Taihodien Taipei is a Taiwanese hot-pot restaurant that will spice up your life like no other hot-pot restaurant. This particular location is a couple of blocks from Taipei 101, but there are multiple locations throughout Taipei.
Taipei 101 was on my itinerary for the day. In addition, Taiwanese hot-pot was one of the items I had to eat when I was in Taipei. The other was beef noodles at Lin Dong Fang. I arrived at Taihodien Taipei about 11 AM and they were just opening up for the day. The three waitresses were setting up the restaurant and barely spoke any English. However, it was good enough to get me through the meal and they have English menus.
I found a seat next to the window at Taihodien Taipei. I didn’t have breakfast so I was starving. I started to look through the menu like someone who hasn’t eaten for days; I ordered a few things off the menu and they slowly came out. As the food arrived, I started to throw each item into the hot-pot like a heathen. However, the main waitress was kind enough to come by and prepare my food. She was really sweet about it and giggled at my barbaric ways.
Now, the food. I ordered multiple veggies, noodles, and proteins to round-out the meal. The veggies were very fresh and crisp; it was a lot better than I expected. There are multiple options for your proteins.
I went with the prime beef and shrimp. The marbling on the beef was decent with a bright red color. It appeared really fresh cause old beef usually has a dirty dark red color to it. The shrimp came out in its shell and tasted really fresh. I didn’t want to burn my fingers so I decided to peel the skin then throw it into the broth.
- Light Broth – The light broth is where the veggies is supposed to be cooked. It’s a more refreshing and light flavor compared to the spicy broth. The broth didn’t go well with the proteins cause it didn’t balance out or complement the protein. It had a very simple flavor to it and woke you up like the sunrise.
- Spicy Broth – The spicy broth is where you cook your proteins. It added a fantastic taste to it. In addition, the veggies went well with it too but I have to say the light broth was better for the veggies. It had a very strong flavor to it. The spice slowly crept up on me and I had to order a few drinks to cool myself down.
The light and spicy broth
Overall, Taiwanese Hot Pot is one of the must eats in Taipei. I’m glad I chose Taihodien Taipei cause I really enjoyed the food and my dining experience. The food was great and the staff was very helpful. It’s a great stop for a meal cause a number of tourist spots around the area like Taipei 101.
Check out our other Taiwan articles here.
- Service - 8/108/10
- Presentation - 6.5/106.5/10
- Flavors - 8/108/10
- Decor - 6/106/10
- Ambiance - 6.5/106.5/10
Summary
Taihodien is a Taiwanese hot-pot restaurant that will spice up your life like no other hot-pot restaurant. Taihodien has exceptional service that comes with flavor broths. It’s a great stop for a meal cause a number of tourist spots around the area like Taipei 101.
