【Monday Foodie】A Midnight Gastronomic Odyssey, Yiyayiyayou – A New American Tavern

“Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O~” Even if this place was really named after that nursery rhyme, it’s still a bit of a tonal mismatch, isn’t it?

 

Just by looking at Yiyayiyayou’s decor, anyone would assume it goes for a Fine Dining vibe, or at least the trendy Bistro style. So with such a playful name and an American menu, you’re bound to have some doubts even before doing your homework.

“We’re a Gastropub. How do you explain Gastropub?” the manager, Han, said with a wry smile. Gastropub actually sits between the casualness of a Bistro and the refinement of Fine Dining—a concept that allows you to “enjoy a high-quality meal in a relaxed and simple way.” It’s a neologism combining Gastronomy with Pub, coined in Great Britain. Yiyayiyayou serves American cuisine but doesn’t want to fall into the burger-and-fries stereotype. “American food actually has a lot of great stories—it’s a fusion of various ethnic influences, from French and Spanish to South African... it’s truly international cuisine. Our boss, Duke, studied and lived in the U.S. for quite a long time, and there are many dishes we really miss. How could it just be burgers and fries? What we want to do is serve classic American dishes,” said Han.

 

A pub that celebrates timeless flavors from around the world—we’ve called upon Mikkeller, the Michelin-level beer that’s also on a journey.

 

It’s not just the flavors that are nomadic—the establishment itself is quite unconventional. Mikkeller doesn’t have its own brewery. Though similar to iki, which also doesn’t brew its own beer, it outsources production to Belgium’s Proef Brewery. Brewer Mikkel travels the world, brewing where he can—sometimes creating freely, sometimes co-branding, other times fulfilling custom commissions. This unpredictability only adds to the romance for consumers. Coupled with exceptional brewing skills and artistic depth, Mikkeller’s fame eventually reached the heights of Olympus. Even Noma, which topped Restaurant magazine’s World’s 50 Best Restaurants list for three consecutive years, commissioned Mikkeller to craft bespoke pairing wines NOMA Novel and NOMA Pontus.

So let’s put the E~I~E~I~O~ Burger to the test. Since Yiyayiyayou wants to break the American diner stereotype, let’s first take a look at how different their burger really is: they use prime-grade beef purchased whole, then break it down themselves, blending different cuts like ribeye, shoulder, and sirloin heart in varying ratios to achieve tenderness with bite. The juicy meat is further enhanced by caramelized onions, bringing out the sweetness of the juices. No additional sauces—just let the ingredients speak for themselves.

 

This burger pairs beautifully with an American IPA. IPA stands for India Pale Ale, a beer originally brewed with heavy hop content to prevent spoilage during long voyages. Ironically, this pale, bitter, hop-forward beer became a favorite in the Americas. American IPAs often feature malted caramel notes and citrusy hop aromas, making them perfect with complex foods like burgers or pizza—especially as the caramel tones complement the sweet, caramelized onions in the E~I~E~I~O~ Burger. For a match, try Mikkeller’s Tomahawk Single Hop IPA, with its citrus fruitiness and subtle woody finish that echoes the burger’s bold flavors. Alternatively, go for Amarillo Single Hop IPA, dominated by Amarillo hops with citrus, melon, and nutty notes—both are simple yet bold.

But to truly taste what Han calls the “classics,” don’t miss the squid and Mexican chorizo, as well as the homemade Mortadella. Mexican chorizo is a common American brunch item, usually pan-fried after removing the casing. At Yiyayiyayou, they use pork shoulder mixed with a blend of chili powder. “Then we add squid to complement the savory pork with the briny flavor of the squid—double the chew, double the fun,” said Duke. For this highly drinkable dish, we paired it with Nelson Sauvin Single Hop IPA. This New Zealand hop offers rich, fruity aromas with a hint of Sauvignon Blanc on the finish. “Since Chorizo has that stir-fried edge, I chose a lighter-bodied beer with hops that won’t overpower the food.”

Yiyayiyayou’s Mortadella is also a glamorous twist on an American classic. Mortadella is an Italian cooked sausage known for its mixture of finely ground pork, fat cubes, and spices, resulting in a smooth texture and rich aroma. Yiyayiyayou’s homemade version, rare even in Taiwan, uses minimal spices—just whole peppercorns—and lets the pork’s natural sweetness and melt-in-your-mouth fat shine, with only a faint hint of spice at the end. Even haters of ham might realize their distaste was only due to low-quality mass-produced versions. To match its elegance, two NOMA-commissioned Mikkeller wines were the natural choice. NOMA Novel has a light body yet bursts with juicy fruitiness, extending the sweet profile. NOMA Pontus, designed to reflect Chef René Redzepi’s philosophy of using local ingredients, features abundant verbena, harmonizing beautifully with Mortadella’s pure flavor and delicate spices. Even against Fine Dining-level pairing wines, Yiyayiyayou’s Mortadella holds its own with refined subtlety. “The name came from dreaming of having a farm with fresh ingredients to make simple but satisfying food,” laughed Han, who dreams of being Old MacDonald.