Exploring Taipei’s Meat-Focused Culinary Secrets
TEXT / Ash Boden
PHOTOS / Ray Chang, Vision
Taipei is a meat lover’s paradise. From sizzling stir-fries to steamy hot pots and tender braised dishes, the city’s culinary culture revolves around meat at every turn. This article highlights some of the best options for visitors exploring Taipei’s diverse and delectable meat-centered options.
Taipei has it all, whether you’re seeking a humble mom-and-pop restaurant serving traditional Taiwanese slow-braised pork over rice, a comforting bowl of rich beef noodle soup, or a communal hot-pot experience. Gastronomy is at the heart of this bustling, seemingly always hungry metropolis.
RÒU by T-HAM
Standing outside and peering into the immaculate and expansive glass-fronted restaurant (2F) and exquisite deli operation (1F) of RÒU by T-HAM, you can tell that something special is happening inside. Upon entering you are greeted by a pristine sharp-lined interior that is minimalist, classy, and yet still feels comfortable. Soft ambient light breaks up the intensity of the spotlights over the dining tables in this modern space, the operation’s team prized for its attention to detail and dedication to preparing each plate to the highest of standards, using only the best ingredients.
When you arrive, you will receive an English menu and will be able to marvel at all the mouthwatering cuts of top-quality meat on display. Expect to be amazed by the outstanding selection of artisanal cold cuts, lamb chops, and unbelievable bone-in beef ribs. RÒU by T-HAM sources only the best cuts of meat from all over the world.
An iconic dish you shouldn’t miss is the RÒU’s Signature bacon chop with black pepper corns 12 oz., which simply melts in your mouth. The pop of fragrant peppercorns blends perfectly with the delicate meat and silky smooth fat to create a flavor explosion sure to impress. With a focus on pork, the Spicy Taiwanese mini sausages are bite-sized delicacies best eaten with a chunk of garlic. The pop of deeply rich pork, with a subtly spiced chili kick, is perfectly balanced. If you’re a party of 6~8, the Roasted honey-glazed ham is an outstanding option and the specialty T-HAM Artisan Handmade ham platter containing three artisanal cold cuts will certainly bring a level of decadence to your meal that everyone will be amazed by.
RÒU by T-HAM is located between MRT Xinyi Anhe and Daan stations on Dunhua South Road. For the restaurant, a reservation is required.
RÒU by T-HAM
Tel: (02) 2755-2606
Add: No. 326, Sec. 1, Dunhua S. Rd., Da’an District, Taipei City
(台北市大安區敦化南路一段326號)
Hours: 11am~9:30pm
Website: www.roubytham.com.tw (Chinese)
Facebook: www.facebook.com/roubytham
Xuan Beef
Simmering quietly, amidst a décor setting of exposed wood and understated lighting, is a beef hot pot that will put a smile on your face. Xuan Beef is a modern hot-pot restaurant that promises to impress gourmets and gourmands alike. Expect outstanding service, beautifully presented dishes, and a lively space filled with an excited buzz as you enjoy this restaurant’s famed specialty – Fresh beef hot pot.
All of the food at Xuan Beef is prepared in an open kitchen, providing you with a full view of the process, especially the skilled chefs cutting fresh pieces of beef. Unlike other hot-pot eateries that use machine-cut frozen beef, Xuan Beef provides the same precision cutting by expert chefs using beef that has never been frozen. This results in beautifully marbled and deeply flavorful pieces of textured meat.
Navigating the bilingual menu is a breeze, and as each delicately presented dish of cooking ingredients arrives at your table, you’ll be reminded that the beef requires only 3~5 seconds in the hot pot to reach perfection. This short cooking time ensures ultimate freshness, allowing the natural flavors to star while absorbing the delicate flavors of the broth.
