Jason V.
Yelp
Despite working at a Taiwanese based company for two decades, I haven't had much exposure to Taiwanese cuisine. Either that, or I haven't been aware of the subtle attributes that differentiate a Taiwanese dish from its Chinese counterpart. That said, my co-workers have all raved about Tasty Pot, declaring it to be distinctly Taiwanese in form and function, and thus it was my assignment...nay, my *duty*, to discover what makes this hotpot so special.
And, oh boy, it's something else! There's a lot to unpack on the menu, at first glance, but if you're going with one of the hotpots, it's easy as 1-2-3:
1) Choose your hotpot
2) Choose your side (rice or vermicelli noodles)
3) Choose your spice level
Price and size are already factored in; each column becomes slightly larger, and/or more expensive, as you move further right. Everything else is perfunctory: appetizer? extra side of beef tendon? a matcha or boba tea? Tack it on! We added a side of spicy pork dumplings, which were wonderful - especially when paired with the garlic soy and spicy chili sauces found tableside!
Within a few minutes, a piping hot bowl of something good will arrive in front of you, perennially-heated by a small gas stove underneath, that will keep your dish at a mouth-blistering temperature the entire time (particularly true the deeper you delve into the bowl!). Be prepared!
I went with the Kimchi Dumpling Hot Soup, while my wife ordered the Beef Hot Soup; a surprising choice for her, as I'd expected to see her hovering over a pot practically overflowing with seafood carnage! Regardless, the list of ingredients on any hotpot should be carefully inspected, as while there are some things that seem ubiquitous across all of the options, there are others that are unique to each dish. You can expect tofu and various little mushrooms in basically all of them, while some of the more...exotic components (pork aorta, for example, as well as other difficult-to-identify-without-a-legend ingredients) only appear in certain selections. Even for the squeamish, there's enough good stuff in each bowl that you're pretty much guaranteed to enjoy your meal, even if you may have to pick around a few things.
Service was...serviceable; nothing particularly stand out on that front, but hey, it's more of a fast-casual dining experience, anyway - don't expect a host stand at the front. But the real question has, as of yet, been unanswered: what's my take-away from my first conscious experience with Taiwanese cuisine?
Well, there was no take-away: we both emptied our bowls completely. If you ask me, that's the best compliment you can give.