Thursday 16 January 2014

Black Dog Cafeteria

黑狗食堂

No. 115, Hexi Rd, Yancheng Dist
高雄市鹽埕區河西路115號
(09)20605876

Monday-Sunday
5:00pm-12:00am

facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/%E9%BB%91-%E7%8B%97%E9%A3%9F%E5%A0%82/193725557384619

English friendly: no
vegetarian friendly: yes
average cost: 100-200NTD

This is the only exclusively open-air restaurant I've been to so far in Kaohsiung.


Coincidentally, the two evenings I've eaten here have also been among the coldest I've experienced so far in Kaohsiung. Pro tip: if it's raining outside, go somewhere else.

From what I've seen, this place is always really crowded. We surrendered in the face of the crowds last Saturday, and this Tuesday still had to wait ten or so minutes for a table. On a Tuesday! A cold Tuesday!


The Black Dog Cafeteria sells Singaporean food, which it turns out is mostly soups with noodles, hot pot, crabs and shrimps, and assorted fried things. Their traditional Singapore fried 蘿蔔糕 (radish cake) looks DELICIOUS, and their fried 粿條 (flat noodles) is confirmedly delicious.

As you can see by all the red crayon above, though, they are often out of... lots of things... so cross your fingers!


We started with this traditional Singaporean treat, wheat bread sandwiching a thick slab of butter and some strangely green jelly. It was really yummy, as you might expect. I don't know what flavor the jelly was, but it tasted sugary and sort of fruity and I'm not complaining.


My friend ordered the 肉骨茶麵 or meatbone tea-noodles, and they came with little hunks of 油條, the sugar-free Asian churro.


After a period of great indecision, and several furtive glances at other people's tables, I decided on the Malaysian curry. Not exactly a traditional Singaporean dish, but I regret nothing! This thing was not merely delicious, it was extremely delicious. The sort of delicious that you have to continually remark upon even as you're eating it, and that stays with you all night afterwards. 

The noodles looked sort of like the crispy French onions you put on top of green bean casserole, and I do in fact think they may have been fried to a crisp at some point, but when they got to me they were soft and puffy and soggy with curry. Quite the unique--and delicious--noodle experience. The curry itself was wonderful, thin and flavorful with the perfect hint of warming spice. Just what one needs on a cold evening eating Singaporean food out in the open.

Each time I've been here (and actually gotten a seat), I've enjoyed it immensely. This is the perfect restaurant for taking a few friends on a fun evening out: delicious, exotic, not too expensive, and complete with selection of two or three actually good beers.

Also, the interior design is all vintage and cool, and there are two big furry black dogs that wander around and let you pet them!

OVERALL RATING: 4/5

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