Scallop Fried Rice and Softshell Crab at Sinchao Rice Shoppe, Taipei, Taiwan (Michelin Bib Gourmand)

Scallop Fried Rice and Softshell Crab

by Sinchao Rice Shoppe, Taipei, Taiwan

I wanted to do something special on my last night in Taiwan, so I decided to splurge a bit and treat myself to a nice Michelin Bib Gourmand dinner in downtown Taipei.

Sinchao Rice Shoppe serves upscale, modern takes of classic Taiwanese dishes. After days of night markets and street-side snacks, I was curious to see how those familiar flavors would taste when elevated in a more refined setting.

Sinchao Rice Shoppe's famous scallop fried rice with mullet roe

I ordered the scallop fried rice to start. The rice was stir-fried with bottarga, a type of cured mullet roe, which gives the rice its unique pink color and a sort of nutty, salty flavor. Like a traditional Chinese-style fried rice, the dish was cooked with cabbage, green onion, and scrambled eggs, and was topped with fresh sprouts and three large juicy seared scallops.

seared scallops with bottarga fried rice in Taipei, Taiwan

I also ordered the softshell crab. I can never pass up the chance to have soft shell crab! It's one of my all-time favorite foods. 

The deep-fried crab was perfectly cooked, tender on the inside and crispy on the outside, and was drizzled with a sweet roselle syrup and a savory and creamy salted egg dip and topped with a sprinkle of grated preserved egg yolk. The roselle was sweet and fruity, tempered by the salty, savory, umami of the golden egg yolk. Together, they gave the crab a complex, balanced flavor.

deep-fried softshell crab with roselle syrup and salted egg dip

More great food in Taipei

• Wang's Broth: Famous 50-Year-Old Braised Pork Shop (Bib Gourmand Award)
• Da'an Beef Noodles by Halal Chinese Beef Noodles
• Taiwanese Black Pepper Pork Buns (Michelin Bib Gourmand) at Raohe Street Night Market

Location

Sinchao Rice Shoppe is located at 110, Taiwan, Taipei City, Xinyi District, Section 5 of Zhongxiao East RoadSection 5 of Zhongxiao E Rd, 68號2樓. You can find the restaurant on the second floor of Breeze Xinyi shopping mall at Taipei City Hall MRT Station.

The restaurant is designed to be reminiscent of an old-school bistro, with an expansive bar and large windows overlooking downtown. It's a nice place for a date, dinner with friends, or just a nice meal out on the town.

Sinchao Rice Shoppe in Taipei, Taiwan