Get your Taiwanese fix at Taishike, a chic new gastrobar with lu rou fan, beef noodles & BBT

Taiwanese food might just be the next big thing coming up in Singapore’s dining scene as a myriad of Taiwanese concepts have slowly cropped up.

The latest of which is Taishike — or 臺食客 in Chinese — a chic new gastrobar concept that just soft launched on Jun 14.

Those more familiar with Taiwanese food in Singapore might find the name Taishike quite familiar — good eye, because it is actually an old delivery-only brand.

It first started out as a home-based business and used to be quite popular during the Covid-19 pandemic, eventually converting into a cloud-kitchen-based model.

Alas, operations eventually paused after pandemic restrictions lifted. Fortunately for its fans, the Taiwanese specialist has been reborn at Boat Quay.

It’s located at the buzzy Circular Road, right below Ceres Haus, a popular minimalist cafe hidden on the second floor of the vintage shophouse.

Taishike itself has plenty of vibes to speak of, too: The interior is decidedly modern, with metallic accents and chic light fixtures adding an elegant finishing touch.

As a whole, the space feels very cosy but sleek, similar to popular neighbours in the vicinity such as Dumpling Darlings and Sonny’s Pizza.

Being a gastrobar concept, it also serves alcoholic drinks and we think it would make for a cute date spot — especially convenient for those working in the CBD.

Singapore’s lu rou fan specialist

The food at Taishike is simple and doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel — you’ll find the usual suspects on the menu, such as lu rou fan (braised pork rice).

In fact, it touts itself as a lu rou fan specialist shop, with the words proudly emblazoned in Chinese on the awning out front.

As far as lu rou fan goes, Taishike’s braised pork belly rice (S$8.50) is as solid and hearty as it comes. The first thing we noticed in the sauce was how it was rich, but not too heavy and accented by a tasteful dose of braise fragrance.

On top of that, the dredges of pork are tender and slightly fatty, while the textural combination of egg yolk, fluffy rice and braise sauce make for some enjoyably silky bites.

This is not one of those crazy indulgent bowls but we appreciate the nice balance — it ensures it’s not so jelak that diners wouldn’t want to finish the bowl.

Similarly, the braised beef noodles (S$15.50) — another best-seller at Taishike — is well-done and without any frills, just providing oodles of comfort with its heartwarming broth base.

The broth is clean and light but also brimming with delectable vegetable sweetness. Super comforting to slurp.

At the same time, the noodles are nice and bouncy and the beef is tender and soft, with a wonderful chewy bite to it.

Favourite guilty pleasures

Of course, it’s not Taiwanese food without some fried bites and Taishike’s crunchy line-up is just as enjoyable.

For example, the timeless crispy chicken bites (S$7.50) was everything you want in Taiwanese fried chicken — juicy on the inside with the loud “cronch cronch” on the outside.

While there’s no powder seasoning, it is adorned with some basil leaves that imbue a subtle herbaceousness.

But if you like your fried things truly scandalously crunchy, the enoki mushroom (S$5.50) is a must-order at Taishike. It’s exceedingly simple but hits the spot so hard.

You get the most satisfyingly airy crackles at the tips. But as you get closer to the stem, there comes a chewier bite, with plenty of juices gushing out. 

To wash down all the decadent fried goodies, diners can also quench their thirst on a myriad of bubble tea-inspired beverages, in true Taiwanese-style.

There’s the bubble assam milk tea (S$5.50) and brown sugar fresh milk (S$5) for the simplest, most familiar comforts but also tangier, fruitier concoctions such as the passion fruit Four Season tea ($4.50).

Of course, you can also check out Taishike’s range of cocktails if you want to loosen up, with refreshing tipples including the plum magic mix (plum liqueur and soda water, $15) and Earl’s elixir (earl grey infused gin, lemon juice and egg white, S$18).

So you’ve got all your bases covered here — hearty mains, satisfying fried bites, BBT, and even booze to lighten the mood. 

For those on the lookout for a place to get your Taiwanese food fix, Taishike is an option you ought to add to the bucket list.

This was a hosted tasting.

For more ideas on what to eat, read our stories on the viral Kowloon-themed HK dessert bar and the best spots to get comforting dim sum in Singapore.

Taishike is on the GrabFood delivery service and offers free delivery (up to S$3 off) with GrabUnlimited.

Do explore the new GrabFood Dine Out service for awesome deals.

You can also book a ride to Taishike at Circular Road.