A trip to Taiwan has inspired the Girl & the Goat chef to offer made-to-order snacks at her latest Chicago opening, Duck Duck Goat.
On her first visit to China earlier this year, chef Stephanie Izard returned with a newfound appreciation for hand-pulled noodles, homemade dumplings, and more. The trip was a fact- and food-finding mission for her newest restaurant, Duck Duck Goat, which opens this fall in Chicago's West Loop, around the corner from her existing restaurants, Girl & the Goat and Little Goat. Last month, to further finalize Duck Duck Goat's menu, the chef took her team to Taiwan, where they fell in love with the bounty of food offerings from the island, particularly the night market snacks and street stand foods. "There were so many different textures, spices, and ingredients that we were able to try," says Izard. "It's amazing the range of things you can buy from a vendor on the street. I also loved that everything was available all day—dumplings morning, noon and night!"
Izard has shared exclusively with T+L that she'll be adding a takeout window to Duck Duck Goat that features the best of Taiwanese street eats, from seasoned fried chicken bites to beef noodles and dumplings. While the restaurant is currently slated for a late fall debut, the takeout window will hopefully open sooner.
The chef admits that there are few items she tasted in Taiwan that Chicagoans may not quite be ready for, including pig's blood cake (often mixed with sticky rice and covered with cilantro and peanuts) and stinky tofu (fermented and eaten with chili sauce). To try these slightly more adventurous dishes, you'll still have to hop on a plane to Taipei.
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