🔅Actual dining date: 2024/10/30
*Please do not reproduce photos without permission & for commercial use
I’ve eaten at this place since it was the first one in the Xinyi District, and I’ve been to the one at Taipei Main Station many times for dine-in and takeout. This time I came for the lava buns for my birthday and to redeem some points. Due to a typhoon, I decided to take it home to enjoy.
Since there were quite a few people and lots of dishes, I only took a photo of the lava buns. Here are the items I ordered that day:
▪️ Pork Lava Bun $138 (Birthday gift with $300 spent)
▪️ Spicy Pepper Pork Rib Soup $168 (Redeemed with points)
▪️ Crab Roe Shumai $138
▪️ Crystal Fresh Shrimp Dumplings $148
▪️ Golden Silk Long Hair Shrimp $158
▪️ Pan-fried Radish Cake $128
▪️ Layered Char Siu Puff $128
The lava bun is a must-order, but I don’t know why it felt a bit oily this time? The flavor is normal. The shumai, shrimp dumplings, and radish cake were all delicious, especially the long hair shrimp which was super crispy! The spicy pepper flavor was okay, but it felt a bit lacking in ingredients, giving it a hollow feeling. The char siu puff… the outer pastry was quite crispy, but I didn’t like the filling’s flavor (I prefer the char siu filling from Tianxun).
Overall, I still really like this place. There aren’t as many people as before, but I still recommend making a reservation during popular times. I've been coming for the lava buns for 2-3 years now, and I hope this time the quality is an exception.
There are many restaurants around the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, offering a rich selection of delicious food. Today, we want to introduce a special Cantonese restaurant – "Di Tang Zi Chinese Dim Sum Specialty Store." The head chef, Master Ye, has extensive experience, having traveled to Singapore, South Korea, China, and Hong Kong for training, and has worked in several well-known restaurants, including the Michelin-rated Li Yuan Restaurant...
✅ Di Tang Zi Small Soup Dumplings: One basket contains seven small dumplings. The dumpling skin is thin, and when you bite in, the soup flows out, while the filling is full of meaty flavor. Paired with the sauce provided by the restaurant, the taste becomes even richer.
✅ Garlic Stir-Fried Water Spinach: This simple cooking method allows the water spinach to be infused with garlic aroma, and the seasoning is perfectly salty. The water spinach is also very fresh and crunchy. However, the portion is a bit small.
✅ Yellow Chive and Fresh Shrimp Rice Noodle Rolls: A set includes three rice noodle rolls, with each roll containing three fresh shrimp. The rice noodle skin has a certain thickness but is still very chewy. Eating it with the restaurant's homemade sauce makes it incredibly appetizing.
✅ Lotus Leaf Sticky Rice Chicken: Inside, it is wrapped with pork, egg yolk, and other ingredients. The sticky rice is filled with the fragrance of the lotus leaf, and each bite allows you to fully taste the freshness of each ingredient.
✅ Layered Radish Cake: The outer layer is crispy, and the sauce inside tastes thick like a starch thickener, but it is very smooth, allowing you to taste the texture of the radish shreds.
✅ Central District Bamboo Charcoal Flowing Sand Bun: The skin of the flowing sand bun is very thick, yet the filling is also very rich. The filling offers two textures: one is solid, and the other is a flowing sand bursting sensation.
✅ Hot and Sour Soup: The hot and sour soup is rich in ingredients, including carrots, black fungus, tofu, etc. However, it is not too sour or too spicy, and you can adjust the seasoning to your taste with the condiments provided.
✅ Silk Stocking Milk Tea: A generally smooth and delicious silk stocking milk tea with a strong tea flavor.
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The environment inside the restaurant is quite spacious, but the distance between seats is a bit cramped. The quality and taste of the food here are excellent, and every dish is highly recommended. However, due to the made-to-order nature of the meals, the serving speed is quite slow. Therefore, it is not advised for those in a hurry to dine here.
