Erh Liang Barbecue (貳兩炭火燒肉), which has been in business for a decade, is a prototype of sorts for the multitude of all-you-can eat bargain-priced barbecue restaurants that are now ubiquitous in Taipei.
Its popularity has nothing to do with the atmosphere. Staff do not wear fancy uniforms, and there is no ambient lighting or decoration of any kind. On weekends, the restaurant is frequently crowded and customers are likely to be seated near families with loud children. The tables, after years of constant grilling, are rather greasy. And the smell of barbecue will linger on your clothes and in hair for hours after a visit.
Clients, however, don’t seem to mind. The cramped dining space and somewhat questionable hygiene are more than trumped by generous portions of meat, vegetables, meat, and more meat, all of which go nicely with bottles of ice-cold Taiwan beer (NT$90).
Erh Liang is infamous for offering its patrons more food than they can consume. On a recent visit, staff recommended that my dining partners and I sample every meat choice on the menu for our first order. (More expensive items such as cow’s tongues can only be ordered once.) Our table was soon covered with platters of beef, chicken, pork and intestines, each of which was large enough to be shared by at least four people.
All the meat and seafood items were reasonably fresh. The beef and pork were both well marbled with fat, which in addition to tempting our taste buds also helped fuel the charcoal fire. The cuts of meat are marinated with Erh Liang’s special soybean and miso sauces before being served, making them savory without the need for additional seasoning. A light dusting of salt and pepper should suffice for those who prefer a richer flavor.
Address: 324, Jianguo S Rd Sec 1, Taipei City
(台北市建國南路一段324號)
Telephone: (02) 2709-5261
Open: Mondays through Fridays from 5pm to midnight; Saturdays and Sundays from midnight to 3pm
Average meal: NT$399 plus 10 percent service charge
Details: Chinese menu; credit cards not accepted
Half an hour after our feast had begun, I had already consumed my average weekly intake of meat. Half an hour after that, even my most carnivorous friend was turning to the plate of lettuce (which can be used to make wraps out of the meat) to add some balance to his meal. We finished our meal with sticky rice cakes, one of Erh Liang’s specialties, which are grilled until they puff up and can then be dipped in honey.
We visited Erh Liang on a busy weekend evening (when customers must complete their meals in two hours), so the service was forgivably careless. During peak hours, patrons may need to ask two or three times for their orders. Service is reportedly better when there are fewer customers, and servers have been known to help diners grill dishes like shrimp and fish that require advanced barbecuing skills.
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