Nola Kitchen 紐澳良小廚
I Highly Recommend ☆☆☆☆☆
Taipei restaurant offering: Creole Food / Cajun Food / Fried Chicken & Waffles / Gumbo / Jambalaya / Beignets / Crawfish / Pork Chop / Ribs / Fish / Spaghetti / Risotto / Salad / Chicory Coffee / Appetizers / Dessert / Beer / Wine / Cocktails / Fruit Tea
Address:
No. 16, Aly. 14, Ln. 150, Sec. 5, Xinyi Rd., Xinyi Dist., Taipei City 110
台北市信義區信義路五段150巷14弄16號
Phone: (02) 2722-7662
Hours: Mon - Fri: 11:30am - 10pm, Sat & Sun: 9am - 10pm
Last Reviewed: 21 August 2018
Having spend some time in New Orleans, Louisiana, I gained a liking to Cajun and Creole cuisine. I was happy to have heard numerous good things about Nola Kitchen, so I mustered up the courage to try their food, even though I knew that it wouldn't be anything close to what I ate in Louisiana. Despite my tentativeness, I longed for something even remotely close to Creole and Cajun cuisine. My assumptions about Nola Kitchen were correct, but their food was actually better than I expected, which isn't saying much because I didn't expect much. A few of Nola Kitchen's items were satisfying enough for me to want to return every now and then to soak up some food that has a semblance of the Creole and Cajun cuisine of Louisiana.
Since most people don't know what Creole and Cajun cuisine is, I should cover that before reviewing Nola, and most will find this part more interesting anyway. The best way to understand these cuisines is to know a little bit about the colonial history of Louisiana. The territory was claimed in 1682 when a French explorer sailed down the Mississippi River and named the area at the mouth of the river La Louisiane (later changed to Louisiana), in honor of King Louis XIV. In 1704, the bishop of Quebéc sent 27 young ladies from Paris to Louisiana to be married off to colonists. After living in Louisiana for a short time, these women grew weary of the colony’s limited diet and lack of proper French food, particularly French bread. They did what the French do best: protested. They demanded better food. The governor at the time instructed his cook, who had traded herbs and food with Native Americans in the region, to teach the women how to cook with local ingredients. The women were taught how to make cornbread from cornmeal and how to prepare many of the meats and vegetables Native Americans introduced to colonists. So the first evolution of Creole cuisine derived from the usage of Native American herbs and foods into French recipes.
Between 1717 and 1722, German farm families were given free land to settle in Louisiana along the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Germans introduced sausages and dairy farming to the region during their stay.
In 1719, the first ships filled with African slaves arrived on the coast of Louisiana, purchased by the French from African tribes. Many of these slaves ran the kitchens of French colonists. They incorporated African cooking techniques, recipes, and ingredients into the regions food. They had a profound influence on Creole cuisine, starting with the introduction of okra and gumbo, derived from West African “gombo” stew made with okra.
In 1764, Spain formally acquired Louisiana from France. During the Spanish rule (1764-1800), New Orleans colonists traded with Spain, France, and Caribbean countries, which flooded the colony with Spanish and Caribbean foods and influences. It was also during this time that French colonists and Haitians fled the revolution in Saint-Domingue and sought refuge in New Orleans, bringing yet another set of culinary traditions and regional ingredients to the table. Under the Spanish rule, Louisiana’s Creole cuisine embraced piquant spices and seasonings, which complimented the rich French cuisine that had been a bit bland. One example of the Spanish influence can be seen in jambalaya, a spicy rice dish made with vegetables, meat, seafood, and sausage; a direct descendant of the Spanish national dish paella. During Spanish rule, the local population and cooking of the colony came to be known as Creole, a French word derived from the Spanish word criollo, the term used to describe a child born in the colonies. A Creole could be any nationality or background: French, Spanish, German, African, or any mix of nationalities, as long as they were born in the Louisiana colony.
The Acadians (Frenchmen who settled in “Acadie,” the wilds of Nova Scotia) were forcibly driven out of Canada in 1755 by the British. After returning to France, one of the largest groups of these exiles traveled to Louisiana. Over time, more waves of Acadians traveled to Louisiana, and they became known as “Cajuns.” Acadians were hunters, farmers, and fishermen experienced at living off the land. They were given land grants upriver from New Orleans and moved into the swamps, bayous, and prairies of Louisiana to start farms and ranches. Unlike the cosmopolitan Creole cuisine, which is largely thought of as more refined and seafood-centric, Cajun food leans toward the rustic and rural, featuring wild game, pork, beef, and sausage.
Louisiana became part of the United States following the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, and later became the 18th state in the USA in 1812. In the late 1800s, Italians flocked to New Orleans because of the growing business of importing Mediterranean citrus into the port city. Many of these immigrants worked on the docks in the fruit district, and eventually opened grocery stores and restaurants around the city. Italians made up about 90% of the immigrants in New Orleans at the time and dominated the grocery industry. The Italian contributions to the cuisine include “red gravy,” a red sauce thickened with roux that is used in everything from Creole Daube to grillades, and stuffed artichokes and peppers. Today, the Italian influence in shaping Creole cuisine is unmistakable, Southern Italian and Sicilian ingredients fundamentally transformed the cuisine.
