花滷

Foodholic Niko @ Taipei

"Flower Lu" is a hot stew shop located near Ximen Station, just a 2-minute walk from Exit 1 (the one closest to the Red House). It's on Neijiang Street, which has a row of small food stalls. In addition to takeout, there are a few outdoor seats available for dining in (though it can get really hot in the summer).

The owners are two young ladies, and the prices for the stew aren’t particularly cheap. Today, I didn't want any main dishes (noodles), so I only got a portion of baby bok choy for $40, shiitake mushrooms for $30, and pork for $50. A small bowl of these items ended up costing $120, which makes me lament the current prices.

I feel that the portions for each ingredient were quite small; if I weren't so unhungry today, I would typically need about twice as much to feel full~

My husband ordered prince noodles for $20, pork for $50, and six assorted hot pot ingredients for $50, which also looked rather small.

The standard seasoning includes scallions and satay sauce, and the owner thoughtfully asked if any adjustments were needed. If you want it spicy, you can choose the level of heat, ranging from mild to very spicy.

I found the seasoning for the stew to be average—not bad, but not amazing either. However, the chili sauce was a significant plus; I chose mild, and it tasted like it was stir-fried, which made it quite fragrant and appetizing. That said, it was still pretty spicy (I personally think it was at the level of mild spiciness that I usually enjoy).