Quick Hits - 福大山東蒸餃大王

Address: No.11, Sec.1, Lane 140, Zhongshan N. Road, Taipei Taiwan. 台北市中山北路一段140巷11號

Telephone: (02)2541-319

Hours: Forthcoming.

This happened purely by impulse... but sometimes isn't that how the best things in life come about?  I had just finished brunch with a friend and was toting my camera around along with a full stomach.  But to be honest, it is rare indeed that being full has really ever deterred me from taking in that next bite.
She happened to point out that this little gem of a mom & pop store was hiding just around one of these alleys.  I wasn't going to let something as minute as popping a belt buckle stop me from checking it out while I had the chance.

To be honest, I had never heard of 福大山東蒸餃大王, but apparently many other people have, and here I bow down to their better judgement and my own ignorance.  I have always said that in my opinion, it is one of the crowning achievements in food to make simple dishes become more than they are.  By their very nature it is not difficult to make something basic taste good... but to make it great? That's a different matter altogether.
So was 福大山東蒸餃大王 great? Well.....

The essentials.

Hot and sour soup.  Could've been a bit more hot and sour-y for my tastes.

I hesitate to call it great.  Was it good? Oh most definitely it was very very good, and I would have no qualms with anyone claiming they like 福大山東蒸餃大王 more than say Ding Tai Fung or some other renowned purveyor of soup dumplings.  But, for my part, there was nothing discernible about 福大山東蒸餃大王's version that really made me want to stand up and order seconds (perhaps you can blame my already bloated stomach).

Look, everything you like about a soup dumpling is here.  It's juicy, the skin is chewy without being soggy and the meat is flavorful.  But like I said earlier... they made a basic thing good, but failed to achieve greatness.

Don't get me wrong... I could really eat these things all day. 

I am basically only comparing it to the perceived hype that I subsequently have read about.  It is a burden to live up to ones own expectations, and for me, I think 福大山東蒸餃大王 suffers from that.  Other than the soup dumplings all we had was some hot and sour soup.  And it was perfectly fine, exactly as you would expect.  

福大山東蒸餃大王 is a small store that has apparently carved out a relatively large name for itself and I give it high marks for achieving that.  But if this was a proper review I would rank it below some of the other establishments such as Yonghe Soy Milk King or Ding Tai Fung.  A travesty? Not in the least.  

But these are just the humble opinion of a man who may have eaten too much already that day.  Throw in your two cents and check it out for yourself please.

-Til Next Time-

十里安

Address: No.61, Sec.2, Lane 81, Dunhua S. Road.  敦化南路2段81巷61號

Telephone: (02) 2708-5027

Hours: 11:30AM-9:30PM Daily.

Nobody really talks about lunch do they?  Breakfast gets top billing as being the most important, dinner gets all the glamour, but what about lunch? For most people lunch is about eating something quickly and not too heavy.  No one wants to be the idiot that falls asleep in the afternoon meeting from devastating food coma.

But there is no reason to trivialize lunch in such a manner.  Simple food can still be excellent food, and while 十里安 certainly shouldn't be pigeon-holed into a lunch specific role, I feel that it really is the perfect place to have lunch for the businessperson on the move.  

 Some simple small dishes.  Sweet tomatoes and Taro Cubes.  Easy, flavorful and clean.

I'm waaaaiting...

十里安 is located in an area heavy with foot traffic from people who are looking to enjoy a gratifying lunch in the midst of their busy work lives.  The food is affordable, tasty, clean and runs in a very similar vein as what you would be expected to find at Ding Tai Fung.
I won't go so far as to say 十里安 is as good as Ding Tai Fung, because after all, Ding Tai Fung is a Taiwanese institution unto itself, but there are clear similarities and you won't be disappointed by what you find here.

Always one of my favorites no matter where I can find it.  Friend rice with fried pork chop.  A little sweetness in the batter, and not too oily at all.

Drunken Chicken.  Good tender chicken that isn't too heavy in its flavoring, a clean light taste to the dish.

十里安 is a relatively new restaurant that has seating for a good 30-40 people.  The decor is simple yet modern, with a few Asian touches here and there to remind you what kind of restaurant you're in.  A see through glass barrier is erected between the seating area and the kitchen to allow you to take a glimpse at what is about to be put in your belly (another similarity with Ding Tai Fung).  

The menu is far from extensive, but they have all the necessities, and sometimes its a good thing to keep the options limited.  The prices are more than fair for the quality that you get (I think I was too busy eating to take a pic of the menu... it happens), and I believe the most expensive item was around 250NT with most things in the 100-200NT range.  

Some spicy options.  I have to reiterate, 十里安 does a great job of keeping their food delicious yet without the greasiness that I would expect to find in a lot of the dishes.

The type of food here really is very traditional Chinese fare, and that is perfectly fine with me.  There is a warmth that comes with eating food such as this, and doubly so if its done well.  Noodles, rice, dumplings... 十里安 isn't trying to reinvent the wheel, but instead staying in that area where they know people can find comfort.  Don't come to 十里安 if what you want is something out of left field or some ridiculous take on classic food.  What they do.. they do very well, and when dealing with food, that will get the job done time and time again.