*Minimum spend of 110 NTD per person
*Spend over 1000 NTD in a single transaction to receive a 100 NTD discount voucher
*Dining time during weekends is 1.5 hours
*Only one VIP table for dogs is available, and it must be reserved in advance.
🚩 Huge Portions for a Satisfying Meal at a Hong Kong-style Tea Restaurant
Vicky Tea Restaurant in the Guangfu area is located in the Daan District of Taipei City, and the nearest MRT station is Exit 2 of the National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, about a 2-minute walk away. There are many restaurants in the vicinity, all with relatively large storefronts and thoughtfully designed exteriors. Vicky’s signature style is a classic Hong Kong design, with dining seats divided into a front half featuring high-backed hard seats for 4-6 people and a back half with regular tables for 2-4 people. The front half has better lighting, and the construction site across the street was quiet during lunchtime.
After being seated by the staff, customers can scan a QR code with their phone to place their orders. The food arrives quickly, and payment is made after dining, accepting only cash, Apple Pay, or EasyCard. The invoice is available, but there is no service fee.
I ordered quite a bit today, and my thoughts on the meal are below the photos ⬇️
In addition to the photos, I also ordered two dishes:
🔸 Shrimp Wonton Noodles $195
It tastes decent but is super large in portion 😂
A girl with an average appetite might struggle to finish it.
🔸 Sausage and Pork Rib Claypot Rice $360
This dish takes a relatively long time to prepare.
When it arrives, the waiter helps open the lid and transfers the sausage and pork rib to another plate.
The rice in the clay pot has a layer of crust.
However, the rice lacked the expected fragrance and the oil wasn’t sufficient,
making it quite dry, which was disappointing.
Overall, the food was acceptable, and the atmosphere was fine. However, with the higher prices and oversized portions, it's advisable to consider your appetite before ordering.
📍Dazhi District, Taipei City (Jiantan MRT Station)
A dim sum brand under Gloria Hotel｜Highlights freshly wrapped and steamed dishes 🥟🇭🇰
Third visit! After accidentally discovering this place the first time, I became an instant fan; every dim sum is incredibly fresh and delicious.
Located inside the Zhongtai Mall in Dazhi
Very comfortable and spacious environment
The decor has a warm apricot tone
A table for four is provided even for two people, making it a very comfortable dining experience and a great choice without any risk.
Order using a QR Code
🥘
Menu items
▫️ Steamed Rice Noodle Roll with Shrimp ($178):
Ordered for the third time 🫶🏻 and it's my favorite among all the dishes!
The texture is distinct with layers! The combination is truly excellent～
The outer layer is rice noodle skin, in the middle is some crispy fried skin (?), and the shrimp filling is so fresh and large 🤤
▫️ Steamed Egg with Seafood ($118):
The steamed egg is incredibly tender! The broth is a perfect score of 100
It includes a lot of seafood, such as shrimp, crab meat, clams, and mushrooms
▫️ Crystal Shrimp Dumplings ($188):
Highly recommended! The shrimp here is really fresh
The filling is super full and flavorful
▫️ Coriander Tofu Skin Roll ($188):
A very large portion when served 😆
The outer tofu skin is perfectly fried, and the shrimp and coriander inside have a great taste
Even someone like me, who doesn't usually like tofu skin rolls, was won over 🤤
▫️ Fried Rice with Salted Fish and Chicken ($320):
Spicy! The staff mentioned it contains a whole chili pepper, providing plenty of heat
The fried rice grains are distinct and the flavor is very rich, making you want one bite after another
🍄
Would revisit: Yes!
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Note:
🔸 Dine-in requires a 10% service charge
📍 Datong District, Taipei City (near Shuanglian MRT Station)
An affordable and authentic Hong Kong-style tea restaurant run by Hongkongers 🇭🇰🍞
The decoration and style give a very Hong Kong vibe! Communication among the staff is in Cantonese.
There are a few chairs outside the shop, and a short wait might be necessary if you arrive on weekends in the evening.
