Taipei Christmas Food Hack Day 6
Today was the last day of my Christmas Food Hack in Taipei and I had planned to stuff as much food as I could into my belly before I hopped onto my plan back to Singapore.
Breakfast involved a visit to the famous 阜杭豆漿 Fu Hang Dou Jiang located in 華山市場. Be prepared to wait in line for an hour to score a precious bowl of soya milk.
The soya milk was great though I wonder if I will ever queue again for an hour just to satisfy my craving for it. However, the 厚餅蛋夾油條 was a delicious combination of a thick pancake wrapped with an omelette with scallion and a crispy 油條 (Youtiao) which perfectly complemented the soya milk.
As I tried to depart from the market, I spotted another long queue for 華山合掌村 Shirakawago. Curious, I did a quick online search and promptly joined the queue to sample its famous sushi set.
The restaurant is located at the 1st level of the market with minimal seats for diners. Be prepared to wait for at least 30 minutes to an hour during rush hour to get a seat.
The star attraction for 合掌村 is its 12 piece sushi set comprising of a variety of nigiri sushi expertly prepared and ready for photos to be taken and shared on social media. The sushi set is value for money at only NT$490 with a great price-to-quality ratio, or otherwise known as having a high ＣＰ值 . It is pitched at the mid-tier range between conveyor belt sushi and high-end restaurants, which is light on the wallet but big on the value. I would recommend sushi fans to definitely visit 合掌村 to experience it for themselves.
Besides its sushi set, 合掌村 also has a comprehensive list of popular dishes such as sashimi sets and grilled items. For today’s brunch, I decided to order its grilled beef set that was highly recommended by its waiter. The beef slices were cut thickly and packed full of flavor, though I would have preferred it to be medium rare rather than medium. Nonetheless, the grilled beef tasted delicious and I would definitely order it again on my next visit.
After a heavy brunch, it was time to take a walk around 華山1914文化創意產業園區 to visit its various exhibitions and stores.
During the walk, my friend highly recommended 小确幸红茶牛奶 which was a delicious cup of warm tea for the rainy, cold afternoon.
Before dinner, it was time to grab a cup of great pour-over coffee from the latest popular cafe in Taipei, SARUTAHIKO 猿田彥珈琲台灣 , located at the 1st level of eslite spectrum nanxi - 迷誠品.
Below is a list of coffee beans available for sale at SARUTAHIKO 猿田彥珈琲台灣:
After making your order, you would receive a beautiful card which makes you wonder if they would ever sell it as a souvenir for visitors.
My friend and I ordered the pour-over coffee using SARUTAHIKO French Original Blend. The pour-over coffee was fragrant and full-bodied, with a fiery roast aftertaste. It was not sour and bitter, allowing you to focus and slowly savor the fragrance of the coffee beans. Although you might need to queue for a while, I would still recommend everyone to visit the cafe to sample its various coffee beans for yourselves.
Tonight’s dinner featured 功夫銷魂麵鋪 from 老鼎旺功夫銷魂麵鋪 located at 新光南西店 三館B1 . The noodles were a spin-off from the typical Szechuan Hot Pot featuring a spicy Szechuan soup base paired with broad, chewy noodles and an assortment of ingredients such as braised tofu, beef, and duck’s blood. Although there are other stores selling the same dish, 老鼎旺 is one of the pioneers of this dish and is worthy of your time to make a visit to sample its delicious noodles.
Food items are limited in supply and diners are advised to arrive early to avoid disappointment.
One of the hottest items on the menu is the 化骨绵掌 (Chicken’s Feet) which is only limited to one serving per one main dish ordered. This rule is to prevent diners from hogging all of the supply for this delicious, melt-in-your-mouth dish that is perfect with a cup of ice cold beer.
老鼎旺功夫銷魂麵 was truly memorable as the noodles were springy and full of bite, bursting with flavors as it was soaked in the fragrant, spicy Szechuan soup. The accompanying soup was choked full of ingredients such as braised tofu, beef slices, and duck’s blood. The aftertaste is strong and memorable, making this dish my star recommendation of the day.
Today is finally the end of my short Taipei Christmas Food Hack.
Special thanks to all of my great friends who made time in their busy schedule to keep me entertained and stuffed with delicious food throughout my entire journey.
Looking forward to coming back to Taipei soon!
