american/chinese: i recommend FORKS AND CHOPSTICKS

[TAIPEI]

Orange chicken in Taipei. 

When I first started the blog, the question I would get once in awhile was "where can I find Americanized Chinese food in Taipei?" And I had no idea, I mean it just was not a thing here. Plus you've got dumplings, noodle soups and veggies galore. 

But then after a few years I would really get nostalgic for that styrofoam box of orange chicken, chow mein and a fried egg roll. I know I wasn't alone because I even followed the news of an American Chinese diner opening in China (and closing a few years later) and orange chicken getting so popular you could buy it at Trader Joes. Panda Express even started trying to started making burritos with orange chicken and had Innovation Kitchens. 

And now, Taipei finally has its own spot to order a few of your takeout faves. The founders of FORKS AND CHOPSTICKS 筷叉小館  were feeling the same cravings and tackled this problem with a cloud kitchen solution. 

The menu at Forks and Chopsticks isn't long, but it's got the classics you might spy at the mall food court - broccoli beef, orange chicken, chicken zucchini, eggplant and tofu, chicken and string beans, fried rice, and chow mein..and yes, there's fortune cookies, takeout boxes and that familiar looking styrofoam shaped box (minus the styrofoam cuz it's Taiwan 2022). 

And the taste comes pretty close, at least for me who hasn't been to the states in 2 years and hasn't had orange chicken in more than that. I must admit Panda Express' orange chicken was such the guilty pleasure in college. So while the flavor is close, I do wish it was a bit more crispier and stickier (though I guess I get Korean fried chicken for those cravings these days). Paired with a chewy chow mien, it scratches an itch. The familiar fried rice, the lucky numbers with your fortune.

You can order by the dish or get a combo 1, 2 or 3 dishes with rice or noodles (or upon special request half and half). Currently you can find @ForksxChopsticks on ubereats or pick up,  but there's no dine in yet. They are also testing egg rolls (another fave that I haven't had in years) and crab rangoon. 

There _are_ fortune cookies, but they are an extra charge unfortunately, the same way chips and salsa are not free in Mexican restaurants here. lol. 

So anyone been missing their takeout menu from back home? What else are you missing? Maybe honey walnut shrimp or (it's been so long I had to google) sweet and sour shrimp or Kung Pao chicken. 

FORKS AND CHOPSTICKS 

(pick up and delivery only)

No. 67號, Guangfu S Rd, Songshan District, Taipei

(02) 2748-4205

hawaiian/taipei takeout: I strongly recommend KAME HOUSE

How do I have 157,930 photos on my phone? Every time I feel my phone struggle with the load of that many photos, I start deleting photos but then I wonder how do I delete photos from my phone without deleting them from the iCloud. The dilemmas of being tied to technology. 

But I know this is not why you came here. You came here to find out where to find legit poke in Taipei. Because when you search "poke in Taipei" online, an array of shops that show very not-poke-like-at-all-or-least-not-seen-ever-in-hawaii-or-LA poke bowls with toppings like corn, carrots, chicken, tomatoes, okra, and *shudder* raisins. They basically fill the need for build your own salads bowls in Taipei, but that's not what poke is.  I won't name names, but you can see for yourself and shake your head along with me. 

But this is not that. 

This is poke that reminds me of Foodlands or Alicia's Market in Honolulu- Hawaiian poke that is just marinated fresh, raw fish. 

The poke bowl (NT$400) here ahi tuna three ways- spicy mayo ahi poke with avocado, shoyu ahi poke and Hawaiian style ahi poke with macadamia nuts. A poke trifecta that's onolicious and so good over rice and side dishes (I usually pick salad or roasted veggies and fries). SO GOOD. 

Besides the poke bowl, my must orders are the garlic shrimp (NT$350), the spam musubi (which they don't usually have everyday but is on the takeout menu, 8 for NT$400) and the loco moco (NT$350). All the main dishes come with sides. Auntie's Fried Chicken is also tasty and they have teppanyaki fried rice with steak and seafood options (NT$599). The half lobster is also such a good deal!!! (NT$500). 