🥘
Ordered items
🍳 Scrambled Eggs with Beef/BBQ Pork Rice ($160):
These eggs! 100 points 🤤🤤
Not all the eggs have a mushy texture; there is some variation. The middle part of the egg is really soft and tender and goes down easily without much chewing.
You can still see the shape of the eggs at the edges (similar to the edges of omelets 😆).
The portion is very large! I ordered two types of meat, beef and BBQ pork, and both were quite satisfactory.
🥜 Peanut French Toast with Syrup ($95):
A must-order at a Hong Kong-style tea restaurant 💗
When it was served, the size of the toast was astonishing 🤩 Very tall!
The crispy fried crust with syrup retained a bit of texture, and combined with the peanut filling, it was truly indulgent 🥰
🍋 Salted Lemon 7 Up ($80):
Also a must-order for me at a Hong Kong-style tea restaurant.
The lemon, when soaked for a while, had a slight medicinal taste, and the 7 Up lost its fizz quite quickly.
Not a Salted Lemon 7 Up I'd order again!
🍄
Will I revisit: Yes!
The main meals were quite impressive!
At this price, the value for money is very high 🫶🏻
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Little note:
🔸 Cash only 💰
An authentic Hong Kong-style tea restaurant in Hualien. This place is run by Hong Kong people and features Hong Kong chefs. Reservations are not accepted... This time, I ordered the mushroom and chicken steamed rice set, which is more economical compared to ordering à la carte, and comes with sesame balls and a drink.
The fish roe and shrimp dumplings are delicious, with a firm and juicy filling that has a substantial bite and is full of flavor in the mouth. They were gone in no time, one after another.
The pan-fried turnip cake reveals shredded turnip inside when you slice it open. A bite releases a burst of fragrance, and the surface is perfectly golden brown. Dip it in the restaurant's special chili sauce for a perfect pairing.
Mango pomelo sago is a limited-time dessert that's also a hot trend in Taiwan's beverage scene lately. A must-try when visiting a Hong Kong-style place, it includes super sweet fresh mango chunks and slightly sour pomelo pieces.
Overall, it's a restaurant worth revisiting.
🚩 Nostalgic Hong Kong-Style Tea Restaurant in Taipei's East District
Shanghai Beach Hong Kong-Style Tea Restaurant is located in Taipei's East District, with the nearest MRT station being Zhongxiao Dunhua Station, Exit 5, about a 3-minute walk away. It opened in 2007 and has been operating for quite a while. The interior decor of the restaurant has a tea house atmosphere, with green, yellow, and brown color themes, complemented by flashy wallpaper. The ceiling is relatively low, giving a slightly oppressive feeling. The seating consists of high-back sofa chairs that are not too cramped.
Ordering is done tableside with the staff, and payment is made after dining. Payment methods include cash, credit card, and Jiekou Pay, with traditional receipts available.
Today, all three of us ordered the Business Special Meal for $160 (includes a soup or drink).
Soup: Served very hot, containing chicken feet, yam, and goji berries. The ingredients were stewed to be very tender, and while the broth was slightly bland, it was quite good.
Drink: The iced lemon honey drink had a lot of crushed ice and tasted very bland, not impressive.
The main dish consisted of white rice, fried tofu, and edamame. The rice was rather dry, the fried tofu had a good texture but was in a disappointing quantity, and the edamame was not strongly flavored but okay.
Kung Pao Chicken Balls: The spiciness was moderate, and the chicken was a bit dry but very flavorful, with plenty of onions and peppers.
Special Sauce Chicken: The portion was somewhat small, with a soft texture but not very flavorful, not recommended.
Braised Tofu and Meat Slices with Rice: Very large portion! Besides mushrooms and meat slices, it also included mixed vegetables. I don't dislike mixed vegetables, but seeing them was a bit surprising. 😂
I checked and found that over the past decade, the special meal's price has only increased by 10 yuan, but the portion size has become somewhat subtle. Overall, the dining experience was mediocre, not highly recommended.
