As we had been experiencing a few cold fronts over the past few weeks, we decided to have some Mala Hot Pot, something which Taiwan is famous for. It had been ages since we've visited Tai Ho Dian, so we decided to have dinner there ...
We normally have a yin-yang hot pot, which is half a pot of non-spicy broth and half a pot of Mala broth - this is good so one can enjoy the immense spiciness yet have the option to take a breather from the spiciness by cooking one's food in the clear non-spicy broth. That day, however, we bravely (or foolishly? let's just blame it on the weather ... ) opted to have just the Mala Hot Pot (incidentally, it's called "Mala" cos it's mouth-numbingly spicy).
We ordered some squid balls (you can see them in the pot above), Tang-O veggies, "you tiao", handmade beancurd skin and sliced beef ...
To make a dip/sauce for the cooked food, there was a generous bowl of spring onions available. We were taught to add the mala broth to a mixture of spring onions, "sa cha" sauce, soya sauce and vinegar, then dip the cooked food in this to add flavour.
"Wu Mei Zhi" or smoked preserved plum juice ... this was perfect to douse the internal fires that the Mala hot pot created! I'm amazed at how this brings down the heat so speedily!
i've heard about this place a lot- my friends have been wanting to take me. Looks spicy!
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