CLOSED! chinese: i strongly recommend SHANGHAI FANS

a/o 4/2011 CLOSED!

SHANGHAI FANS
or SHANG FAN GUANG
No. 3, Xinyi Road, Sec. 3
(02) 2707-5027

MRT: DaAn or ZhongXiao/Xinsheng

hours: 11:30AM -2PM; 5PM-9PM

$$

Kid friendliness: high chairs available

Visit reviewed: 6/5/2010



Shanghai Fans is a solid alternative to the nearby original location of the crazily popular Din Tai Fung, especially for those with large groups or families with three floors of seating and private rooms available upstairs. Like any good Chinese restaurant, it has a huge extensive menu barely covered by what was ordered in this dinner, but unfortunately, the menu is only in Chinese with few pictures, so you should bring a Chinese reader with you.

The restaurant has that old school feeling and the prices are very reasonable for the family style portions. My aunt usually does all the ordering, and many of these dishes are featured on their "Top 10" dishes menu. That's usually my problem in taking so long to blog about Chinese restaurants- they don't have an English menu, someone else is ordering and I'm too busy chowing down to figure out what is what since everything tastes good.

The Crab roe tofu pot has a creamy, sweet flavor along with the silky tofu. I love this over a bowl of rice.



Make yourself a little pork belly sandwich with the sesame buns and braised Dongpo Pork. You can see the fat glistening off the pork belly and also on your lips when you're done devouring it.



The pan fried spring onion pancakes here are fat and twisty, with the spring onions stuffed inside, which may turn off some who don't like the strong scallion texture and flavor.



At Shanghai Fans, the xiao long bao is more of a side dish than the main event, but still satisfies. Those more adventurous can also try the si gua xiao long bao or loofah and shrimp.



Huge pot of Corn and egg soup so everyone can have a bowl or two.



Other dishes I've had before that I recommend ordering are the Shanghainese Pork Ham and Pork soup which has a milky white broth that beats any ramen broth I've had before, the cabbage and peanut slaw, and red bean paste in sesame pastry dessert. Or you can have a bowl of the sweet green mung bean soup.



Chinese food is such ubiquitous thing in the US, but it's sort of stereotyped and simplified along the lines of dishes expected from a take-out menu- beef and broccoli, chow mein, egg rolls, kung pao chicken or even more Americanized, orange chicken (which I admit, I grew up on and like to eat sometimes). But in reality, Chinese food is so diverse and more than what's offered at Panda Express the same way that American food is more than what's sold at McD's. And there's so many great Chinese restaurants in Taipei that I've eaten at- it's been great having this blog to learn more about what is from where, and I'll try my best to keep figuring out the best way to capture and articulate and share my experiences here.

chinese/breakfast: i recommend YONG HE DOU JIANG and JIANG JIA HUANG NIU ROU MIEN

YONG HE DOU JIANG and JIANG JIA HUANG NIU ROU MIEN
No. 1, Lane 260, Guang Fu S. Road
(02) 2772-0642

MRT: SYS Memorial Hall

hours: 24 hours, but breakfast served until 11AM

$ (cash only)

Kid friendliness: high chairs available

visits reviewed: 10/28/2009
iphone pics: 5/7/2009 & 12/2/2008



The beauty and simplicity of the Chinese breakfast- a steaming hot bowl of soy milk and a fried you tiao to dip in- joins classic combinations like Oreos and milk, coffee and donuts, or eggnog and, uh, Christmas cookies? Haha, you got me on that one.



For those new to the world of Chinese breakfasts, here is THE CHINESE BREAKFAST BREAKDOWN

- DOU JIANG = soy milk = can come sweet or salty; hot, warm or cold; and sweetness can usually be adjusted
- YOU TIAO = chinese cruller = long fried sticks that can be used to dip in soy milk, or wedged inside a sao bing
- SHAO BING= flat flaky bread = usually used to sandwich you tiao or egg, with sesame seeds on top
- SHAO BING YOU TIAO = fried goodness + flaky goodness sandwich
- DAN BING = egg crepe/pancake = scrambled egg pan fried with thin crepe-like skin
- FAN TUAN = sticky rice roll = sticky rice smushed together and stuffed with pork floss + pickled vegetables
- LUO BO GAO = daikon radish cakes = pan fried squares of radish, best crispy and with sauce

I'm sure there's more, like steamed buns, but those are the basics.

