Every time I pass by, there are actually people dining inside. However, the restaurant looks dark and somewhat unclean. Despite this, we were really craving soup, so we decided to go in and give it a try. Once we entered, we were invited to sit down, but the staff's English wasn't very good, making the ordering process a bit difficult.
We ordered:
❤️ Cooked Beef Meatball Ho Fun
Well... this dish was actually okay... after all, the meatballs were quite tasty! But the beef was a bit strange, and the broth tasted like it came from a seasoning package! It's like... if there were really no other options, I might as well just cook it at home.
❤️ Vietnamese Pork Chop Fried Rice
This dish was completely misunderstood because of the Chinese menu... because it was just plain rice... it was in no way related to fried rice! Moreover, the pork chop part was a bit overcooked and had too much fatty meat, and it wasn't cut well at all.
Overall, I wouldn't really recommend it... plus, the attitude of the cashier during checkout was so awful that it felt like she was looking at us through her nostrils! It felt as if we were begging her for food. If I could give half a star, I probably would, simply for the inside staff who were trying hard to understand us... but everything else was truly unsatisfactory.
This super authentic Vietnamese restaurant is a must-try. Just look at the crowds during every meal time to know its quality—cheap, clean, friendly, and delicious 😋.
The only drawback might be that it's not located in the city center, so it's still recommended to drive or ride a bike to get there.
This place is very popular; the seating is limited, but it's not overly crowded. However, if you find a spot, you should count yourself lucky! Not only do the new residents love it, but many locals also come here to eat.
The takeaway orders keep piling up as well.
It's run by several young Vietnamese ladies who have organized the flow quite well. You order at the indoor window, while the outside is for takeaway customers (their Chinese is decent, so communication is very smooth 👍🏻). After ordering, you take a number and find a seat to wait for your food, which can be quite plentiful, so be patient!
✐ Beef Pho $100
✐ Mixed Beef Pho $140
✐ Chicken Wings with Fish Sauce $100
✐ Salted Lemonade $75
✐ Vitamilk Soy Milk $40
When the food arrives, it's really wow 😧 such a big bowl! The beef pho for just $100 is surprisingly ample, and I'm grateful again for the reasonable prices here 🙏🏻. If you want something more extravagant, you can choose the mixed beef pho. However, the overall flavor isn't very strong; it's more refreshing and light. If you want it spicy, you can ask the staff. One bowl will fill you up—(the chicken wings are also a must-try, flavorful and tender).
As for drinks, you can try the national beverage of Thailand—Vitamilk Soy Milk, which tastes a bit different from what we usually have.
The other drink I ordered, salted lemonade, I'm not sure what the translation should be, but I wouldn’t recommend it 🥲. Although it's lemonade, it lacks acidity, and after drinking it, I just didn’t understand what this drink was trying to express (?).
This place is at the Shuanglian Market, and there are quite a lot of people on holidays. There are seats both inside and outside the market, and it is very close to the Ningxia Night Market. The environment is okay, with some market smells; the seating area is relatively clean and bright, and there are utensils and napkins on the table.
Regarding the dishes:
The assorted sushi comes with 5 pieces 🍣 for NT$110. It has fish roe on the outside, but it feels a bit dry, possibly because of the dried meat floss. Overall, it’s average with nothing particularly impressive.
The assorted sashimi costs NT$270 and includes three different types of fish. They provide a large chunk of wasabi, which is great if you love wasabi. The sashimi is fresh and tender, and the fish slices are quite thick.
Summary: 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑
Dickson's food review is updated!
This time I visited a chain Thai restaurant~~
Located in the Shin Kong A8, this Thai restaurant
To put it simply, it really doesn't leave much of an impression~~~
So much so that looking back now,
It's really hard to comment on….
The various dishes can only be described as average Thai,
But many Thai restaurants in Taiwan are more like Taiwanese-style Thai food🤣🤣🤣
I can only say, if you're looking for a quick, casual Thai meal~
You can come here!
But I think there are plenty of other options!
Food: 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑
Drinks: 🌕🌕🌘🌑🌑
Atmosphere: 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑
Service: 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑
Price: 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑
Location: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
🤪🤪Dickson's ramblings🤪🤪
Sorry, if there's absolutely nothing memorable and you still want me to ramble,
Then I'm just being irresponsible!!!!
I can't even ramble about it~~
I can only say the features are lacking and the taste is mediocre,
So much so that it's buried in my memory G_G
🥲🥲🥲🥲
I'm sorry; if I go back to eat it again,
I'll update it again🤣🤣🤣
The first Vietnamese "Pho" in Japan! A hidden gem in the indoor market!
On this day, when I got off at Koenji station, I saw a poster saying "Koenji Origin! Japan's First" inside the station. I've always loved eating Vietnamese pho, so I immediately decided on lunch💪🏻.
I had previously eaten at other restaurants within this "Daiichi Market," which looks unremarkable from the outside, but inside there are many popular restaurants that are hard to get reservations for!
On this day, I ordered the lunch set A, which includes a bowl of pho and half a portion of Vietnamese chicken rice, along with a cup of jasmine tea. The price varies depending on the pho flavor.
I chose "Beef Tendon Pho," and the broth was very rich. Pho is quite similar to a wide version of rice noodles; compared to clear rice noodles, it has a softer and more chewy texture. The beef tendon portion was generous, and they weren't stingy with the cilantro.
As for the chicken rice, I personally didn’t like it much. Although the chicken pieces were large, I felt the meat and rice were quite hard and dry. A colleague mentioned that’s how it is locally in Vietnam; I've never been to Vietnam, so I wouldn't know. If you like it, you could give it a try; if I come back, I will probably order the spring rolls set next time.