I can never... ever get tired of soup dumplings.

Not too shabby.

What more can I say? Everyone should have a restaurant like this in their rotation.  Coming here to dine will not wow you, but it's more about efficiency.....and really, what sort of businessman doesn't love efficiency and economy of movement?  

The food is fast, clean, tasty and economically sound.  Breakfast and dinner may get all the accolades, but as long as restaurants like 十里安 exist, then I'll feel good about my lunch time options as well.  Opened in July of this year, 十里安 is a definite up and comer whose seats I often find filled.  There is good reason for this, so the next time you are in search for a simple filler for your afternoons, do yourself one better and come to 十里安 and see what they have to offer.

 Always one of my favorites.  Beef rolls.  Warm and tender.

Overall 十里安 Receives: 

-Til Next Time-

Yi Yuan Pekingese Restaurant 頤園 - Westin Hotel

Address: 133 Nanjing East Road, Sec 3, Taipei. (B2 Westin Hotel)

Telephone: (02) 8770-6565

Hours: 12:00PM-2:30PM; 6:00PM-9:30PM

What do you know when you are about to dini at a quality hotel? You are definitely getting great service in an upscale atmosphere that will make your wallet bleed.  I would also dare say that typically the food can be counted on to be excellent.  It stands to reason that when an 4 or 5 star hotel provides every other amenity that a guest would desire, providing amazing dining choices would be one of the most important things that they would care to strive for.
Yi Yuan Pekingese Restaurant 頤園 at the Westin is able to pass all of the above criteria easily.  The food is splendid, the service is magnificent, the decor is luxurious and the prices are of course exorbitant... check, check, check and check.

 Combo Platter.  Some good flavor with a spicy kick to it.

 Sea Cucumber. 

Nice QQ(cannot think of the English equivalent... perhaps chewy) noodles that is mixed on hand.  

Yi Yuan Pekingese Restaurant 頤園 is located on the B2 floor of the beautiful Westin Hotel, with ample seating for large parties and intimate gatherings alike.  We were here for a dinner on a quiet Monday night and were seated in a private room.  The restaurant didn't seem too busy, but there were a decent number of patrons coming in and out.  

I arrived in time to see my God-Mother finishing up her order with the waitress.  I was not privy to what was ordered, and to be honest, I wasn't too worried about it.  Eating at a Pekingese restaurant, I knew there was definitely going to be one thing guaranteed to appear in front of me, and that was enough for me.

 Oh boy.. YUM.

Duck.  In all stages of devastation.

Isn't Pekingese cuisine synonymous with Duck? Is that just my uncouth nature spilling out again? Regardless, Peking Duck is the signature dish of this type of cuisine, and why the heck shouldn't it be? It's just oh so very delicious.

The Peking Duck at Yi Yuan Pekingese Restaurant 頤園 is renowned around the city as being one of the best Taipei has to offer.  I've been told that in the Japanese tour books about Taiwan, they all highly recommend Yi Yuan, so you will often see Japanese tourists come here to dine on this exemplary creation.  The chef is known to travel to Beijing every year to review his skills on roasting the duck, and his techniques on making the sauce and pancakes which often accompany the duck.  As you can see, Yi Yuan 頤園 and its chefs take tremendous pride in their signature item, and it shows in the finished product.

The duck is superb.  The meat is moist, the skin is crisp, and every inch of it is oozing with flavor.  If you manage to wander into Yi Yuan 頤園 without ordering the Peking Duck, then you have truly missed out.

 Pancake and the necessary fix'ns. 

Yi Yuan isn't only renowned for its roast Peking Duck, but as also a great spot to get a taste of many modernized versions of Pekingese gastronomical staples.  We had a wide range of food for us to experience.  From a mushu like dish, to combo platters and dumplings.  I found the food to be a joy to look at, which I have continuously said might be on occasion just as important as the taste of the food itself.

 Love the sauce that accompanies the perfectly cooked fish.  Sweet and a bit tangy.

Yi Yuan 頤園's version of the scallion pancake.

Caramelized Taro with spun sugar.  

You can fill out your meal around the necessity that is the Peking Duck.  But I would definitely recommend the scallion pancake, along with the combo platter to start.  The sea cucumber is also a famous dish of theirs, but i'm not a fan of sea cucumbers in general so I didn't give it a taste.

To be honest, I didn't find any dish to be lacking, but clearly not everything can be great.  But it is a testament to Yi Yuan 頤園 that everything ranged from good to excellent.  I enjoyed the presentation of many of the dishes, and how they preparation was done table side, that's always a nice touch and something commonly done in Pekingese restaurants.

I greatly enjoyed my experience at Yi Yuan 頤園, and must thank my God-Mother for the treat.  If people are ever in the mood to be a bit lavish and have some amazing Peking Duck done right, I now know where to go.

Overall Yi Yuan 頤園 Receives: 

-Til Next Time-