If there's one thing that I know the Taiwanese do right, it's the food. Taipei has been dubbed by CNN as the "Gluttony City" and it's no wonder why: everywhere you go, there is always something good to eat. From street food to high-end restaurants – Taipei is a foodie's heaven. One of the foods that I always end up looking for during my visits is the beef noodles.
Of course, no visit to Taipei will be complete without trying Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup. Taiwan is well-known for beef noodles. In fact, there is even an annual Beef Noodle Festival held in Taipei. That being said, it isn't difficult at all to find a good noodle place in Taipei. After my favorite noodle house practically disappeared around two years ago, I think I've finally found a new favorite: Mazendo.
My dad and I tried out this restaurant at a whim, and both of us ordered their Red Roaster Beef Brisket Noodle Soup. I was intrigued by the chunks of tomato in the broth because it's not a usual ingredient in the beef noodle soup I've had before but a quick taste of the broth had me hooked. It's everything one would expect from Taiwanese beef noodle soup– savory, hearty. But this particular broth had an unexpectedly refreshing flavor to it, one I think I could attribute to the tomato. The noodles themselves were pretty standard– soft and not too chewy and the beef brisket was as tender and flavorful as one would expect from a good beef noodle soup!
We also had side-dishes, one of which was stir-friend cabbage. It was okay, a tad bit salty but at 70NTD it costs more than what it's worth. (That's only 20NTD less than my favorite biàndang!)
We also had an order of potstickers which I was really happy about! I'm not a big fan of potstickers because the texture doesn't really sit well with me, but this one was more than alright. Though the wrapper was a tad bit too thick for me, it had just the right chewiness. The filling was also delicious, juicy, tender, and not at all dry like most of the potstickers I've had before!
It's still a wonder why we ended up eating at this place– as it is located quite near my favorite American-style restaurant in Taipei, but it just goes to show that one should give new things a chance!
Until next time!
