Having quickly established a reputation for cheap and tasty sandwiches, Biff’s Pitas has raised things up a notch, moving a few blocks up to a more spacious storefront in an alley off Shida Road. The casual street vendor atmosphere is still there but it’s a little cleaner and comfier, and new menu additions offer more choices for healthy, satisfying grub.
The menu still revolves around chicken sandwiches, sauteed on a teppanyaki-style grill with your choice of special sauce: Masala or Thai curry, Xinjiang cumin, Thai tom yum (hot and sour sauce), Mexican jalapeno, and Yunnan fermented tofu (similar to blue cheese in flavor and consistency).
Prices have gone up but remain at a reasonable NT$65 per sandwich (NT$120 for two). Submarine buns are available at the same price as a more filling alternative to pita bread.
New additions include two “Tex-Mex” burritos, the Mexican cheese (NT$89) and salsa and lemon (NT$79), which has marinated chicken, refried beans, sour cream, tomato, lettuce, onion, cilantro, jalapenos, and shredded cheese, was good but fell short of authentic. In my burrito, the jalapenos overpowered everything. I barely noticed the presence of refried beans and sour cream. But you can ask for extras or less of any ingredients, and the tortilla wraps appear to be made by the Florida Bakery, the only game in town for pre-made tortillas.
For beverages, Biff’s shares a space with tea vendor PT (印度拉茶), whose Malaysian-style pulled milk tea (印度拉茶) hits the spot on a hot day. PT’s offerings include Okinawan-style (沖繩拉茶) pulled milk tea with black sugar and Hong Kong-style (鴛鴦奶茶) coffee mixed with milk tea. All teas come in a plastic bag with a straw sticking out the top (also Malaysian-style) and run NT$35 per bag or NT$30 each when you buy a sandwich.
Biff’s new place keeps the Shida night market vibe as diners still sit outdoors. One improvement over the old place is a large awning, which keeps things cool and dry. There’s also more room to sit. The shop would consider moving again if a better location pops up, says the proprietor, who goes by the name Biff Cappuccino. For the time being, Biff’s modest move upwards should keep regulars happy, and its unique menu offerings remain good value, especially in comparison to chain shops like Subway. If I had one request, it would be more non-meat options.
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