Taiwan: Qin Wei Guan
Jiejie really wanted to treat my parents to a nice meal while we were in Taiwan, so she made reservations at one of her favorite restaurants, Qin Wei Guan. The restaurant was empty when we arrived, so we weren't sure what all the fuss was about:
While Jiejie handled all the ordering, we amused ourselves by trying to read all the signatures on the wall. We assumed they're from famous people, but what do we know about Taiwanese celebrities?
Once the complimentary appetizers came out, we reversed our earlier assessment. We immediately knew the meal was going to be amazing. There was the fried dough seasoned with spices:
Which sounds simple, but they were freakin' delicious. That seasoning! It had one of those addicting flavors that just make you want more. This would be totally dangerous if they sold them in bags.
The other appetizer was this dish of tiny squids:
Served cold, they were super chewy and yummy and none of us could believe they were complimentary.
Then came the parade of mains, each one more awesome than the next. There was the lamb pao mo (220 NT / $7 for small). The mo, a very dense steamed unleavened bread, was brought out first:
We were instructed to rip it into pieces:
After which the bowl was taken back into the kitchen to be filled with a lamb soup:
The shredded potato salad (160 NT / $5.10 for a small) was familiar and delicious in its simplicity:
The stir fried betel nut flower (180 NT / $5.75 for a small), on the other hand, was something completely new to us:
I didn't even know betel nut flowers were edible. Much less so delicious.
Even the soft tofu dish (220 NT / $7 for a small) was yummy and I'm not usually crazy about tofu:
The fried fish with orange sauce (280 NT / $8.90 for a small) was appealing both to the eyes and to the taste buds:
While the fried lamb with cumin (360 NT / $11.50 for a small) might not have looked like much, but was juicy and tender:
Jiejie asked for a large order of wide noodles with chili oil (180 NT / $5.75) because she knows how much my mother loves noodles:
Except my mother ended up having to fight the rest of us for it because the noodles were so fresh and chewy.
The fried pork ribs (420 NT / $13.40 for a small) was surprisingly juicy and well seasoned:
The star of the show was meant to be the sour milk soup (680 NT / $21.70):
Apparently you have to order it two days in advance. It's filled with pork, intestine, napa cabbage, and tofu. I remember it being delicious, but honestly, by the time the soup came out, I was so full that I couldn't fully appreciate it.
Being full didn't prevent me from enjoying dessert though. There were the fried wonton wrappers with cream inside (35 NT / $1.10 per piece):
And because Jiejie knows how much I love condensed milk, she later tacked on two fried buns:
They're really just meant to be vessels to carry condensed milk into your mouth.
Every single dish at Qin Wei Guan was worth raving about. Everything was flawlessly executed. You could tell that no shortcuts were taken with the quality of the food. I thought the sour milk soup would be their signature dish, but apparently they have two pages worth of dishes that require reservation two days in advance.
While this meal might not be considered cheap by Taiwanese standards, a similar restaurant in the States would be significantly more expensive. I wouldn't mind paying if they opened a sister restaurant in the Bay though. I would be there all the time. TAKE MY MONEY.
As it is, I suppose I will just have to go to Qin Wei Guan every time I visit Taiwan. The next time I do go, I want to just order everything off those two pages.
Like a bawse.
秦味館
台北市延吉街138巷2號
02-87713288
http://sausau.com.tw/home/
While Jiejie handled all the ordering, we amused ourselves by trying to read all the signatures on the wall. We assumed they're from famous people, but what do we know about Taiwanese celebrities?
Once the complimentary appetizers came out, we reversed our earlier assessment. We immediately knew the meal was going to be amazing. There was the fried dough seasoned with spices:
Which sounds simple, but they were freakin' delicious. That seasoning! It had one of those addicting flavors that just make you want more. This would be totally dangerous if they sold them in bags.
The other appetizer was this dish of tiny squids:
Served cold, they were super chewy and yummy and none of us could believe they were complimentary.
Then came the parade of mains, each one more awesome than the next. There was the lamb pao mo (220 NT / $7 for small). The mo, a very dense steamed unleavened bread, was brought out first:
We were instructed to rip it into pieces:
After which the bowl was taken back into the kitchen to be filled with a lamb soup:
The shredded potato salad (160 NT / $5.10 for a small) was familiar and delicious in its simplicity:
The stir fried betel nut flower (180 NT / $5.75 for a small), on the other hand, was something completely new to us:
I didn't even know betel nut flowers were edible. Much less so delicious.
Even the soft tofu dish (220 NT / $7 for a small) was yummy and I'm not usually crazy about tofu:
The fried fish with orange sauce (280 NT / $8.90 for a small) was appealing both to the eyes and to the taste buds:
While the fried lamb with cumin (360 NT / $11.50 for a small) might not have looked like much, but was juicy and tender:
Jiejie asked for a large order of wide noodles with chili oil (180 NT / $5.75) because she knows how much my mother loves noodles:
Except my mother ended up having to fight the rest of us for it because the noodles were so fresh and chewy.
The fried pork ribs (420 NT / $13.40 for a small) was surprisingly juicy and well seasoned:
The star of the show was meant to be the sour milk soup (680 NT / $21.70):
Apparently you have to order it two days in advance. It's filled with pork, intestine, napa cabbage, and tofu. I remember it being delicious, but honestly, by the time the soup came out, I was so full that I couldn't fully appreciate it.
Being full didn't prevent me from enjoying dessert though. There were the fried wonton wrappers with cream inside (35 NT / $1.10 per piece):
And because Jiejie knows how much I love condensed milk, she later tacked on two fried buns:
They're really just meant to be vessels to carry condensed milk into your mouth.
Every single dish at Qin Wei Guan was worth raving about. Everything was flawlessly executed. You could tell that no shortcuts were taken with the quality of the food. I thought the sour milk soup would be their signature dish, but apparently they have two pages worth of dishes that require reservation two days in advance.
While this meal might not be considered cheap by Taiwanese standards, a similar restaurant in the States would be significantly more expensive. I wouldn't mind paying if they opened a sister restaurant in the Bay though. I would be there all the time. TAKE MY MONEY.
As it is, I suppose I will just have to go to Qin Wei Guan every time I visit Taiwan. The next time I do go, I want to just order everything off those two pages.
Like a bawse.
秦味館
台北市延吉街138巷2號
02-87713288
http://sausau.com.tw/home/
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