Red Onion Cafe

I’ve had a lot of Chinese food in my life, but Taiwanese, not so much. Xiao Long Bao and milk tea are basically what’s at the top of my head when I think of Taiwanese food. The universe probably thought it was about time that I get educated about the wonderful world of Taiwanese cuisine because I was recently invited to a bloggers event where we got to sample Red Onion Cafe’s specialty Taiwanese dishes. We were joined by our gracious host, Mark, co-owner of Red Onion Cafe.

 

Red Onion Cafe in U.P. Town Center is a Taiwanese restaurant specializing in Beef Noodles and Crispy Dumplings. They just opened last October, and they’re one of the first few Taiwanese restaurants in the country. The restaurant is named after the red onion a.k.a the shallot which is incorporated in most of their dishes. Speaking of their dishes, everything I tried was so good so let’s just get right into it. 

Papaya Milk Tea

While waiting for the food, we were served drinks. I had Papaya Milk Tea. I love milk tea but I’ve never had it in papaya flavor. It’s so good! It’s so milky and refreshing, and it really tastes like the fruit itself. It’s in a smoothie consistency which makes it perfect for cooling down on a hot day.  

39 Spices Beef Noodle (half meat & half tendon) (P288)

Their signature dish is their 39 Spices Beef Noodle. Considering it has so many spices, I was pleasantly surprised that the flavor of the soup wasn’t too overwhelming. It’s a little bit of everything – sweet, salty, spicy --but all the flavors just marry together and complement each other creating a unique flavor you won’t find in other beef noodles. They also have a spicy version of this for those who want a little bit more heat. The noodles were thick and firm – perfect for such a hearty soup. Aside from the amazing broth, another great thing about this dish was the beef. You can definitely tell you’re eating prime beef because of how tender the meat is. The beautiful marbleization on the meat, as well as the tendons really give so much flavor to the soup. First, there was the ramen craze. With how good this soup is, soon enough there’s going to be a Beef Noodle craze.

Taiwanese Crispy Dumplings (P198)

The Taiwanese Crispy Dumplings is like a hybrid of dumpling, gyoza and a crepe. It’s size is bigger than the usual dim sum making it seem like a crepe. The generous filling inside is light but very tasty. I love how the rice paper is chewy on the inside (like a gyoza) but crispy on the outside since it’s fried (like a dumpling). You definitely get the best of both worlds with this dish!

Red Onion House Fried Rice (P188)

One of the things I always love to order when I’m at a Chinese (or Taiwanese) restaurant is fried rice, and this one did not disappoint. The rice is perfectly cooked – not too dry or too sticky. I hate it when I have to do a treasure hunt for pieces of the scrambled egg and toasted garlic whenever I have fried rice, but with this, the toppings were so generous that every spoonful had some. I love that this dish is good enough eaten on its own, but it’s not too overwhelming so that it can still be paired with any other dish.

Double Fried Sweet & Sour Pork (P228)

One of my favorite dishes has to be the Double Fried Sweet & Sour Pork. I’m normally not a fan of Sweet & Sour Pork because all of them seem to be too sweet for me. This was different. I love so many things about this dish I don’t even know where to begin! First of all, I love how the meat is not drowning in sauce (which is usually the case for this kind of dish). The meat is basically just coated with the sauce which keeps it crispy. Speaking of coating, the crust on the meat is just thin so that you can really taste the meat. Being double fried really makes it extra crispy. The sauce is not too sweet, and has a perfect balance between sweet and sour. Mark said they made this dish as simple as possible (no vegetables, pineapple, etc.) because they really wanted to please meat lovers who just really want to get right to the pork. Well, whether you’re a meat-lover or not, you will definitely love this dish!

Sichuan Mala Chicken (P198)

Another favorite of mine is the the Sichuan Mala Chicken. It’s basically moist, juicy chicken cooked with their signature Sichuan Mala sauce which they make themselves (they actually sell their Sichuan sauce in the restaurant). I know it looks a bit intimidating but the sauce isn’t as spicy as it looks. It has just the right amount of heat and kick to it to make you want more.

Walnut Shrimp (P388)

The Walnut Shrimp is also one of my favorites (Yes, I had a lot of favorites because they were so good!). The fresh, tender shrimp has a thin breading which gives it a nice crunch, and is delicately coated in a creamy, honey sauce. It’s served with walnuts which add a nice sweetness and crunch to the dish. If you like the sweet-salty flavour of candied nuts, you will definitely love this. It’s such a simple dish but it’s so luxurious! I could have been served this, and I would have been all good!

Ginger Mahi-Mahi (P388)

For fish, we had one of their newest dishes which is the Ginger Mahi-Mahi. You can tell the fish is fresh because of how firm and meaty it is. The ginger flavor isn’t too overwhelming, as not to distract from the natural flavor of the fish. The flavors are very subtle, and it’s a great dish if you want to have something light and healthy.

3 Cups Chicken (P278)

The 3 Cups Chicken looks like a hearty dish but it’s quite light, as well. It has a sweet-salty flavor, but what really stands out is the fresh flavor of the basil that’s well-absorbed by the juicy chicken meat.

Polonchay (P168)

To contrast all the meat dishes that we had, we were also served Polonchay. I like how the vegetable isn’t overcooked (you can tell just by how vibrant the green color still is), and still has a nice bite to it. 

Mango Shaved Snow Ice (P138)

For dessert, we had Mango and Red Bean Shaved Snow Ice. The mango flavor is so sweet and refreshing with a subtle tangy flavor, just as how a ripe, juicy mango is! The cinnamon powder adds an interesting flavor contrast the fruity mango. The texture of the snow ice is unlike anything. It’s so fine and creamy like ice cream, but you can still feel a slight grittiness making you remember it’s ice. I could seriously have this everyday this summer! 

Red Bean Shaved Snow Ice

The Red Bean flavor is sweeter and a bit heavier than the mango, and is a good choice if you want something a little more exotic tasting. I already love the earthy red bean flavor on its own, but pour sweet, rich condensed milk on top of it and it becomes even better! I mean, who doesn’t love condensed milk? I so wanted to shave the condensed milk parts and have it all to myself! The Shaved Snow Ice was definitely the perfect end an amazing dinner.

I asked Mark what the main difference of Taiwanese cuisine is from Chinese, and he said with Taiwanese cuisine, the flavors are more subtle. After sampling so many of Red Onion’s amazing dishes, I’d have to agree. I love how complex (you can’t easily describe them) and distinct the flavors are of each dish, but they’re not overpowering at all. You also don’t get the MSG overload you usually experience when you eat commercial Chinese food. I genuinely loved every dish, and if you're looking for a new dining experience, Taiwanese cuisine is a must-try! 

Disclaimer: I was invited to a bloggers event to try Red Onion Cafe's specialty dishes, but all opinions in this blog post are mine.