Most people who eat soup dumplings (xiaolongbao) in Taiwan think that Din Tai Fung is the pinnacle--and while DTF does have outstanding dumplings, not many know that Kao Chi was the first restaurant on the scene to make these dumplings famous. Many years later, although...the DTF brand has been franchised the world over, Kao Chi is not nearly as well known, but it should definitely not be missed because, apart from its outstanding xiaolongbao, its menu is absolutely vast--and on two recent dining occasions during which we sampled a number of the dishes, they were turned out perfectly.
For example, Dong-po pork, perfectly braised and served in steamed bread, was melt-in-your-mouth tender, the sauce neither too sweet nor salty. Their vegetable-fried rice was excellent as were the sauteed rice sticks (niangao) with vegetables and pork. Similar to their pork soup dumplings, the vegetarian dumplings were very flavorful, and a red-cooked bean curd tender and delectable.
If you want to eat more than soup dumplings, go to Kao Chi--you'll find the dumplings and so much more. DTF really does not have the array of offerings from its kitchen, and with its fame and fortune their portions have shrunk quite a bit. Not so at Kao Chi.More
