For more than half a century, since it moved from Chengdu, Szechuan Province to Taipei, Chili House has been considered the most authentic place for Szechuan cuisine. It is a favorite of Taipei's gourmets and mainlanders who miss their hometown flavor.
It is also known for its very reasonable prices. Frequent guests include politicians John Chang (
You really can't say that you have been to Chili House if you haven't tried their trademark wontons in red chili oil (
PHOTO: YU SEN-LUN, TAIPEI TIMES
In fact, wonton in red oil is such a common snack that it is widely available in night markets. But the way it tastes at Chili House makes the dish stand out and makes Japanese tourists come all the way to taste the NT$55 dish.
Fragrant, spicy and hot are major tastes of Szechuan food. The secret lies in chili, pepper and the unique Szechuan pepper (
For variation, there are wontons in hot and sour oil (
Kung-pao chicken (
Other recommendations include sauteed eggplant with frog in chili sauce (
Dec. 16 to Dec. 22 Growing up in the 1930s, Huang Lin Yu-feng (黃林玉鳳) often used the “fragrance machine” at Ximen Market (西門市場) so that she could go shopping while smelling nice. The contraption, about the size of a photo booth, sprayed perfume for a coin or two and was one of the trendy bazaar’s cutting-edge features. Known today as the Red House (西門紅樓), the market also boasted the coldest fridges, and offered delivery service late into the night during peak summer hours. The most fashionable goods from Japan, Europe and the US were found here, and it buzzed with activity
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