Vietnamese Food

Cuisine Greater Taipei Restaurants
#1

There is excellent Vietnamese food to be had in the food court of The Mall in the basement of the mall adjacent the Far Eastern Hotel on TunHwa South Rd.

I can highly recommend the Pho Bo, beef noodle soup with He fen and the he fan without soup (can’t remember the name of the dish), as well as the Vietnamese hot pot in beef and seafood flavors. Finally their fresh and fried spring rolls are spot on excellent.

I have been going to this place for a couple of years. Never disappoints and the food is light and healthy.

#2

Thought I’d offer a short description of some of my Vietnamese favourites in Taipei:

I often go to the Vietnamese resaurant on YangKang b[/b] St (about 100m down from XinYi Rd), which, despite it’s fairly limited menu, is fairly-priced and convenient (if you ask, they’ll give you an English menu, and the place is open 'til 11.30 most nights). It actually tastes more Chinese than Vietnamese, due to the oil content, although they recently started garnishing their food with some fresh herbs, perhaps to give it that “authentic” look. Oh, I think they have another branch just behind Sogo.

There’s another (much bigger) Vietnamese place on the corner of RenAi and Xinsheng (next to a cafe called “Coffee Lab”) that offers a wider range of food. It’s certainly tastier, less oily, and a little cheaper (perhaps becuase of the reduced oil content), but their opening hours seem to vary. Although they don’t have an English menu, their service is way better (i.e. with a smile :wink: ). It’s about a 10min walk from YangKang b[/b] St.

Another 5 min up the road, just near Chungshiao b[/b]/Xinsheng there’s “Madame Jill’s Vietnamese Restaurant”, which is the most expensive of the three I’ve mentioned so far, but also the nicest. It sucks that they ask for the 10% service charge, but I’ve never had a bad meal here. Avoid the adjoining Thai restuarant - definitely the worst I’ve had in Taiwan, and the 10% service charge just made the whole experince byond a joke. Anyway, there’s a couple of Madame Jill’s around Taipei: one on Hsinsheng and XinHai, and another in KongGuan b[/b] .

For anyone in MuCha, there’s another place on Xin Long b[/b] Rd (maybe section 3, just opposite MacDonald’s) that has good food, nice friendly service, and all at a fair price, although they close at about 8pm… It’s defnintely more authentic than the YangKang b[/b] St restaurant, and much better value than Madamme Jill’s. Also, some of the staff speak English and they have an English menu.

Good luck!

The Big Babou

#3

Wow, thanks. I didn’t know about these. I knew three other ones though. One in a back alley way off of Chungxiao b[/b] with only Pho noodle soup (noth that great all all), another in Tien Mu b[/b] (not sure if it is still there) and one in ShiJr (XiZhi) not far from Ur Yue Guang (not bad). I will check out the ones that you mentioned as soon as I get a chance. Thanks again!

#4

[quote=“The Big Babou”]Thought I’d offer a short description of some of my Vietnamese favourites in Taipei:

I often go to the Vietnamese resaurant on YangKang b[/b] St (about 100m down from XinYi Rd), which, despite it’s fairly limited menu, is fairly-priced and convenient (if you ask, they’ll give you an English menu, and the place is open 'til 11.30 most nights). It actually tastes more Chinese than Vietnamese, due to the oil content, although they recently started garnishing their food with some fresh herbs, perhaps to give it that “authentic” look. Oh, I think they have another branch just behind Sogo.[/quote]
You sure this is Vietnamese place? I know a Yunnan restaurant on YongKang St, but not a Yuenan restaurant.

#5

I wrote about this place in another thread, but it’s worth mentioning again here.

In Banqiao, there’s Pho Sai Con, a Vietnamese restaurant near the Far Eastern Department Store (FE21) by the new train station. Nothing fancy, but quite good and not expensive. I eat there about twice a month.

