Piggy See, Piggy Do

Mama Piggy chose Nice Time Deli for her birthday dinner. It's a good place for Taiwanese styled dishes. It's a step above hole in the wall so don't expect great service unless you know how to speak Mandarin. The food, however, is authentic. Just the way I remember Mama Piggy used to make.

I wanted to take her to a nicer place, a sushi place perhaps, but Mama Piggy is not picky and she was in the mood for Chinese. Also, she was hoping the owner would be there so that we'd get some free food. heehee

Here's what we ordered:

Jellyfish – gelatinous, crunchy and flavorless. I didn't care for it but Mama Piggy likes it.
Xiao long bao – juicy little steamed pork dumplings
Eggplant with basil – I wish I could make eggplant the way they do
Steamed whole rock cod with ginger, cilantro & soy sauce - one of my favorites
Goose with house sauce – surprisingly good. It wasn't gamey at all.
Oyster noodle soup – just like the kind Brother and I used to have from the street vendors in Taiwan, on the way home from our swimming lessons

Their xiao long bao may not be as good as Din Tai Fung across the street, but Nice Time is cheaper and has a bigger menu.

One of Mama Piggy's friends joined us and we ate just about everything. There was only a small take out box of eggplant left, which disappeared down my throat within minutes of getting home…