Upscale Stir-Fry Near Da'an Station

A local friend and I decided to go out tonight. We’ve been to ramen places and izakayas, and we’ve been to hot pot together. Tonight, he wanted to take me somewhere really Taiwanese. So he took me to a place that does 熱炒rè chǎo, simply called stir-fry in English.

After ordering, he told me how ubiquitous 熱炒rè chǎo is. It’s family-friendly (at least until later at night), it’s where large groups of friends come, and it’s where gangsters come to discuss business. It’s a bit like a dive bar, but with some of the best stir-fried dishes you can order. And in true Chinese fashion, you order a bunch of dishes and everyone shares. This restaurant opened in 2021 and quickly became popular. It’s not as oily-smelling in the air, and attempts to bring the 熱炒rè chǎo flavors in a slightly nicer restaurant package, with the white, clean-looking interior.

This is also where Taiwan’s famous-if-you-know-it “18 days” beer is drunk in large quantities. A fresh beer that is only allowed to be refrigerated and on shelves for 18 days before being pulled. An unpasteurized beer that has a noticeable yeast flavor that people have come to love.

We arrived not very late, around 6pm, so we were able to get seats on the second level. It’s not a large restaurant, about 7 or 8 tables on the first floor, and some extra tables upstairs that can be pushed together for groups of 2 to about 8. By the time we left after 7pm, the place was packed and was getting noticeably louder and more boisterous.

Photo by Kalen Johnson

We grabbed an “18 days,” and my friend started marking our order on the overly large but typical Taiwanese menu. He ordered the same dishes his grandmother would order for the family at a similar restaurant when he was a kid. Surprisingly, it was mostly dishes I’ve had in Canada and the US, but the portions are smaller, half the price, mostly a little less sweet overall (American-Chinese food I’ve found can be pretty sweet), very savoury, and so delicious.

With unlimited rice, we got a bowl each while we waited for the food to come. I looked up at the wall and saw a phrase I could only partially read and comprehend: 熱炒配紅酒，馬上交女友Rè chǎo pèi hóngjiǔ, mǎshàng jiāo nǚyǒu - “Pair stir-fry with red wine, and immediately get a girlfriend”. We postulated that, since 熱炒rè chǎo is typically a working-class, cheap-ish (depending on how much and what you order) and fast dinner, pairing it with red wine makes it a bit more high-class. I don’t know if it would make you get a girlfriend right away, but that’s marketing for you.

Photo by Kalen Johnson

So we ordered kung pao chicken, fried noodles, stir-fried water lily with garlic and ginger, a braised tofu in savory gravy, and a spicy beef and mixed vegetable stir-fry. For NT$1,310 (US$41.61), including two beers, it was just over NT$500 (~US$16.00) each for a pretty large amount of food. I was stuffed, and we didn’t clean every plate.

The sizzling tofu was very good, stir-fried vegetables alongside deep-fried tofu in a savory gravy. That was great to top on the rice. The water lily stir-fry was good and not very garlicky; it was very strong with ginger, unlike how I have tasted it at other places. I prefer the garlic-heavy dishes, but this was a very interesting way to change it up. The fried noodles weren’t crispy, but they were chewy and savory; the vegetables along with them made for a filling side dish.

The beef tenderloin, fried with green onions, had large chunks of chilli incorporated. I took a whole chilli, and it packed some heat. Super savoury and juicy meat. The kung pao chicken was also really good. A little more savory, not as sweet as some American versions. Lots of chillis included. I didn’t find it over-the-top spicy, but my buddy stopped talking for a few minutes when we started eating because these two dishes had his mouth in a bit of a panic. His spice tolerance isn’t super high.

These types of restaurants can be daunting for foreigners. A huge menu, no English, and plenty of items that don’t translate well. However, if you can find a local to go with, or brave it out with Google Translate and guesses, you’ll have a good time. And keep checking back here—we’re working hard on getting more accurate translations for common dishes and popular restaurants. We don’t want language barriers to stop you from experiencing amazing food!