If you’re at the front door of FE21, facing outside, go to your left . Cross the street at the edge of the FE21 block and continue heading toward the old (now nonexistent) train station. Pho Sai Con (labeled as such, though perhaps not on its main sign), is just a few stores away. It looks like a standard noodle place, though the use of the Vietnamese alphabet to romanize the Chinese menu is a giveaway.

The cold chicken with peanuts and cucumber is very nice, as is the ximilu (which I like even though it has taro in it).

I wouldn’t make a special trip from Taipei for this restaurant; but if you’re in the neighborhood, say at the nearby Taipei County office of the Foreign Affairs Police, it’s worth stopping by.

#6

A bunch of us moms and toddlers go to the Jill’s at Hsinhai/Hsinsheng every couple of weeks or so. We’ve never paid a service charge that we’ve noticed. We were just asking each other recently if we should leave a tip. (I guess we should) They’re always very nice to us. Is 10% considered a good tip in Taiwan?

#7

I just had that Vietnamese place in the Basement of The Mall recently for the first time… awesome lunch for $150. I have to go back there again! There is one thing I haven’t found at the two Vietnamese places I’ve been to here (Jills and the Pho Hoa place behind Sogo)… fresh spring rolls/lumpia, the ones in the rice paper, not fried, usually eaten with Hoisin sauce.

I tried making them once but they take quite a bit of time, or maybe I don’t know what I’m doing.

Does the XingLong place offer these?

#8

I’m no aficionado of Vietnamese food, but I do enjoy the noodles, curried chicken and spring rolls they have in the mall underneath the main Eslite branch on Tunhua S. Rd.

#9

Yes! I told you. This place is very good. I just got back from a trip to Vietnam last week. I know what I am talking about. Try the other dishes I recommended when you get a chance.

#10

Hello everyone. Hobart, great thread. Tonight, I tried the place that you had mentioned earlier on. I think that it’s called “Ti An.” Good stuff. I had the “chun jun gan ban he fen.” A good meal for NT 120.

Here’s a few other place I’ve stumbled across.

Pho 88
No. 1, Alley 51, Lane 12, Pate Rd. Sec. 3 Taipei
A little place across from a small park. I like the “pho ga” (chicken he fen) and the beef curry over rice. They have coffee served in the drip containters (like the ones used in Vietnam) and baguettes. Set meals run around NT 150 or so. A bowl of the noodles costs less. Fried spring rolls are also available. I like the lao ban and his family.

Pho Hoa
Taipei, Tunhua South Road, Section One, Lane 180, No.43
This place is in the lanes behind Zhongxiao. It looks trendy, but I like their “ji rou si gan ban mian.” They have a set meal for NT 180 that includes one of the noodles (pho or the “dry” ones), fried spring rolls, and a cup of coffee (drip). They also provide a big plate of basil, greens, slices of lemons, and sliced red chilis, so you can add what you like to your noodles. Just like the pho shops in Vietnam, if I remember correctly.

Chen Ji (This is the place that the Big Babou mentioned)
Yong Kang Street, Lane 6, No. One – diagnol from the “Ice Monster” shop
Yong Kang Street, Lane 6, No. Six – this is just down the street. The interior is nicer, but I think the food is best at the orginal shop.

There is another branch behind the Sogo – Fuxing and Zhongxiao. I don’t have that address.
As the Big Babou mentioned, the food may be a bit more oily here–but I like it–a lot. They have great curry (not really that “Vietnamese,” is it?). In fact, I like their curry better than their pho. I remember reading in an article about this restaurant that the lao ban himself stated that they have adapted their dishes to suit Taiwanese tastes. Still, I think the food here is great.

Looking forward to trying some of the other places mentioned in earlier posts. I used to like the small Vietnamese place next to Grandma Nittis; they had great barbecued pork over rice, and baguettes. Unfortunately, this place seems to have closed up and turned into a pasta place. The pasta place is pretty good, though.

This may not make me popular, but I am not a big fan of Madame Jill’s. I’ve only been to the branches near Gongguan, so the one that the Big Babou might be better. The prices seem a bit high for what you get, imho.

