黔東萊私房料理小吃店

【Foodholic Neko @ Taipei】

Let's get to the conclusion first: If you can't enjoy your food without spice and really like sour and spicy flavors, I highly recommend exploring "Qian Dong Lai Private Kitchen Snack Shop."

The owner is very enthusiastic. It might be because we were the first group of customers that evening. As soon as we walked in, the owner eagerly asked if we had been there before, introduced the dishes to us, and mentioned that their food is quite spicy. If you can't handle much spice, he suggested which items to choose or how to eat (for example, order dry noodles first, and after eating some, the owner can help us add soup to turn it into soup noodles).

Guizhou Rice Noodles $130
The rice noodles are the signature dish of this restaurant. The owner specifically introduced them to us, but these rice noodles are not the same as what we commonly eat in Taiwan, which are very thin and hard Hsinchu rice noodles. Instead, they are rice vermicelli, which has a QQ slippery texture (the kind that is hard to pick up with chopsticks). Besides the rice vermicelli, boiled greens, peanuts, sour beans, and dried meat, a pleasant surprise was a fried egg cooked in a half-fried style— I really liked it! The owner said Guizhou rice noodles are the least spicy, and others with meat would be spicier. That being said, I still found it quite spicy, probably around the medium spicy level found in many restaurants; it was genuinely enjoyable, with spiciness outweighing the sourness.

P.S. Thankfully, the restaurant offers free black tea to drink; otherwise, I wouldn’t know what to do with the spiciness.

Tofu $40
This tofu is different from the kind typically found in snack shops or noodle restaurants. The outer layer is harder, and the inside has a softer texture rather than being QQ. It has a bit of a vegetarian flavor and is quite average; this dish is not spicy.

Shredded Potatoes $50
Just looking at the color of this dish makes it seem very spicy. To my surprise, it’s really spicy, haha! Even spicier than the Guizhou rice noodles. However, because it has a higher acidity, it is quite refreshing and appetizing. I really liked it! Even though I was so spicy that I kept tearing up and my nose was runny, I still couldn't help but want to keep eating it.

My friend ordered Sauerkraut Pork Rice Noodles (Pork) $200
I had a little taste. The sauerkraut pork is essentially pork with pickled mustard greens. The pickled mustard greens mixed with dry rice noodles added an extra aroma that I enjoyed! I must particularly praise the pork! The skin is very QQ and chewy, and when paired with the lean meat, the fat and lean parts complement each other perfectly. It isn’t hard and doesn’t feel overly greasy—highly recommended!