Saturday, April 18, 2009

Tripod King Hot Pot, Taipei

Ma La Guo

This place's name might sound a bit weird, but it was literally translated from its Chinese name, Ding Wang, and was in reference to the three legs that these pots stood on. Originally from Taichung, these guys recently set up shop in Taipei (89 Guangfu N Rd, 2742-2116). It has been so popular that reservations have been pretty hard to get...unless you are willing to go for a late slot like 10 or 11 PM.

Yep - they are open until the wee hours of the morning, but it's not like many of those other late night dives. Not only is the ambience upscale, but more importantly, the ingredients are of high quality. The moderately spicy version of the red broth was so well-balanced that I didn't even need any dipping sauce. The moderately sour version of pickled cabbage and pork broth on the other side of the pot also hit the spot, cutting through all of the grease and making all of the dumplings, meatballs, and sliced meat a pleasure to eat.

The Tripod KingWhenever I asked locals about the best hot pot in Taipei, they would usually mention either this place or Tai He Dian. I prefer this place though, mainly because of the broth. And no, they didn't offer any Taiwanese sa cha sauce here - just a vinegar-based sauce and a salty tofu thing instead. But again, I didn't really need any of it given the quality of the broth.

1 comment:

miho said...

Yes...Ding Wang is the place to be if you want to have Ma La Steamboat.

I always get my friend to make a reservation for me whenever I go Taiwan.

The duck blood(Ya Xue) that comes with the spicy-based soup is very jelly-like and fragrant and its re-fillable.

The waitresses are also very pretty and they bow 90-degrees each time they serve you.

Next time you can try Yuan Shao(原燒) if you like bbq meat.