美味的麻婆豆腐燴飯 / Delicious Mapo Tofu Rice from Din Tai Fung

鼎泰豐是世界知名的臺灣美食，不只在臺灣深受歡迎，也名揚海外，許多外國人也知道的臺灣美食品牌，鼎泰豐的十八摺小籠包是它的招牌，打、揉、包、摺、蒸為鼎泰豐小籠包極致焠鍊的精巧手法及師傅功力的呈現，所以，幾乎每個到鼎泰豐用餐的客戶，都會點它，之前，在台北東門附近上班時，因為離鼎泰豐總店近，假如有客戶來拜訪，或是邀情客戶用餐時，我們總會帶他們去品嚐鼎泰豐美食，除了因為鼎泰豐知名度夠，招待客戶不失禮外，當然，幾乎，去用過餐的客人，都對他們品嚐到的美食，讚不絕口。

我有位同事，很喜歡吃鼎泰豐的蛋炒飯，他說過，鼎泰豐炒飯好吃，蛋花均勻密布，入口軟嫩，加入蔥花拌炒，吃下去的每一口，都可以嚐到蛋香與蔥香，搭配上海口味的酥炸排骨，就是排骨蛋炒飯，聽說是某些老饕的鼎泰豐必吃推薦第一名，但是，價錢不便宜，排骨蛋炒飯280元，其它著名品項，如紅燒牛肉麵也是280元，紅油炒手(蝦肉)210元，絲瓜蝦仁小籠包(10顆)360元。

最近天氣太差，幾個颱風接連來台灣報到，天氣實在是不穩定，常常早上出門時，還有太陽，中午吃飯時，一出來就開始下大雨，所以，只想快速解決午餐，剛好在附近的全家便利商店，看到有鼎泰豐的餐盒品項，麻婆豆腐燴飯，雖然，我的印象中，並未在鼎泰豐看過他們有出這個品項，但是，看起來應該蠻下飯的，售價只要89元。

毫不考慮，立刻結帳，打開鼎泰豐麻婆豆腐燴飯外層封膜後，裝滿滿的豆腐還有撒了點蔥花點綴顏色，視覺上更可口更美味，此外，麻婆醬料香味隨著蒸氣飄出，讓人食指大動，剛吃第一口時，還不覺得辣，吃了幾口後，辣味開始慢慢地浮上來了，真是越吃越香，越吃越好吃，椒麻香氣讓人胃口大開，這款鼎泰豐和全家合作的麻婆豆腐燴飯，假如可以接受一點辣度的話，真的好吃，值得嚐試。

Din Tai Fung is a world-famous Taiwanese culinary brand that's not only beloved in Taiwan but also well-known internationally. Many foreigners have heard of this Taiwanese food icon. Din Tai Fung's signature dish is the "Eighteen-fold Xiao Long Bao," and their intricate technique of kneading, rolling, folding, and steaming showcases the skills of their chefs. So, almost every customer who visits Din Tai Fung ends up ordering it. When I used to work near the original Din Tai Fung restaurant in Taipei's East District, we would often take clients there for a meal if they visited us or for business meetings. It's not only because of Din Tai Fung's reputation but also as a polite way to host our clients. And, of course, nearly every guest who dined there couldn't stop praising the food.

One of my colleagues is a big fan of Din Tai Fung's fried rice. He once said that their fried rice is incredibly delicious, with evenly spread egg, a tender texture, and the added touch of green onions in the mix. With the crispy deep-fried spare ribs that have a distinct Shanghai flavor, it becomes the "Spare Ribs Fried Rice." I heard it's the top recommendation by some food enthusiasts as a must-try at Din Tai Fung. However, it's not cheap; the Spare Ribs Fried Rice costs 280 NTD, and other renowned items like the Braised Beef Noodle Soup are also 280 NTD, Red Oil Wontons with Shrimp cost 210 NTD, and the Silken Tofu Shrimp Xiao Long Bao (10 pieces) are priced at 360 NTD.

Lately, the weather has been quite bad with consecutive typhoons hitting Taiwan. The weather has been highly unpredictable, often sunny in the morning but pouring rain at lunchtime. So, I've been opting for quick lunch solutions. Fortunately, I found a Din Tai Fung meal box at a nearby Family Mart convenience store – Mapo Tofu Rice. Although I don't recall seeing this particular item on Din Tai Fung's menu, it looked like a satisfying meal, and it was only priced at 89 NTD.

Without hesitation, I grabbed it, paid, and unwrapped the Mapo Tofu Rice from Din Tai Fung. It was packed with tofu and sprinkled with some green onions, making it visually appealing and appetizing. Additionally, the aroma of the Mapo sauce wafted out with the steam, tantalizing the senses. Initially, it didn't seem very spicy when I took the first bite, but as I continued eating, the spiciness gradually kicked in. It became tastier with every bite, and the numbing and spicy flavors opened up my appetite. This collaboration between Din Tai Fung and Family Mart for Mapo Tofu Rice is genuinely delicious, especially if you can handle a bit of spiciness. It's worth a try.