Located on Xinsheng South Road (新生南路) directly across the street from Da-an Forest Park (大安森林公園), Ba-hsien (八仙炭烤) sticks out among the high-rise apartment buildings on the busy street. The restaurant shares its small brick building with another eatery, but it usually has more customers on weekends, probably because it deploys a staff member to stand outside and guide passersby in.
The entrance is lined with enough fish and other seafood in Styrofoam coolers to stock a small market. Equally no-frills, Ba-hsien’s open-air second-story dining area is furnished with folding tables and tiny stools. Though the seating is somewhat uncomfortable and worn vinyl tarpaulin covers the windows during cooler weather, eating at Ba-hsien feels like having a picnic.
Unfortunately, as at a picnic, unexpected surprises sometimes happen with Ba-hsien’s menu. On a recent trip, our starter, a plate of assorted sashimi, was served near-frozen with ice crystals glittering on the surface of each of the 10 slices of raw fish (綜合生魚片, NT$250). This was unfortunate as our helpful and friendly waitress had warned us away from ordering a lobster salad (龍蝦沙拉) since the lobster available that day had been frozen, which affects the texture of the meat.
Photo: Catherine Shu, Taipei Times
When we ordered the dishes that our waitress suggested, however, we had much better luck. One of the restaurant’s signature dishes is “charcoal grilled” stinky tofu (炭烤臭豆腐, NT$150), which is actually lightly battered and fried until golden and crispy on the surface. The tofu was melt-on-the-tongue tender, with just a bit of tang, and tasted good when dipped in a sweet vinegar sauce. We also enjoyed a dish of plump stir-fried clams (炒海瓜子, NT$250), which was prepared with plenty of basil and chili. The sauce was a little salty, but that just meant the clams went even better with our Asahi Beer.
Ba-hsien’s menu also features oysters stir-fried with a variety of ingredients, but our waitress suggested grilled oysters on the half shell (烤蚵, market price), served with wasabi on the side. Each small but fat shellfish is lightly cooked so that it retains the sweet, delicate brininess of a raw oyster. While simple, the result was delicious.
Since lobster was not available, we ordered charcoal grilled giant prawns (大明蝦, market price). Served whole, each crustacean is seasoned with a mixture of spices, salt and pepper before being put on the grill. They were delectable and, along with the oysters, made up for the disappointment of our icy sashimi.
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