Monday, April 20, 2009

Sichuan Noodles: Sichuan Noodle King 四川麵王

Bold taste.

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Taipei, where I have never eaten a single dish I did not thoroughly enjoy. I cannot testify to the authenticity of their Sichuanese food, but wherever their recipes come from, they lead to beautiful taste combinations that dazzle the tongue.

Their menu has convenient pictures for those who cannot decipher the Chinese, and I can completely recommend all of the food in the line of pictures at the bottom of the menu. You will notice a similarity between those pictures and the dishes I feature in this post. The place is popular with locals and non-locals alike. At lunchtime there is often a line waiting for the place to open.

Now for the food: I particularly love the chicken cold noodles and the steamed rice that comes from the bamboo containers sitting outside the shop. The chicken cold noodles is a particularly tasty version of a dish commonly seen on the streets and even 7-11's of Taipei. Cold noodles, or 涼麵, are a nice treat on a steaming 36C, hot summer day with 80% humidity when a bowl of steaming hot soup doesn't sound appealing. The Sichuan Noodle King has a delicious, spicy sauce covering a bowl of cooked and cooled noodles tossed with some fresh vegetables and shreds of chicken. The seasoned, steamed rice dish has sweet potatoes and a rib inside that has been tenderized to the point of being fork tender. Other fabulous morsels include the Dan Dan Mian, and chicken that is covered in a particularly strong brown sauce that has a definite afterbite of anise and the famous Sichuan pepper, or prickly ash. The little bites at the front are all delicious starters, as well.

But really, order anything and you will be happy. If you like bold flavors, this place never dissappoints.

Details:

四川麵王 Sichuan Noodle King

Address: 台北市南海路2巷2號1樓 1F, No. 2, Lane 2 Nanhai Road, Taipei City---just behind the Nanmen market 南門市場.

Phone: 02-3322-1088

Hours: 11:30-14:30; 17:00-20:30

Metro: CKS Memorial Hall 中正紀念堂

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