PUCHONG, July 22 — In a crowded food scene, how does a start-up shout out its presence?
Some employ what I call, the “shock, horror, what in the world is that?” tactic to grab attention.
It works to a certain extent, as seen by the many social media accounts tripping over themselves to TikTok a new fangled thing. Cue that “surprised” street interview with the owner of the eatery, please!
But in some cases, that shock factor is also translated to the tongue when bewildering flavours just don't make sense at all.
Hence my hesitance with Taiwan Spice Delights where a few social media accounts were raving about their Scallion Oil Century Egg Noodles.
Will it work? Or bomb like the others? The only way was to try it out myself.
Hidden in Medan Selera Everyday Puchong, the menu here is a tribute to Taiwan, with easy-on-the-wallet prices. The priciest dish is RM17.90 for a crispy chicken chop with noodles.
And yes, the Taiwan poster child, braised pork rice or lu rou fan, is represented here.
The Scallion Oil Century Egg Noodles (RM12.90) is a new addition.
There's not much reference available online for century egg noodles in Taiwan though. I did find a review for one place in Yonghe that serves noodles topped with minced meat sauce dotted with chopped century eggs.
What I did find on the vast internet was a recipe for scallion oil noodles, topped with a piece of century egg.
This place's version looks like it's a riff of that recipe.
Essentially it's scallion oil noodles, where you get an aromatic oil cooked with spring onions, mixed with soy sauce that coats the chewy noodles. This is crowned by a generous topping of finely chopped century eggs.
It may look simple but it is admittedly addictive.
There's also chopped fresh garlic and spring onions, plus blanched bean sprouts in the bowl. You also get a refreshing pickled cucumber on the side too.
Mix it all up for a satisfying bowl. As the century eggs are chopped finely, there's actually not much of the dreaded pungent taste. This makes it more palatable to the general public.
There's also chilli oil on the side too, if you wish to add a spicier note to your noodles.
This was one bowl of noodles I would be happy to return for.
I paired it with the other thing that caught my eye on their menu, the weird sounding Splitting Eggplant (RM9).
Visually, it's a stunner.
It's actually a whole eggplant -- cut into long strips -- still attached to the stem.
The eggplant is coated in a crispy, golden batter that is the perfect companion to the soft, creamy flesh of the eggplant.
It's sprinkled with preserved plum powder for a hit of saltiness. And they serve it with a sweeter chilli sauce, you dip in to enhance the whole crunchy sensation.
If you're not an eggplant lover, well there are also other deep fried goodies to crunch down on. Mushroom lovers are spoiled for choice with either Crispy Mushroom or Crispy Enoki.
There's also Crispy Chicken Chop, fun-to-eat Popcorn Chicken and a Taiwan Chicken Chop. The odd one out is the Mozzarella Cheese Sticks with all that gooey cheese.
Some of the deep fried items are also found in their set meals, like the Crispy Chicken Chop and Popcorn Chicken, paired with rice or noodles.
For the not too adventurous eater, there's always the classic Taiwan Braised Pork Rice (RM12.90).
I had packed home a portion to try and it definitely has all the hallmarks of a great rendition.
The pork belly pieces were soft from the braising and worked well with the rice. A bonus was the hard boiled egg with a jammy yolk. There's also pickled cucumbers to help cleanse the palate too.
It's definitely a popular item as I saw them packing it for delivery orders.
So if you don't feel like fighting traffic, they're on ShopeeFood and GrabFood, making delivery to your doorstep easy with a few clicks. On ShopeeFood, they're known as TW Spice Delights.
Another outlet is also opened in K88 Alam Damai.
Taiwan Spice Delights
Medan Selera Everyday Puchong, Jalan Bandar 1, Puchong
Open daily: 11.30am to 3pm, 5.30pm to 11.30pm
Tel:+6019-3221217
Facebook: @TaiwanSpiceDelights
Instagram: @taiwan_spice_delights
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
* Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.
