Taipei Chef, Artarmon

Taiwanese food is not something I have had too often in Sydney so I was excited to try Taipei Chef in Artarmon for a colleague's farewell.

Smoked chicken is one of their signature dishes and it's easy to see why. The flavour was spectacular - it had a distinct smokiness from the smoked tea leaves without being too overpowering and the meat was so moist and tender. A small tip: there are only a limited serving per day so don't go too late! 

Taiwanese-style Smoked chicken $10

Sweet potato fries with plum powder was completely addictive. I had to exercise a lot of self control to not gobble down the entire dish. Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, the plum powder gave it an extra flavour boost. 

Sweet potato fries with plum powder

The slow-cooked pork belly is melt-in-your-mouth soft. The broth consisting of star anise, garlic, chilli and soy packed a ton of flavour and went wonderfully with the white rice. 

Slow-cooked pork belly $15

The Mongolian chicken on the sizzling plate was very aromatic and tasty.

Mongolian Chicken

The salt and pepper tofu had a great crispy texture but was lacking a touch of seasoning.

Salt and pepper tofu

More satisfying was the soft shell crab. A generous serving, the batter was light and crispy.

Soft shell crab

The deep fried mushrooms were so juicy that a couple of us nearly burnt our tongues when we bit into it. The crunchy basil leaves were a nice touch to the dish. 

Deep fried mushroom with basil leaves

Friendly service, delicious food and good value - Taipei Chef is definitely a neighbourhood gem. I will definitely be back for the smoked chicken and sweet potato fries!