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Restaurant: Peacock

By Max Hirsch
STAFF REPORTER
Friday, Jun 30, 2006, Page 15

Behind these doors, a beatnik bar and restaurant awaits. PHOTO: MAX HIRSCH, TAIPEI TIMES

Barbie and Angel are globe trotters whose travels to exotic locales are more like pilgrimages than sightseeing trips. Three years ago, the two Taipei girls visited Pushkar, India, and were inspired by the Hindu holy city's temples and shops.

"We saw a lot of foreigners in Pushkar, and we felt very comfortable in the shops there," Barbie told the Taipei Times. "We wanted to open up a restaurant with a similar feel in Taipei."

The result: The Peacock.

The Shida night market bar and restaurant boasts a menu that is as eclectic as its decor. And behind the bistro's French doors, a dimly lit lounge that could pass for a set on That '70s Show enchants diners with its retro feel and twilight lighting.

Angel's touch -- besides her haunting paintings -- is the tasty Italian cuisine, which she learned to cook while running an Italian bistro before she opened the Peacock with Barbie. The two also traveled to Goa, India, to learn how to make Indian cuisine from a master chef. That pilgrimage resulted in their adding Tandoori lamb, as well as lamb and chicken masala dishes to the menu.

From vegetarian dishes, appetizers, entrees, to beers, wines, and cocktails, the Peacock has something for everybody. The pizzas are especially popular with diners, Barbie said. Smokers can taste a Hookah pipe -- a Middle Eastern "bong" with a long tube through which users inhale tobacco smoke. At the Peacock, smokers can sample a variety of flavored tobacco. Ever wonder what strawberry, peach, or cherry-flavored Hookah tobacco tastes like? Well, if you do, you don't have to go to Pakistan or Turkey to find out.

Whether on your food or in your lungs, the Peacock's exotic herbs make for a memorable outing. For diners more interested in conventional Western food, however, they won't be disappointed. Plenty of less adventurous dishes and beverages keep traditional tastebuds happy.

What may make diners a bit unhappy, though, is the quality of service, which is sometimes slack. You may have to fetch your own napkin or a water pitcher at peak hours, but a little patience will see you through. The bistro's laidback ambiance, complete with the hippest tunes around, keeps diners comfortable and engaged. Free wireless Internet service and a downstairs parlor for large groups are also plusses. A newly built enclosed front porch is open to customers who prefer to nurse a cocktail or eat a meal outside.
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