Kinyo Red Kitchen in Taipei, Taiwan

I normally would've walked past this stall in the basement of Breeze Nanshan, especially with its cafeteria counter-like setup. But one thing caught my eye: "White Mapo Tofu With Lemon." What?? Yes, white mapo tofu. They had a red version too, but I'd never heard of a white one. And with lemon?? This one I had to try.

Interestingly, when you order it, they warn you that it's spicy, despite how it looks. And yes, it was a little spicy, seemingly more from peppercorns than from chili peppers. It wasn't anything that blew me away, but it was interesting to try, especially with those side dishes and bottle of tea that I ordered.

Another interesting twist is that shop is run by four Japanese chefs; I kinda suspected that might be the case when I tasted the soup, which was based on a katsuobushi blend or something. It's interesting either way to find another case of Sichuan food prepared by Japanese chefs.