In addition to the hot-pot options, other dishes of particular note are the Sichuan boiled beef with chili oil, featuring tender beef and Sichuan-style spicy fragrance, and the Beef tongue with salt and scallion. If you’ve never had beef tongue before, rest assured you’ve been missing out on one of the most underrated beef cuts. Characterized by tenderness and a velvety texture, the beef tongue à la Xuan Beef is a great option.
Xuan Beef has one branch on Guangfu South Road next to MRT Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall Station’s Exit 2 and one on Fuxing North Road south of MRT Zhongshan Junior High School Station. Both branches are popular, so reservations are recommended.
Xuan Beef
(宣牛溫體牛火鍋)
Tel: (02) 2508-2929
Add: No. 292, Fuxing N. Rd., Zhongshan District, Taipei City
(台北市中山區復興北路292號)
Hours: Tuesday~Friday 3:30pm~11:30pm; Saturday/Sunday 12pm~2:30pm, 3:30pm~11:30pm
Website: www.xuanbeef2021.com (Chinese)
Shiyu
Walking into Shiyu is like walking back in time to a friend’s house in Taipei 50 years ago. Set inside an old apartment building, you walk up a flight of stairs to the restaurant on the second floor. As you open the door you’ll be greeted by traditional Taiwanese elements, including an old medicine cabinet repurposed as the bar and walls adorned with antique clocks and other interesting relics from Taiwan’s past.
Choose your dishes from a bilingual menu. Beef noodle soup is the famed dish here. It comes in three varieties: spicy, plain, and tomato-flavored. Once you have decided what variant you’d like, also consider ordering the signature plate of braised foods, which includes egg, seaweed, pig’s ear, tofu, king oyster mushrooms, broccoli, and slices of cold-cut beef. To wash that all down, Shiyu has an extensive drinks selection, with a wide variety of whiskies from all around the world, some special craft beers worth sampling, as well as fruit wine that is produced on-site. Shiyu is a special slice of old-meets-new in Taipei, and is a great place to visit with friends.
The restaurant is located on Jianguo North Road, an 8-minute walk from MRT Songjiang Nanjing Station’s Exit 5.
Shiyu
(時寓)
Tel: (02) 2506 9209
Add: 2F, No. 68, Jianguo N. Rd., Zhongshan District, Taipei City
(台北市中山區建國北路一段68號2樓)
Hours: Wednesday~Saturday 6pm~9pm
FB: www.facebook.com/shiyu.taipei
Read more about beef noodle restaurants in Taipei at Eating in Taipei!
Taiwan Bistro
This enterprise’s mission is to bring renowned meat cold cuts to a comfortable atmosphere perfect for casual dinners. The braised cuts of meat on offer here are outstanding, starring beef stomach, slices of beef, and beef tendon. Served with a refreshing mixed-leaf salad, the fragrant flavors from the braising liquor come through in each bite. Elsewhere on the menu, in addition to a great bowl of beef noodles and succulent chicken wings, Taiwan Bistro also offers a delicious Taiwanese classic – Pig blood cake. This dish is steamed to perfection, topped with peanut powder and cilantro, and lashed with a house-special sauce.
This cozy spot is a place to share humble yet delicious food and drinks with friends in a traditional-style Taiwanese atmosphere. Be sure to order a cold draft beer and a big plate of their chef’s combo platter. You won’t regret it!
Taiwan Bistro has a number of branches dotted around the city, including near MRT Zhongshan Station, MRT Taipei Arena Station, and MRT Guting Station.
Taiwan Bistro
(渣男)
Tel: (02) 2720-9820
Add: No. 12, Alley 315, Lane 150, Sec. 5, Xinyi Rd., Shilin District, Taipei City
(台北市信義區信義路五段150巷315弄12號)
Hours: 5:30pm~1:30am
FB: www.facebook.com/zhananbistro
Xie Xie Barbecue
This barbecue eatery is run by the son of a couple that has been operating the Nanmen Chang BBQ stall at Yuanlin First Market in Changhua County’s Yuanlin City since 1990. Since opening Xie Xie Barbecue, he has carved a name for himself by serving up a hearty variety of barbecue skewers, including Kaoliang liquor-infused sausage, chicken wings, scallion wrapped in bacon, pig blood cake, and chicken skin, to name but a few.