Next to this shop, there’s a Vietnamese grilled chicken skewers izakaya with a blue sign, which is a branch of a well-known restaurant from Vietnam that has opened in Japan. The two places are essentially connected; the pho restaurant provides seating for the izakaya during lunch hours and at night, you can also order pho from the pho restaurant in the izakaya.
Overall, this place is super affordable and the taste is excellent. It will definitely be a restaurant I want to revisit when I come to Koenji.
This store has a lot of items, and during peak hours, there are quite a few customers. If you're just looking to take out, I recommend calling in your order first to save on waiting time.
One good thing about this place is that they offer quite a few vegetarian dishes, so friends who eat plant-based can come and dine together.
This time I ordered the vegetarian curry noodles, which I found to be quite acceptable. It might be because I'm not strictly vegetarian. Also, the shop provides red tea with both dine-in and take-out orders.
▶Shrimp Paste Water Spinach $220◀
The water spinach is stir-fried to perfection and is incredibly tender! Small shrimp are also added for extra flavor, and it won’t irritate your tongue at all!
▶Spicy Minced Pork Salad $360◀
There’s lettuce to wrap the meat for a delicious bite! Although it’s minced, the pieces are quite large! The overall flavor of the salad is more sour than spicy, which is very appetizing! It includes lemongrass and red shallots among other spices to enhance its aroma.
▶Red Curry Chicken $410◀
The curry has a very rich flavor, and you might find yourself finishing several bowls of rice with it. There are plenty of chunks of chicken along with various ingredients like eggplant, pickled bamboo shoots, long beans, shiitake mushrooms, and chickpeas, and a touch of coconut milk adds to the flavor!
▶Lemongrass Pepper Soft Shell Shrimp $290◀
This is a seasonal dish! The soft shell shrimp are fried to an incredibly crispy texture, and the shells are entirely edible and not hard at all. The shrimp meat is very plump and juicy, not dry despite being fried! It comes with a sweet chili sauce on the side, and underneath the soft shell shrimp, there’s onion and garlic crisps that pair well together.
▶Thai Milk Tea $120◀
Their Thai milk tea has the aroma of condensed milk but isn’t overly sweet! It has a rich tea flavor and is very smooth to drink.
▶Emerald Lemon Green Tea $110◀
The balance between lemon and green tea is just right; neither flavor overshadows the other, creating a harmonious blend!
This Thai restaurant located in Banqiao
Beef sour and spicy rice noodles $120: The sour and spicy rice noodles are very light, but there are vinegar and chili on the side that you can add, although it was a bit different from what I expected. However, the portion of rice noodles is very large, and there is quite a bit of meat as well! I recommend it to those who prefer lighter flavors.
Thai Hainanese chicken rice $110: This Hainanese chicken rice is a great value! For this portion, you also get three side dishes and a bowl of soup, and the rice portion is very generous. The rice is long-grained Thai rice, and the chicken on top is boneless, making it suitable for both children and elders. There's Hainanese chicken sauce on the side for you to drizzle on yourself, allowing you to customize your flavor, which I think is fantastic! The side dishes, while they are just sides, are definitely not neglected! There’s a carrot omelet that really brings out the fragrance of the egg, and there are stir-fried dried tofu shreds with green beans and cabbage, making it nutritious with both vegetables and meat.
Chicken cucumber salad $65/ small: Very refreshing! But if it had some shredded papaya, it would be even better! 😍
The entire Far Eastern Plaza, this should be the cheapest store, a bowl of noodles only costs 100.
I ordered fresh pork wonton noodles, the broth is very ordinary clear soup, and the noodles are also just regular yangchun noodles. There are 5 pieces of fresh pork wontons, and they are mediocre at best.
Overall, I can only say that you get what you pay for. If you want a cheap meal to fill you up, this place is not a bad choice.
The photos were taken because I was too hungry that day, and after having a meal with friends, I only remembered to take pictures halfway through some of the dishes 🥲.
This time, a total of four people dined together: three guys and one girl. We ordered six dishes along with rice for four people— the total was about $1200. The rice was $20 per person and can be refilled 🥹.
Shrimp Omelette 🍤
A dish commonly seen in stir-fry restaurants 😂
The doneness was just right.
Stir-fried Pork with Basil 🐷
The spiciness was about mild.
It had a mix of lean meat and fatty meat, but there was more lean minced meat, which was quite good 😆.
Yunnan Thin Pork Slices
I was okay with this dish.
Basically, it’s very thinly sliced pork belly that is crunchy.
But you must dip it in the sauce at the bottom of the plate; otherwise, it doesn’t have much flavor 😂.
Yunnan Spicy Chicken
I really liked this dish.
The portion size was also quite good 😆.
The chicken skin was crispy, and the meat was the firmer type.
However, since the restaurant cut it into small pieces, it was easy to bite.
Overall, it paired well with rice.
Spicy Fried Tofu
I also quite liked this dish.
The spicy sauce had a nice flavor without being too hot.
It was also very compatible with rice 🤣.
Shrimp Paste Cabbage
I felt the portion wasn’t very large,
but the flavor was decent.
The shrimp paste didn’t taste overwhelmingly shrimp.
Overall, everything was quite good, but there weren’t any particularly stunning dishes.
Considering the prices for a Thai-style shared meal, it wasn’t expensive either. ☺️
If you're nearby and a group of people don’t know what to eat, you can consider coming here to dine 🤣.
