:00-22:00

Taiwan, Part XII - Shin Yeh

Shin Yeh is a well known Taiwanese restaurant in Taipei. It's on a lot of people's MUST visit lists. They have several locations, including one in Taipei 101 which was even mentioned in the New York Times. We visited the one on Chung Hsiao East Road.

Being a large and upscale chain, Shin Yeh's menu is in Chinese, English and Japanese. Most dishes also had pictures, so no one would have any problem ordering. The place was clean. The place settings were very elegant.

(Now that I've studied their menu a little more, I think I'm going to use their original names. You might find some a little amusing. =) We ordered 3 of their signature dishes - "Soya Boiled Pork Knuckle and Peanuts" (NT$270), "Steamed Pork Petites Topped with Egg Yolk" (NT$210), and "Fried Pork Short Ribs with Glace Dates" (NT$340). The braised pig feet came first. The dish was quite flavorful but very small. Things went downhill from there. The ground pork with egg yolk was very mediocre. The pork ribs weren't bad; however, my dad make better ribs than that! Even the glazed dates were a little tough. These shouldn't be anyone's signature dishes!

We also got "Sauteed Chives with 100-year Egg" (NT$270). This was positively the worst dish of the night. It was so bland that it was almost untouched by the end. The "Spicy Fried Shiitake Mushroom with Basil and Garlic in Casserole" (NT$360) was OK. They were chicken leg mushrooms instead of Shiitake. Watch out, the ginger slices were very pungent.

"Fresh Spring Roll Filled with Cabbage, Bean Sprouts and Grand Peanuts" (NT$160) (Yes, they said "grand". Oh, they were soooooooooooo grand. Heehee, I know I'm being mean. =) and "Steamed Bun, Filled with Lean Pork and Preserved Cabbage" (NT$80) are very popular Taiwanese snacks. Being a famous Taiwanese restaurant, you'd think they'd at least hit the mark on those two. But they were only average. I've had the steamed bun a number of times. I don't remember any place using "lean pork". As you can see from the picture, it's the opposite of lean. Don't get me wrong. It didn't taste greasy, but it's NOT lean.

For desserts, we had the complementary mochi with peanut powder, "Almond Milk with Crispy Dough" (NT$70), and "Sweetened Almond Jelly with Peach in Syrup" (NT$70). The mochi was warm, soft, chewy, and sweet. (So much better than fortune cookies. =P) The almond milk was very fragrant. The almond tofu was arguably the best I've ever had. Not only was it smooth and delightful, it also had a little bite to it, almost like tapioca balls from a bubble tea, very intriguing! Now, as good as the desserts were, they weren't good enough to turn the whole meal around.

I know I'm picky, and I can be difficult to please. However, everyone else felt that the dishes were disappointing too. They were all very puzzled since they've only had good experiences at Shin Yeh in the past. Who knows, maybe the chef was out, maybe it was just an off night. Because of everyone's reassurance, I wouldn't rule Shin Yeh out of my next Taiwan trip, but I also don't have high expectations any more.

Shin Yeh 欣葉（台菜忠孝店）
Address: 112 Chung Hsiao East Road Section 4, 2F
地址：台北忠孝東路四段112號2F
Telephon: 02-2752-9299
電話：02-2752-9299
Hours: 11am - 3pm 5pm - 10:30pm
營業時間：11:00-15:00 17:00-22:30