So all around Taipei, there are a bunch of Chinese breakfast places, some holier-in-the-wall than others. Maybe you've heard of a famous "Yong He Dou Jiang" or seen one near your house. But actually they are not all related to each other. As I understand, there is a really famous and delicious soy milk place in YongHe, but it's not even called Yong He Dou Jiang! But because of its popularity, a bunch of places sprung up with that as their name or part of their name as a marketing tactic.



if you're looking for one to try, you can check out the one near SYS Memorial Hall, just around the corner from the MRT stop. The signs say it's 24 hours, with certain things available 24 hours (xiao long bao), some available only until 11am, others only after 11am (beef noodle soup). The perfect place to eat breakfast if you want to eat some xiao long bao and soy milk after getting in from an early flight, or after a long, late night of meetings.

The space is weathered, but clean and spacious, with seating on wooden stools. Menus under the glass and sauces are on every table.



The prices are so good, you could make your own little breakfast buffet. Or you can grab and go. The fried you tiao sticks here are best eaten hot, dipped in the warm soy milk, as they aren't as crispy I'd love. The first time I go, I get the shao bing you tiao which is a bit messy to eat, with the flaky pastry crumbs leaving evidence everywhere.



The sticky rice roll is dense and a bit heavy for breakfast, but good if you are hungry.



But my favorite here is the xian dou jiang or salty soy milk.



Growing up in LA, I remember weekends to our local Chinese restaurant- my mom ordering sweet dou jiang which looked like a bowl of hot milk, and my dad ordering salty, which looked like something no kid wants to eat. Imagine curdled milk, which is sort of what it is- vinegar added to soy milk to create congealed bits of liquid-y tofu. That image of salty soy milk was so strong that I never wanted to try it until recently (two months ago).

And I fell in love with it! It tasted like a hot breakfast tofu stew, with salty pickled vegetable bits and bite sized pieces of you tiao mixed in. I don't know what spurred the decision- maybe because everyone seemed to be heartily slurping their up, maybe because over the years eating soondubu and drinking cold sweet soy milk (also a recent thing) warmed me up to its potential.

So if you've never tried the typical Chinese breakfast, give it a try instead of your usual milk and cereal or McD's mcmuffin. If you're a longtime fan, you have to share where is the best place to get it.

chinese: i strongly recommend CELESTIAL RESTAURANT

CELESTIAL RESTAURANT
(or TIEN CHU)
1 NanJing West Rd., 3F

(02)2563-2380

hours: Lunch 11:30 AM -2 PM
Dinner 5 PM - 9 PM

$$

Kid friendliness: high chairs available.

Visit reviewed: 11/23/2007 and 2/24/2008



Overall, Celestial Restaurant has a very family friendly, impress your guests menu with lots of Chinese favorites such as xiao long bao and a variety of stir fried dishes , but everyone in the packed restaurant is probably there for the Peking Duck.

YUM- I can't say how much I love Peking duck. If you have been looking for Peking duck in Taipei (or anywhere), this is where to find it.

The carved slices of crispy skin and duck meat bundled inside the warm flat pancake, with a do-it-yourself layer of hoisin sauce and optional sliver of green onion- together has got to be one of the world's perfect finger foods.



Kind of like a mini Chinese burrito without the rice and beans.

I try not to think about how fattening each bite is while I chew on each heavenly crispy morsel. I also try to not look like I'm waiting for the lazy susan to wander back my way, and politely let each relative at the table have their turn when I just want to stockpile a whole plateful for myself. The skin should be crispy and the pancake is slightly doughy, so the textures mesh together so it's not too greasy. Plus the skin shouldn't have too much fat on it, otherwise, they didn't do good job carving it (as I've had at other restaurants).



The nicely presented plate of duck meat comes out after the initial plate of crispy roasted skin... you can also have them cook the remainder of the duck (meat and bones) into a soup with rice noodles and vegetables that is also very tasty (and filling) that comes at the end of the meal (around NT$1100 for whole duck + soup).



