The Asian food scene in Perth has never been boring. Whether it is Thai, Malaysian, Japanese, Korean or Vietnamese, there was always something to cater for everyone. With the addition of a Taiwanese cafe in Vic Park, my argument has a solid backing. Promoting itself through Facebook, Taro Taro gained for itself great momentum which saw its first three days of soft opening flooding with keen taste buds.. and I was one of them.
For dinner last Friday we ordered heaps of braised pork rice and a oyster noodles to share.
Dinner!
Oyster noodles!
For me, I have never liked this sort of noodles even in Malaysia. In Taiwan itself, I could not appreciate the fondness of the locals towards a popular franchise called the Ah Chung Mien Sin which specialises in such noodles. Not sure if the spelling is correct lols but nonetheless, Yvonne who ordered this thought it was ok with the exception of the oysters which seemed to be covered in flour. She was also hoping to get some of the chilli to go with this but it was not available during their trial runs. Overall, an OK eat!
My pick for the night was the braised pork rice
When I collected the rice from the counter, I was really pleased with what I saw. There was a whole lot more of mince which one would not get in Taiwan. First impressions were great with me. The addition of Coriander was smart, the egg was well done, and the pork was lean. However, after a few spoon full, I stopped getting the sensation which I had before back in Taiwan. I think we needed a little more kick in the sauce. Perhaps make the sauce thicker and a little more of that preserved vegetable which I think is Mui Choy or pickled mustard which would have been great. Another thing which I missed was the slightly greasy feel of a typical braised pork rice bowl back in Taiwan. Having lean meat is a luxury and at the same time really healthy, but at the expense of taste hmmm. I would prefer unhealthy.
Edit: Had it again today! Tasted better with the preserved vege provided on the side :)!
For dessert we had the bean curd dessert with sago, yam and sweet potato balls as well as Ai Yu Jelly with White Pearls and lemon tea.
While I enjoyed the Ai Yu jelly and found the addition of the white pearls really nice, I could not help but feel that the entire drink which is a modern reinterpretation of the classic one in Taiwan has not succeeded. A few sips had me not wanting the drink anymore as it was unbearable. Don’t get me wrong, it did not suck all that bad but I believe that the lime essence has been squeezed or obtained inappropriately making it really bitter. Felt as if someone actually just boiled down the whole lime just to get the lime flavour. With a cup that big, it was really difficult to finish considering how bitter it was.
As for the special bean curd dessert, it was pretty decent. If I had any complains it would be that the yam and sweet potato balls were a little hard to bite through. It would have been a lot better if it was slightly softer yet it pack the chewy consistency that I’m used to!
Earlier this year, my trip to Taiwan was packed with great scenery, polite locals and fun peeps. What felt lacking was the food. Nonetheless, I still brought fond memories of delicious beef noodles, crunchy XXL Chicken Chop, braised pork rice and the refreshing Ai Yu jelly drink home with me. So with Taro Taro, I had high expectations. Over all, I felt that it was average but could be improved. The braised pork rice was OK but could definitely be improved in terms of meat and sauce. I heard the XXL Chicken Chop was pretty good according the both the little darling, my sis as well as from fishman and Yvonne who had dined there twice on Friday. I look forward to the grand opening where I hope the Ai Yu jelly drink and the yam/sweet potato ball would have been improved! At the same time though, I cannot help but feel grateful for an additional variety in Perth!
Edit: Also had the fried chicken today! Smashing!!
WenY
