After the wine tasting and tour at the Lulu Island Winery, Emily S dropped us back at the South Arm Community Center. She and her friend went their way. Lorna, Peggy L and I decided to go for lunch.

Kao’s Family Restaurant has been on our list of places to try for a while but never get to it. I suggested this restaurant because Peggy L is from Taiwan and she can recommends some popular Taiwanese dishes to us.

Kao’s Family Restaurant has been in business for 10 years as the owner told us. This restaurant is tucked in a corner in the strip mall where Bei Jiang Restaurant is. The restaurant has minimalistic setting, just a few tables and chairs. It was pretty quiet on a weekday afternoon. Oh, parking is a big problem in this strip mall.

We left all the ordering to Peggy L. For starter, we had the Pig’s Hoof with Jelly for $4.75. It is served with a garlicky vinegarish dipping sauce which has a kick to it, i.e. a little spicy.

The Pig’s Hoof with Jelly is made with pigs feet that are boiled until the skin falls off the bones. Only the skin is used while …the meat is discarded as the meat will make this dish cloudy. This is very gelatinous and is served chilled.

We like that there is wood ear fungus in it which gives it a crunchy texture.

The second appetizer is Stewed Bamboo Shoot for $4.25. According to Peggy L, stewed bamboo shoot with pork is a must dish in the new year as bamboo signify longevity. The bamboo shoot is very crunchy and has a slight tangy flavour; kind of like pickle.

Lorna suggested to order the Taiwanese BBQ Sauce Squid Soup which is a very popular Taiwanese street food. The soup is $5.75. The soup is slightly thick with a light hint of BBQ sauce and basil flavour. There are also some daikon in the soup. The squid is crunchy and quite strong flavour which Peggy L thought the restaurant must be using dried squid that has been reconstituted.

For main dish. we had Beef Noodle in Soup. Beef Noodle in soup is an influence from Chinese cuisine. A bowl is $7.25. The noodle is done right, i.e QQ (still has a bite to it). The beef which has some tendon in it is very tender.

Peggy L also Crispy Chicken with Rice to share. The above is also $7.25. The chicken is not as crispy as we expected. The rice dish also comes with sides dishes like half a marinated egg, tofu in chili garlic sauce and steamed Shanghai bok choy.

While we were eating, we smelled something stinky as a customer ordered some deep fried stinky tofu. If you dig stinky tofu, this is a place to try.

Peggy L, thank you for sharing your knowledge on Taiwanese cuisine with us.

Kao’s Family Restaurant accepts cash only. The meal came to $12 per person inclusive of tips.

You can click on the menu to have a closer look.