Established in the northern port city of Keelung 21 years ago, Happy Family Seafood Restaurant is famous for its fresh seafood cuisine. The restaurant chain now has nine branches in northern Taiwan. On a recent weekend, my family visited the Xindian branch (新店店), which is a 5-minute walk from Dapinglin MRT Station (大坪林站).
Arriving at noon, the restaurant was over three-quarters full, yet we were quickly seated at a large round table that was big enough for 10 guests, although there were only six of us. It then became apparent that there are no small tables, so plan to go with a large dining party.
On weekends, the restaurant offers a "combination menu" (合菜, NT$1,200 to NT$10,500), of which there are 10 combinations to choose from. Each includes six to 11 dishes, soup or congee and fruit. The more expensive combinations include high-end items such as sea cucumber and king crab. We went with the NT$3,000 meal, ideal for a party of five to seven.
Photo: Eddy Chang, Taipei Times
The appetizers included oil-braised bamboo shoots and stir-fried freshwater clams. The clams were cooked with large slices of ginger and were particularly flavorsome. For the slightly boiled chicken, the chicken chunks were not too dry thanks to the oily- and firmly-textured skin. For the starter, we chose one dish from three options: lobster salad, steamed lobster or fish medley. We chose the salad, the succulent lobster nesting on a bed of alfalfa and accompanied with a mayonnaise that was a little too sweet.
The “three-style cold dish” (三色拼盤) — abalone, octopus and braised beef — came luxuriously served on a model boat garnished with parsley, cucumber slices and alfalfa sprouts. The abalone and octopus were slightly boiled, so I could still taste the sweetness.
The minced shrimp in lettuce came next. The famous dish was originally developed by 95-year-old master chef Peng Chang-gui (彭長貴). For this dish, you wrap minced shrimp cooked with crushed “deep-fried twisted dough sticks” in large slices of lettuce. Surprisingly, the chef used deep-fried minced shrimp rather than the more commonly used stir-fried minced shrimp, resulting in a dish that was over-cooked.
Photo: Eddy Chang, Taipei Times
The meal ended with glutinous rice with shrimp, squid and steamed fish. The rice was cooked with pork cubes, chopped mushrooms and fried shallots, lending it a complex and savory flavor. The squid, fast-fried with oil, was a little too oily and chewy, but the “shrimp crackers” (蝦餅) that came with them were a nice colorful and crunchy addition. For the fish dish, we had steamed yellow croaker. The restaurant’s soup of the day was a broth fill with generous chunks of tuna.
The bill came to NT$3,608 for a big lunch for six adults, including a 10-percent service charge of NT$300 and NT$308 for the appetizers and drinks. Overall, Happy Family was a happy dining experience. Although seafood foodies may think it could be a little more refined, the restaurant is certainly an adequate choice if you like fresh seafood in large portions.
Photo: Eddy Chang, Taipei Times
Photo: Eddy Chang, Taipei
Photo: Eddy Chang, Taipei
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