Scent Guarantea (摘香茶趣)
166 Fuhsing Rd. (復興路166號), tel (02)8674-3555
Open 11am to 11pm. Average meal: NT$300 per person. English menu. Credit cards not accepted.
Scent Guarantea, one of the few eateries in the area to offer anything other than Taiwanese cuisine, makes no secret of the fact that it is targeting the Taiwanese and foreign tourists who swarm to Sanhsia and nearby Yingko each weekend. The menu promises a "worldwild" (sic) selection of food, but apart from a couple of Western dishes, most are obviously Asian.
Quality ingredients are a priority, according to Richard Kuo, Scent Guarantea's manager. This is born out by, among other options, the Japanese-style broiled eels, and the roasted cod with soy sauce. Those who expect the Thai-style roasted bream with sweet and sour sauce to match the tang and zest of food in Southeast Asia may be disappointed, however. Many traditionally fiery dishes have been toned down so as to be more acceptable to local palates, Kuo says.
Authenticity may not be Scent Guarantea's strong point, but the food does taste very good, and the portions are generous.
Perhaps best of all is the Korean-style hot stone-bowl rice. This, as its name suggests, consists of rice, meat (pork, beef, chicken or eel) and crunchy vegetables added to a preheated stoneware vessel. Grains in direct contact with the container become lightly crisped, and the contents stays hot for a long time -- ideal for those who like hot food, but also like to take their time.
Given the establishment's name, and the fact it is owned by a Sanhsia company which has long specialized in tea production and processing, it is hardly surprising to find on the menu an impressive -- not to mention innovative -- selection of teas.
Restaurant on 57 Hsiuchuan Street
57 Hsuichuan St. (秀川街57號), tel (02)8672-6489
Open 11am to 8pm. Average meal: NT$100 per person. No English menu. Credit cards not accepted.
Occupying the ground floor of an oldish gray building a stone's throw from the Tsushih Temple (祖師廟), the greatest strength of this unpretentious restaurant -- which lacks a signboard, and is known only by its address -- is its emphasis on fresh, local ingredients.
The menu is brief and vague; the ingredients presented out front are the best guide to what is available. These vary from day to day and season to season, but usually include locally-caught river shrimp, fish, duck, goose, chicken, and hungchao pork (紅糟肉) -- huge slabs of pork covered with a floury reddish batter, then deep fried (a recipe especially popular in the Sanhsia area).
The range of vegetables on offer vary, often extending to such relatively uncommon items as beet, amaranth and mountain celery. These are all prepared in the traditional Taiwanese manner: thrown in a wok, stirred furiously, then served hot and crunchy with a little garlic. The river shrimp are particularly popular. Lightly seasoned, these crustaceans are small and soft enough to be eaten whole; no finicky picking-apart is required.
Westerners may well prefer the wonton soup or turnip soup to the chicken giblets soup. But best of all is the clam soup, which has a strong gingery flavor, and is exceptionally warming on a chilly day. No English is spoken here, but the staff are helpful, and perusing the meats and vegetables on offer before ordering is more than acceptable -- it's the done thing. Non-Chinese-speaking visitors should see what looks good, then simply point.
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