Hot Pot - Luo Shen Fu 洛神賦

洛神賦

No. 16, Lane 27, Section 4, Ren Ai Road 台北市仁愛路四段27巷16號

02-27313779

Walking along the streets of Taiwan.. you'll begin to notice a few things. It's like a constant game of chicken with pedestrians since people refuse to get out of your way (i've adopted the run them over strategy). People dressed as if they were living in Siberia in balmy weather seems to be another pretty common theme, but what i notice most is the preponderance of small businesses littering the streets. Hair salons, banks and restaurants are everywhere. Maybe this is the case in many places, but i mean seriously... they are getting almost as abundant as the widely documented love for convenience stores that we Taiwanese have.

When it comes to restaurants and Taiwanese cuisine.. my mind immediately thinks of a few things.. and that is ding tai fung, the food at the night markets... and of course hot pots (or how i usually say it to myself : HOT POT!). It really does seem like such a simple thing. Just heat up some broth and start chucking things in at your leisure. But like anything in life, the key to a true hot pot experience really rests in the details. And it is in this that i shall begin to laud Luo Shen Fu.

Just the beginning. Half regular broth and half spicy.

The setting: On an rainy and chilly monday afternoon, my nephew, my sister (whom some like to affectionately refer to as the food gps) decided to cure the rain with some all you can eat hot pot. Many of the hot pot places in Taiwan are AYCE, because well, let's face it, Asians love themselves a buffet and a deal. The decor is modern, and the prices I find incredibly reasonable considering its location, quality and extras (the details we were talking about and that we shall get to.)

Open Late! All you can eat! Affordable Prices! (I've been told this is probably a bit on the upper end, but my mind still compares everything to dollars.. and it seems like a friggin steal.)

Like any respectable hot pot place, they have a good selection of condiments for you to create the type of sauce that will suit your particular taste buds. The menu is chock full of any of the proteins and seafood and other goodies that you can to expect, and I find the quality to be above par. However, I would have to say that the quality of the meat isn't the best, and the seafood or small dishes trump the offering of meats.

Sauce Station.

Sisters delicate hand concocting a variety of choices.

Tasty... balls. There is no other way to say it.

So yes, all the mainstays are above par to me, but what i love most about this place is the fact that they offer an ice cream station by Movenpick and all you can drink can soda. As I wrote that sentence, I realized that it will definitely not blow anyone away. But the simple fact is that by offering these little things for their customers, this particular hot pot restaurant has made an impression on my mind and now stands above the rest by offering something that anyone else could do.. but that they just don't.

Ice Cream! Fantastic.

The establishment stays pretty packed for all of these reasons and more, and its probably best to call ahead if you are planning to dine during peak hours. As I eat my way through more hot pot places in Taiwan, I will have more to compare with, but for the time being.. this is my favorite.

Overall Luo Shen Fu receives: