Who on earth would want to eat a stinky tofu burger? Quite a few souls, apparently. Otherwise, it probably wouldn’t remain on the menu at Aniki Burger, a lively establishment that looks Taiwanese but serves an all-American menu.
Well, almost all-American.
Aniki, which means big brother in Japanese, is notable for its innovative fusion fare. For example, the restaurant boasts three types of hybrid burgers — enough, perhaps, to make novelty-seeking urbanites squeal with joy.
Photo: Ho Yi, Taipei Times
During my visit on a recent Sunday evening, the restaurant was packed with a predominantly younger crowd. A Google search reveals that it is also popular with food bloggers and reporters.
From the outside, the small storefront looks nothing like your usual burger joint, instead resembling an izakaya (Japanese tapas bar). A couple of red lanterns hang over the entrance, with the Chinese characters for hamburger (漢堡) written on one of them. Inside, the slightly cluttered space is adorned with Taiwanese knickknacks and memorabilia. Some of the tables are made out of retro Plinko games that customers can actually play — a fun way to stay occupied while waiting for your meal.
Aniki’s menu is quite extensive. The burger section alone contains a plethora of fish and chicken sandwiches such as the tartar sauce fish burger (酥脆塔塔魚排漢堡, NT$240),Thai sweet-and-spicy chicken burger (泰式酸辣雞腿漢堡, NT$260) and Indian curry chicken burger (印度咖哩雞腿漢堡, NT$250).
Photo: Ho Yi, Taipei Times
My dining partner couldn’t wait to bury his face into Aniki’s signature peanut butter burger (香濃花生醬牛肉漢堡, NT$250). It came on a toasted bun with a thin layer of rich peanut butter that nicely complemented the tender patties. Though decent, it wasn’t particularly impressive.
The fried beef burger (爆漿酥炸牛肉漢堡, NT$280) is another popular choice. It is said to literally explode with juiciness in your mouth.
For novelty’s sake, I ordered the fried tofu burger (酥炸豆腐堡, NT$240) from the Taiwanese-American fusion section of the menu. It consisted of fried tofu and Taiwanese pickled cabbage stacked on a bun. Those who cringe at the smell of stinky-tofu vendors at night markets can rest assured that the tofu is not stinky at all. The downside is that the homemade sauce makes the bun undesirably pulpy.
Photo: Ho Yi, Taipei Times
If I ever visit the restaurant again, I have my eye on another Taiwanese-style burger that consists of pineapple, prawns and mayo (鳳梨蝦球堡, NT$250). However, I have my doubts about the boiled pork with garlic sauce burger (蒜泥白肉堡, NT$250) — the name alone is enough to dampen my appetite.
Patrons not in the mood for burgers can choose from a wide variety of sandwiches, risotto and pasta as well as brunch items, including several variations of Eggs Benedict and omelets. These entrees cost between NT$230 and NT$290.
Aniki also offers a solid range of appetizers, including fried calamari (NT$180), fried mushrooms (NT$180), onion rings (NT$130) and Mexican-style French fries with cheese (NT$150). The Aniki wings (阿尼基香辣雞翅, NT$180) I tried were slathered with sweet-and-spicy sauce, making the wings moist and my fingers sticky.
Photo: Ho Yi, Taipei Times
For the night crowd, Aniki carries Taiwan Beer, Heineken, Corona and Stella Artois (NT$100 to NT$120). Those with a sweet tooth can dive into an ocean of milk shakes (NT$120 to NT$150) and ice cream (NT$80 to NT$100).
Aniki Burger has another location at 13, Daren 2nd St, Taoyuan City (桃園市大仁二街13號). Tel: (03) 436-2223.
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