Taiwanese Dishes We Can’t Live Without

Small eats are a big deal for most Taiwanese who live the simple mantra “eat often and eat good.” In Taiwan tons of streets are dedicated to snack shacks boasting loads of popcorn chicken, noodle soup, stinky tofu, and Japanese influenced favorites.

Our restaurant has influences from Teochew, Hokkien, and Japanese cuisine which make it’s flavorful dishes extremely unique. It’s hard to say which dishes are hands-down our absolute favorites but here are a few to get you started. We hope you'll stop by and visit Wonderful Restaurant if you're in San Gabriel Valley. 

Stinky tofu (臭豆腐)

This is the world's best love-it-or-hate-it snack and Taiwan does it just right. 

The "fragrant" cube of bean curd is deep-fried and draped with sweet and spicy sauce. It you hold your nose, it looks and tastes just like a plain ol' piece of fried tofu, with a crisp casing and soft center like pudding.

But what's the fun in eating that? Inhale deeply and relish the stench, the smellier, the better.

Spicy hotpot (麻辣火鍋)

Taiwanese are mad for spicy hot pot.

And who wouldn't be? The bubbling pots of broth are filled with all sorts of Chinese herbs and spices to create an incredibly rich flavor for all the raw, fresh ingredients that diners will dip into it.

New hot pot places pop up almost every day, each with a gimmick to attract insatiable hot pot diners.. 

But it is spicy hot pot with quality ingredients that stands the test of time. While Taiwan's spice-levels can't come close to Chongqing's, they're pretty piquant.

Three-cup chicken (三杯雞)

Three-cup chicken is cooked in a cup of rice wine, a cup of oil and a cup of soy sauce. To this Taiwanese culinary triumvirate is added some fresh basil, chilies and garlic for an irresistible combination.

Some kitchens have a different definition of three-cup chicken, such as a cup of wine, a cup of sesame oil and a cup of sugar.