Review Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Highly Recommended)
Address: 100007, Taiwan, Taipei City, Zhongzheng District, Xinyang St, 11之2號2樓
Google Map Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ifA77KXWZb7n8Ped9
(Please refer to the Timings provided in the Google Map Link for the Operating Hours.)
碗粿 = TWD50
彰化肉圓 = TWD50
Bonus Taiwan Pork Front Leg Sampler = Free
1 Bowl of 清汤 = Free
Here is the Full Menu of the Eatery/Restaurant.Prices are Accurate as of the Date of the Post.
This was a Small Eatery that is located on the 2nd Level of a Shophouse. For people with Mobility Issues, you might need to take note that you will need to climb a Flight of Stairs up. 🧗 There are No Elevators available. 🤔
Although a Small Eatery with a Few Tables, they have enough Seats for a Capacity for maybe about 20 People give or take. 🤔 It wasn't Air-Conditioned although it was Comfortably Cooling with a 19C Weather Outside. ❄️ The Whole Place had a Very 小吃店 type of Feel. 😄 Do note that there are No Restrooms within this place. 🚻
Run by what looks like a Middle Age Husband and Wife Team, the Wife is at the Back doing Prep Work while the Husband is the Main Cook. He's a Very Jolly Chap with Good Cheer and Very Welcoming and Friendly. 😄 In fact he was the one who told me about the "Taiwan Pork Sticker". 🐷 If it were not because of his Explanation, I wouldn't even have known there was such a thing. 😅
The Taiwan Pork Sticker Certification
As you can see in this Photo, this is a Unique Sticker that writes "本店使用台湾猪". 🐷 This translates to "This Shop uses Authentic Taiwan Pork". At first, I thought it was one of those Decorative Random Sticker, but apparently it is Very Important. 😳 If an Eatery does not paste this Sticker, they can sell whatever type of Pork Breeds they want.
But if an Eatery pastes this Sticker Logo, they MUST ONLY sell Authentic Taiwan Pork. 😳🐷 If they paste this Sticker but are caught selling other Breeds of Cheaper Pork apparently it's a Chargeable Offence. 😳 Taiwan Pork is apparently a Unique Breed of Pig and they treat it Very Seriously. 😳 So if you are at an Eatery in Taiwan and see this Sticker, you'll know what its supposed to mean. I'm guessing its some sort of Registered License. 🤔
Anyway to order your Food, just tell the Boss what you want and it will be served up to you. Pay up only after your Meal. 🍽️ It only took maybe 2 Mins for both of my Dishes to be served up. 🕑 In Addition to the 2 Dishes, the Boss also served up a Free Special 清汤. 🥣
碗粿 = TWD50
More Commonly Referred to in Hokkien as "Wa Kueh", I think this is a Dish that can be found in Singapore 🇸🇬 although it is Very Rare. 🤔 It is much More Commonly Available in Taiwan. 🇹🇼 Appearance-wise, its a Very Big Fat Round Kueh that has a Thick Braised Brown Gravy Lum all over it, garnished with Some Coriander. 🌿 The Kueh itself wraps around the Big Fat Meat Filling. 🍖
This Gravy is Thickened with Starch, tastes Meaty and is Intensely Savoury Saltish and Sweetish. 🍖 If you are someone watching your Salt Intake, you might want to avoid this. 🤔
The Kueh is a Huge Piece and tastes Almost Exactly like our Singapore Chwee Kueh except with a Slightly Firmer Bite Texture. 😋
The Meat Filling was a Solid Big Piece. 🍖 At First Bite, I thought it was made of Chicken with a Texture that tasted No Different from Chicken Thigh. 🐔 It has an Elevated Level of Sweetness, perhaps too Sweet for me tbh, and even tasted abit Chickeny. 🐔
Imagine my Surprise when the Friendly Owner revealed to me that this is actually Taiwan Pork! 🐷😳 That was when he explained about that Taiwan Pork Sticker thing. Oh Wow, never in my Life have I ever tasted Pork that tastes so much like Chicken Thigh! 🐷🐔
No Kidding, this totally taste like a Chicken and Nothing like a Pork. 😳
Eating Everything together brings a Combination of Sweet and Salty, with Sweetness being the More Dominant. This Dish has an Elevated Level of Sweetness to it. 😋 I like how it Combines both Salty and Sweet together like this and with the Alternate Soft and Slightly Firm Texture of both the Kueh and Meat Filling, this was a Unique and Complex Tasting Dish. 😋The Only Thing I thought it lacked was abit of Spicy Heat. 🌶️🤔 A Thick and Solid Haebee-Based Malaysian Style Sambal would have completely lit this one up! 🔥🔥🔥
