likebyregina Right Next to Hotpot Palace, there is another hidden gem that serves authentic Taiwanese pot and stir-fry dishes – JiangHu. It uses local ingredients to create some unique dishes that you rarely see in Vancouver. Recently, they launched a happy hour for late-night supper, which is best for any late night cravings out there, especially when everything closes early in Vancouver. This event is organized by Issabelle, the Community Manager of Yelp Vancouver, and I was so excited to be part of it. In addition, Feast: Asian Dining Festival also joined us for the night.
Prior to the start of the dinner, the organizers from the Feast: Asian Dining Festival brought us some beer, and the servers from JiangHu started to bring the sauce platter out. Unfortunately, there is no clear instruction as to how to mix the perfect sauce or what the sauce is for. So I add a little bit of everything, and make sure to include the fermented tofu sauce because it will make your sauce 10x more delicious.
Our first dish is my most excited one from the tasting menu, which is Shaojiu Chicken Pot with Full Bottle of Wine. You also have the option to order without the full bottle of wine, if you don’t want your chicken to have a strong scent of the shaojiu. The raw chicken is boiled with the wine, along with goji berries and dates. I enjoyed the aroma from the shaojiu!
While we are waiting for the chicken to cook, other dishes arrive. The Stir-Fried Shrimps with Spicy Sauce is delicious and flavorful. It is spicy, and the shell is crispy enough to eat it together with the meat.
The Grilled Pork Neck with Miso Sauce is tender and juicy. It also has a mayo-like sauce, but I think it tastes great even without it. I wish the portion is bigger though.
While we are enjoying our dishes, the server returned and lighted up our Shaojiu Chicken Pot. The pot was immediately on fire. The fire allows to evaporate the alcohol content from the shaojiu, but the aroma is fully absorbed in the chicken and the soup. Once the fire is burnt out, the chicken should be cooked by then. Be mindful of the chicken, so it won’t be overcooked and remain tender. Ours is slightly overcooked, but every bite has a hint of the aroma from the shaojiu. The soup is delicious and warming!
After finishing the Shaojiu Chicken Pot, you can also order add-ons like cuttlefish paste or an assorted vegetable platter to fully enjoy the remaining of the soup.
The Sergestid Shrimps Fried Rice is shaped like a pyramid, which is pretty cool. The portion is small, but it is reasonably priced. However, it tastes like normal fried rice to me.
The Deep Fried Fish Skin with Egg Yolk is my second most excited dish of the night, and it is difficult to find fresh deep fried fish skin like this one I tried. This one comes with egg yolk crumbs, but I think it would taste even better if the salted egg yolk is more pungent. Otherwise, it is an amazing dish!
For dessert, we had the Deep Fried Sweet Taro Balls. They are perfectly shaped, with a crispy shell and generous amount of soft taro filling. It is not sweet at all, so my friend suggested to have condensed milk as a dipping sauce on the side.
Overall Impression
Though I didn’t list out all the food I tried at the Yelp event, it is such an unforgettable experience. It was my first time trying JiangHu, and I am amazed by the food quality here. My favourite is definitely the Shaojiu Chicken Pot, but other dishes such as the Stir-Fried Shrimps with Spicy Sauce and Deep Fried Fish Skin with Egg Yolk are also marvelous. Next time, I want to try the Taiwanese Lamb Pot and Ginger Duck Pot, as well as other authentic Taiwanese street food on the menu. Stay tuned for my next visit!
p.s. Happy Hour is from 9pm to 12am. If you order $60 or more, you can get a jug of beer or winter melon tea for FREE!
Taste : 4/5 • Service: N/A • Ambiance: 4.5/5 • Quality-Price: N/A
