Triple Delights: Anqing Private Kitchen's Iron Pot Stew

This reservation-only private kitchen specializes in Northeastern Chinese cuisine.

My friend booked a table in mid-February, and the earliest available slot was in December! The limited seating and the restaurant's reputation for delicious private dishes make it highly sought after. 🤩

I joined my friend's dining group to try it out early. 🥳 The restaurant has only three round tables (seating 8-14 people) and offers different price ranges per person, from $800 to $1500 (as of 202510).

Originally, we planned to try the $1200 per person menu, but halfway through the meal, the organizer noticed the dishes were different. It turned out the owner had mistakenly served the $1000 menu instead! 😂

The soul of this restaurant is the owner, who hails from Harbin and married into Taiwan. The cast iron pot on the table is the highlight of the meal. 😻

The Iron Pot Stewed Ribs can be paired with steamed buns or corn cakes. The organizer mentioned loving the steamed buns from a previous visit, so we ordered them again. The ribs can also be upgraded to goose, chicken, beef, or lamb for an additional charge. Once the buns are steamed, the owner personally serves them at the table and teaches guests how to enjoy them.

The hot, fluffy steamed buns (unseasoned and oil-free) are torn into small pieces and dipped into the stew's sauce. The pot also contains potatoes, pumpkin, and corn, all stewed to a tender perfection. The ribs are so tender they fall off the bone. 👍

Before the iron pot is ready, guests can enjoy complimentary appetizers like cucumber salad with pork neck and Korean kimchi. Next comes the Northeastern dipping vegetables: romaine lettuce wraps filled with tofu skin, cucumber, and cilantro, seasoned with a soybean paste stir-fried with eggs. Refreshing and delicious!

The hot dishes include the signature crispy pork belly, fried to a crunchy perfection and served with a unique house-made dry dip for added flavor.

The subsequent hot dishes lean more towards Cantonese cuisine, featuring steamed grouper, Typhoon Shelter-style squid, spicy crab with rice cakes, and shrimp vermicelli casserole. These dishes are familiar flavors; the Typhoon Shelter-style squid is mildly spicy and very tasty, while the spicy crab with rice cakes is well-seasoned. However, the shrimp vermicelli casserole was overly oily and disappointing. 🥲

Thankfully, the Northeastern cold noodles and garlic clam ribs served in between refreshed our palates. 🥹

The meal concluded with sour cabbage pork belly and Northeastern sweet and sour pork (a complimentary dish due to the menu mix-up). The sour cabbage had its acidity toned down, and the sweet and sour pork was a novel and enjoyable dish.

Overall, the experience was quite pleasant and unique. The organizer, who was visiting for the second time, recommended the $900 per person menu and immediately inquired about booking another table. 🤭

Anqing Private Kitchen - Iron Pot Stew (Reservation Only)
Closed on Wednesdays
Hours: 12:00-14:30, 18:00-22:00
Address: No. 50, Anqing Street, Sanchong District, New Taipei City