Resting at the busy intersection of Bade Road and Guangfu North Road in Taipei, Ja Ho recreates a traditional Taiwanese noodle shop in a setting that is artful and contemporary.
A friend and I arrive just as the store opens at 11:30am and watch a delivery guy drop off freshly-made noodles, something which is done every morning. Cold dishes — cucumber, tofu — all of which are made in-house, are displayed behind a glass counter by the checkout booth on the first floor that serves mainly office workers ordering takeout. The second floor is a brightly-lit, minimalist high-ceiling space boasting paper lamps and wooden tables and stools. A counter by the window peers out at the high-rise office buildings and motorcycles zipping by. Boards pinned to the wall spell out the ethos of Ja Ho: to evoke a sleek but cozy setting that reminds patrons of the simple joy of a home-cooked meal.
Instead of menus, Ja Ho has ordering sheets — which are completely in Chinese — similar to what you would find in any mom-and-pop shop in Taiwan. Surprisingly, Ja Ho’s prices aren’t that much higher than those of the mom-and-pop shops either, despite the ambience being tenfold more enjoyable. Say what you want about authentic Taiwanese street dining, but I am not a fan of tables crammed together, hurried eating and stores with no windows.
Photo: Dana Ter, Taipei Times
Initially, my friend and I are skeptical of the food portions. NT$50 to NT$120 for noodles in a setting this chic seemed dubious and we expected the bowls of noodles to be tiny. We were wrong. I order the “Taichi Two Sauce Noodles” (家伙太極雙醬麵) for NT$60 which consists of dry noodles mixed with a green scallion-based sauce and a mild chili sauce, both of which are made in-house. Taichi is the theory of yin and yang, or balance, and the two sauces complement each other in terms of color and taste. The green scallion-based sauce is herbal and cooling, while the chili sauce has a hint of tanginess. The noodles are also served with thinly-sliced pork which is delicate and tender and crunchy bok choy, a type of Chinese cabbage.
My friend has the “Taichi Noodles” (家伙太極麵) for NT$120 which is similar to mine but served with circular-cut pork fillet that’s normally used to cook with Japanese tonkatsu ramen. Rarely have I seen this in a dry noodle dish, but the sauces blend well with the meat, which itself is juicy but not as oily as pork belly, and very tender. My friend is a little ambitious and he also orders the NT$60 “Garlic Noodles” (家伙香蒜麵). I have a bite and the flavor is pungent without being too acrid.
We order a handful of side dishes, including refreshing slices of chilled cucumber (NT$40) and a plate of traditional Taiwanese-style braised egg, dried tofu and seaweed (NT$60). The egg is not too brown on the outside, which I prefer, or else it ends up tasting too salty.
Photo: Dana Ter, Taipei Times
The dried tofu is savory and not too dry and complements the more subdued taste of the folded seaweed. We also share a bowl of pork ball soup (NT$40) — we couldn’t get enough of Ja Ho’s pork — which is nourishing and soulful. The broth is frothy and aromatic, with drops of spring onion adding a zesty flavor, while the pork balls are light and chewy and go well with the bok choy.
Ja Ho’s cold drinks are equally refreshing. The winter melon tea (NT$20) — a popular beverage sold by street vendors — has a wonderful caramel taste that isn’t overwhelmingly sweet. The cold Jinxuan tea (NT$40) has an alluring buttery taste that is more pronounced when chilled.
By 12:30pm, the upstairs has filled up and we’re the only diners who have been there for that long, still relishing our noodles. Simply put, I’m content that I can now enjoy a hearty home-cooked Taiwanese meal in a setting that’s homely but not a cramped roadside store.
Photo: Dana Ter, Taipei Times
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