To be honest, I can't remember much about the rest of the food on the table because I was so focused on the duck, but it was good. Plus when you eat with relatives, you don't really get to look at the menu- they order all the good stuff. There was this interesting appetizer dish- celery with a mustardy, wasabi-ish sauce that was addicting- that I'd try again.







The second time we went, they had private rooms on the 3rd Floor. Look for the entrance below or the Royal Inn Taipei. The atmosphere is busy with lots of large tables- it's sort of a middle ground ambience- not a hole in the wall, but not as a fancy as a hotel restaurant, and so the prices are somewhere in the middle too. The menu is in English and Chinese and Japanese, and I've heard popular with tourists and locals alike, so it's best to call ahead for a reservation for dinner and weekends.



While they don't carve the duck in front of you like other restaurants that might be a bit more showy, what matters is how the food tastes, right?

The first time, I had some almond tofu to finish the meal.



The second time, there were these hot fried tang yuan that were so good. If you've never had it, you should definitely give these babies a try.





Just forget about counting the calories for one night.

chinese: i strongly recommend KAO CHI

KAO CHI
5 Yongkang Street
(02) 2341-9984

website: kao-chi.com

11 AM- 10 PM, Mon- Fri
8:30AM- 10:30PM, Sat and Sun

$-$$

Kid friendliness: didn't spot high chairs, but can't imagine that this restaurant isn't bustling with families and kids during their weekends and nights.

Visit reviewed:10/18/2007



Take your out of town friends to Din Tai Fung. But impress your local friends or relatives by taking them to the nearby Kao Chi or when there's too much of a wait at DTF. With xiao long bao that's just as good (and cheaper!) and a much more extensive menu of Shanghai and Chinese deliciousness including shanghai fried stuffed buns, beef noodle soup, dim sum, stir fried rice cakes, veggies, seafood and desserts like cool almond tofu, I was surprised I hadn't heard of or been taken to this almost 60 year old establishment earlier.



Complete review and more pics to come...

Other location (new):

152, FuXing S Rd, Sec 1
(02) 2751-9393
Hours:8 am-11:30 pm

chinese: i strongly recommend LITTLE SHANGHAI

LITTLE SHANGHAI
68 Ming Sheng E Road, Sec 4
(02) 2718-5783

lunch: 10AM-2:30PM
dinner: 4PM-9PM

$

visit reviewed: 11/20/2006

Long before I had even heard of Din Tai Fung, I would always crave the dumplings and beef noodle soup I had here at Little Shanghai, near my grandmother's house. I think my grandmother was sort of amused at how passionate my cousins, my sister and I would insist (separately) that eat at least one meal at this very local, unflashy and cheap (nothing is more than NT$150) spot. Actually, once I heard about Din Tai Fung, I refused for the longest time to eat at the more trendy, popular chain, insisting on eating at the hidden gem. Now that I've been to both more often- I would say that their xiao long bao are very comparable, but Little Shanghai definitely beats DTF in the beef noodle soup department.

From the outside, you can see a team of people busy wrapping, cooking and serving the food. At lunch, it often gets very crowded, but off peak hours, it's not too hard to get a seat inside.


the menu on the wall- only in Chinese

The menu is pretty simple, although it's only in Chinese on the wall and on the order sheet- xiao long bao (with pork), vegetable and meat dumplings, zhong zhi (rice dumpling- sweet or salty), sesame buns, fried bread, beef noodle soup (with beef or tendons or half and half), and small sides. If you are living in Taiwan, I think one of the first characters you learn to recognize is "niao ro mien" or beef noodle soup!

We grabbed a bunch of side starter dishes (NT$30 each) from the front while we waited for our food to come, and quickly devoured them.

small dishes from L-R clockwise: cold tofu and thousand year old egg, bamboo, cucumbers, tofu slivers with celery and carrots, gluten

The steamed basket of xiao long bao (NT$100) quickly comes, with the hot, juicy, bite sized pockets of deliciousness. I am getting hungry again looking at these pictures. Sometimes the flavor of ginger is too strong, but today it is just right.

xiao long bao


self serve vinegar and soy sauce

The beef noodle soup (NT$100-150 or US$3-5) is still what I think one of the best in Taipei. The hearty broth is so flavorful and a bit spicy while not being too salty or oily- you could drink the whole bowl. Also, the noodles are handmade and thick, providing a satisfactory bite to spoonful, or you could slurp it down. They also have a choice of tendon along with the beef, and often run out of the tendon if you go later in the evening. You can order a serving of everything that looks good to you and eat it family style to get a sample of everything and order more if it's not enough.

