Local Review: An Omelet Opens New Culinary Horizons at Hoja

At Hoja, the key to Taiwanese food is not simply taste. It is texture. The family-run basement restaurant in Vienna’s Meidling district introduces diners to the chewy consistency known in Taiwan as Q, or QQ when it is especially pronounced.

“Chewy” has no perfect German equivalent, the review notes. “Tough” can describe an overcooked piece of liver or a dog chew, but it does not capture the pleasurable elasticity of mochi, tteokbokki, tapioca pudding or halloumi. In Taiwan, Q has become a term for a texture that appears across everyday dishes and snacks.

Hoja, formerly called Takami, was taken over by Oliver Lee, the operators’ son, and now concentrates on Taiwanese cooking. Its signature omelet combines eggs with water and starch to create a distinct elasticity. Instead of the oysters traditionally used in Taiwan, Hoja fills it with mussels, then adds a sweet-and-spicy sauce and spring onions. It costs €9.80.

Another dish, the Chicken Roll, comes wrapped in fried tofu skin and costs €7.80. In Taiwan, the roll often contains pork rather than chicken. The beef noodle soup, or Niú Ròu Miàn, includes sliced beef, homemade meatballs with a springy texture, pickled mustard greens and pak choi, priced at €15.80.

For a quick lunch, the restaurant offers bento sets with a soy egg and salad, including versions with breaded eggplant or braised pork over rice. Diners who prefer a knife and fork can discreetly pick up that cutlery in addition to chopsticks and the compact East Asian metal soup spoon.

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One gets into the rhythm of this soup.