For my very last dinner in Taiwan, we went to a
yakiniku restaurant - Da Wan. The competition of yakiniku restaurants in Taipei are almost as fierce as
hot pot restaurants.
Da Wan is located on a side street in the busy Dun Hua business district. Other than the bar area, there are only couple of tables. We put our name down before they opened for dinner, and were told that we had only an hour and half to eat. When you arrive, you get a locker for jackets, purses, etc., so your belongings don't smell of the smoke. The wait staff will help you grill almost everything, making the experience even more enjoyable and entertaining, not to mention risk-free. (If I were to grill things myself, I'm sure I'd have overcooked and ruined a few pieces.)
The three of us started with a Japanese wakame salad (NT$140). I love wakame. And this salad was perfect to cleanse our palate for the parade of meat that was following. =) Our feast started with the Salted Green Onion Beef Tongue (NT$240). I've never been a fan of animal tongues. In fact, I used to dislike green onions so much that I'd pick them off of my food till a year ago. However, these beef tongues were so tender and juicy that I couldn't tell them apart from some nice steak. They were only grilled on one side, but there was more than enough heat to cook the green onions on top as well. The green onions added a nice aroma to the tongue. They were the perfect accompaniment. Dipped in lemon juice, these were heavenly. We loved these so much, we got a second order.
The Salt and Pepper Pork Cheek (NT$160) and the Brisket Marinated with BBQ Sauce (NT$260) were just as succulent. While I didn't really enjoy the Salt and Pepper Chicken Cartilage (NT$140), my friend J loved it. We also had one of the specials - the Wagyu Combo (NT$1680) which included Australian wagyu top blade steak, rib-eye steak, and rib cap. When I had wagyu filet mignon carpaccio style at
Alexander's Steakhouse, I thought they were delicious. These grilled wagyu were even better. They were marvelous without any seasoning. The marbled meat literally melted on my tongue. These might be expensive by Taiwanese standards, but they are much more affordable compared to what wagyu steaks command in the States.
To balance off our meal, we also had Salt and Pepper Chicken Leg Mushroom (NT$80), Corn (NT$80), and Okra (NT$80). The mushrooms and corns were good. What really surprised me was the okra. I normally don't like okra due to its sliminess. However, these okra weren't slimy in the least bit. The outside was grilled to subtly crispy. The inside was perfectly tender. Who knew that I would enjoy okra! =)
The Japanese style Salmon Tea Soaked Rice (NT$80) and the Buttered Enoki Mushroom Soup (NT$80) were so comforting, that they were almost homey.
We added an order of Hokkaido Capelin (NT$180) at the end since you can't get capelins here. These tiny fish had bulging stomachs filled with eggs. They are quite difficult to grill - if you flip them too early, they would stick to the wire and tear; if you flip them too late, they'd burn. The taste isn't exactly my favorite, but it was very interesting.
As my last meal in Taiwan, we certainly ended on a high note. The meal was so satisfying, I was ecstatic.
My Taiwan recap has come to an end. It's been almost as fun as the trip itself. I already miss my friends and can't wait to go back again. Oh, there are so many more places to visit and things to do!
Da Wan Yakiniku (大腕燒肉專門店)
Address: 22 Lane 177, Dun Hua South Road, Section 1
地址：台北市敦化南路一段177巷22號1樓
Telephone: 02-2711-0179
電話：02-2711-0179
Hours: 6 pm - 2 am
營業時間：18:00-02:00
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