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TAIWAN FUN MAGAZINE, April, 2006.

Kao Les Banq Korean Restaurant

Kao Les Banq Korean Restaurant
40, Lane 51, DaAn Road, Sec. 1 (behind ZhongXin Clinic)
(02) 2772-8649
Hours: 11:30 am-2 pm, 5-9 pm
Closed first, third Mondays of each month.
MRT: ZhongXiao/DunHua
Credit cards accepted. 10% service charge.

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--By Leslie Tseng Translated by Cara Steenstra

Known to most as "Hua Jie" (Sister Hua), Jiang Yu-hua and her famous singer brother Jiang Yu-heng are both Chinese-Koreans who speak Chinese and Korean fluently and possess friendly personalities. They returned 21 years ago and opened Kao Les Banq, selling kimchi, seaweed sprout salad, bean sprout salad, crabmeat with cucumbers, golden radish pieces and more. A great selection of special appetizers, authentic copper-plate Korean BBQ, reasonable prices, friendly atmosphere and authenticity make this restaurant very popular.

Other dishes include Korea's famous Ginseng Chicken Soup. Innards are removed from young chickens, which are stuffed with ginseng, sticky rice, red dates and other herbal medicines before being stewed. The freshness of the meat and sweetness of the soup help cast away winter chills.

Be sure to try the Seafood Pancake, crammed with shrimp, squid and other seafood; the Spicy Stir-Fried New Year Cakes, which is both spicy and chewy; and the Korean-Style Fresh Crabs that retain the crabs' original flavors. The Stone Pot Mixed Rice comes piping hot. Small iron bowls--containing six to seven kinds of kimchi along with a pan-fried egg and delicious, stir-fried minced meat--are mixed to create Vegetable Mixed Rice.

Deep Fried Shrimp is another dish unique to this restaurant, with a crispy, golden outer layer. The Korean Fragrant Chicken is made from de-boned chicken thighs, stir-fried with succulent mushrooms and a secret sauce. The Spicy Cold Noodles boast a real kick. Other dishes include the New Year's Cake Soup, Spicy Yellow Fish, and Imperial Hot Pot. After dinner, all diners get a fragrant, delicious cup of Korean Pine Needle Tea--a warm, sweet conclusion to a satisfying meal.

For 21 years, head chef and owner Hua Jie has been in charge of preparing all the dishes. She continues to insist on using fresh, quality ingredients, and she never sells meat that has not been marinated with enough flavors. Most who have been to Kao Les Banq fall in love with the food and keep returning for more, including celebrities like Chang Hsiao-Yen, Mickey Huang, Matilda Tao, Liu Xuehua and others who are regulars here. As a further tribute, Korean celebrities such as Clon, SES and HOT have all stopped by during their stays in Taiwan.