So Xiao Luo Bo have 3 branches in Taipei and 1 in Yonghe. I visited the Yonghe one, and I will definitely be going back! If you want spicy food, then this is the place for you.
It has this weirdly classy exterior with light coloured wood contrasting against the black walls, with that dark green sign and the inset gold lettering. At first glance, you would be forgiven for thinking that it is a tea shop. But, no, Xiao Luo Bo is oh so much more than a tea shop!
Inside you’ll find a strange mix of things such as black ceilings, exposed tiles and brick work on the walls, a gramophone kicking around somewhere, and a mix of purposely mismatched table and chair combinations.
The Menu (with updated price)
The menu is quite complex, and the ordering system adds another layer on top. I will break some of this down in the menu pic below. But one thing that comes up again and again is 螺螄粉 Luo Si Fen, which is explained in full detail here. If there’s anything to really take away from the menu, though, it is that you will probably get something spicy from Xiao Luo Bo.
If you’re struggling to read the menu, then check out one of my other posts where I go through some common menu items for you.
How to order
English menu here
Let’s break down Xiao Luo Bo’s menu for all of you out there:
- 螺螄粉 luó shī fěn
- A noodle very similar to glass/rice noodles. Originating from China, it’s a kind of noodle that sucks up all the flavours from the broth.
- 聚寶盆 jù bǎo pén – 油雞 yóu jī，脆脆皮 cuì cuì pí，肥腸 féi cháng
- The name of this dish is ‘Treasure bowl’, and has – Oil chicken, crunchy tofu skin, and pork intestines.
- 番茄酸湯肥牛粉 fān qié suān tāng féi niú fěn
- This is a sour tomato soup with fatty beef.
- 麻辣 má là
- You may have seen this all over Taiwan. It’s the ubiquitous meaning for mouth numbing spices.
- 季節限定螺螄粉 jì jié xiàn dìng luó shī fěn
- This section of the menu focuses on specific seasonal dishes containing Luo Si Fen.
- 牛肚 niú dù
- Beef stomach
Customization
So when filling out the menu at Xiao Luo Bo, you choose the dish you want, and then you customize your order for your taste in the section entitled 個人調味選擇:
- 酸度 suān dù
- Level of sourness
- 辣度 là dù
- Level of spice
- 蔥花 cōng huā
- Spring onions
- 香菜 xiāng cài
- Coriander
聚寶盆螺螄粉 – Spicy Treasure Bowl with Luo Si Fen
So I had to go for something named Treasure Bowl. I mean, how good is that? Have you ever had a 3 Treasure rice lunchbox? That’s worth checking out, too!
The dish arrived looking incredibly colourful, and smelling spicy. Wait, smelling spicy? Yeh, you could smell the chili vibrating off the soup, just waiting to be guzzled down.
The dish comes crammed with luosifen hanging around at the bottom of the spicy soup, but right on top there we have chicken, crunchy tofu skin, pork intestines, peanuts, coriander, and green onions. Xiao Luo Bo really goes for it with colours, spice, and taste. I loved everything in the bowl, and this level of spice (小 – small) was enough for me. To put that into perspective, I usually like a bit of heat in my food, and will often order something such as a spicy madras at Indian restaurants, or a spicy green curry at Thai restaurants.
The soup here at Xiao Luo Bo itself is quite on the acidic side and it can also become a little oily with the other ingredients also being quite oily and rich.
番茄酸湯肥牛粉 – Spicy sour tomato soup with fatty beef and Luo Si Fen
I’m pretty sure I dribbled on the table when this arrived. The tomato smell was coming through really strong from the broth, and the rich beef flavour was pulsing around the room, too, as well as that familiar spicy smell licking the air.
The ‘Fatty’ beef was thinly cut strips of beef layered with streaks of fat and meat. Whilst there aren’t as many toppings on this bowl, you should still definitely get it! The flavours are all really solid, rich, and immensely enjoyable.
The bottom line
Would I go again? Without a doubt.
Could you eat it regularly? It could be indigestion central if I eat it on the regular. It’s probably once or twice over winter.
Which dish would you order again? 番茄酸湯肥牛粉 – Spicy sour tomato soup with fatty beef and Luo Si Fen. I thought the Treasure Bowl was better value for money, but this one had richer flavours and less of an oily flavour.
Where is it?
Check out the other branches in Taipei.