So we all love BBQ food, right? I mean, slap some Korean belly pork on the bars and watch it sizzle. Or, if you are in the mood for some Japanese Wagyu, then here are some places that can provide you with some solid options. But, sometimes you don’t want to fork out big bucks for a meal. Maybe you’re looking for some relaxed BBQ food that gets the job done for a fraction the cost of other joints. JiaoTangFeng has you covered.
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So this particular branch of Jiaotang BBQ Skewers is in Yonghe, but they have branches all over the city, see the map below for more details on where your closest one is.
As this is in my neighbourhood, I dropped by after I had noticed it on a previous trip to eat some remarkably good, cheap steak, just a couple of doors down. I noticed the bright neon lights, and looked in the window at this wild spread of ridiculously stacked skewers. I couldn’t resist.
Stacks on stacks on stacks of BBQ Skewers adorn the immediate entrance of the restaurant, with a wide variety of vegetable skewers, meat skewers, tofu skewers, and a whole host of everything in-between. But, where the hell do you even start?
In all honesty, the easiest way I think to go about it, is by picking up whatever you can recognize, and just strapping in for the ride. But, if that’s not your style, then see below for the menu.
The Menu
The great thing about this menu, is that there is English right there at the side of each section. But, for more help on how to order, and perhaps what is seen on menus throughout the city, check out my other post about how to order in Taipei Restaurants like a pro.
Or, if traditional skewer-like things aren’t for you, then some seafood might be exactly what you’re in the mood for. However, I don’t feel like the menu really needs to be explained, as it’s pretty obvious based on the pictures. But, if I were to order from this menu, then I would be going for a couple of those oysters, a couple of the cooked scallops (北海道大干貝) – because you know I love those scallops – and maybe a cheeky squid just for good measure, too. I mean, seafood around Taiwan is so damned good, how can you not order it when you see it on the menu?
What We Ordered
Starting from right to left:
- 豆皮 $29
- dòu pí – Deep-fried tofu skin
- Crunchy was about all that this was, really. Sometimes, tofu has very little actual discernable flavour, and this was one of those times. That’s not to say it was bad in any way, but more that the flavour was taken on by the salty sweet sauce that this restaurant brushes on to the skewers as they cook.
- dòu pí – Deep-fried tofu skin
- 甜不辣 $25
- tián bù là – Fish cakes
- Chewy, fishy, and right on the money. I’d order these again for sure.
- tián bù là – Fish cakes
- 脆皮肥腸 $39
- cuì pí féi cháng – Crunchy intestines
- So intestines are my jam. I will go out of my way to get some good fatty intestines, and I would most certainly order these again. Crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside, with plenty of flavour – right on the money.
- cuì pí féi cháng – Crunchy intestines
- 鷄皮 $30
- jī pí – Chicken skin
- It’s not often that I would order chicken skin, but this was just one of those times. It was crunchy, greasy, and overall pretty tasty.
- jī pí – Chicken skin
- 鷄胗 $25
- jī zhēn – Chicken gizzards
- Not my favourite, and I wouldn’t order it again. It was chewy and crunchy at the same time, which wasn’t what I was looking for.
- jī zhēn – Chicken gizzards
- 豬血糕 $25
- zhū xiě gāo – Pig blood cake
- As revolting as this sounds, it’s really pretty good. It’s crunchy on the outside, and nicely chewy on the inside. There’s not a vast amount of flavour, but it’s overall solid.
- zhū xiě gāo – Pig blood cake
- 葱肉捲 $35
- cōng ròu juǎn – Pork wrapped green onions.
- Green onions are really popular in Taiwan, especially in dishes such as beef pancake roll and Peking duck pancakes. Right here, they were wrapped in a thin piece of pork and BBQ’d on the grill. But, as the pork ended up being quite dry, the green onions remained juicy and sweet. Next time I would probably get this if the pork were replaced with tofu skin, or maybe even chicken skin…
- cōng ròu juǎn – Pork wrapped green onions.
The Bottom Line
Is it worth it? Yes, without a doubt. At between $20-$40 for a delicious piece of BBQ skewer goodness, it is most certainly worth it.
Would I go again? Easily, yes.
What was the stand-out order? I’d say the crispy large intestines were the stand-out order of the day. Juicy, crispy, and an overall winner.