It's worth mentioning that the back of the menu lists the restaurant's rules, including common ones like minimum spending which won't be elaborated on here. Two unique rules are: no card games allowed; no use of nail polish remover or nail polish. There's a saying that every announcement has a story, and I'm quite curious to know the story behind this rule. 😂
Fengshan Hong Kong-style Tea Drink - Yuen Sum Fang Wenheng Store, this is a very authentic Hong Kong cuisine restaurant. Whether it’s the roasted meats, steamed dim sum, or the taste of Cantonese stir-fries, everything is perfectly presented with great authenticity.
Just the chefs' backgrounds are impressive: the Cantonese cuisine chef, dim sum chef, and Hong Kong chef have such precise specializations, with a minimum of over 30 years of experience from major restaurants. You can imagine how authentic and delicious this place can be.
Cantonese Three Roasts Platter 💰650 (Crispy Roasted Duck, Crispy Roast Pork, and Hanging Roast Chicken) is definitely a classic. The duck skin is super crispy and absorbs the rich, sweet sauce, making it incredibly flavorful. The meat is extremely tender and falls apart with just one bite, making it irresistible.
Golden Sand Mixed Fried Rice 💰160 features long-grain rice that is perfectly stir-fried and distinct, with every bite rich in salted egg yolk flavor.
Taro Sago Dessert 💰120 is loaded with ingredients, with plenty of soft and tender taro that's not overly sweet.
If you want to see more video introductions, feel free to search on IG: ooo.eat
📍Shilin District, Taipei City (Tianmu Dafang Takashimaya)
Recently, Tianmu Dafang Takashimaya has opened many new restaurants, increasing foot traffic significantly. During dinner time, many restaurants have long lines. This time, we decided to try a chain Hong Kong-style restaurant that I haven't visited in a while. Surprisingly, we didn't have to wait and were seated right away, which was quite fortunate.
🥘 Dishes
Puff pastry baked BBQ pork bun / 158 TWD:
I heard this is the most popular dish at Tim Ho Wan. The buttery outer skin paired with the sweet and savory BBQ pork filling is really quite complementary. I ordered three and wanted to order more 🤣 but it would take too long to wait, so I gave up.
Lean meat congee with salted egg and century egg / 128 TWD:
Unlike the congee typically served in Taiwan, Cantonese congee seeks to blend the rice and water so that the grains are not visible; they must be cooked until they blossom while still retaining a rich rice aroma. The texture comes from small bits of minced meat and century egg. Personally, I quite like this type of congee.
Fresh shrimp roll in bean curd skin / 158 TWD:
Whenever I go to a Hong Kong-style restaurant, I always order this dim sum to try. The fresh shrimp roll from Tim Ho Wan has a crispy texture and a subtle chive fragrance, combined with the sweet taste of shrimp, which makes it quite good, though unfortunately, the portion is a bit small.
Fresh shrimp siu mai / 158 TWD:
The filling made from shrimp is very fresh and sweet, and the steaming is just right without being mushy.
Egg tart / one / 0 TWD:
This is an egg tart I got using a voucher. It's quite small, and the flavor is just okay 😅. I still think the KFC egg tart, which was overshadowed by the fried chicken, is tastier.
🚩 An old-time Cantonese restaurant in Taipei’s East District, delicious and authentic
1976 Hong Kong Cuisine has been operating in Taipei's East District for many years (even longer than I have!), and although it's an older establishment, the overall decor is very new. The kitchen area is separated by glass, making it neat and clean without any oily smell. The seating area is spacious, decorated in a Japanese color scheme with white and light wood, creating a pleasant atmosphere without the cramped feeling commonly found in East District restaurants. Their pig liver noodles are selected for the 2024's 500 bowls (but I didn’t order it 😅).
After being seated, the staff takes orders verbally at the table, and after dining, payment is made in cash only, with traditional paper invoices issued.
At the back of the dining area, there is lemon water and condiments available for self-service.
I've noted more details about today's orders below the photos ⬇️
I’ve been to this restaurant 2-3 times, and I think it’s the best Cantonese dining spot in the area. The portion sizes are filling, and the dining environment along with the service attitude is quite good. I recommend it to everyone!
