Ares was about to leave Taiwan, and before he left, I had to ensure he savors the most distinct and delicious flavors of Taiwanese delicacies one more time.
We both loved our previous visits to Ledodo Group's Rododo Hotpot and Chase Happy. This time, we decided to explore another establishment within the Ledodo Group family, Mania Retro Fondue.
Mania Retro Fondue ingeniously reinvents traditional Taiwanese dishes into hotpot, showcasing unique broth bases that cannot be found anywhere else. Each hotpot at Mania Retro Fondue begins with the creation of a Taiwanese dish as its prototype, which is then carefully designed and modified to be transformed into a hotpot-style dish. The combination of the wok hay from stir-frying the ingredients of the soup base and the innovative approach to Taiwanese hotpot results in a seamless integration of local cuisine and culture.
What sets Mania Retro Fondue apart is the impeccable preparation of the broth right from the start. As soon as the hotpot is served, we can immediately enjoy the broth infused with the essences of the ingredients, without the need to rely on the flavors imparted by cooking meat and vegetables in the broth, unlike most other hotpot broth.
Best Taiwanese Hotpot in Taipei—Mania Retro Fondue: Menu
Best Taiwanese Hotpot in Taipei—Mania Retro Fondue: Broth
Mania Retro Fondue is renowned in the New Taipei area for its distinctive individual Taiwanese-style hotpot. Among their signature dishes, the Rice Wine Chicken & Clam Hotpot stands out.
To create this delicious broth, sesame oil is heated in a pot, and the spices, including ginger slices and goji berries, are stir-fried over medium heat, allowing their fragrances to infuse the oil. Next, black chicken is added and pan-fried until the skin is slightly charred. Then, a whole bottle of rice wine is poured in and ignited to let the alcohol evaporate. Lastly, fresh clams are added and simmered, fully extracting the essence of the ingredients, resulting in a broth with an authentic flavor.
Since the Rice Wine Chicken Hotpot uses an entire bottle of rice wine as its base, the broth possesses a robust and pronounced taste, accompanied by a subtle sweetness and a slight bitterness from the wine. The ignition of the wine creates a captivating show, with a flame lasting 2-3 minutes that mesmerizes your senses.
Since Ares and I do not drink, we prefer a milder broth, otherwise, we would be drunk in couple minutes. Fortunately, there is pork bone broth available on each table that can be added to the pot. After simmering it for a bit longer, the pork bone broth helps dilute the intensity of the alcohol, resulting in a more balanced flavor profile. This not only adds depth to the broth but also offers a variety of options for our taste preferences. The wine-cooked black chicken emits the aroma of sesame oil and Chinese herbs, which particularly amazed Ares, as it was a flavor he had never tried before. The Rice Wine Chicken & Clam Hotpot pairs exceptionally well with cabbage, which enhances the broth's natural sweetness, and pig's blood cake, which absorbs the rich flavors of the broth, creating a delightful combination of textures and tastes.
Mania Retro Fondue's Flame Spicy Hotpot is an original and unique culinary creation that offers a delightful combination of visual and flavorful sensations.
The process begins by stir-frying scallions, garlic, and chili sauce over high heat, infusing the sauce with the bold flavors of dried chili and Sichuan peppercorns. A small cup of rice wine is then added and ignited, resulting in a dazzling flame show reaching up to 30 centimeters. This fiery spectacle enhances the aroma of the pot, creating a unique wine-infused fragrance. Finally, beef broth is introduced to enrich the broth with its savory essence. As various ingredients are added and cooked in the pot, the Flame Spicy Hotpot becomes progressively spicier, making it more satisfying with each bite. The Flame Spicy Hotpot is particularly well-suited for cooking ramen noodles, oden, and Korean fish cakes.
In addition to the renowned Rice Wine Chicken & Clam Hotpot, there is another item on the secret menu: the Garlic Clam Hotpot, which happens to be Ares' favorite.
Despite its simple ingredients and preparation, this dish delivers a wealth of flavors. The process begins by stir-frying scallions and minced garlic which release a robust aroma throughout the pot. Fresh clams and a small cup of rice wine are then added, allowing the sweet fragrance of the wine to meld with the deliciousness of the clams. As the clam shells gradually open, the clams are swiftly removed to preserve their tender texture. Pork broth is then introduced, merging with the sweet clam broth. The rich garlic aroma and the sweet essence of the clam broth in the pot is delightful and almost reminds me of Spaghetti alle Vongole in Bianco. From the very first bite of the juicy clams taken from the pot, each mouthful of the Garlic Clam Hotpot is a revelation. The freshness of the clams burst like beads of the ocean in your mouth. The garlic adds a luscious layer to the broth, ensuring that every bite is packed with tantalizing flavor.
Best Taiwanese Hotpot in Taipei—Mania Retro Fondue: Veggie Buffet
Mania Retro Fondue's buffet allows everyone to indulge in the deliciousness of Taiwanese-style individual hotpot. They offer a variety of all-you-can-eat vegetables and hotpot ingredients.
