Shabu Shabu Dinner @ 稻之屋鍋物 in Taoyuan [Taiwan]

Generally, many people would always assume that food was secondary when they signed up for a tour package and I had the same thought with my recent tour to Taiwan via Chan Brothers.

While I love to eat, I was prepared to just "eat to live", rather than my usual "live to eat" outlook in life. Hence, imagine my surprise when I ran a Google review check on this eatery, 稻之屋鍋物, we were brought to our on our first meal after landing.

Commanding a pretty good score of 4.1 from over 1,000 reviewers, this shabu shabu restaurant was strangely pretty empty when we stepped in at the dinner peak of 7.00 pm, with just about two occupied tables.

Nevertheless, our tour guide, KK, had arranged called the restaurant beforehand, and upon our arrival, the tables had been prepared, with just the main stars still waiting to be sliced and delivered to our tables. 

The sauces counter; I am picky when it comes to the sauces and condiments for steamboat. Where possible, I would always go for peanut / sesame sauce with tons of seeds, spring onions, coriander and a teaspoon of sugar! Right here, the choices were so limited! 

One plus point of this place; free flow drinks which would include milk tea, and even an ice cream dispenser. Despite the cold weather, an ice cream always seems exceptional welcoming after a hot meal. 

Ours was a set, which we were not given the option to choose except for the kind of meat we preferred; either beef or pork. Included within this basic set was lettuce, cabbage, tofu, baby corn, pumpkin, tomato, enoki mushrooms, some balls and a raw egg.

Let's get it to boil! Since there's no Thai chilli sauce and no peanut / sesame sauce, I shall make do with this shacha sauce that tasted briny with just a tinge of sweetness. 

The beef and pork. Technically, it's one set of beef for myself and another set of pork for my dad. This shall enable us to share and have the best of both worlds!

Soup wise, it seemed like their basic kombu soup but honestly, I am happy to just have something hot to warm the stomach given the cold weather. I don't understand why Singaporeans love steamboat so much as our weather can be so insanely hot! Given me BBQ, over steamboat, anytime! 

My cooked ingredients; I love the freshness of the vegetables and I must tell you that the sotong ball was the best ever! Flushed with the delicious squid flavor, it even had pieces of meat and tentacles! 

A shiok meal it sure was! For a meat eater, I would have loved for more meat but what were given were sufficient to make me 70-80% full. And of course, we had to conclude it by breaking the raw egg into the flavor-infused soup! 

Ending the meal with the vanilla flavored ice cream; biscuit cone was nice but the ice cream was more icy, lacking the creaminess that would have made this meal perfect.

For my dad, a person who eats to live, this would be a nice topping on the cake. 

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Address 

No. 716, Zhongzheng Rd, 

Taoyuan District, Taoyuan City, 

Taiwan 

Map

As above.

Menu (in Chinese)

As above.

Pricing

Included within our tour package to Taiwan.

Click HERE for the Summarized Itinerary for Our 8 Days 7 Nights See Iconic Taiwan Anew Tour Package via Chan Brothers

Daifukumochis from Popup Stall by King's Handmade Treasure (大王千金) @ Taoyuan in Taiwan

Seeing that it was still early after checking in to the hotel at Taoyuan, we explored the surroundings and chanced upon this popup stall by King's Handmade Treasure (大王千金). Guess what caught my attention? It's those pictures with a cross section of a strawberry daifukumochi!

There were twelve flavors and given the late timing (shops had already started closing); many were already sold out, including their signature red bean strawberry mochi. But the lady very nice; she kindly made one, on the spot, just for me! 

Given her utmost kindness, I felt obligated to order two daifukumochis from her! It was easy to choose the first one, obviously red bean strawberry mochi. Second one was recommended; rose cheese strawberry mochi.

Red Bean Strawberry Mochi - the one in front, with a smoother skin, would be the red bean strawberry mochi. I don't know why but I have been craving for daifukumochis for the past few months. In fact, I had tried the ones from Don Don Donki twice! 

This was satisfying! Covered with a thin layer of mochi stick that doesn't stick to the teeth, I was most in loved with the juiciness from the sour-sweet strawberry that complemented the earthy sweetness from the red bean paste. This was so on point! 

Rose Cheese Strawberry Mochi - rougher looking one with a layer of cooked starch. Anticipating the burst of different unique flavors containing rose, cheese, and strawberry.

I thought the flavors were great matches; granted my taste buds can discern the cheesiness, I was more focused on having the strawberry hidden within, and even consider abandoning all non-fruit parts. 

Needless to say; I am a traditionalist. 

Red bean strawberry mochi for the win! 

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Location of Popup Store

Outside Tonlin Plaza, No. 61, 

Zhongzheng Rd, Taoyuan District, 

Taoyuan City, Taiwan 330

Pricing

Red Bean Strawberry Mochi - 58 Taiwan Dollars

Rose Cheese Strawberry Mochi - 58 Taiwan Dollars

Click HERE for the Summarized Itinerary for Our 8 Days 7 Nights See Iconic Taiwan Anew Tour Package via Chan Brothers