December 19, 2008
山東餃子館
The unassuming, generically named restaurant is tucked away within an Sindian alleyway. But the place is always packed with patrons here for the big platefuls of dumplings and steaming cauldrons of sour cabbage pork hot-pot, both northern China specialties brought to Taiwan by KMT's veterans. The 獅子頭 lion's head meatballs is the wife's favorite. Big pork meatballs the size of a fist slow-roasted in a clay pot with broth to infuse flavors and tenderize with napa cabbage. The hot-pot is stuffed with plenty of the sour cabbage and fatty pork to build the soup base, then filled to the brim with meatballs, etc. The prawns and clams also add flavor to the soup, but the strong flavor of the soup base and the long boiling time aren't suited to seafood, I think. It would've been nice if they offered more meats which we could cook in the hot-pot shabu-shabu-style. They were generous with the pork, but with my cholesterol count I really shouldn't be eating so much pork fat. Perfect for a wintry evening, though.
山東餃子館
台北縣新店市中央路133巷19號
(Near MRT Xiaobitan Station)
02-22193541