Restaurant Review: Taigu

Name: Taigu

Location: 7610 Elmwood Ave, Middleton, WI 53562

Ambiance: Casual

Cost: $

Best Dish: Vegetarian stir fry with cat-ear noodles

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Taigu is one of my favorite Chinese restaurants in Madison. Their food is delightfully spicy and flavorful, and they specialize in bringing food from the Shanxi region of China to Madison. They're extremely generous with their portion sizes - I'll admit that I have eaten a single order of noodles over the course of a week, and it still tastes just as amazing at the end of it.

One of the best parts of Taigu is that they have a lot of vegetarian options, and they are just as good as the meat counterparts. Their menu is long, and it's hard to go wrong with anything. For an appetizer, I ordered a scallion pancake ($7.95). "Pancake" isn't really a great translation for this dish - it's much closer to a paratha from India, with a crispy, flaky exterior and a soft, chewy interior. The brown spots are beautifully caramelized, and there's a strong flavor of scallions that I absolutely love. I have also previously ordered their vegetarian pan fried dumplings ($8.95), and loved those as well.

For an entree, I usually go with the four color veggie cat-ear homemade noodles ($18.95) or the Taigu special vegetarian stir fried noodles ($14.95). Their noodles are handmade, and the cat-ear noodles are their specialty. The prices look expensive, but as I mentioned, I easily get 2-3 meals out of one order, so it is well worth it. The noodles are tender and have a nice bite to them, and are packed with stir fried veggies and tofu. I also love the homemade chili oil as an addition to make it a little spicier. The chili oil can make the noodles a little heavier, but I really enjoy the flavor profile - especially since it's also homemade.

Taigu is an unassuming spot right next to the Barriques in Middleton. They've been really great through the pandemic, and I have enjoyed the food every time I have ordered from them. Conveniently, they're also open on some classic holidays (we ordered in for Thanksgiving, and I recommend ordering early because they fill up pretty quickly). They've always had a steady stream of customers, and they deserve it. The West side of Madison can feel very suburbia, but restaurants like Taigu ensure the area has local businesses to keep it running.