beef noodle with beef and tendon

Their vegetable dumplings (NT$100) used to vegetarian, but now they include a bit of ground meat inside. Today, the dumpling skin is a bit thicker than the ones on the xiao long bao and taste a little gummier. Unfortunately, their vegetable dumplings are not as consistently good as their other dishes.

vegetable dumplings

So the vegetarian options here are limited to the fried bread or the sesame buns, in addition to the side dishes. When I was a kid, I used to devour these fried bread. They are have a slightly sweet crispy crust and steaming hot soft bread rolled up inside. MMMMMMMMM. I don't usually see this served elsewhere.

fried bread

I would definitely pick the bread over the sesame buns ($40 for 2). The sesame is a bit too sandy and sweet for me. I'd also rather have the red bean dumpling dessert at Ding Tai Fung, which uses the xiao long bao skins to wrap either taro or red bean and steam them.

steamed sesame buns


black sesame filling inside

Everyone has their favorite "local" and authentic place to eat- this one is mine. Nearby the old downtown district of Taipei, a few blocks away from Tony Roma's and Ruth Chris', this is an awesome alternative for those who are looking for a new xiao long bao or beef noodle soup spot. Every friend I've taken there has always left with a full and content stomach and asked to go back again another day. If you do go, be prepared to memorize the characters of the dishes you like in Chinese or recite it to the waitress. It'll be worth it!

chinese: i recommend SHANGHAI SHANGHAI

SHANGHAI SHANGHAI
in Sogo (Dun Nan store) B2
No. 246, Dun Hua South Rd, Sec 1
(02) 8771-5511

shanghaishanghai.com.tw

$$-$$$

date visited: 11/14/2006

At first sight, I expected Shanghai Shanghai to be frou frou Chinese food at frou frou prices, but actually, it was one of the better chinese food experiences I've had here in Taipei. The food is very flavorful and fresh, unlike some other places which look fancy, but don't taste as good as it looks. We chose the set lunch menu where you could select 3 dishes for 2 people from a page of choices, and included soup, fruit and dessert for NT$450 each person- which is a good deal considering that you would probably pay that amount just for 1 dish. While the menu is in English and Chinese (no pictures), the set menu page was only in Chinese. They had very traditional dishes with soups, appetizers, beef, chicken, seafood, and noodles. I also spotted some other dishes that my relatives would like, but I wouldn't eat, like frog legs.

Even though we had two fussy toddlers, the service was friendly and helpful towards us- with high chairs and toddler plates/cups/spoons. Everyone else in the restaurant were older Chinese patrons or businessmen, and we were thoughtfully seated further away so the kids could be their noisy selves.

I told what my friend what I generally liked and didn't like and she ordered some braised tofu and mushrooms, greens with shrimp, and beef and bamboo. All the dishes arrived about the same time, with sizeable dishes, especially for just us two. Dishes come with large bowls of rice and a soup.

I liked all the dishes- they were perfectly seasoned and I would have finished the dishes if I weren't so full.



It would have been enough food to share with 3 or 4 people. I would pop the baby shrimps quickly into my mouth and the lighter flavors of the vegetables were a good match with the hearty flavors of the tofu and mushroom.


The paper thin slices of bamboo and beef were also a good combination of textures of crunchy and tenderness.



The lunch ended with a sweet green bean dessert soup and fruit plate. I would definitely take my family or friends here again. My friend said their soup dumplings or xiao long bao are also very good here. If you ask your Chinese speaking friends about it- it's Chinese name is actually "Red Bean." It's a chain restaurant with 5 Taipei locations, so if you see it the next time you are out and about, you should definitely consider giving it a try.

