After our positive experiences at Sichuan Longfu and Longfu Shabu Shabu, we had one last stop, Waffogato near Taipei Main Station, another restaurant under the same group. We saved this for the last because it is much closer to where we live and we are counting on it to be as amazing as the other two. And it's a location that we can more conveniently revisit.
Best Taipei Mala Hotpot: Waffogato—Interior
While the interior Longfu Shabu Shabu uses elements from Chinese culture, and Sichuan Longfu adapts the theme of classic Sichuan looks from the Shu Kingdom, Waffogato opts for a more modern industrial look. The dark turquoise walls with the black and white decor makes for a very comfortable dining environment. The edges of the shelves are metallic gold while the lights are a silverish gray, which brightens up the space and makes the atmosphere more vibrant.
Best Taipei Mala Hotpot: Waffogato—Broth
For the broth, each person is charged NTD$99, which comes with unlimited servings of rice, tofu, and duck’s blood cake. You also have the option to add NTD$99 (total, not each), for a duo-flavored half-and-half hotpot. There are five flavors of broth to choose from: mala (numbing spicy), sauerkraut and pork, century egg with cilantro, milk, and bone broth.
I did not hesitate to go for the mala hotpot broth again. Waffogato does not offer the option to have it extra numbing, I just got it at the maximum spice level. I was worried that it wouldn’t be strong enough, but the broth was flavorful as usual. After cooking the broth for a while, the numbness became more obvious and buzzed in my mouth as I ate. The tofu is just as amazing as the ones from Sichuan Longfu, I ate every single piece in the pot and did not leave anything behind.
Though we loved the sauerkraut and pork broth from last time, we wanted to try something different this time, and opted for the bone broth. The bone broth is a clear soup that is quite light, it would be a good option for those who do not like strongly flavored food. It absorbs the flavor of all the ingredients and maximizes the taste of them.
Best Taipei Mala Hotpot: Waffogato—A La Carte
When we went to Longfu Shabu Shabu, Ares fell completely in love with the Sichuan Chili Oil Noodles with Salted Pork, so we naturally decided to have it again. The Sichuan Chili Oil Noodles from Waffogato use a different type of noodles from Longfu Shabu Shabu, they are my favorite thick hand-pulled noodles. The savory saltiness of the pork and the perfectly al dente chewy texture of the noodles further enhanced the dish. The noodles come with slices of fried sweet potatoes on top. The potato slices were crispy on the outside and soft in the center, with a natural sweetness that complemented the spice of the sauce.
Ares doesn't normally like thick noodles and enjoys food with extremely soft texture; however, he said that the sauce was so excellent that he did not even care. Last time at Longfu Shabu Shabu, Ares gobbled down most of the noodle. Fortunately, this time, Ares was cutting and couldn't have too much carbs, so I had the pleasure of hogging most of the noodles without feeling guilty.
We also got a classic Sichuan dish called Hanging Meat. No, it is not cured meat or jerky, but it is served hanging on a wooden stick. Ares was hesitant upon seeing it because he thought it looked like laundry. I simply can't explain Chinese food to this guy. The blanched pork are hung on the shelf with long cucumber slices, below the shelf is a dish of chili sauce. The chili sauce is spicy and has a strong taste of garlic, matching splendidly with the refreshing cucumber and bouncy pork. After we finished the pork, I kept the chili sauce to use as a dip for the shrimp. The spiciness and the sweetness go perfectly together.
Best Taipei Mala Hotpot: Waffogato—Meat
Of course, we were not going to miss out on the chance of having sliding beef again. As I've previously explained in my review for Sichuan Longfu, sliding beef is a classic Chinese hotpot dish where raw egg is mixed with thick slices of marinated beef, which helps keep the slices tender no matter how long you cook it and it slides right down your throat. This time, I went all out and got the mala sliding beef. Having been marinated in Sichuan chili sauce, the beef becomes even more flavorful after being cooked in the mala broth. The layers of spices exploded in my mouth as I bit into pieces of the tender meat.
For the meat slices, we got the U.S. Choice Beef Brisket and Spanish Iberico Pork. Though beef brisket slices are a leaner cut of hotpot meat, the U.S. Choice Beef Brisket from Waffogato was not dry or tough at all. In fact, it was perfectly soft and tender. I especially loved cooking it in the mala broth because of how well the beef taste goes with the spiciness. I also love placing raw slices in my bowl then covering it with boiling hot soup which would render the beef medium-rare. The soup in the bowl is mixed with the juices released from the beef and becomes intensely flavorful and addictive.
The Spanish Iberico Pork was really flavorful and had a strong savory taste on its own. Cooking it in the clear bone broth and eating it without any dipping sauce helps it shine even more. Even when cooked in the mala broth, the flavor is not overpowered. I could still taste the undertone of its natural sweetness and savoriness, which went well with the spicy and numbing flavor of the broth.
Best Taipei Mala Hotpot: Waffogato—Seafood
Shrimp lovers, I have a birthday present for you. If you come here to celebrate your birthday, just call ahead to let them know and you will get free shrimp the same number as the age that you are turning. There was a table of 8 next to us and I overheard the grandpa happily announcing that they were there to celebrate his 75th birthday! Then I saw a heaping mountain of shrimp being served. The grandpa was so happy and energetic. He's a hotpot lover and proudly told his friends of how delicious Waffogato is as he introduced the first-comers to it. He even compared it to several of the famous hotpot restaurants in Taiwan, and I have to concur with his choice.
The quality of the fresh, juicy, and plump shrimp persists and my mouth was watering just thinking of the savory sweetness, I did not even refuse when Ares told me to have a few more than usual.
Best Taipei Mala Hotpot: Waffogato—Hotpot Ingredients
I've been wanting to try the pumpkin cheese balls since I first saw it on the menu of Longfu Shabu Shabu, and finally got around to trying it at Waffogato. I was so impressed with them. Ares was never a huge fan of hotpot ingredients and thought that they were just fillers, he was originally skeptically of those but was pleasantly surprised and ended up loving them.
The outer layer of the pumpkin cheese ball is made of fishcake and as I bit into it, I could see chunks of cheddar cheese in it. The inside of the cheese balls are filled with pumpkin purée that is so rich and smooth that Ares descried it as "hot ice cream". The saltiness of the cheese, sweetness from the pumpkin purée, and spiciness from the broth makes the perfect combination.
Best Taipei Mala Hotpot: Waffogato—Dessert
If you have a sweet tooth, make sure that you leave a positive Google review for free ice cream!
Taipei Main Station Sichuan Mala Hotpot—Store Info
Store name: Waffogato W. Spicy Hotpot
Address: No.29, Xinyang Street, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City (8-minute walk from exit M6 of MRT Taipei Main Station)
Opening hours: Mon–Sun 11:30–22:00
Phone: (02)2311-0215
Facebook fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/waffogatotaipei
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