I love the 麻辣 flavor, and occasionally want to have something that gets tears streaming down my face. Pure spiciness can be handled with hot sauces, peppers, etc. but I have a very hard time finding actual numb-spicy / 麻辣 food in Taiwan. The only one I’ve been to was when a friend took me to one in Tainan (link if you’re interested).
I’d love recommendations for melt-your-face-off + can’t-feel-your-tongue restaurants & hotpot anywhere in Taipei area. Other ideas and recs welcome!
The 麻辣 is caused by schezwan peppers peppers, maybe you can sneak a bag (pre-grind it) into a hotpot place and mix it into your soup base and sauce, I’m sure they wouldn’t mind
Best bet would be Chongqing or Chengdu. But I’m guessing that is not an option. I know here in Guangzhou, the 麻辣 is not as spicy as it should be.
hardy har
Say what?
Me too. Chinese restaurants where I have been living in Canada aren’t very authentic, and trying to make it myself it never comes out ma enough. There is a Forumosan selling the peppercorns. I was looking forward to this in Taiwan, I’m surprised to hear it is hard to find. Also good shredded potato (tudou si? I have no Chinese).
I second that
This place in Yonghe does the mala right. Get the “saliva chicken.”
Will do! Thanks for the rec. I saw there were some old threads, but it’s hard to tell which ones are up-to-date so I figured I’d make a new one for 2021 
Is this for Tainan? I can only suggest for Taipei:
This small place in Donghu has lots of definitely ma la stuff. Just don’t make the mistake I did yesterday, namely dropping a noodle into the broth causing a drop to fly right into my eye. Ouch!
川香園小館
No. 19號, Lane 43, Donghu Road, Neihu District, Taipei City, 114
02 2630 7361
This place in Neihu:
川耗子
No. 79, Jiangnan Street, Neihu District, Taipei City, 114
02 2797 7252
https://maps.google.com/?cid=9094141247521140263&entry=gps
This one near Nanjing Fuxing:
Chuan Wei Er
No. 4號, Alley 5, Lane 130, Section 3, Minsheng East Road, Songshan District, Taipei City, 105
02 2545 0769
Unfortunately the “dancing Chili” in neihu is gone. They even had Sichuan pepper tea - very, very enjoyable.
I’m hoping for Kaohsiung, if anyone knows
Ouch. Sorry, have no idea about there.
I guess you already used Google maps and searched for “Sichuan restaurant”? There seem to be many.
No, for the whole island. I figure there are few enough places that they can all fit in one thread, and I go around the island enough that I can try em out wherever they are 
Just wanted to share the one good place I know!
We can have separate threads for South, Central and North Taiwan. Makes it easy for people to search by area.
Okay, then I guess this can just be the Taipei one since there are already three recommendations for places up North. Sorry, rest of the island 
Might seem weird but i’d recommend that demon ramen place for your ma la fix. they really got the ma la flavour down, one of the most tasty things i’ve ever had!
In Taipei City’s East District, in an alley near Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall, there’s a small noodle shop also named Tianfu (天府麵庄), where a Taiwanese man and a Sichuan woman offer up one of the most brilliant gan mien dishes I’ve had the pleasure to eat. It’s great stuff!
Guy
Add to the topic for the Kaoshuing section and I will add my picks.
Did you find one you like?
Not at all a restaurant, but I’ve grown very fond of these “Hot and Spicy Peanuts” / 豆之家麻辣花生, available at Leezhen / 里仁 (one of main organic chains).
Yes, they’ve got Sichuan peppercorns in the bag. One of the only bagged snacks I’ve tried in Taiwan where I have to be very careful to wash my hands soon after, or I’m going to inadvertently burn my eyes.
https://www.leezen.com.tw/product_detail.php?cat=28_157&p=826
Going around this weekend! Ended up being out of Taipei for the week so I didn’t have a chance to try any. I’ll be sure to keep you updated, though I don’t know how many I can try in only 3 days!
I LOVE those bottles of peanuts. There’s a guy at my local 菜市場 that sells them for $80-100/bottle and I have to keep myself from buying too many at a time because I’ll just blow through them. There’s also a local shop south of Guting station that sells really good 麻辣 peanuts but I’m sadly not around there much anymore.