other locations in Taipei

SOGO, 11FL
No. 45, Chung Hsiao E Rd, Sec. 4
(02) 2778-1088

Shin Kong Mitsukoshi A9
No.9, Song-Shou Rd.
(02) 8789-2929

Far Eastern Shopping Mall, B2
No. 203, Dun Hua S Rd., Sec. 2
(02) 8732-1536

No. 129. Ming Sheng E Road, Sec 3
B1
(02) 8770-6969

CLOSED/chinese: JIU RU 101

JIU RU
at 101 Mall, 4 FL
No.45, Shih Fu Rd.,
(02) 8101-8598
CLOSED

date visited: 9/25/2006

$$-$$$






If you're sightseeing in the Xin Yi district or shopping in the 101 mall and need an easy place to eat Chinese food with your family, but don't want to eat food court food, a good bet is Jiu Ru. Featuring a varied menu of Shanghainese food, my favorites from my dinner with my friend's family were the braised pork, steamed dumplings (xiao long bao), vegetable dumplings and zhong zi (rice dumpling). It's definitely pricier than you would pay at a local restaurant for the same dishes, maybe double the price for a basket of xiao long bao, but you are paying for the comfort of dining in the real estate of 101 and the prices are about the same as the other restaurants on the same floor (and the food a lot better, at least better than neighbor Diamond Tony's). We had quite a large group and was easily accomodated in their large space and didn't feel crowded or rushed. I think their dumplings were not as juicy as the xiao long bao at Din Tai Fung, but to the average diner, it will do just fine. Very clean and modern setting, with tourist friendly menu and location.

OTHER LOCATIONS

Breeze Center
(02) 6606-6859

No. 69, Ren Ai Road, Sec 4
(02) 2751-7666

chinese: i recommend THE GUEST HOUSE

THE GUEST HOUSE
Sheraton Taipei Hotel
17th FL
No. 12, Chung Hsiao East Road, Sec. 1
(02) 2321-5511

$$

date visited: 8/06/2006


A family friend invited us out to dinner last night at THE GUEST HOUSE where one of their specialties is Steamed Pork Dumplings or Xiao Long Bao. As their website states, they feature Szechwan and Yang Zhou cuisine in its "chic modern" atmosphere that is modern and classical at the same time. Located on the 17th floor of the Sheraton Taipei hotel, THE GUEST HOUSE features an open kitchen with a glass window that you can watch them make your meal. While the 18th floor features a number of private rooms if you want to have your own space for larger groups, the atmosphere of the 17th floor is actually a lot more inspired and fun.


The xiao long bao were good. The skin held in the pork and broth until you stuffed the dumpling into your mouth. Since I had just eaten at Din Tai Fung for lunch, I could hold a slight comparison and I think I still like Din Tai Fung's dumplings better.


The vegetable dumplings were also really good, with minced vegetable, tofu and mushrooms inside. They are slightly drier than the pork dumplings, but still disappeared very quickly.


A few of their unique dishes include Braised Green Beans wrapped in Pancake and Braised Noodle with Yellow Fish Broth. I suppose sort of a vegetarian variation on Moo Shu Pork, the braised green beans were very soft and flavorful, while the pancake was delicious! I found the green beans to be a tad salty, but I could probably eat a stack of the soft, yet slightly crispy thin pancake. I found the braised noodle to be so-so, while the broth was mysteriously good with a seafood stock flavor without being fishy. We also had a beef braised in soup that was very very tender and flavorful without being mushy or dried out.


There were also other assorted small plates of eats on the lazy susan that I didn't get the names of. There was one dish of bamboo (I think!)(pictured above) and another of boiled pork with a spicy sauce that I quite liked.

After dinner, we walked around the hotel, I spotted quite a number of other restaurants that I want to try, including Pizza Pub and Sukhothai. The Sheraton Taipei is quite a nice hotel with all the rooms overlooking the center atrium, and glass elevators to see buffet located on the lobby floor. I heard that it went under major renovations the last few years, and is a lot nicer than Sheratons I've stayed at in the states!

Speaking of Xiao Long Bao, for lunch we dropped by DIN TAI FUNG and I have never seen it so packed! I suppose it's because I've also gone there off-peak hours on weeknights. It was Sunday lunchtime, and every single table was occupied as well as a line of at least 30 people outside waiting in intermitting downpouring rain. While I like their pork dumplings, I think I like their dessert red bean dumplings even more!

my lunch in a packed house at Ding Tai Fung

So if you don't want to wait in the rain for an hour for a table at Din Tai Fung, you can give The Guest House a try.