Crispy coating envelops medium-rare beef – HowToTrip’s new brand “ZhaNiu” opens on July 1

▲ USDA PRIME flat iron steak.

Reported and photographed by Huang Shiyuan / Taipei

Fried steak, one of the must-try foods when traveling to Tokyo, Japan, is something many who have tried it can’t forget. HowToTrip Group’s internal startup brand “ZhaNiu” specializes in fried steak and will officially open on July 1. From now on, you won’t need to fly to Japan to enjoy crispy coating wrapped around tender, sweet medium-rare beef.

Aside from the tomahawk pork chop (a non-beef option, considering some people don’t eat beef), ZhaNiu offers four other main dishes: flat iron steak, classic filet mignon, beef cube, and veal ribs. Among them, veal ribs are limited to just 15 portions per day, with only five main dishes sold in total. The flat iron steak uses the American Prime-grade flat iron cut, which is rich in fine marbling and has a flavorful, textured bite. It’s fried for 90 seconds to achieve a medium-rare doneness, then thinly sliced to 1 cm for easy eating. The classic filet mignon is made from the popular filet cut, quickly fried to retain its tender texture, also at medium-rare.


▲ Classic filet mignon.


▲ Beef cube.

The veal ribs are made from New Zealand veal, fried to medium-well, with only 15 portions available daily. The beef cube is crafted from evenly marbled beef, trimmed into about 2.5 cm cubes, then quickly fried for 60 seconds to seal in the juices, cooked to about medium-well, allowing you to enjoy the texture of large chunks of beef. As for the only non-beef option, the tomahawk pork chop lets you taste two different textures: rib meat and tenderloin.

Chef Yu Hezhang noted that ZhaNiu initially invested hundreds of kilograms of high-quality beef from New Zealand, Australia, and the U.S. for research and development, gradually adjusting the oil temperature, coating ratio, and meat selection. Now, they’ve developed fried steaks that are crispy outside and tender inside, with the coating staying intact from the beef, smooth yet not greasy. For example, the PRIME flat iron steak needs to be fried at around 200°C for 90 seconds to lock in its sweet flavor.


▲ Veal ribs, limited to 15 portions daily.


▲ Tomahawk pork chop.

The first ZhaNiu store is located in the Dongcheng area, with 40 seats. The overall style is Japanese-inspired, and it adopts a semi-self-service approach where customers order independently, so no service charge is applied. Individual dishes range from NT$238 to NT$398, while set meals range from NT$298 to NT$458. Each set meal includes Koshihikari rice, seasonal vegetables, sugarcane-flavored miso soup, pickles, and dessert.

Prices
USDA PRIME flat iron steak: Set meal NT$398, à la carte NT$338.
Classic filet mignon: Set meal NT$458, à la carte NT$398.
Beef cube: Set meal NT$298, à la carte NT$238.
Veal ribs: Set meal NT$388, à la carte NT$328.
Tomahawk pork chop: Set meal NT$378, à la carte NT$318.

Address: No. 7, Lane 135, Section 1, Fuxing South Road, Taipei City (behind SOGO Zhongxiao Branch)
Phone: 02-2772-0855


▲ The filet mignon and flat iron steak come with a cast iron pot; if you prefer it more well-done, you can heat it yourself.


▲ Thinly sliced to 1 cm for easy eating.


▲ Menu.