Huge portion hotpot spot under $100 CAD per person – double-sized oysters, lion’s head meatballs & shrimp scrambled eggs!

Text and photos byOld K

During the New Year’s holiday, Old K stayed in Taipei to rest, but still ended up eating quite a few meals there ^_^L. Thinking about having something different for dinner – maybe something less pricey to save some money – only our artillery buddy was free. Luckily, there's a very popular hotpot spot near his place that always has people lining up. He wanted to give it a try, so we called ahead to check if they were open – fortunately they were – and we made plans to meet at 5 PM.

This restaurant is located on Yùnóng Road in Shilin. It's an area of Shilin that sees fewer crowds. I heard it used to be on Yǔshēng Street but moved here about a year ago.

From the outside, it doesn’t look too big – seems like there are only two tables XD. But once inside, we realized there’s a second floor, where we ended up dining.

Took a quick snap of the second floor – the lighting is pretty dim. Old K was worried we wouldn’t get good photos XD

Had a look at the menu – prices are a bit higher than typical $100 hotpot spots, but not by much. Time to order some dishes. Since it’s just the two of us, we figured five dishes should be good enough, plus two bowls of white rice and a drink.

Stir-fried beef with scallions (NT$170)
The first dish arrived and we both did a double-take – the portion was huge, at least twice what you’d get at other hotpot spots XD. The beef strips were chewy but not tough, with a really nice texture. Paired with scallions and garlic, it tasted fantastic – not overly salty, and super flavorful. A great match with rice. And don’t let the big plate fool you – the beef portion is actually generous too. Right from the first dish, we could tell the value was amazing – no wonder the place is so busy. Not long after we started eating, customers kept pouring in and the place quickly filled up (good thing we got there early XD).

Stir-fried oysters with black bean sauce (NT$220)
These oysters must be the bodybuilders of the oyster world XD – each one plump and juicy. The ocean-fresh sweetness bursted in your mouth, super rich in flavor. This dish was also super rice-friendly – just add a splash of the sauce and you’re ready for several more bowls of rice.

Stir-fried water spinach (NT$110)
When greens are stir-fried right, they taste great. This water spinach had a nice crunch and was cooked pretty well – definitely solid. But unless you’re really craving greens, other dishes probably offer better value for money XD.

Shrimp scrambled eggs (NT$200)
Another massive serving of scrambled eggs XD – and the shrimp were huge too. Almost every bite of egg had a piece of shrimp in it. The eggs were a bit oily, but the exterior was crispy and the inside soft and fluffy. Paired with those springy shrimp, it was addictive – couldn’t stop eating.

Clay pot lion’s head meatballs (NT$190)
The last dish arrived and at first glance, it didn’t look like much – mostly cabbage.

Then we spotted the five big lion’s heads hiding underneath XD – about half the size of a grown man’s fist, or just a bit smaller than a woman’s. These lion’s heads were delicious. The meat was tender yet firm, and it seemed like they added some minced water chestnuts for a bit of a crunchy twist. Really tasty.

Two people eating such a massive spread – we noticed another table of two only ordered three dishes XD. The paper cups looked so tiny in comparison. We tried really hard to finish everything, though it was almost too much (to the point of choking XD).

By the time we left, people were already lining up before 6 PM. Why weren’t more folks out traveling during the holiday XD? We were both so stuffed, so we went for a walk to digest.

K’s little tips:

Seriously, when you follow the crowds to a busy spot, you often find good food. This place has insane value for money. Pretty much everything we randomly ordered turned out great. Just that we over-ordered – this portion is really meant for three. There was a table of five adults and one kid who only ordered six dishes (LOL). We basically just ate dishes with rice XD. Hotpot lovers, don’t miss this place!


K’s personal ratings (out of 10, higher is better)

Taste: 8.4

Value: 9

Dining environment: 6

Price: 7

Address: No. 31, Yùnóng Road, Shìlín District, Taipei City
Phone: 02-2835-3250
Business hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 16:30–22:00
Sunday, 16:30–21:00 (Closed on Mondays)
 

Old K
Keep it going, Old K！
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