It could be considered incongruous, eating a slice of pizza while sipping a thick yogurt drink called a lassi. At a time when fusion cooking, or mix and match, is all the rage, Peacock in the Shida section of Taipei is blazing a trail for local foodies.
Peacock, which opened in late March, is the product of two college classmates and one of their brothers, who grew weary of the daily grind and wanted instead to try their hand at something more entrepreneurial.
It's neither a restaurant nor a bar, neither a cafe nor lounge. Rather, Peacock prides itself on not being pigeonholed, as evidenced by its food, spirit selection and decor.
"The atmosphere is very laid-back here," said Barbie Chang, describing the dimly lit, dark-wood interior design of Peacock. "If people see attractive lighting and colorful decorations, they'll want to come."
Chang said they chose the name Peacock because the brightly colored male bird, a Hindu god, represents good luck in India. Indeed, a good deal of Peacock's influence is drawn from Indian culture. Before opening the place in March, Chang and another co-owner, Angel Guo, traveled to India and enrolled in cooking classes for a couple of weeks.
Besides bringing back traditional Indian knickknacks, they also returned with a recipe for a yogurt-based beverage called lassi. "It especially helps with digestion," Guo said.
Peacock's lassi had the consistency of a thick shake and tasted like yogurt, which is just as well, because that's what it's made of. To Peacock's credit, they make the yogurt fresh from milk and cultures.
Pizza is found relatively easily in Taiwan, but it's often inedible. Peacock's pizza uses a paper-thin crust and comes in a number of varieties: plain, seafood, vegetable, or with fruit.
The Margherita, at NT$250, is the no-frills choice made from mozzarella and tomato sauce. Fortunately, the pizza had none of that pre-frozen-heated-on-the-spot taste associated with commerical chains. A Belgian beer like Chimay, dark in color and nutty in flavor, complements the Margherita.
Guo said they planned to expand the menu's selections after returning from another trip to India in November. Currently, Peacock succeeds without rigidly defining itself and is bound to offer something to please most people's pallettes.
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