Now back to focusing on Nola Kitchen. There are some dishes, and a drink, of theirs that will keep me coming back: Chicken 'n Waffles, Gumbo with rice (which actually is more like étouffée), Fried Green Tomato appetizer (which are actually red tomatoes), and Chicory Café Au Lait. The difference between these classic Louisiana dishes: gumbo, jambalaya, and étouffée, is quickly explained in this link. I found their jambalaya too bland if a piece of sausage wasn't included in each mouthful. The beignets didn't taste as good as they did at Café du Monde; one of my fondest memories in Louisiana was relaxing at Café du Monde with beignets and café au lait, so I'm disappointed that I can only fully enjoy the latter of the two at Nola. Therefore, I recommend pairing their chicory café au lait with their fried green tomatoes appetizer, instead of their beignets. There are other dishes that I enjoyed at Nola (Blackened Fish, pasta dishes), but I just wanted to cover what will keep me returning to Nola Kitchen. Also, their decor, customer service, and atmosphere were very welcoming.
The Acadians (Frenchmen who settled in “Acadie,” the wilds of Nova Scotia) were forcibly driven out of Canada in 1755 by the British. After returning to France, one of the largest groups of these exiles traveled to Louisiana. Over time, more waves of Acadians traveled to Louisiana, and they became known as “Cajuns.” Acadians were hunters, farmers, and fishermen experienced at living off the land. They were given land grants upriver from New Orleans and moved into the swamps, bayous, and prairies of Louisiana to start farms and ranches. Unlike the cosmopolitan Creole cuisine, which is largely thought of as more refined and seafood-centric, Cajun food leans toward the rustic and rural, featuring wild game, pork, beef, and sausage.
Louisiana became part of the United States following the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, and later became the 18th state in the USA in 1812. In the late 1800s, Italians flocked to New Orleans because of the growing business of importing Mediterranean citrus into the port city. Many of these immigrants worked on the docks in the fruit district, and eventually opened grocery stores and restaurants around the city. Italians made up about 90% of the immigrants in New Orleans at the time and dominated the grocery industry. The Italian contributions to the cuisine include “red gravy,” a red sauce thickened with roux that is used in everything from Creole Daube to grillades, and stuffed artichokes and peppers. Today, the Italian influence in shaping Creole cuisine is unmistakable, Southern Italian and Sicilian ingredients fundamentally transformed the cuisine.
Now back to focusing on Nola Kitchen. There are some dishes, and a drink, of theirs that will keep me coming back: Chicken 'n Waffles, Gumbo with rice (which actually is more like étouffée), Fried Green Tomato appetizer (which are actually red tomatoes), and Chicory Café Au Lait. The difference between these classic Louisiana dishes: gumbo, jambalaya, and étouffée, is quickly explained in this link. I found their jambalaya too bland if a piece of sausage wasn't included in each mouthful. The beignets didn't taste as good as they did at Café du Monde; one of my fondest memories in Louisiana was relaxing at Café du Monde with beignets and café au lait, so I'm disappointed that I can only fully enjoy the latter of the two at Nola. Therefore, I recommend pairing their chicory café au lait with their fried green tomatoes appetizer, instead of their beignets. There are other dishes that I enjoyed at Nola (Blackened Fish, pasta dishes), but I just wanted to cover what will keep me returning to Nola Kitchen. Also, their decor, customer service, and atmosphere were very welcoming.
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Address:
No. 81, Sec. 2, Keelung Rd., Xinyi Dist., Taipei City 110 台北市信義區基隆路二段81號 Phone: (02) 2732-7007 Hours: Mon - Thu: 11:30am - 10pm, Fri: 11:30am - 10:30pm, Sat: 10am - 10:30pm, Sun: 10am - 10pm Chinese & English Menu Cash Only 10% Service Charge Free Wi-Fi Reservations Accepted Click on the link below for their Google Map page for the street view and/or other visitor's photos. Afterwards, you can click the dedicated back button on Google Maps to view the destination on a full-screened Google Map for directions. Nola Kitchen - Keelung Rd. |
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Address:
No. 16, Aly. 14, Ln. 150, Sec. 5, Xinyi Rd., Xinyi Dist., Taipei City 110 台北市信義區信義路五段150巷14弄16號 Phone: (02) 2722-7662 Hours: Mon - Fri: 11:30am - 10pm Sat & Sun: 9am - 10pm Chinese & English Menu Cash Only 10% Service Charge Free Wi-Fi Reservations Accepted Click on the link below for their Google Map page for the street view and/or other visitor's photos. Afterwards, you can click the dedicated back button on Google Maps to view the destination on a full-screened Google Map for directions. Xiangshan Nola Kitchen |
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Address:
No. 7-8, Qingdao E. Rd., Zhongzheng Dist., Taipei City 100 is the address they give, but it's actually more like Zhenjiang St., Ln. 1 in the alley behind Taiwan Film Institute 台北市中正區林森南路2號巷子內 (背後國家電影中心) Phone: (02) 3393-7662 Hours: Mon - Fri: 11:30am - 10pm, Sat & Sun: 10:30am - 10pm Chinese & English Menu Cash Only 10% Service Charge Free Wi-Fi Reservations Accepted Click on the link below for their Google Map page for the street view and/or other visitor's photos. Afterwards, you can click the dedicated back button on Google Maps to view the destination on a full-screened Google Map for directions. Nola Kitchen - Shandao Temple MRT |
Some of Nola Kitchen's main dishes are displayed and the process of their preparation is shown in this video.
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