The recent uproar over Taiwan’s relaxed regulations on US beef imports inspired an increased interest in meat from locally raised cattle. Niu Gonggong (牛公公), which happened to open just as the controversy was brewing two months ago, specializes in the latter. But even for diners who thought the kerfuffle surrounding the safety of US beef was a load of tripe, Niu Gonggong is a good pick for a quick bowl of noodles or rice-topped tender slices of homegrown meat.
All the beef served in the restaurant on the corner of Jinshan South (金山南) and Xinyi (信義) roads comes from steers raised on pastures in Liuying (柳營鄉), a village in Tainan County. Without explicitly referencing the recent changes in legislation, Niu Gonggong’s modest but clean and carefully decorated storefront is plastered with posters from industry groups extolling the virtues of Taiwan-raised beef. Benefits are supposed to include better texture and taste and no risk of mad cow disease (a focal point of arguments against beef imports from the US).
One of the restaurant’s signature dishes is the Taiwan caiyou beef rice (台灣財有牛肉飯, NT$130). The two main ingredients are accompanied by an ample serving of pickled vegetables sauteed in butter, crunchy bok choy, half a tea egg and a few stewed vegetables (including single slices of carrot and daikon root), added to give texture as well as color to the dish. The beef was tender and well marbled and the texture of the rice, which soaked up all the different flavors, was just right. The caiyou beef rice is served with a bowl of clear broth, just in case you want to mix it with the rice. The dish is also available as a bowl of noodles.
On a separate visit, we ordered gonggong yushan qibao rice (公公御膳七寶飯, NT$130), topped with vegetables, a very lightly cooked, nearly raw egg, chopped green onions, pickled vegetables, thin slices of marinated beef and pieces of small intestines, stomach lining, tripe and four other organ meats (or the “seven treasures” of the dish’s name). The combination of different textures was pleasing, but the flavor of each individual ingredient was lost in the melee. I was left looking in envy at my dining companion’s bowl of dongfang bubai beef noodles (東方不敗牛肉麵, NT$150). Along with the slices of tender meat I enjoyed with my bowl of Taiwan caiyou rice, it featured plenty of crunchy bok choy and tender carrot. My companion thought the soup was a bit bland, however, and added some vinegar and hot sauce to spice it up.
As a side dish, we ordered a small luwei pingpan (滷味拼盤), or a mixed dish of marinated beef and organ meats served with a side of dipping sauce. The dish certainly needed the dipping sauce and the slender portion was not worth the NT$100 it cost.
Niu Gonggong is neighbors with Dongmen Market (東門市場), a popular destination for cooks filled with seafood, live poultry and vegetables. The restaurant takes advantage of its location by selling different cuts of beef at the store’s front. Prices are reasonable; for example, sirloin steaks range from about NT$110 to NT$150 per 100g.
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