TAICHUNG: 8 King

台中市北區育才南街8號
No. 8, Yutsai South Street
Hours: 11 am-10:30pm
(04) 2225-9289

PRICE: $$ (approx. NT$400/person ~US$13/person)
RATING: YYYY (I strongly recommend this place!)
DIRECTIONS: Drive. =)
RESERVATIONS: Not needed
MENU: Chinese only
MUST GET: Steak with black pepper sauce, Pork Cutlet Cordon Bleu

This place is relatively new. I only discovered it about a month or so ago, but after the first time I went there I went back once a day for the next two days and I went again a few times since then. I love their decor; it feels like you stepped into a lounge bar which I guess is fitting because they also serve alcohol (wine and beer). Usually it's not crowded, but I've noticed there's a growing number of people who are dining at this place.

The meal prices aren't too expensive considering that you get a salad and dessert with your entree. The first time I went I ordered their carbonara, which is probably my favorite pasta dish at this moment. I've ordered it many times since being in Taiwan in many different restaurants and I'll have to say the carbonara at 8 King is definitely in my top 5. The second time, I ordered their steak and hot pot combo and stole a bit of Joe's steak and pork cordon bleu combo. Everything was great, but I would definitely opt for the cordon bleu the next time I order their combo. Beyond pasta and steak, they also offer a few gratin dishes where you can choose from pasta or rice. The last time I went, I ordered their Indian chicken curry gratin rice dish. I really enjoyed the flavors, minus the pieces of red pepper (capsicum) and black olives inside. I typically only enjoy roasted red peppers, so the ones I found inside my rice dish were just not soft enough and I've never been a fan of olives, but I just don't think olives and curry are a good pair.

If you come here for afternoon tea, you get a free appetizer with your drink order. The down side is that you don't get to choose which free dish you get, instead you stick your hand through a big vase that they have with rolled up paper. The paper you end up selecting will have the name of your free dish. I like the idea, but what if you don't like or can't eat the dish you chose? I got their fried cuttlefish dish the last time I went. It's similar to calamari, but instead of rings of squid you get minced cuttlefish meat. (Minced cuttlefish meat is a common alternative to calamari in Taiwan. Most restaurants serve this as opposed to what you may normally be used to back in the States.)

The tea here is usually not that sweet, so be carefully when you ask for half sugar here especially when you order green tea mixes. I've noticed that mine have come a bit too bitter than what I've been used to. The tea selection isn't as wide here as it is in most restaurants in Taiwan, but it has the regular choices like lemon and honey (no passion fruit though!).





Another time I went back to 8 king, I decided to finally try their waffles that had appealed to me since the first time I went to the restaurant. I ordered their honey green tea waffles. They weren't bad, but not as great as I had hoped. They weren't as light and fluffy as I was expecting, but in general I think that's hard to come by in Taiwan.

Overall, it's a nice place to go to if you want to meet with friends over a meal or a drink or if you just feel like taking a break and having a short moment to yourself.