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COMPASS MAGAZINE, June 2006

MIAN ZHI WU (DANCE OF THE NOODLE) (04) 2215-0377 161, JingWu Road Hours: 11 am-2 pm, 5-9 pm No service charge. Parking available.

--By Niang Chen, translated by Cara Steenstra

The front door here proudly displays a set of couplets that reads, "In Taipei, there is Din Tai Fung. In Taichung, there is Mian Zhi Wu", in reference to the famous Taipei eatery. Master Chef Wang came down from that famous steamed pork dumplings restaurant on Yong Kang Street and brought its famous dishes to Taichung, so that local residents no longer have to trek all the way up north for a taste of delicate Shanghai-style noodles and snacks. The thin-skinned but juicy Steamed Pork Dumplings (NT$80) are a mouthful of meat and soup and taste superb when combined with a few shreds of ginger with oil and vinegar. The House Meatball Soup (NT$50) contains deliciously chewy meatballs. Apart from authentic Shanghai snacks, such as Chicken Soup (NT$100) and Lotus Roots Cooked in Rock Sugar (NT$100), another master chef has also created some unique dishes by combining Beijing, Sichuan and Cantonese cuisine. Crispy Large Intestine (NT$168) is a dish of well-cleaned large intestines that have been marinated, wrapped in spring onions and deep fried for a tasty, crispy flavor. The friendly service staff highly recommends a dish called "That Fish" (NT$198). This is a Tiny Fin Bombay Fish which looks like a eel and is transparent before it is cooked. Its meat is finer and more tender than tofu, and tastes great deep fried, too, making it popular among the young and old.