A dish translated as "fried fish with three good tastes" is a showcase of the restaurant's outstanding presentation. Silken flesh encased in a crispy skin, the whole smothered in red curry and coconut milk is a combination of colors, textures and tastes which is irresistible. To cater to a mixed clientele, Mei-kung also offers a variety of Chaozhou dishes, representing one of Thailand's major ethnic groups. Attentive service and a nice, if small, selection of French and Californian wines all add to the ambiance.
Chen-Chi Vietnamese Restaurant
Home Store: 1, Lane 6, Yungkang St., Taipei (北市永康街6巷1號), tel: (02) 2321-1579 Yungkang Branch: 6, Lane 6, Yungkang St., Taipei (北市永康街6巷6號), tel: (02) 2322-2767 Tinghao Branch: 23, Lane 52, Ta-an Rd., Sec. 1, Taipei (北市大安路一段52巷23號), tel: (02) 2771-5439
Open: Home: 11am to 11:30pm; Yungkang Branch: Lunch from noon to 2pm (3pm on holidays), dinner from 6pm to 11:30pm; Tinghao Branch from noon to 11pm Average meal: NT$200. English menu available. Credit cards not accepted.
In business for 20 years, Chen-Chi's home store is a landmark on the restaurant-crowded Yungkang Street with a range of simple dishes that appeals to locals looking for something lighter than Taiwanese and Thai cuisine. "It's very tasty, and it is not as oily or spicy," said Wu Chia-hui (
"We have made some alterations to the dishes to suit the Taiwan environment and local tastes," Wu said. Fresh local ingredients are used, and some substitutions for difficult-to-obtain products have been made, but "fundamentally, the tastes are authentic."
Simple and common dishes such as spring rolls take on a new dimension at Chen-Chi. The deep-fried skin is light and crisp, the filling a mixture of minced meat, vegetables and vermicelli -- subtle tastes set off by the sour dip. Steamed rice rolls are another simple dish that Chen-Chi's careful preparation takes to a higher level of enjoyment. Again, the thin rice-flour skins are the main attraction, garnished with bean sprouts, minced meat and peanuts.
For those looking for something more exotic, Chen-Chi offers a variety of hot pots, the most distinctive being its sour hot pot flavored with tamarind, tomato, pineapple, lemon and fish sauce. A flourish is added to the sha-cha (barbecue sauce) hot pot with the addition of coconut.
For a light refreshing soup, try the offal soup, which contains a variety of cow insides, served in Chen-Chi's special stock. Naturally, the spices are a closely guarded secret. So that Taiwan's increasingly mobile population can enjoy this special taste on the move, Chen-Chi also sells pre-mixed spice packages and sauces.
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