彰化肉圓 = TWD50
彰化 or Changhua is a Small County on the West Side of Taiwan. 🇹🇼 肉圓 itself translates to Meat Dumpling 🍖 or More Commonly Referred to in Hokkien by Taiwanese as "Ba Wan". Compared to 碗粿 Wa Kueh which still has a Firmish Looking Kueh, the "Kueh" for 肉圓 Ba Wan has a Completely "Melted" Look into the Bowl. 🥣 It is also lum with the same Braised Gravy Sauce as the Wa Kueh and Garnished with Coriander. 🌿
The "Kueh" in this 肉圓 Ba Wan is actually Mochi. 🍡😋 Completely Soft, Thick and Sticky, this is Totally Mochi. 🍡 It also uses the Same Taiwan Pork Meat Filling that tastes like Chicken Thigh. 🐷🐔😅
In fact, these 2 are the Exact Same Dishes using the Same Ingredients and Gravy. 😅 The Only Difference are the Carbs. 🤔 If you like a Firmish Chwee Kueh Texture, go for 碗粿 Wa Kueh. If you enjoy a Ultra Soft Mochi Texture, go for 肉圓 Ba Wan. 👍
This Boss was so Nice, and because I was discussing about Culinary with him and have never eaten Taiwan Pork before, he gave me a Free Small Piece of Taiwan Pork Front Leg to try. 🐷 Its called 前腿肉. It looks like a Long Piece of Lean Pork. 🐷
Eating this part of the Meat does not taste like Chicken Thigh but has a More Familiar Faint Taste of Porkiness. 🐷🤔
But there is a Special Gelatinous Texture within that made the Whole Meat Crumble and Melt in my Mouth. 😋
There is also a Very Nice Sesame Oil that he used to Marinate this that doesn't taste Overly Sesame too. 😋
Very Beautiful Delicate Sesame Oil. He also kindly showed me the Brand of Sesame Oil he used which you can see here. 📷
1 Free Bowl of 清汤 Clear Soup = Free
Actually according to the Boss, once I've finished either the 碗粿 or 肉圓, leave abit of the Sauce in them and pass the Empty Bowl to him 🥣 where he will help fill the Bowl with this 清汤 for me to Mix with the Sauce to drink. So Interesting! 😅 Anyway I requested for the Bowl of 清汤 by itself because I wanted to taste it without the Meat Sauce. 🤔
This 清汤 Soup itself is a Lightly Salted Radish Soup 🥬 with a Few Cubes of Radish, 1 Coriander Leaf 🌿 and some Meat Bits. 🍖 Light Tasting and Not Overly Salty, it doesn't taste like MSG is added. The Radish is Super Very Soft to the Bite. 😋
Adding the Gravy from the 碗粿 or 肉圓 into it turns it Abit Brownish in Colour 🤔 and Injects a Noticeable Increased Level of Saltiness and Meaty Flavour. 🍖 If you are watching your Salt Level, I wouldn't recommend to Spam alot, just add abit will do. 👍
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Conclusion and Closing Thoughts
At the Price of TWD50 (S$2.10) each for the Wa Kueh 碗粿 or 彰化肉圓 Ba Wan, they were Absolutely worth the Money. 👍 These 2 Items are Very Iconic Taiwanese Dishes and are Not Something that we can find easily in Singapore or Malaysia. 🤔
Having said that, the Both of them are actually Very Similar in Execution using the Same Ingredients, Same Sauce, 🍯 even the Same Meat Filling. 🍖🤔 The Only Difference between them is the Carb that is used. If you like a Firmish Chwee Kueh Texture, go for 碗粿 Wa Kueh. If you enjoy a Ultra Soft Mochi Texture, go for 肉圓 Ba Wan. Or order them both and give them a go! 😋
The Super Friendly Boss is the Real Reason why I can recommend this place. 👍 He is so Friendly and Welcoming! 😄 Especially when I was discussing Culinary with him, he was so willing to share his Knowledge. 👨🍳♥️
It was really him that let me know of the Taiwan Pork Sticker thing. 🐷 The Passion he showed me is something really Amazing to see. ♥️ This Man really is Very Passionate and Proud of his Cooking. I can totally respect that. ♥️
Heck we had so much Fun Chit-Chatting that he even forgot to collect payment for my Food! 💵😅 Hahaha, I was the one who had to remind him that he hasn't collected my payment yet! 😅 This is How Passionate and Friendly he was! ♥️
Really Small Eatery, but the Warmth and Friendliness really Brightened up Everything. ♥️ I am Very Glad to enjoy 2 of Taiwan's Most Iconic Dishes at such a Wonderful Place with such a Wonderful Boss! ♥️ This was an Easy Highest Top Score for me! ♥️
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