Sometimes I have the pleasure to eat at a restaurant and like each and every dish. Kong – Taiwanese Bistro is such a place. If you have read a couple of reviews here, then you know that I am not easily satisfied and often find a flaw. Not so at Kong, which surprised me with excellent Taiwanese street food. So much so that I really think about traveling there next.
Kong – Taiwanese Bistro just recently opened at an excellent location right downtown. The concept is more fast food than restaurant, but it clearly works with the kitchen. Kong is a small place with an open kitchen, but they do reservations. There was a lot of self-pick up though on that evening and the moment I entered the place I understood why. The filters didn’t work so great and there was quite a bit of kitchen aroma wafting around. Tantalizing, but also greasy. My clothes would smell after.
inside @Kong – Taiwanese Bistro
Instead of ordering a main dish like a bowl or a burger and which are difficult to share, we opted for a couple of tapas. The first one were corn ribs seasoned with seaweed, with a wedge of lime and oyster mayonnaise on the side.
corn ribs @Kong – Taiwanese Bistro
This was by far the most interesting dish I have eaten in a log time. So simple, so good! The seasoning was spot on and with a bit of lime and the mayo it was heavenly!
Next up was scallion pancake with ricotta, chive, and garlic. The pancake arrived hot and greasy at our table. It was pre-cut and grabbing my slice I felt the crust, sheer perfection! The ricotta garlic topping I smeared all over and then took the first bite. Another moment of pure bliss! Loved the sprinkled salt on top, which elevated the pancake another notch. Really, street food can be so delicious! There’s no need for anything else!
scallion pancake @Kong – Taiwanese Bistro
The cold sesame noodles, here in starter size, came with chili oil, coriander, cucumber, and spring onions. A sprinkling of crushed sesame seeds added additional texture. The broad noodles were perfect for the sauce, once mixed it was all nicely coated. The cucumber sticks and coriander stalks helped with picking it up easily with the chop sticks. I guess if I had eaten this dish first, I would have been ecstatic. Unfortunately it was the third one I tried. It’s perfect on its own, but lacked the sheer perfection of the two tapas above. The starter is enough for a lunch in my opinion.
cold Sesame Noodles, @Kong – Taiwanese Bistro
Next up was a portion of kimchi with carrot and garlic. There was no distinct red color from the Gochugaru chili seasoning, instead it had a mildish and slightly fruity flavor. I even thought there could be an apple inside, although the menu doesn’t mention any. It was perfect and so refreshing. Exactly what we needed, because the last tapas was extremely spicy.
kimchi @Kong – Taiwanese Bistro
Our final starter were Mapo wontons. Filled with Mapo tofu and pork, four plump bags nestled on a bed of white sauce seasoned with a generous amount of chili oil.
Mapo wonton @Kong – Taiwanese Bistro
My friend deemed them spicy on the outside as well on the inside. I thought they were spicy, but just right. Inside a hefty Mapo tofu aroma greeted me, the smell of Sichuan pepper heady. It reminded me instantly of a trip to Yunnan, where I got some great Mapo tofu. Absolutely delicious! I can’t say though what the white sauce was, but I needed it to diffuse the spice situation.
What a great evening! Vienna needs more restaurants like Kong – Taiwanese Bistro with delicious and interesting food. I love it that there is a new flavor place in town, where I can pick some food on the way home without breaking the bank! And best of all, it reminds me of traveling. Future and past trips! Yours, Pollybert
Kong – Taiwanese Bistro
1010 Wien, Hoher Markt 8
Tel: +43 676 4377080
Email: office@kong-vienna.com
Mon-Fri: 11:00-22:00, Sat: 12:00-22:00
https://kong-vienna.at/
