Imagine fresh leis, tropical music, swaying hips, potted palm trees, video shots of pristine beaches and awesome waves, then add a long glass of the mocktail passion paradise and a meal dubbed "Hawaii: Allure from the Middle Pacific."
It can all be found at the Grand Formosa Regent Taipei which is holding a promotional event that shines a light on the cuisine and culture of the group of islands in the Pacific famed for grass skirts, colorful shirts and a dated detective show.
To help get you in the mood the first floor of the hotel has been transformed into a faux volcanic island paradise, complete with tropical flowers and singing birds, or rather eight young ladies from Hawaii who entertain diners with their hula dances at intervals during the day. Performance times for the dances are 2:15pm to 3pm, 4pm to 4:45pm, 7pm to 7:45pm and 8:45pm to 9:30pm.
As for the food, it's as good as you might expect from a team of chefs brought in from the Four Seasons Resort Hualailai. All the ingredients for the dishes have also been flown in specially, so you get the authentic flavors of Hawaii, from the lauau (taro) leaf that is used to wrap one of the meat dishes, to the royal silver fish that is seared with limu kohu vinaigrette.
The set menu starter was luau. It was vaguely reminiscent of Thailand's tom kha gai without the lemon grass and is made from coconut milk, Maui onion, chicken and arugula. This was a good opener, but I was not so impressed with the Hawaiian fish, tomato and onion puree dish that came after, the pupuli martini. Maybe it was the lighting, but it looked purple and was obviously an acquired taste because few people on my table finished their servings.
Order was restored for the rest of the meal with a fine mauka of tenderloin and pineapple, macadamia nuts and olehu berries. It's always hard to find fault with a fresh fish as the main course and the set menu ended on another high note with a passion fruit and sweet milk shaved ice. Perfect food for a hot day. As to the ideal drink, choose from a list that includes mocktails such as kiwi encounter, mexapolitan and healthliner.
According to sous chef Ellis Victor Chong from the Four Seasons in Hawaii, food on the islands is special because there are so many ingredients that are only found there. He added the high quality of the constituents was also a factor.
"What we have prepared is a sample of what can be found on the islands. It is simple, cultural and light. A balance of tastes. It's fresh fish from the sea, vegetables and herbs from the gardens."
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