But if you could only pick one dish, try the poke. Hands down my FAVORITE poke bowl in Taipei. 

Kame House and its sister restaurant Kamekona are more known for their teppanyaki, but my favorites are from its a la carte menu. The reason why everything tastes as it should is because the  owners are from Hawaii so they've brought the taste of Hawaii to Taipei and making sure it stays true. (Did anyone else see how fast Eggs N Things in Taipei came and went?) They worked at teppanyaki restaurants in Hawaii and have also brought back the tricks and fiery displays that teppanyaki chefs do more often in the states than here. 

I've been a fan of Kame House since I first went over a year and half ago, though I always go for their poke (at least once a month) and have tried the teppanyaki only at Kamekona. Their shops have a cute Hawaiian vibe inside and the staff has always been so friendly and welcoming. They even sing and play ukulele when its your birthday. The owners also have donated meals to frontline workers during this last month during the pandemic. With two shops, it's been tough for teppanyaki and other restaurants to pivot and I want them to survive the pandemic, so that's why I'm sharing my secret favorite poke spot with you. Because life is too short to eat bad poke. 

KAME HOUSE 

No. 13號, Lane 32, Yixian Road, Xinyi District

台北市信義區逸仙路32巷13號

(02) 8786-9466

MRT: Taipei City Hall 

$$ 

Takeout reviewed: 5/2021

Poke bowl 

Spam musubi

Garlic shrimp

Loco Moco

Auntie's Fried Chicken

Teppanyaki Lobster

Teppanyaki Ribeye with fried rice 

Hawaiian feast at home in Taipei 

Kame House 

Kame House takeout menu during lockdown 2021

burgers: i recommend MOTHER FLIPPIN BURGERS

You cannot find it on Google maps or Instagram, but if you're lucky enough to be in delivery range, you can find it on Ubereats. This is the restaurant of the future, especially in Taipei- ghost kitchens that don't have to worry about servers, decor or space- just the food (and having enough delivery drivers to go around.) 

Tried this new burger in Taipei, Mother Flippin Burgers, last week- double patty, smashed, dripping with cheese and sauce over lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and onions- this burger is not for those wearing white shirts or afraid of a mess. 

Paired with all the fun fried sides (waffle fries, tater tots, onion rings, bbq wings, mozzarella sticks), it was a recipe for a food coma. 

The next time I get it, I will try switching out the Cheddar for the American cheese on the MF'n Classic (NT$168) or try the MF'n Jalapeño Cheddar since I prefer the way Cheddar melts over American. And get the fresh onion rings (NT$130) and wings. Drooling looking at these photos, and based on all the messages I got on Instagram, you guys were too! 

In case you missed it, here was my Best Burgers in Taipei round up from earlier this year. 

roundup /taipei : best things i ate last week jan 2020

The Best Things Hungry in Taipei Ate Last Week, January 1, 2020

I'm always getting asked about what I've eaten lately that's good and so I'm going to try to revive the weekly round up! Enjoy and let me know if there's anything I should be eating in Taipei!

Fried chicken thighs and legs at FAT DADDY'S CHICKEN

If one of your new year's resolution is to eat healthier this year, then do not watch this video. It was the first time I tried Fat Daddy's Chicken, fried chicken cravings spurred on by a friend's post of the viral KFC rice trend that has been circulating. The chicken is crispy, juicy and ASMR ready, as evidenced by this video of two people crunching and slurping their way through a bucket. (Who knew there was a channel dedicated to ASMR'ing and whisprering about Taiwanese food?) Get the fries and onion rings if you must, but avoid the sweet potato balls. 

