Strike
3217 West Broadway
Vancouver
or
#120 – 4751 Garden City Rd
Richmond
Are you feeling glum from missing out on TaiwanFest last weekend? If you were walking along Granville Street or hanging out at Robson Square, the celebrations were impossible to ignore. From street food, to art and crafts, to games, and cultural displays, downtown Vancouver was alive with festivities. But hey, it was the last long weekend of the summer (and a sunny one at that) so if you were out and about, I don’t blame you! Yet, this shouldn’t be a reason for you to miss out on tasty Taiwanese food – so here’s a little shop where you can get your fill all year long!
I haven’t had the chance to travel to Taiwan, but, I am lucky enough to have a close (foodie) friend who is an expert in the area! As a fellow foodie, we were both really excited to share in this experience together. We visited Strike at their 1-year-old West Broadway location, just days before Strike’s second restaurant opened in Richmond.
I’m told that home-style Taiwanese cooking is basic in content and distinct in its flavour. Typical dishes are based around fried noodles, noodle soup, or rice, and paired with elements like pork chop, fried chicken, beef, and cooked vegetables.
As an amateur Taiwanese-food-eater, seeing a description like “House Special Beef Noodle Soup,” didn’t give me a great idea of what to expect. The only beef noodle soup I knew was Vietnamese Pho, and I was pretty sure that wouldn’t be what I would get at Strike. However, my savvy friend had no trouble with the descriptions, as she was already familiar with the cooking styles and flavours. My point? Just try it. You’ll give yourself the opportunity to be pleasantly surprised.
As the menu promised, there was beef. Super tender beef. There were noodles. There was also bok choy and a handful of spring onions. The House Special Beef Noodle Soup was well balanced in its contents, but had a really surprising flavour. The broth was deeply savoury from the beef, but it also had a hint of sweetness to it. If you have ever used Chinese cooking wine, the flavour of this soup broth has the same ability to be both hearty and light. A bonus point: it’s an impressive portion for a humble $8.75. As summer comes to a slow but sure end, it’s this House Special Beef Noodle Soup that will be the silver lining on the next rainy day.
Before we ordered, my eyes did a bit of wandering (okay, staring) at the food on the other tables at the restaurant; as soon as I saw it, I knew right away that I wanted to order something that came on a sizzling plate. It’s a large, heated stone plate that literally sizzles with excitement when your food arrives. I think it has the same appeal as cracking open a bag of chips – you hear it, you see it, and you want it. So, we ordered the Deep Fried Chicken Steak Rice Combo on the Sizzling Plate…and it did not disappoint!
Again, the taste of the sauce was very unique. It was a bit like a thick teriyaki glaze, but meatier in flavour. My favourite thing about this dish was the variety of items – the chicken, steamed broccoli, lightly seasoned corn and carrots, and a solt-yolk fried egg. There are so many items, so you never get tired of any one taste. Though there were many enticing appetizers/sides, this sizzling plate filled us up to the brim! For the portion and grandiose presentation of the dish, I would recommend the sizzling plate to anyone who regularly orders the Lumberjack breakfast in the morning.
I’m counting the days until my next visit to Strike, where I’ll add to my hands-on in-belly experience with their bubble tea and popcorn chicken! If you get there before me, be sure to let me know what you think!
