Walking by the door of Yang Lo, you immediately see dozens of wooden plates hanging together like a curtain. They are inscribed with the names of the dishes offered at the establishment. These include sauteed lamb with basil, lamb noodles, fried rice with lamb, lamb chop, lamb kebab, lamb hot pot and lamb soup. You get the message pretty quickly.
Yang Lo means the house of lamb, which explains the menu. "We wanted to create a new image for lamb in Taiwan," said chef Chang Chan-hsing (張展興), also one of four owners.
Taiwan's typical lamb cuisine is lamb hot pot, which is lamb stewed with Chinese herbs and served in dark, highly flavored broth. The atmosphere is generally more redolent of the night market than a restaurant.
Chang has worked in such places for over 10 years and now wants to do something different for lamb. In short, to provide a more comfortable dining environment and a more sophisticated menu.
To start, try the assorted cold meat dish (羊肉拼盤), which has five different preparations of lamb: sliced lamb, lamb tendon, shredded of lamb stomach, lamb in aspic and lamb heart. The dishes are all served cold and do not have the overpowering taste of mutton.
Grilled lamb ribs (烤羊肋排) is a popular dish for the main course -- these are served as cutlets and are easily dealt with using your fingers. First fried then stewed in a special sauce for five to six hours, they are grilled before serving. For lovers of grilled meat, there are two other fine options: lamb chops and lamb kebab.
As tomatoes have taken off as a new health food, Yang Lo has also devised a dish to meet this demand: tomatoes and lamb pot (蕃茄羊肉鍋), which contains five big tomatoes, thin slices of lamb (selected from 6-month old lambs), tofu and vegetables. The lightness of this dish is proof that lamb cuisine need not be fattening and unhealthy.
Surprisingly, all the dishes here are inexpensive. For lunch, ordering a plate of lamb fried rice or lamb fried noodle, plus a bowl of lamb soup fills you up for just NT$180. A dinner for four including a hot pot and a selection of fried and grilled dishes can be had for as little as NT$300 a person. The price explains the popularity of Yang Lo which has only been open for five months.
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