How to choose good restaurant in Taiwan - rule of thumb Nr.1

Word of mouth marketing works great in any business, in restaurants it's just a lifeblood and having your own evangelists, you could just live only on it, without any flashy or annoying signs, small blue trucks, who use loudspeakers driving early Saturday morning in your side street to wake you up with abusing announcement of new menu or a boy near MRT, who hands out advertisement. Having said that, I need to tell, that any of my customers for marketing issues I would still recommend my 101 things to do for marketing checklist, however keeping in mind, that word of mouth is the thing, that will generate the business. And why word of mouth sparks sometimes, is that good food, or your creative design or betel nut style girls as waitresses? In taiwan it's food, food and again food. You can do everything, but if you will have bad food, you will have no WOM. Truth to be said, that using a tricks and catches I would brainstorm with owner - there will be and must be the new customers, but if you will give dishes that not tastes good, they will not come again. If you want to open restaurant in Taiwan -remember, food first, marketing second, outlook third. And that means for you, as a foreigner or tourist here also. Do not be fooled by shiny and fancy designs - you will mostly get much better and tasty food in restaurants, that look not so clean (in your western eyes), not so fashionable and not so ____ you write it. This post is introduction of series of such examples. When WOM + good food makes miracles happen.
So, how to spot a good restaurant having no friend around to suggest it?
Easy.
Look one with most people inside, and the most good one will be the one where people are not only sitting inside, but also standing outside and waiting for food to be cooked for takeaway home. It's just that easy, and my wife taught me this rule just one as first rules when I went to Taiwan.
I tried break this rule. I tried specially choose a most empty restaurant on a street, to get really decent on taste food and say - yes, the busy place is much better. I tried break this rule many times. Still, busy paces have better food and nothing can break this law. It's like a watering hole in desert - the best ones are most busy. I will give an examples one by one in my blog, as i will happen to visit such "busy" places, that look totally "grey" from outside, and can be easily missed, if criteria for choose is a fancy sign.
I do not say also, that all what is made in boutique style with expensive interior and golden color plumbing in WC - they are, and some are also good, but ROI - return on investment, (pleasure of good food per dollar amount paid) will be much better at those, what you will choose at this simple rule.
Note - rule works much better in local districts, in centers, especially, in tourist busy places it might work worse, since much people are same as you not locals. But in local living districts, night markets - this rule again works perfectly.

EXAMPLE NR.1 (more on next posts, so stay tuned)

One of such restaurants are on Beipin road in Taichung. Also, it's a lot of time to drive from our location to there, she's constantly at least 2 or 3 times going exactly to there, and became pure evangelist of this restaurant suggesting it to everyone for lunch, and so off we went.



Allow me introduce the Lao Shan restaurant on Beipin Lu 173. Yes, it's that simply and easy. No halogen 4 m flash signs, or WE ARE THE NR.1 IN TAIWAN or anything like that. And it's full. All the scooters you see came just here and for lunch, and most of them were in suits, so, it must be good food.



everyone is extremely busy, a lot of workers - for relatively small place



That's it. White walls and hungry people and you are lucky to find 1 table at lunch time. That's a pattern to choose a restaurant in Taiwan.



Selection of cold dishes - beans, peas, salad, vegetables etc.



That's our lunch - noodles with beef, taros, kelp, sweet potato, tofu and Lu Wei. It's just what you could expect. Good quality, tasty and healthy. In my next post I will introduce similar restaurant, but this time in Miaoli.

Comments

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The food might be good, but you better make sure how they prepared it, because thai food tends to be a little exaggerated for our regular food habits and you don't want to be surprised with a cockroach or a rat's tail in you plate!

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I know now what and where to go. I'm excited for my second visit.

[Larissa Dobbin]

Oh, is that mushroom mixed with that tofu platter? That looks so yummy! Gotta love those dim sum selections too. If I ever get the chance to visit Taiwan, I'd definitely check out Lao Shan. Never liked dining in a crowded-looking place, but hey, It's Taiwan after all. Having more tables occupied means good food is bound to be served.