Little Taiwan

If you happen to drop by the Pavilion, the latest shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur, and need to fill up, let me recommend the Food Court. I think it is called the Food Republic. Located on Level 1, it has almost every kind of local fare. But I was drawn more towards the other Asian foodstalls. I blogged about the Korean pancake, which I had the first time I visited the Pavilion.

This time around, I opted for Little Taiwan. My obsession with Hokkien soap opera from Taiwan, particularly, the current one, entitled, the “The World’s Best Flavor, ” ( my loose interpretation) has a part to do with my choice. The series is about four families, all in the restaurant business and their interweaving relationships. You learn a lot about food, in general and the Japanese influence upon their culinary preparation and taste.

At any rate, I ordered the braised beef and rice and was not disappointed, considering the price – a little over RM10, with tax thrown in. The beef came in ample portions and the ‘po cai’ or salad was quite delectable – crunchy, sweet, sour, savory – some of the requirements of what a good dish should be by Taiwanese standard. Presentation wise, it loses out to Japanese or Korean food but it makes up for the authentic, village flavor.