japanese/hotpot: i still recommend BEN SHABU SHABU

BEN SHABU SHABU 犇極鍋物

No. 4, AnHe Rd, Sec. 1
安和路一段102巷4號
(02) 2784-8299

MRT:  DaAn 

website: Ben Shabu's FB page

hours: 11:30AM- 10PM

$$-$$$$

Kid friendliness: no high chairs spotted 

Visit reviewed: 12/30/2012

Previous visit reviewed : 11/2011

My favorite part about Ben Shabu Shabu that night was surprisingly the sushi- seared salmon, fatty tuna over crispy rice- I wanted to order more, but we already had a full pot of veggies and plates of swirled red meat.

Service was quite slow that night, especially since we were in a room downstairs, the waiter had to run trays up and down the stairs and we'd have to go upstairs to find someone if we needed them. So don't know if the appetizers, like this truffle steamed egg, was supposed to be hot or cold, but this would have tasted better hot.

Yum, I wonder if I could come back just for the nigiri sushis. SO GOOD.

Can't go wrong with wagyu if you can splurge on it-

I also noticed that the pots in the downstairs room were not the copper pots upstairs because the table downstairs had the electric "fire" rather than the regular hotpot fire (if that sort of thing matters to you). Once we got the meats, we were happy to take our time to cook, until it was time for porridge. It was a fun gathering with friends to end last year before New Year's Eve.

taiwanese/hotpot: i recommend 89 SEAFOOD

89 SEAFOOD  89海鮮 

No. 89 HeJiang Rd., 

臺北市合江街89號 

(02) 2501-6167

MRT: Xing Tian Temple

website: none. it's old school!

$$ (NT$1000+ per person)

Kid friendliness: crowded and tight space. no high chairs spotted.

Visit reviewed: 9/14/2012 (iphone 4S only)

The first thing you should know about 89 Seafood is that there is free all you can eat lu rou fan, or braised pork rice. So while you're stuffing your face with roasted king crab legs and fried oysters, you can self serve yourself some fatty, tasty rice to go with it.

The second thing you should know is that 89 Seafood is old school. The alley is full of stir fry and seafood shops, slightly grimy and Chinese only signs and menus. 89 Seafood has large fish tanks filled with would be dinner king crabs, at the plastic covered entrance and a separate dining room across from its main shop. But the prices are good especially for the portions and freshness. I should have taken more pictures at the front, but to tell the truth, large fish tanks gross me out and scare me, so I had to run inside as fast as possible.

And the food is worth wading past the tanks for. Diners can choose their seafood and approve it (and take photos with it, as I spotted diners posing with large, live king crabs on a few Chinese language food blogs) before it is prepped or cooked. My friends T and V treated me to one of their favorite local restaurant for plucked-from-the-water-fresh seafood so he did the ordering, including possibly the biggest hotpot I've ever seen. Look at the bowl of rice for scale. 

Quite a few stir fry dishes are available, like clams with basil and kong ching tsai...

Old school and homestyle. The jacuzzi is waiting for the king crab.

My favorite part of the meal and the main event of dinner was the huge king crab, cooked two ways. One for hotpot...

And the second way was grilled crab legs. Grilling crab legs brought out the sweetness and intensity of the flavor, as well as created a juicy firmness to the flesh that was lost when boiled. They expertly cut the shell for you, so all you had to do was peel off the shell, dig out the meat and eat away. The shell bends almost like plastic so you can usually pull out the meat in one piece. So much better than the cold, king crab legs from a buffet. So amazing.

Stir fried shan su veggies, which are crunchy and leafy.

Loved the fried oysters, crispy and sweet.

Chewy Roasted squid

The hotpot beef slices were also delicious. The fatty swirls of fat transformed into juicy slices when boiled for a few seconds in the hotpot.

Advance reservations are a must at 89 Seafood as it only has about 5 tables and a few extra at the second dining room across the way. It's so popular with the locals that you might have to book a week or so in advance, especially for a larger group like we had. If you're looking for fresh seafood or to "eat what the locals eat" you could give 89 Seafood a try. But if you're afraid of wet markets or dining with crustaceans looking at you from the tanks, then you might have to stick to the night markets!

revisited/hotpot: SHABURI at ATT4FUN

THIS location closed, but other Shaburi locations around Taipei.

SHABURI 紗舞縭極品集
No. 12, Song Shou Rd. 台北市信義區松壽路12號1
(02) 2723-7350

MRT: Taipei City Hall

Website: http://www.shaburi.com.tw" target="blank">www.shaburi.com.tw mostly in Chinese, menu has English

Hours:  11AM- 10:30PM, Friday/Sat until 12AM

kid friendliness: high chairs available

visit reviewed: 4/29/2012
last visited at different location: 6/2007

Decent choice for hotpot in the Xinyi area, but the service can be a little weird, as it can be at some Taipei restaurants. I called to find out if I could reserve a table for a group of 14 on a Sunday night and they insisted that they did not take reservations, but I had to come in person (typical Taiwanese response). When I asked if I came right away if there would be able to seat us right away or if I had to wait, the vague response on the phone was that, they couldn't say, it just depended on customers flow. When we decided to give it a try, it turned out the place was nearly empty for an early dinner at 6PM (and stayed that way even after we were done with dinner), and we could easily grab a few tables. I was slightly annoyed that the response wasn't more encouraging- did they not want the business? They had made it sound like they were full on the phone, and we had almost not given it a try. Throughout the dinner, service was still questionable, with us having to debate with them about how we wanted to sit and constantly waving them down for things like extra bowls and napkins.

