九六素食處 (Vegetarian)

Review Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (Average)

Address: No. 21號, Lane 159, Jianguo Rd, Central District, Taichung City, Taiwan 400
Google Map Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/XtSaP2atZeoo8Fv16
(Please refer to the Timings provided in the Google Map Link for the Operating Hours.)

Angelica Soup 当归汤 = TWD35 for 1 Bowl

Random 4 Vegetables + 1 Vegetarian 肉丸 (Ba Wan), No Rice = TWD100

No Service Charges

 Here is the Full Menu of the Eatery/Restaurant.
Prices are Accurate as of the Date of the Post.

For Strict Vegans, you'll be glad to know this place Does Not Serve Eggs. 🚫🥚

This was a Vegetarian Eatery that was located near the Hostel I was staying in Taichung. Its located relatively near to Taichung Train Station actually. 🚆

As I was walking towards it, I was surprised to see a Very Unique Looking Tall and Narrow Looking Chinese Temple that is just right beside it as you can see. 🛕

The Architecture of this Temple looks Unique, certainly not something I've seen for Chinese Temples in Singapore at least. 🤔

The Interior of the Actual Eatery.

The Actual Eatery itself looks like a Very Old Place. 🤔 According to the Friendly Owner, the Building its in has about 50 Years of History, and they themselves have been in Business here for about 9 Years so far. 👍

I particularly liked that Outside at the Entrance, they have a Poster where they have some timings shown where they will give out 感恩便当 Free Charity Meals for Needy and Destitute. ♥️ I totally respect this. 所为好人做善事, 好人永远平安. ♥️

Very 古色古香 Type of Place as you can see in the Photos, 📷 there are Old Newspaper Clippings, Photo Frames of Celebrities and Past Customers within. Run by what looks like a Small Family, the Main Cook is a Middle Aged Very Friendly Taiwanese Gentleman. 👍

The Vegetarian here is served Cai Fan style. 🥬 Other than me, there weren't any other Customers at 8.00am on a Friday Morning and in fact, alot of the Dishes were still being cooked. 👨‍🍳

What particularly interested me was a Very Delicious Robust Aroma of Herbal Angelica Soup 当归汤 🍲 that permeated the Air when I was there. 😋

How to go about Ordering your Food

1) Just like a Standard Cai Fan Stall, grab an Available Plate 🍽️ and just pick whatever Ingredients you want. When you are ready, hand it over to the Owner.

2) Interestingly, he will use a Weighing Scale and Weigh out the Ingredients you took. ⚖️ He only weighed the 4 Vegetables, 🥬 not the Vegetarian 肉丸 (Ba Wan).

According to the Owner, Weighing Ingredients like this is the Usual Practice ⚖️ when you eat at a Standard Vegetarian Cai-Fan Style Eatery like this. 🤔 Price is Calculated according to the Type and Weight of the Ingredient. I thought this was Very Unique how they do it in Taiwan. ⚖️

🍲 Angelica Soup 当归汤 = TWD35 for 1 Bowl

This Angelica Soup 当归汤 enraptured me the Moment I stepped into this Place so of course I ordered this to try. 😋 The Soup came in a Regular Sized Bowl and contained 3 Big Pieces of Vegetarian Taupok with 1 Red Date within. 🥬

I was not Disappointed when I tasted the Soup. 👍 浓浓厚厚 and Robust Gao Gao 当归 Presence that doesn't taste Watered Down at all. 👍 It is Savoury Saltish but not Overly So. 😋 That said, I did detect a Slight Bit of MSG Added although it wasn't too much. 🤔

Solid Herbal Soup Broth, 🍲 this was Not Peppery and the Entire Soup is being Carried by the 当归 with the Red Date providing an Occasional Sweetness. 😋 The 3 Taupoks were Soft and Springy, don't taste Too Beancurdy and Soaked up the Broth Very Well. 👍 Especially when it was a Cold (Roughly 18C) ❄️ Slightly Drizzing Morning, 🌦️ drinking this Hot Bowl of Gao Gao Danggui Soup just felt like Bliss. ♥️

That said, this is Not a Very Complicated Soup, 🍲 and its not like those put 50 Ingredients boiled for Hours Type. 😅 It is what it is. A Simple but Satisfying Vegetarian Herbal slightly enhanced by MSG Level of Danggui Soup. 🍲 Simple, but still a Hot and Comforting Soup. 😋

🥬 Random 4 Vegetables + 1 Vegetarian 肉丸 (Ba Wan), No Rice = TWD100

肉丸 or "Ba Wan" as how its call in Hokkien is a Classic Taiwanese Dish. 🇹🇼 Its basically a Big Soft Kueh wrapping a Big Meat Filling usually served in a Small Bowl. I have eaten and reviewed an Original Non-Vegetarian version of it in 南陽小館 肉圓肉羹專賣 previously 👍 and this is a Vegetarian Version of it. 🥬

