TAIPEI: Favorite Restaurant in Taiwan..

I think I found a gem. Thanks to one of my buddies in Taiwan for bringing me last time I was there, I've been craving it and am I ever glad that I got to pay this small cozy restaurant another visit.
This restaurant is located on a street known as the "food street" in central Taipei. This is the street where the infamous "Ding Tai Feng" resides... but no, my favorite restaurant is not the fancy Ding Tai Feng, rather, this one here is a low-key, down-to-earth, Taiwanese cuisine.

They serve traditional yet tasty dishes, such as pan-fried Pork liver(!!!), pork oil on rice(yes does not sound healthy), bitter melon with salty egg yolk, etc.

The pan-fried pork liver looks like foie gras.. but it's alot chewier and I think it's pan-fried with soya sauce, intensive flavours and the texture is very different, it's more powdery and doesn't melt in your mouth but doesn't feel as greasy and I like how it's chewy.

The rice.. pork oil(lard) on rice. haha.. man.. that does NOT sound good at all... but the aroma came all the way from the kitchen, it smelled so good. Not the healthiest option, the flavors just made working out for 2 hours all worth it.

Let me share a little story of my experience with bitter melons. First time I tried it was in Okinawa, Japan. Bitter Melons was one of their specialty. It was good, bitter but I could take it. I went back to Osaka, tried it there and practically ran to the washroom throwing up. Went to Hong Kong, my aunt told me bitter melon juice is good for skin, thus thinking I could just shoot it like a shot of tequila or something, committed to it. I think I spat it all over my clothes (and the person next to me). Swore to never have it again. So I lied and tried it in Taiwan last year and was impressed, comparable to Okinawa! As simple as that, I ordered it again on my own will at this restaurant, Bitter melon with salty egg yolk. The bitter melon was really juicy, really fresh and not bitter at all, in fact.. even a little sweet!

We ordered chicken drumstick, this probably disappointed us the most. It was just chicken. It was good, don't get me wrong.. but it was JUST chicken.

We didn't plan on ordering soup but the server recommended it and we were glad we did, how much we would be missing out if we neglected it. It was clams and asparagus. It came in a clear broth, I was personally expecting it to be not too tasty but I was surprised by the freshness of the clams. The broth was sooo sweet. SOOOO sweet, it was surprising to come from a soup that clear.

Very decent prices, for all that, it came to less than $20USD for TWO! If you're in the area, don't forget to try Ice Monster, it's right around the corner. It's a fresh fruit shaved ice restaurant. Dessert that compliments the meal very well!

(Had this last time.. omg. so good)