Tainan Eel Noodles
Eel Noodles is a delicacy that is part of Tainan cuisine. This dish is first stir-fried with the eel with scallions, onions, vinegar, soy sauce and other ingredients. The sauce, thickened, then served on noodles. It may seem simple to prepare, it often takes a master to make it just right. And at A-Hui, they have almost perfected it in Taipei, so much that you don’t have to go to Tainan to have it. But personally, I was not a big fan of it. I think you have to grow up with it to like it. The eel’s texture is a bit tougher than I would have liked. The eel is stir fried to almost a crispy texture. The taste is delicate with flavors that are subtle. It is not overly salt from the soy sauce, which is good for me. But I can see why it may be difficult to get just right. There’s a balance between the vinegar and soy sauce with the subtle flavors of the eel without being overly savory with flavors from the scallions. This dish goes for about NT$110 (about USD 4).
Another great dish we had was the Fried Shrimp Rolls. The shrimp, which is diced then fried in a batter, was one of my favorite dishes of the night. The sauce, sweet and spicy, goes great with the texture. You are also given a choice to add wasabi which bumps the taste up even more. I could say that this dish would be great anywhere, from a hole-in-the-wall Tainan restaurant to a upscale Taiwanese restaurant, to even a sports bar in Houston. Fried shrimp, in this style, would be great anywhere.
Frid lake fish is another great dish. This pan fried fish features a buttery texture that is quite enjoyable. Native to southern Taiwan, near Tainan, this fish is something I like more and more. I recently had it at 台南度小月 Tu Hsiao Yueh, which also another restaurant with roots from Tainan.
There are other great dish from A-Hui but I failed to remember their names. One of them I can’t seem to remember is made from rice cake dough with pork fillings. Almost like a dumpling, these little goodies are steamed to perfection, while other places pan fry them.
Rating 2 Pigs $
台南阿輝炒鱔魚 Tainan A-Hui Fried Eel 台北市長春路89之5號1樓No. 89-5, ZhǎngChūn Rd, Jhongshan District, Taipei (02)25318053
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