The vegetable options at the buffet include cabbage, napa cabbage, mustard spinach, corn, cucumber, and winter melon, among others. For root vegetables, they provide choices such as taro, pumpkin, carrot, and turnip. There are also all types of mushrooms, including my favorite enoki mushrooms and Ares' favorite black fungus. The hotpot ingredients range from cod fish soup dumpling, Chinese basil balls, pig's blood cake, shrimp dumplings, shrimp balls, tempura, fish dumplings, oden, firm tofu, frozen tofu, Korean fish cake, meatballs, egg dumplings, and milkfish paste, offering a variety of flavorful choices. Additionally, they offer rice, glass noodles, rice vermicelli, knife-cut noodles, egg noodles, and ramen noodles as mains.
Cabbage from the buffet goes particularly well in the Rice Wine Chicken & Clam Hotpot and the Garlic Clam Hotpot, adding a fresh and sweet flavor to the broth. The mustard spinach is perfect in the Flame Spicy Hotpot, its vibrant green color alone is quite appetizing, and it becomes even more delicious after soaking up the spicy broth.
The oden among the hotpot ingredients is also a tasty choice when added to the Flame Spicy Hotpot. After being cooked, the oden absorbs the broth and expands twice in size. It is soft on the outside with a chewy center, carrying a hint of sweetness from the fish paste it's made from. When the Korean fish cake is cooked and dipped in a side of spicy Taiwanese barbecue sauce, it becomes even more delicious. The pumpkin, when cooked in the Flame Spicy Hotpot, transforms into a rich and smooth pumpkin purée, offering a sweet creaminess that complements the spiciness of the broth.
The buffet also offers milkfish paste which has a strong garlic flavor, making it most suitable for the Garlic Clam Hotpot. Pig's blood cake, on the other hand, is an ideal choice for the Rice Wine Chicken & Clam Hotpot. After being cooked, I enjoy dipping it in some pepper salt, which enhances the soft and chewy texture and the umami of the broth. Additionally, the firm tofu expands to 2 to 3 times its original size once cooked and has a tender texture after fully absorbing the broth.
For those who love carbs, the various noodle options provided at the buffet are not to be missed. Noodles cooked in the Flame Spicy Hotpot have a particularly delicious flavor as they soak up the spicy broth. Ares likes cooking the ramen noodles a little longer, he enjoys the well-seasoned noodles paired with their soft texture. I prefer the knife-cut noodles, the al dente texture is most satisfying eaten with the flavorful broth.
Whether you are a vegetable lover or enjoy a variety of hotpot ingredients, Mania Retro Fondue's buffet provides a wide range of ingredients that will allow you to fully enjoy the deliciousness of Taiwanese-style individual hotpot and have a fantastic time.
Best Taiwanese Hotpot in Taipei—Mania Retro Fondue: Meat & Seafood
Mania Retro Fondue offers a wide selection of meat and seafood as your main course, including chicken, pork, and beef. Most importantly, they do not use reconstituted meat. They also provide vegetable broth for vegetarian. What I value the most is the sourcing of the beef. It comes from major grass-fed beef-producing countries such as Australia, New Zealand, and Paraguay, allowing me to enjoy marbled cuts of beef while taking care of my health.
The flat iron beef is tender and smooth. It only needs to be briefly blanched in the pot for 5 to 10 seconds to reach a perfect medium-rare. As soon as you take a bite, the juices from the beef burst out. The flat iron beef is best cooked in the Flame Spicy Hotpot which uses a beef-based broth, as the broth enhances the aroma of the beef and while the beef adds a richer flavor to the broth.
The pork shoulder has a delicate and bouncy texture. In my opinion, the best soup base to pair with it is the Garlic Clam Hotpot, as the savory and sweet broth allows the pork's flavor to shine. You can also cook the pork shoulder in the Rice Wine Chicken & Clam Hotpot, where the fragrance of sesame oil melds with the meat, reminiscent of the classic Taiwanese dish "sesame oil pork."
Flowers of the Sea at Mania Retro Fondue includes clams, tilapia, and white shrimp. Clams play an important role, and we choose to cook them in the Garlic Clam Hotpot. The broth itself already captures the freshness of the clams, but after cooking it for a while and addingf pork broth to prevent the pot from drying up, the clam's flavor slightly diminishes. At this point, adding more clams to the pot takes the broth to the next level. The fusion of garlic and rice whine also enhances the deliciousness of the clams.
Ledodo Group has always been thoughtful, just like at Rododo Hotpot, at Mania Retro Fondue, they also have a shrimp peeling service, which allowed us to enjoy the shrimp right after they are cooked. Both Ares and I greatly appreciate this gesture because we are immensely lazy. The white shrimp has a chewy outer layer and tender center, with a hint of sweetness. I like to cook them in the Garlic Clam Hotpot and dip them in my chili sauce. The combination of sweetness and spiciness is a perfect match and adds to their deliciousness.
Mania Retro Fondue maintains the high-quality standards of the Ledodo Group in their meat and seafood selections. It is definitely a must-try food destination!