Shaburi's menu has various types of pork, lamb and beef cuts for shabu shabu (NT$450-1200), as well as some seafood (NT$590-2400) and higher end options and sets. There's also sushi and sashimi (rolls range from NT$300-500, donburi from NT$600-800) and cooked items available like Tempura udon.

I got the Taiwan Pork Belly set (NT$450) which included a choice of salad, hotpot with vegetables, starch and dessert. The pork belly was reasonably tender, swirled with fat. I wanted to order some rolls, but found them expensive and stuck to the shabu shabu.

We ordered a skewer of fishcake and squid balls comes with the vegetables and added egg dumplings (NT$60) stuff to throw into the pot and hand shredded the cabbage once the water was boiling. Ponzu and sesame peanut sauces are used to dip the meats and vegetables for extra sweetness and saltiness.

Dessert was a mini soft serve ice cream (vanilla or sesame) and no freebies were granted to people or kids who didn't order a set.

Shaburi's entrance is on the outside of ATT4Fun, near the Diner, but has an entrance into the mall for those needing to find the restroom. It's not as crowded as the popular Momo Paradise and there's seafood options and non shabu shabu options. There are some high end items on the menu that can get pricey (like NT$2000/person), but maybe the service is better at other locations to match the price you'd be spending on the meal.

OTHER LOCATIONS 
No. 21, Lane 270, Dunhua South Rd, Sec. 1
台北市敦化南路一段270巷21號
(02) 8771-5548

No. 81 DaAn Rd, Sec. 1
台北市大安路一段81號
(02) 2773-1386

hotpot/japanese: i recommend BEN SHABU SHABU

BEN SHABU SHABU 犇極鍋物

No. 4, AnHe Rd, Sec. 1 安和路一段102巷4號
(02) 2784-8299

MRT:  DaAn 

website: Ben Shabu's FB page

hours: 11:30AM- 10PM

$$-$$$$

Kid friendliness: no high chairs spotted 

Visit reviewed: 11/9/2011

When the weather gets cold, it's time for hotpot. I've never experience hotpot in so many ways until I moved to Taipei- one person solo hotpot, mala spicy hotpot, and the deluxe gourmet hotpot. How do you make hotpot luxurious? Ideally, with the setting, the ingredients and the service.

Last year, the owners of Ben Teppanyaki converted what used to be their private rooms next door into a whole new space, Ben Shabu Shabu, a high end hotpot restaurant offering premium ingredients for those willing to indulge. Set courses are available from NT$700-NT$3500, with various types of pork, lamb, sirloin, beef and seafood available.

In Taipei, shabu shabu joints are getting fancier and fancier with ambient lighting and decor. What I noticed about Ben Shabu Shabu was that there were larger tables for groups as well as tables for 2 for couples, with plenty of space between tables and sheer lavender draperies for some semi-privacy. Private rooms are also available downstairs.

As I sit down at the table, the shiny copper pot immediately reminds me of Orange Shabu Shabu, a popular Taipei hotpot joint that is also known for their luxe ingredients and environment. This is not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you can't get a table at Orange. 

Live seafood in the tanks in the back, as well as bar seating for solo diners or those wanting a quick meal.

The sauces are available in dipping bowls - sesame, scallions, radishes, soy. chili, vinegar...

As part of the set course, a plentiful assortment of cabbage, mushrooms, tofu and squid balls to fill the pot- it's almost like a box from the farmer's market.

A few amuse bouches to start the meal- sea urchin over shredded mountain yam...

and okra with ikura and baby oyster. Eat the mini appetizers while you wait for the broth to boil and everything to cook.

Once the pot starts boiling, you can cook the meat. I prefer my veggies, especially the chinese cabbage on the softer side, but the bonus of shabu shabu is that you can do it the way that you like.

If you get a chance, scoop up this piece of tempura that has a surprise in the center, chewy mochi.

The event's menu is in Chinese only, but the regular menu has English as well.

The Triplet Wagyu Beef Course last year had both Australian and USDA Waygu beef, which had subtle differences. The USDA Waygu short rib might have been my favorite.

The waitress did some of the cooking for us and asked how well done we liked our beef. She recommended a 5, or medium rare, which was a little too pink inside out for me and a first for me at shabu shabu. But with shabu shabu, it's no problem, just put it back for a couple swishes.

Each nibble of wagyu is more velvety and tender than the next. With swirls of fat throughout the beef, it can't help but to be delicious. A very expensive kind of delicious at NT$3380 for the Triplet Wagyu Beef Course. For that price, there are quite a few other meals I'd probably choose first, but there are less extravagent options on the menu.

We were lucky to have the chef cook a few pieces for us, but usually you are dependent on your server's expertise.

The giant Emperor crab is plucked fresh from the tank and presented before it sacrifices its life for us...

The assorted seafood set includes emperor crab, fish, clams and lobster (NT$1280).

I still think it's mesmerizing to watch them clear out the contents of the hotpot and then transform the broth, a bowl of rice, egg, scallions, seaweed and crab roe into rich and creamy congee. Stirring, stirring and more stirring.

Usually everyone is so full by this point, but somehow the stomach makes room for another bowl. The sweet saltiness from the crab roe gives it that extra layer.

Definitely can't eat like this all the time, but when you can afford a splurge from the wallet and the stomach. Thanks to D for the invitation to tag along and to Ben Shabu Shabu for special lunch!