Cranberry pineapple cake at CHIA TE

I ended up visiting the Chia Te shop for the very first time last week when my friends from LA wanted to buy boxes to take back home. I tagged along because I had heard about it over the years, but I had never actually eaten one. My friend proclaimed that the cranberry pineapple cake was her favorite and after trying a few of them, she was right. The touch of tartness of cranberry gives this traditional pastry that extra touch I never knew it needed. Be prepared to wait, there was a 50 person or so line looping around the store when we went. Pick up a box of nougat cracker sandwiches too. 

Harvest salad at AVENUE 

Still in love with the beet, apple, green bean, haloumi cheese and candied pecans combo over fresh greens. And right on trend according to the New York Times. If you're really hungry, also order the truffle orzo with egg and mini corn dogs. 

Xiao long baos at WU HU DOUJIANG 五湖豆漿 (Five Lakes Doujiang)

I have been trying to find new (to me) places to grab Taiwanese breakfast because good ones actually do exist outside of Fu Hang and Yonghe Dou Jiang. Met up with Eric Sze from 886 over soy milk, dan bing and xiao long baos which had a thicker skin and a punch of ginger. I like eating outside since it's shaded and the scattered tables are enough to seat the rotating short line in front of the busy kitchen. 

#hungrylist/ repost: 10 NEW PLACES TO EAT NEXT IN TAIPEI - SUMMER 2017

A lot of you might have noticed that I've posted less and less on the blog over the years. I've started to freelance as a (paid) contributing writer for various sites and publications. In case you missed it, this was an article for Taiwan News of some of my favorites and places I wanted to try last summer. This obviously skews more internationally- as they were new openings of a modern Vietnamese restaurant from Vegas and two Korean BBQ joints with roots from Korea, a world famous Japanese ramen with insane lines, and a cheese shop serving up Italian cheeses. Almost a year later, all of them are still putting out good food and Longtail was even awarded a Michelin star! The only ones I still haven't tried yet are Longtail and EPL- where does the time go? Time for another round up. 

You can find the original article here. 

Do you want to see more round ups like this on the blog? I know my readers are split- many of you are finding my blog when you are researching where to go for a first time visit and others have been living here a long time like me. 

10 new places to eat next in Taipei

HungryinTaipei's (HiT) list of what's been trending and new in Taipei, Summer 2017

1. DISTRICT ONE TAIPEI 

(Photo by @hungryintaipei) 

District One Taipei just soft opened last week, but photos of their signature lobster pho have already drawn in crowds to their shop in the Da'an district. Opened by Chef Khai Vu and the team from Revel Eatery, District One brings Vegas modern Vietnamese to Taipei, with delicious dishes like beef carpaccio, crispy egg rolls, oxtail fried rice and pork vermicelli. The lobster pho might get all the (well deserved) attention, but the brisket oxtail pho (NT$300) with the tender meat and beefy broth is definitely not to be missed. 

No. 21, Alley 7, Lane 181, ZhongXiao East Road, Section 4, DaAn District 

indian/revisited: i still strongly recommend MAYUR INDIAN KITCHEN

MAYUR INDIAN KITCHEN 

馬友友印度廚房

350-5 Keelung Rd, Sec. 1 台北市基隆路一段350號之5

(02) 2720-0011

MRT: Taipei City Hall or Taipei 101

website: Mayur's FB page 

hours: 11:30 am – 9:30 pm 

$-$$ (This meal was by invitation and hosted, but all opinions are my own.)

Visit reviewed: 4/3/2018

Previous reviewed: 5/17/2012

RECENTLY, I REVISITED THE ORIGINAL Mayur Indian Kitchen in Xinyi and was happy to find it even better than when I first wrote about it in 2012! (That rarely happens.) Since 2012, Mayur Indian Kitchen has expanded from one street side shop to six Indian restaurants across Taipei, all with different specialties including all vegetarian, buffet or late night with live music.  I'm not sure why I didn't return since I wrote about it six years ago, but Chef Mayur had kindly invited me over the years, as he sent messages here and there about the new restaurants he had opened. 