Best Taiwanese Hotpot in Taipei—Mania Retro Fondue: À la Carte Snacks
As a master of Taiwanese cuisine, Mania Retro Fondue offers not only hotpot but a variety of delicious Taiwanese snacks. Their signature dishes include Kung Fu Crispy Pork Ribs and Red Squid. Among them, the Kung Fu Crispy Pork Ribs is one of the most popular dishes at Mania Retro Fondue, with an astonishing number of sales each year, enough to stack into six Taipei 101 towers.
The preparation of Kung Fu Crispy Pork Ribs requires great attention to detail. The ribs go through meticulous marination and are then fried right before they are served. The pork ribs are incredibly crispy on the outside, and tempted me to clean up every bit even around the bones. The meat in the center is firm yet tender, with delicate marbling that prevents any dryness. The pork ribs also have a slight chewiness from the tendon, providing a delightful texture with every bite.
Best Taiwanese Hotpot in Taipei—Mania Retro Fondue: Dessert & Drinks
Mania Retro Fondue not only offers a wide range of hotpot ingredients and delicious main courses but also surprises guests with delightful desserts and beverages. The buffet bar provides unlimited drinks and soft-serve ice cream, allowing you to savor the sweetness while enjoying your hotpot.
The dessert is a brown sugar milk tea ice cream. The texture of the soft-serve is creamy, with the rich fragrance of brown sugar. Each spoonful releases a sweet and pleasant flavor, providing a unique sensory enjoyment. As for the beverages, Mania Retro Fondue offers various options, including fresh kumquat juice, Yifeng winter melon tea, Taiwanese guava juice, and sugar-free oolong tea. There is also water available for self-service.
Ares particularly enjoys the tangy and refreshing kumquat juice. The drink not only quenches thirst but is also quite appetizing. It is great especially after a full meal, a glass of fresh kumquat juice helps with digestion and alleviates any feeling of stuffiness. I prefer the sugar-free oolong tea, which cleanses the palate and allows me to fully appreciate the flavors of the various hotpot broths.
With its diverse selection of desserts and beverages, Mania Retro Fondue adds a touch of sweetness and freshness to the dining experience. While enjoying Taiwanese-style hotpot, you can indulge in some delicious brown sugar milk tea ice cream or choose a refreshing glass of fresh kumquat juice or sugar-free oolong tea, allowing both your taste buds and spirits to be pleasantly nourished.
Best Taiwanese Hotpot in Taipei—Mania Retro Fondue: Giveaway
I'm also doing a giveaway on Instagram! 3 lucky ducks are going to be chosen for a "NTD$409 set meal coupon", which will be directly sent to your Ledodo membership app.
Make sure you are following me and @twfondueretro on Instagram. Like this post and share it to your Instagram stories, then tag 3 friends in the comments and write down 「台式爆炒就是狂！」in Chinese for the chance to win!
Best Taiwanese Hotpot in Taipei—Mania Retro Fondue: Discount Info
Of course, at any restaurant under Ledodo Group, you have a new member freebie as long as you have the Ledodo App! Join the app to receive a new comers' coupon which allows you to choose 1 of 150g of pork shoulder or 150g boneless chicken thigh.
Limited time event [Stir-Fry Mania]: before June 30th, record a 10 second+ video of the hotpot case being stir-friend and post it to your Instagram or Facebook stories for a free serving of pork shoulder or boneless chicken thigh.
Weekday lunch time special: three classic Taiwanese hotpot—Chinese Medicine Chicken Thigh Hotpot, KungFu Crispy Pork Ribs Hotpot, and Peeled Chili Clam & Chicken Hotpot—go at a discounted price of NTD$299, including the all-you-can-eat hotpot buffet.
Every time you spend NTD$100 at any restaurant under Ledodo Group you get 1 point. Just 5 points would get you a free serving of seafood, meat, or Taiwanese snacks at Mania Retro Fondue and Rododo Hotpot. There are even more choices with 10 points. You can also use these points at any restaurant that belongs to the group.
Each point is valid for 60 days. If you eat at any restaurant under Ledodo group in that 60 days and collect more points on the app, ALL existing points would be extended for another 60 days. It's impossible for foodies like me to waste even a single point!
Reminder: We came here during weekday afternoon to avoid the crowd. There is often a line at Mania Retro Fondue. They currently do not take phone call reservations, so it's suggested that you go as soon as the store opens and put your name on the list to avoid long waits.
Best Taiwanese Hotpot in Taipei—Store Info
Store Info: Mania Retro Fondue LuZhou JiXian Store
Address: 1F, No. 227, Jixian Road, Luzhou District, New Taipei City
Opening hours: weekdays 12:00-15:00, 17:30-22:00; weekend 12:00-15:30, 17:30-22:00
Branches: there are 15 branches all over Taiwan so you can enjoy the Taiwanese hotpot mania in every city and county! Find the branch info in Mania Retro Fondue's Instagram bio.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/twfondueretro/
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