Have you tried the lo mein?
Guy
The one in Songshan station was full everytime I was there. Tasty.
That really doesn’t look Michelin star. Does it taste a lot better than it looks?
Remember: Hawker Chan is the now-globalized version of the hawker stall in Singapore that won a single star from Michelin. It’s not the original guy making the food, and we are not in Singapore. But the Taipei version is competent, and this places it well above the standard of the typical Cantonese BBQ joints in Taipei, which are for the most part unacceptably bad for anyone with even a passing familiarity with this genre of food.
Guy
Michelin is a scam especially when applied to Chinese food.
Total joke.
Pardon my French but what the fuck do the French know about Chinese food?
The Emperors new clothes of cooking.
Now they have Michelin starred nightmarket stands lol.
A poll setup by Mad Masala would be a hundred times more convincing and I’m not even joking.
Sorry Guy I also know dozens of very good Cantonese Shao La places in Taiwan, many are actually run by Hong Kongers as well going by the accents. They open them in towns and cities all over Taiwan not only in Taipei… Also having been in Hong Kong recently I found it easier to get a decent Shao La in Taipei than Hong Kong. I also visit Singapore quite often I have no idea why this kind of BBQ would be better in Singapore .
I believe Taiwan probably is the easiest place to find a decebt shao la place in the world including Hong Kong. You just go out in your neighbourhood you are bound to find more than a half decent one without even trying.
I can’t agree more. The world famous chef Ferran Adria said Chinese food is simplistic because its all served at the same temperature. If you know Chinese food, you know that’s not true. Plenty of cold appetizers to speak of. The fact that he said it just shocked me. The Tripadvisor rankings of the best restaurants in Taipei are also a total joke IMO. But then again, there are many Forumosans who say they miss American style Chinese food, so who am I to judge? Different strokes for different folks and there’s no accounting for taste.
That’s incredible ignorance that he didn’t know that.
For me Chinese food is very very interesting in terms of fermentation . Their use of fermented food to create different aromas and textures and new kinds of food is mind blowing. But it’s not for everybody , same as spicy food or cheese is not for everybody.
I also love the medicinal aspect of Chinese food. The medicine can be food and the food can be medicine. They aren’t distinct and they can serve two purposes at once but have incredible flavour . That’s sophisticated. There’s a billion dollar opportunity in marketing that in the West.
The third thing I appreciate about Chinese food is the emphasis on freshness.
Not just cold appetizers - for hot foods, quite a lot of skill is needed to cook at high temperatures because getting the timing a little off is the difference between undercooked and burnt.
Start watching this at 15 minutes
(even the time it takes to serve the food should be factored into the cooking time)
Another Hawker Chan shop tried at Songshan station.
That looks like pants.
You have weird pants.
At least I got pants.
Hopefully a shirt on your back too.
I only got me one shirt left and it smells of stale perfume.
We should all pitch in and buy you a new bottle. But don’t drink it!
Was there any notable variation in quality (compared to the Taipei Main Station branch)?
Guy
There was a big difference between these two Hawker Chan shops. Songshan seemed not prepared as well of both meat and noodles. Can even compare my pictures from each one as I had the same dish. Definitely doesn’t look like the same. I didn’t expect that from such a famous place.
I really like 1010湘. I go to the one in U Town in Xizhi quite often. It’s a good place to enjoy a beer with food, and to me, that is a BIG reason why I like dining out. And there’s something for everyone, even for those (like our six-year-old) who don’t like things too spicy. Reservations also aren’t that difficult to make (just an hour before your meal and you’re fine).
By the way, it’s my understanding the same outfit runs Thai Town. It kind of makes sense to me- a similar type of business model, I mean.