After a wave of Hong Kong cafés and a flurry of ramen shops launched in this city, we are glad to sit down and savour some comforting Taiwanese-styled fare at Xi Men Ding. Opened at the end of April, Xi Men Ding at VivoCity is Creative Eateries’ first foray into the Chinese restaurant scene and a joint venture with Ching Yeh, Taipei’s most original Taiwanese cuisine restaurant. Named after the renowned shopping and food district of Taipei, the 80-seater restaurant serves a range of Taiwanese favourites. Chef Elvin Sue took time off to train in Taiwan in preparation for this outlet and the effort was well worth it. At Xi Men Ding, the rustic character of Taiwanese cuisine is kept true to its roots. Classics like hearty braised trotters with peanuts and san bei chicken with basil which has a lingering fragrance of rice wine, were pleasant enough but what won us over were the other simpler dishes.

Plain silken tofu, cubed and wok-fried with a savoury minced meat sauce was hardly extraordinary yet when done well was strangely addictive. Century egg, deep-fried and cut into wedges with their creamy centres exposed was finished in a tangy sweet and sour sauce with a slight spice from the addition of freshly cut chilles. Both dishes were perfect with sweet potato porridge. If you don’t fancy porridge then fried rice with grey mullet roe is a good option. Though slightly pricey at $10 for a small portion, the plump Japanese short-grained rice from the USA paired with pleasingly salty dried fish roe was delicious. End the meal with a smooth egg pudding topped with homemade caramel for a lightly sweet finish. And before long, you will crave for a taste of simplicity at Xi Men Ding again. Set menus for lunch and dinner are available daily and updated with seasonal ingredients. Vivocity #01-51A, 1 HarbourFront Walk, Tel: 6376-8018

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