When the craze for Japanese curries started to heat up a few years ago, one would have been forgiven for thinking it was yet another food fad that would quickly go the way of the Portuguese egg tart. But then genuine Japanese chains like Aubergine (茄子咖哩) entered the market offering more varied and palatable curry dishes that won over enough diners to make sure Japanese interpretations of curries are here to stay.
Riding that still-growing wave of popularity for curries is another chain called Banyan Tree House, with restaurants on posh Da-an Road and at bustling Yongkang Park.
The most striking -- and most baffling -- feature of Banyan Tree House is its loud decor, which attempts to recreate in its ambiance what appears to be a Hawaiian roadside retro diner. On the walls outside is a sign that reads: "Parking for surfers only" and "Sorry, we're open," along with random pieces of 1950s Americana and faux vintage surf boards. The aesthetic, inside and outside, might confuse people. After all, here is a Japanese curry joint, in Taipei, dolled up to look like a burger joint next to Waimea Bay. The age of globalized dining has clearly arrived.
For all the variety in the aesthetic realm at Banyan Tree House, things narrow down considerably once diners take a gander at the menu. The curry options will look familiar to anyone who favors Japanese curries, with the standards like pork cutlet curry rice, seafood curry rice, grilled chicken curry rice, fried chicken curry rice. The only surprise, and a mild one at that, is the beef steak curry rice. A restricted selection isn't necessarily a strike against the restaurant, however. Its curry is rich and dark, and though not as spicy as some might wish, it's plenty flavorful.
For this review, one of our dishes was the beef curry rice omelet, which delighted with its plentiful slices of tangy marinated beef and crunchy red bell pepper.
If curry's not what the day calls for, diners can still select from a handful of a la carte entrees, such as fillet and sirloin steaks, grilled fish, two types of risotto and meat or seafood spaghetti. The spaghettis are served in generous portions topped with an agreeably spicy sauce that adds some welcome flair to a standard dish.
An extra NT$60 will buy a set meal with salad, drink and dessert, but as is so often the case, these set-meal extras don't do much to liven up the meal.
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