OK, thanks again for the starting this post. I am looking forward to hearing about more great places for Vietnamese food in Taipei.

#11

I went by this place last night, and, sadly, it looks as if this place has been closed down. I saw a red sign with the Chinese character for rent in black. It’s too bad–I had wanted to try this place.

Any new finds? Any night market stands or night market areas with tasty Vietnamese food?

Oh, Big Babou, have you tried the coffee in the cafe called “Coffee Lab”?

#12

Actually, I also just noticed that this restaurant had closed down, so today went to Madamme Jill’s over at Xinsheng Sth / HePing E Rd’s. A huge lunch cost me $350, but it’s more than I can eat.

On the subject of coffee, well I haven’t yet been to Coffee Lab, but I heard they hold dancing classes (Flamenco, I think) on a Friday night. Actually, for good coffee in that area, I often walk down to Roaster Family Coffee, which is a little cafe beside YongKang St, about 200m south of the little park.

Cheers,

The Big Babou

#13

I like that one too, Sandy. The chicken salad is excellent, and everything there is quite cheap for such healthy portions. It could be categorized as semi-authentic Vietnamese, like every other place in town.

#14

I just got back from a recent trip to Vietnam and I think the one I mentioned in the basement of The Mall on Tunhwa next to the Far Eastern Hotel is quite authentic, but I agree with you regarding the one at the basement of the Eslite book store on Tun Hwa and a few others I have tried. The one in the basement of The Mall, has some brown sauce that they mix in with the hot sauce. I couldn’t find it in Vietnam but I think it is quite authentic. They use to give it to you separately, but now it is mixed witht he other sauce. Try a bit of that and help me to identify it. I forgot to bring a vial of it with me to Vietnam to show to my acquaintences there for identification. I love that taste whatever it is.

I am still looking forward to trying out the places that “fee” and “The Big Babou” introduced, but last night I was at one here in XiZhi on the main road just past Ur Yue Guang coming from NeiHu. Not too bad at all. Their fresh spring rolls are marvelous and their Pho Bo is better than most, but still not as good as the one at the basement of The Mall on Tun Hwa. I have to go that one once a week.

Yea, “chun jun gan ban he fen.” that’s the dish I love so much. lately I have been eating their hot pot a lot. Normally I am not a hotpot fan, but this one is YUMMY!

#15

What’s so different about their hot pot? I’m not a hot pot fan either, but I love Vietnamese food as long as it’s light, lemony, spicy and minty.

#16

That what it is, light, lemony, spicy and minty. Get a separate little dish of that brown sauce I mentioned and dip the meat and things in that.

#17

Hobart, do they have veggie hot pots, or seafood? Bimmels don’t ingest red meat.

#18

They have a seafood version which I have tried and is very good, I go back and forth between this one and the beef one. Not sure about a vegatable version.

#19

I went to Madame Jill’s last night and they’d ran out of bread. I was pretty annoyed as we’d ordered loads of stuff to put in the bread (or put the bread in!) and they didn’t tell us until all of the other orders had arrived.

The bread is MJ’s is fabulous (i often just pop in to buy some to take home) and i’ll continue going to their various branches as i always enjoy the food and atmosphere in them, and this is the first time i’ve had a bad dining experience with them.

#20

Hello all,

There’s a great (new?) place for Vietnamese food off of Bade. I’m not sure if it’s new or if it has just moved into a new location. In fact, I think that this might be the place that The Big Babou mentioned in an earlier post–the place that used to be near “Coffee Lab.”

Here’s the address:
Pho Hoa (Chinese characters “fan2 jia1”)
Bade Road, Section 3
Lane 12
Alley 5
No. 42

Great curry for NT$ 80. Spring rolls – both fried and “fresh” available – for NT$ 80, too.

Set meals for NT$ 150.

Friendly people. Good noodles. Gets crowded at lunch.

Their business card lists another branch on Nanjing (Section Five) and one down in Gaoxiong.

It’s a good place if you happen to be in the area.