This Vegetarian Version has a Slightly Firm Dough Kueh. 😋 I'd describe it like the Dough for our Singapore Sng Kueh, but imagine it about 2 Times Firmer. 🤔 The Sauce Gravy they lum on top of this Vegetarian Ba Wan is has a Noticeable Ketchupy Sweet and Thick Taste Profile. 🤔

The "Meat" Fillings within are Pieces of Taupok that is coated with a Slightly Sweet Sauce. 🥫 There are also some Bamboo Shoots within and Unfortunately it is the type that has a 臭臭 Taste. 🤔

I don't know how to describe this Bamboo Shoot other than its Unique 臭臭 Taste. 😅 If you have eaten enough Bamboo Shoots before, chances are you will probably know what I'm saying here. 🤔 I have no issues with this ingredient, but its not something that I like to eat. 😅

Unfortunately I feel this 臭臭 Bamboo Shoots completely Derailed this Ba Wan for me. 🤔 Its very hard to describe this because I felt this 臭臭-ness completely took over the Entire Taste Profile. 😅 If its not because of some of that Ketchupy Sweet Sauce, 🥫 I might not have been able to finish this up. 😅 Interesting Execution, but not something I'll order again. How I wished they used some other ingredients instead of this 臭臭 Bamboo Shoots. 🤔

The 4 Random Vegetables.

🥬 臭臭 Bamboo Shoots

Hahaha, alamak, just nice 1 of the Random Vegetables is this Exact 臭臭 Bamboo Shoots that I already don't like. 😅 Soft and Tender in Bite Texture with maybe abit of Saltiness I guess. I can't tell. 

So Sorry, the 臭臭-Ness is not something I liked and I was already struggling to try finish this and didn't have the mood to dissect it further. 😅 If you are someone who likes this Bamboo Shoot, you will have no issues with it I suppose.

🥬 梅菜 Braised Preserved Vegetables

If you've eaten 梅菜 before, this doesn't taste much different. 🥬 Soft and Tender but not 煮到烂烂 type, it has a Slightly Elevated Level of Saltiness. That said, this 梅菜 is quite 重口味 and the 梅菜-Ness is Quite Strong. 🤔 If you are ok with it, then it should be fine.

🥬 Braised Taupok

Exactly the Same Type and Same Taste Profile as the ones that are used in their Danggui Soup. 🍲🤔 Soft and Springy, don't taste Too Beancurdy, and because this time they are not Soaked in a Soup, slightly Braised Saltish. 🤔 Very Standard Tasting and tastes like how you'd expect it to taste.

🍍 Yellow Pineapple Cubes

At first, I thought these were Sweet Potato or Yam Cubes, 🤔 but I was actually Delighted to find that they are Pineapples. 🍍 Sweet but not Overly Pineappely Acidic, they were Tender to the Bite. 😋 I thought it was interesting that they were served with Cute Baby Wood Ear Mushrooms and Carrots. 🍄🥕

These Pineapples were an Amazing Palette Cleanser, 👍 and they helped in scrubbing off both that 臭臭 Bamboo Shoots and 重口味 梅菜-Ness. 😅

Never seen Pineapples used like this in a Vegetarian Dish espeically paired with Wood Ear Mushrooms and Carrots at least in Singapore or Malaysia. 🍍🤔 Maybe this is more of a Taiwanese Thing?

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Conclusion and Closing Thoughts

At TWD35 (S$1.50) for this Bowl of Vegetarian 当归 Herbal Soup 🍲 is definitely worth the Money. The Level of 当归 is Robust and Gao Gao. 😋

Its not a Very Complicated Soup and it does have Traces of MSG, but Drinking this Nice Herbal Soup in a 18C Cold Weather ❄️ was Really Shiok and Comforting. Worth the Money for sure.

At TWD100 (S$4.10) for 1 Vegetarian Ba Wan + 4 Random Vegetables felt Slightly Expensive 🤔 but I feel still worth the Money, although I did not like their 臭臭 Bamboo Shoots that they used. 😅

Most of the Dishes felt a Tad 重口味, at least the Selections I took. 🤔 While I'm not a Fan of this 臭臭 Bamboo Shoot they used, you will probably enjoy this more if you do like this Ingredient. 👍

What I did like alot was how Friendly and 热情 this Boss was. 😄 As he was Cooking and me Eating, we enjoyed a Very Nice Conversation together discussing about Everything from Culinary Related, 👨‍🍳 to History, and even 国家大事 World Politics. 🌏  Throughout our Conversations, I can tell this Boss has Alot of Passion about his Cooking. ♥️

While I disagree with his choice of using 臭臭 Bamboo Shoots like this, 🤔 and the General 重口味 Style of his Dishes like that 梅菜, 🥬🤔 I respect it as his Personal Flair to his Work. 👍 Maybe Taiwanese like this type of Style for their Vegetarian?

Don't let my Average Score deter you from this Place. If you are looking for a Very Simple, Uncomplicated and Very Old-School Looking Vegetarian Eatery, 🥬 don't mind the taste of 臭臭 Bamboo Shoots and that most of the Dishes here can be a Tad 重口味, 🤔 I can still recommend to give this Place a Try if you are here in Taichung. 👍