Kooks 異嗑堂
I Highly Recommend ☆☆☆☆☆
Taipei restaurant offering: Burgers / Milkshakes / Quesadillas / Tacos / Nachos / Hummus, Tzatziki, & Tahini Plates / Sandwiches / Pitas / Wraps / Rice Plates / Salad / Pasta / Dessert / Appetizers / Smoothies / Juice / Soda / Tea / Beer / Wine / Cocktails
Address:
No. 12, Ln. 18, Ren'ai St, Tamsui Dist., New Taipei City 251
新北市淡水區仁愛街18巷12號
Phone: (02) 2625-6161
Hours: 12pm - 11pm Daily
Last Reviewed: 20 March 2016
My friend who lives in Tamsui, which should still be called Danshui, took me to Kooks. I was blown away with their food, literally blown away! The store owners, Liam McDonagh and Emma Chen (陳佩君), hold true to great North American restaurants by not skimping on ingredients or using cheap ingredients--most of their sauces are homemade--even after they became a popular joint, because they understand the concept of repeat business; something that even a lot of Western-run restaurants in Taipei fail to live true to, giving into the Taiwanese-restaurant way of making an extra buck or two as their business slowly slides down the toilet, or they continue to fool brainless followers who eat wherever everyone else is eating or says is "popular" or "famous." Kooks is a living example in Taiwan for showing how consistently focusing on quality, delicious food at a fair price can cultivate regulars and continue to draw in newcomers through word of mouth. The money they lose on quality and well proportioned ingredients is made back with repeat business. It's sad that this kind of thing is so rare to come by in Taiwan. Thank you Kooks for holding true to the restaurant moral etiquette and walking that narrow middle path in a country where so many restaurants eventually forget about the passion of food and turn their establishments into soulless money machines that couldn't care less about customers or the art of food. Actually, I'd say that many establishments are opened up in Taipei/New Taipei City that never were passionate about anything, and were built as money machines from their very inceptions. Yes, of course every place needs to make money or it can't continue to exist, but everyone knows that the best places are the best--and continue to be the best--because of passion.
At first Kooks became my new favorite burger place; they make the best burgers in New Taipei City, and maybe Taipei as well. They've raised the burger bar to another level in the Taipei area. The patties are cooked in their own juices, marinating in all that goodness; the patties are correctly seasoned with salt and pepper; the size of the patty is good; the brioche buns are of the highest quality (I'm told they come from Wendel's Bakery!) and provide some denseness unlike the mushy crap a lot of burger places serve in Taiwan; and the ingredients besides the patty and bun are quality and nicely proportioned.
Then they became my favorite place to get a milkshake; their milkshakes are freaking spectacular! At the same price as other places, Kooks' shakes are larger, possess quality ingredients, and completely taste like authentic, delicious North American shakes. John Travolta would have no problem paying five dollars for Kooks' shakes. We all know that it's normal to have to pay $5 USD for a milkshake in Taiwan, but if other places served as large and as good of a shake as Kooks does, they'd be charging up to double the price as Kooks does.
Then after trying their Mexican, Indian, and Mediterranean dishes/sauces, I thought, 'What can't Liam do? Is he some kind of culinary God or something?!' The homemade salsa--and I can validate that it was homemade because I had it on two different occasions, and it was delicious both times but slightly different, which is typical for homemade items--tasted just like salsa I've had at quality Mexican restaurants in North America. The chips were crispy, not stale. The heaping nacho plate was loaded with quality ingredients, easily becoming one of my favorite nacho plates in Taiwan. The chicken tikka was tender and swam in a tasty Indian curry. Their tzatziki sauce took me back to one of my favorite Greek gyro joints back home. Even the cool paintings on the walls were done by Liam--WTF! Again, what can't he do? Liam is as dedicated to his restaurant as Liam Neeson is to getting his daughter back every time she's taken--why is everybody always takin' Liam Neeson's shit?
I really wish Kooks was in Taipei instead of New Taipei City, so I could enjoy it more often. The thought of Kooks' food tempts me to take the red MRT line north all the way up to Tamsui just to get what I can't get in Taipei. So if you find yourself in the Tamsui area or just want to travel a little for excellent food, Kooks should be your destination for deliciousness.
Vegetarian options: Kooks has two full menu pages heaping with vegetarian items. See for yourself in the picture's section below and get your veggie taste buds salivating.
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King Yang's review of Kooks 異嗑堂
Another Chinese review of Kooks 異嗑堂
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Address:
No. 12, Ln. 18, Ren'ai St, Tamsui Dist., New Taipei City 251 新北市淡水區仁愛街18巷12號 Phone: (02) 2625-6161 Hours: 12pm - 11pm Daily Chinese & English Menu Average Dish Price: NT$280 10% Service Charge Cash Only Free Wi-Fi Takes Reservations Click on link below for a Google STREET VIEW Kooks 異嗑堂 |
An entertaining short film by Frans Kromhout that takes place in Kooks, and includes visuals of some of Kooks' delicious dishes. It stars Anna-wa Chao, Jim Liu, Ben Hao Kuo, and Kooks' owners, Liam McDonagh and Emma Chen, also make cameos.
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