Barbecue skewers diners can choose
Customers love the barbecue sauce, which is still made in Yuanlin and shipped to Taipei. It’s slightly sweet and brings a distinct umami flavor to each bite. The space inside the eatery is modest but tastefully arranged, expressing a modern take on old decor. The food here packs a punch of smoky barbecue flavor that will keep you coming back for more.
You can find Xie Xie Barbecue a short walk from MRT Neihu Station in Neihu District.
Xie Xie Barbecue
(謝謝台味炭烤)
Tel: (02) 2792-5586
Add: No. 7, Alley 25, Lane 61, Sec. 4, Chenggong Rd., Neihu District, Taipei City
(台北市內湖區成功路4段61巷25弄7號)
Hours: 4pm~11:30pm (closed on Monday)
FB: www.facebook.com/hsiehhsiehu
Xuzai Pork Trotters
Underneath the branches of a majestic old tree near Dadaocheng Cisheng Temple in Datong District, the Xuzai Pork Trotters stall has been serving up iconic pork trotter rice noodle soup for over 50 years. The continued dedication over five decades to serving pork trotters with a deeply flavorful broth has earned the proprietors a loyal following of elderly regulars who crave this unadulterated and iconic dish.
When you arrive at this simple eatery you will be greeted with a warm smile and served a bowl of rich soup with more than enough chunks of flavorful pork to sate you, whatever your appetite. If rice noodles aren’t your thing, you can order a bowl of pork trotters without noodles as well.
Xuzai Pork Trotters is one in a row of several stalls just outside the grounds of Dadaocheng Cisheng Temple, a 10-min. walk southwest of MRT Daqiaotou Station’s Exit 2.
Xuzai Pork Trotters
(許仔豬腳麵線)
Tel: 0952-005-739
Add: No. 17, Lane 49, Bao’an St, Datong District, Taipei City
(台北市大同區保安街49巷17號)
Hours: 11am~6:30pm (closed on Sunday)
Cabbage Rice and Pork Rib Soup
This family-run restaurant, located on Yanping North Road, specializes in pork rib soup and cabbage rice. Although these dishes might be simple, the flavors are anything but. Slowly cooked, the pork falls off the bone easily. The cabbage imparts a fresh sweetness to the fragrant rice that pairs perfectly with the steaming-hot pork rib soup.
You’ll only find a handful of main dishes on the menu, of which the cabbage rice and the pork rib soup are the bestsellers. Order one of each, and add the delicately fried tofu and home-cooked peanuts for a classic Taiwanese repast. This restaurant was included in the latest edition of the Michelin Guide Taipei.
Cabbage Rice and Pork Rib Soup is a 5-min. walk from MRT Daqiaotou Station’s Exit 1.
Cabbage Rice and Pork Rib Soup
(灶頂 原汁排骨湯.高麗菜飯)
Tel: (02) 2792-5586
Add: No. 2, Lane 17, Sec. 3, Yanping N. Rd., Datong District, Taipei City
(台北市大同區延平北路三段17巷2號)
Hours: 10am~8pm (closed Monday-Thursday)
About the author
Ash Boden
Ash's journey in Taiwan began in 2013, and upon arriving in Taipei he suffered culture shock because of the absence of English menus and speakers in local eateries, motivating him to bridge the linguistic divide. Keen to learn more about Taiwanese food and culture, Ash studied Mandarin Chinese and launched his website, www.eatingintaipei.com, to assist fellow expats and travellers navigate the food scene. With a commitment to staying current in Taipei's food scene, Ash regularly researches both emerging trends and enduring classics in Mandarin Chinese and English, ensuring that he can share the most accurate information possible.