After I had posted some butter chicken that I had ordered after an ubereats fail from another Indian restaurant during Chinese New Year, he told me that my original blog post had brought so many customers to his restaurant, but that the Mayur Indian Kitchen I visited back then was completely different from my last visit and hoped I could see for myself. 

So I invited a few fellow Indian food loving friends to meet me at the Guangfu location, which was missing its sign above, but had doubled in restaurant space. Mayur Indian Kitchen (MIK 1) now had indoor table seating in a festive bright red dining area, as well as the al fresco tables outside. It's still quiet on this street, so sitting outside in good weather isn't a problem. 

 

The current glossy menu had page after page of appetizers, tandoori, vindaloo, tikka masala, butter chicken, masalas, vegetarian curries, naan, parathas, and drinks, which affordable prices from NT$190-395. I could understand why a revisit was overdue because the restaurant had grown into a completely different experience than the one that was just starting out in 2012 which chicken on the bone in the curry and less than a dozen curries available. Thank you to Chef Mayur for the invitation and for your hospitality.  (It's such a funny coincidence that my post in 2012 was exactly 6 years ago yesterday).

I'm a creature of habit, especially at Indian restaurants. I will tend to reorder the same things that I like, but I'm open to trying new things. So while we put in our order for butter chicken, palak paneer, naan, paratha, aloo gobi and raita, some finger foods came to the table.  

It was my first time trying these Dahi puchka from Kolkata (NT$150 for 6), which were small puffs filled with yogurt, tamarind and mint sauces. They were flavor bombs and slightly messy if you didn't eat it in one bite. A lighter way to start the meal than the more well known Punjabi vegetarian samosas (NT$135) dense with potatoes and peas. 

Soon our table filled with curries, naan, rice and vegetables. After a few photos, we dug in. Our favorites were the butter chicken (NT$245) which had that classic sweet and slightly spicy addictive sauce, and surprisingly the recommended aloo gobhi (NT$225), which is curried cauliflower and potatoes. It is a MUST ORDER. I used to order aloo gobhi all the time in the states, but sometimes you get more potatoes than anything else. Mayur Indian Kitchen's version had strong cauliflower game where the cauliflowers were just the right texture and was spiced without being heavy. 

Such a happy meal as my friends and I used the naan to scoop up every last bit of the butter chicken curry and filled our plates and bellies with food. I loved everything. 

The only thing I probably wouldn't reorder is the Malai Tikka (NT$225) which was not as juicy or flavorful as I've had elsewhere. Next time I'd try the tandoori chicken. MIK 1 also still only serves yellow rice, which I noted on my first visit. In my conversation with Chef Mayur, most people in India typically eat regular rice and not basmati rice because it's more affordable and it's more filling. 

Otherwise there are 18 types of naan, roti and paratha to order from, including garlic chili naan and sweeter coconut naan or cheese naan. We ordered three- plain, garlic and aloo paratha, for the three of us and it was more than plenty. 

butter chicken

palak paneer (spinach with paneer) & spiced rice

aloo gobhi and chicken malai 

aloo paratha (NT$85)

plain naan (NT$55)

garlic naan (NT$55)

A large sign outside the restaurant displays the new exclusively vegetarian MIK as well as the addresses of the other locations. Rather than make each restaurant the same, Chef Mayur chose to give each one a specialty. MIK 1 is homestyle Indian food. MIK 2 is more upscale.  MIK 3 is purely vegetarian. MIK 4 is a buffet (but only on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays). MIK5 is stated to the be the largest Indian restaurant in Taipei. And last but not least, the newest MIK 6 is an Indian restaurant by day, hookah and live music restaurant by night, offering Indian food until 3AM. 

What was Chef Mayur's entrepreneurial secret to opening 6 restaurants in 6 years? Chef Mayur wooed his family from India to Taipei in his expansion to helm and cook at the different branches, and his father is the chef at MIK 1, which serves classic, homestyle Indian dishes. “My father cooks food for our guests just like the way he used to cook for our family. In fact, he treats all MIK customers as our family guests.” And to find that in Taipei is such a treat.