Have you ever had enough of steamed soup dumplings? Surely not!
Previously I have written a comprehensive article outlining 15 of the best Xiao Long Bao restaurants in Taipei, and right here is another great steamed soup dumpling spot that is vying for a place on that list. But, does it stack up?
The Ultimate Guide to 15 Amazing Xiao Long Bao Restaurants in Taipei
Bei Da Hang do a variety of your commonplace steamed dumplings, but what you should be coming here for is their rough and ready steamed soup dumplings. Din Tai Fung has it locked down on the steamed soup dumpling Xiao long bao perfect pleat, as far as I am concerned. It's going to take many Xiao long bao to change my mind (I am a willing party, of course), but Bei Da Hang has a different approach.
Table of Contents
Bei Da Hang often gets quite busy, with many people flocking here for their delicious steamed soup dumplings and other steamed dumplings. Expect to wait here for around 10-20 minutes. It's highly unlikely that you will have to wait as long as an establishment such as Din Tai Fung, but also not impossible.
Bei Da Hang's Menu
The menu is split into a few sections, namely:
- 麵類 Miàn lèi
- Noodles
- 飯類 fàn lèi
- Rice dishes
- 湯類 tāng lèi
- Soups
- 點心類 diǎn xīn lèi
- Dim Sum
- 小點 xiǎo diǎn
- Small dishes
- 青菜類 qīng cài lèi
- Veg
- 其他 qí tā
- Drinks and sides
小籠包 Soup Dumplings
Xiǎo lóng bāo
Look at those fat boy xiao long bao steamed soup dumplings though. How good are they looking? So these ones right here aren't going to win many awards for prettiness. They look very rough and ready. The skin looks thick, and overall they just don't look quite as refined as the classic offerings from precision XLB establishments such as Din Tai Fung.
However, don't let that rough readiness put you off. You're highly unlikely to wait here as long as you would wait at Din Tai Fung, and they're also really quite reasonably priced. They've got a lot going for them, these steamed soup dumplings, especially when you open up that skin and check out that juicy deliciousness on the inside.
The soup on the inside is really well seasoned, allowing the fresh flavours to come bursting out, but not to be overwhelmed with a deeply rich and salty broth. Everything about this is delicious, and I implore you to give this space a chance.
無骨醉鷄腿 Boneless Drunken Chicken
Wú gǔ zuì jī tuǐ
What made me wince a little when I first arrived in Taiwan, was the storage and preparation of meat dishes such as this. The fact that this kind of chicken can look a little pink and is also served cold would have initially worried me.
However, if you can look past that, then flavours are awaiting you on the other side. Chilled chicken has been steeped in rice wine and Shaoxing wine, then cut up and transferred to your table. What you'll be faced with is a delightfully chewy skin that gives way to a juicy meat underneath that is packed full of fresh and subtle flavours of alcohol. The juicy element to this chicken is what makes it so special.
菜肉蒸餃 Meat and Veg steamed dumplings
Cài ròu zhēng jiǎo
The rough and ready appearance continues with these dumplings. They might not be the pristine dumpling that you may expect from a high class establishment, but don't let that put you off - they are ready to be eaten right there and then, with some delicious flavours inside.
Inside these steamed dumplings, expect to find a generous mix of veg with pork mince inside that pops with flavour and freshness.
肉絲蛋炒飯 Pork & egg fried rice
Ròu sī dàn chǎo fàn
I'll be honest, expectations weren't particularly high with this rice. But, it absolutely knocked it out of the park. Some of my favourite fried rice across the city is from Ah Ren and CiZheng Temple, so I feel that my standard for a good fried rice is pretty high. This one right here offered up fragrance flavour in both the tender pork and egg flecked throughout.
蝦仁燒賣 Shrimp ShaoMai
Xiā rén shāo mai
A fairly similar skin to the steamed soup dumplings, these shrimp shaomai offer good value with great flavours, but they just lack the finesse and delicateness. The shrimp tastes nice and fresh, and the pork on the inside of these shaomai is good, too. If something with shrimp is what you're looking for, then it's fine. But I wouldn't go out of my way to come here especially for these.
豆沙小包 Red bean steamed dumplings
Dòu shā xiǎo bāo
You can tell by the translucency of the skin here that the skin on these is quite a big thinner than the other offerings previously mentioned. Smaller in size, but packed with a sweetened red bean paste, these steamed desserts are definitely more on the sweet side. It's a good job that the barley tea is free flowing here, as without it I don't think I could have more than 2 of these...
The bottom line
Is it worth it? If you're looking to wow your loved one(s) or friend(s) with a restaurant, then I would say that this isn't quite the place to do that. However, if you want some honest, tasty steamed dumplings and good fried rice, then this could be the place for you.
What is the stand-out dish? The steamed soup dumpling xiao long bao here is the best dish. They're not as delicate as from some other places, but that doesn't really matter to me when they're so tasty.