Qiao Tou Spicy Hotpot (橋頭麻辣鍋)

Qiaotou Spicy Hotpot (橋頭麻辣鍋) was a spicy hotpot restaurant I went a few years ago (2009) with my friends.  I haven't returned since so this post may not be as relevant now.  Yet I recalled it was good and became my memory of how spicy hotpot should be in Taiwan.

Tai Ho Dien (Taipei Flagship) (太和殿) (台北總店)

Tai Ho Dien (太和殿) is the most well-known amongst the three Taiwanese hotpot restaurants I went this trip.  Rumor has it that even Aaron Kwok (the well-known Hong Kong artist) is a fan.  (A few of my friends recommended it too!)  I had high hopes going in, even brought my co-worker's boss, who love spicy food, there and promised him a spicy, good meal. 

Needless to say, they higher the expectations, the higher the disappointment.  If Chan Chi set the standards on the food and Elixir Health Pot set the standards on service, Tai Ho Dian failed both miserably.  There is only one thing they exceled - the price.

Elixir Health Pot (Civic) (無老鍋) (市民店)

Elixir Health Pot (無老鍋) is actually a restaurant owned by the same group that owns Tripod King (鼎王).  As mentioned in my previous post, 鼎王 gained tabloid spotlights during my stay in Taipei for their food quality problems and has been banned from my trip.   Yet, I still went to 無老鍋 as there were various guarantees that they did not use the same supplies as 鼎王 and they do not share the same issues.  (You believe that?  Oh well... I figured it's probably the safest time to go anyway...)

Chan Chi Hot Pots Lab (詹記麻辣火鍋 南京店)

I am going to make tonight a hotpot night... on my blog that is...  If you followed me on Instagram, you might remember I was in Taipei earlier this year.  Although I was there for work, work never stops me from satisfying my food cravings.  Luckily, my co-worker is a foodie as well so we had a lot of foodie excursions together. (Yes, the Taipei write-up is soon to follow... so if you are planning a trip to Taipei soon, stay tuned~)

Shing Kee Noodles (盛記盆菜&盛記麵家)

I was super sleeping (just drank my third latte) and feeling cold at the office (I even wrapped myself in one of the many scarfs I owned) and then I remembered, today is the first day of Autumn (立秋). What's better than hotpot on such a day?  (I love myself some spicy Sichuan hotpot!!!)  I actually went to Shing Kee earlier this year... before my friend had her baby... now the baby is born and so is my blog post... LOL!!!

Shing Kee has the most interesting decor.
IT was hard to believe it was actually located
at a food center inside a wet market.

Morimoto (Napa)

I have my fair share of celebrity chef dining experiences and I thought it would be a good time to share my experiences at Morimoto (Napa) a few years ago.  I was vacationing with a friend in Napa Valley then.  Because of the positive experience I had at Morimoto (Philadelphia), we were glad to try his Napa location!  Morimoto Philadelphia was my first omakase experience and I must say I am a convert since!  It also cured my dislike for aji (mackerel)... in fact, I love this fish so much now all thanks to Morimoto!