170. Taiwan Day 5: Headed to Chou's for Noodles and Small Plates / 到周記切仔麵吃米粉湯和小吃 (Taipei: Da An District / 台北市: 大安區)

After a night of much eating and drinking, I continued the next day with more of the same.  Grace's dad took us out to some of his favorite spots around Taipei, and we started off at Chou's Noodles (周記切仔麵), an unassuming local hole-in-the-wall that serves up delicately prepared small plates and comforting noodle soups.

The first dish absolutely blew my mind.  We ordered an absolutely crisp and tender pork chop (排骨酥 / Mandarin: paí gǔ su), sliced up into strips and doused with garlic chili sauce and served with tangy pickles.  The crust on the exterior of the chop was crunchier than any fried chicken batter I've ever had.  Absolute yum.

The chilled, marinated cucumbers (涼拌黃瓜 / Mandarin: liáng bàn huáng gua) were spot on as well.  Blended with raw garlic, peppercorns, and red chili, the sweet and sour pickles snapped with every bite.  By the way, it was blistering hot outside... I'm talking 90 degrees with near 90 percent humidity.  These cool cucumbers were a good choice.

Mr. Liou suggested that we order the rice noodle soup (米粉湯 / Taiwanese: bi hun thng, Mandarin: mí fěn tang) to go with our small plates.  It's a simple bowl of rice noodles and savory broth topped with crunchy green Chinese celery and lots of ground white pepper for some heat.  The smooth texture of the noodles were a perfect background for all of our other crispy and crunchy small bites.

One of the dishes I really enjoyed was the filleted grilled milkfish (煎虱目魚 / Mandarin: jian shi mù yú), particularly because of the crispy skin and the slightly burned edges.  The best part of the filet, though, was the fatty area in the center where the main bone would have been.  A squeeze of lime with a sprinkle of salt and pepper make a bite of the fish and its fat comprehensively mouthwatering.

Other than the cucumbers, the freshly cut chilled bamboo shoots (竹筍 / Mandarin: zhú sǔn) can also help cool off from the hot summer heat.  The white vegetable against the white plate with a side of white sauce is not much to look at, but this is an item that always surprises first time eaters.  The almost effervescent sweetness lingers after the first taste, and each bite thereafter could convince you that this is the reason we should protect Mother Nature.  It's that good.

Although I was getting filled up with the array of dishes that Mr. Liou ordered, it was only a small taste of what was to come for the rest of the day.  Until our next stop, let's all get S.O.F.A.T.

Chou's Noodles (周記切仔麵)
台北市大安區復興南路一段267號
No. 267, Fuxing South Rd., Sec. 1, Da An District, Taipei City

ML - 20130704

Post 15.1: Did We Really Eat Diaphragm? (Bay Area: Milpitas)

I ate diaphragm.  Or at least that's what the menu read.

While in the Bay Area for a quick 20 hours, Vickee took me around her hood for a quick bite at Milpitas Square before my return flight to LA.  Of all the different Asian restaurants in Milpitas Square, we stopped at Taiwan Noodle House (台灣排骨大王), a small mom and pop shop that serves Taiwanese snacks and a variety of Taiwanese-style noodles.  Of course, the literal translation of the restaurant's name from Han characters means Taiwan Pork Chop King... but hopefully the off-translation just meant that the food was authentic.

And authentic it was.  The menu listed 'diaphragm' as a specialty! Can you get any more authentic than that? Since it was so different from anything on the menu (trust me, everything else on the menu is pretty standard), I had to try it.  Plus, when I had asked the owner what she recommended, the she immediately responded, "Would you like to try diaphragm?"

Silently, Vickee shot me the are-you-serious-you're-gonna-order-diaphragm-I-hope-it's-not-really-diaphragm look. 

Me: "Yes, please."

So adding onto our soup noodles with deep-fried pork chops, we ordered a diabolical diaphragm as an appetizer.  How did it taste?

The first reaction was that it was firm yet tender.  A bit elastic and springy.  If protein could be al dente, this would be it.  Taiwanese traditionally describe this firm yet tender, elastic and springy texture as 'Q,' a term that can be used for anything from noodles to meatballs to... well, diaphragm.

My second reaction was that it didn't taste, smell, or look like anything out of the ordinary.  No strong flavors? No strange after taste? Hrmmm... so I began to wonder what exactly this diaphragm was.  We asked the boss, and she explained that diaphragm (豬肝蓮) actually refers to the meat surrounding the liver of the pig.  Is it really diaphragm? No, although had it been, Andrew Zimmerman would have been quite proud.

My third reaction was that it was really good.  Dipped in the traditional Taiwanese garlic soy sauce paste and garnished with fresh cilantro and sliced ginger, the flash-boiled meat that circumscribed the pork liver made for a really enjoyable appetizer.

Would I ever eat it again? You betcha.  (Sarah Palin-esque?)

The bowl of noodles that arrived soon after was not bad at all.  Although there was a viscous layer of oil across the top of the noodles, the blanched baby bok choy helped provide a healthier balance.

I was really delighted to see a few goji berries sprinkled into the soup.  Not only do that further the health benefit ever-so-slightly, it really broke up the monotony of the yellows and greens in the bowl.  (While often used to slow-cook light soup or broth in Asia, the health benefits of goji berries have recently picked up in America.  You can now find them in the aisles in supermarkets such as Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and Henry's.)

I added a few shakes of the white pepper to give the soup a slight kick, but I had realized why the soup was a bit bland when the fried pork chop arrived.

This protein-packed plate was to be added to the noodles and soup.  Hidden from view is the hard-boiled egg that has later been braised in a soy sauce concoction of sorts.  Also to be added to the bowl of simple soup was the deep-fried tofu triangle, which had also been braised in the same soy sauce concoction as the egg.

The pickled cucumber and the chopped, pickled mustard greens are served alongside to help break the savory flavors and to cleanse the palate from the oils of the deep-fried pork chop and oily soup.

Not bad.  Not bad at all.  It definitely hit the spot quickly, but as Vickee mentioned, "it's not like we can't make this at home."  True, the noodles did resemble the instant dry noodles that can be purchased at an Asian supermarket.  (Funny how 99 Ranch is only 3 doors down...)  But I wasn't disappointed at all.

So I tried 'diaphragm' for the first time, and I ate a pork chop the size of my face with a bowl of noodles the size of my torso.  Not bad for less than 20 hours in the Bay Area.  Until next time, let's all get S.O.F.A.T.

Notes:
'Diaphragm' is traditionally served in Taiwanese hole-in-the-wall deli shops called 黑白切 (Taiwanese: ouh beh tzeh, Mandarin: hei bai qie).  Look for a forthcoming post for this style of Taiwanese food.

ML 20100403/20100315