Print

Mail

wiki links

Restaurant: I Wei Wu 乙味屋

By Ho Yi
STAFF REPORTER
Friday, Mar 23, 2007, Page 15

The celebrated sushi plate at I Wei Wu. PHOTO: HO YI, TAIPEI TIMES

Athlete-turned-chef Li Hsi-tsung (李錫宗) has built up a veritable Who's Who of regulars at his modest establishment on Dunhua Street. After 17 years, he finally gave in to requests from customers and opened a more refined version of his restaurant in the center of Taipei's East district. The upscale Japanese food served here also comes with a suitably upscale bill.

Super-fresh seafood is the restaurant's hallmark and more than half of the stock is flown in daily from Japan.

The result is a wide range of sushi and sashimi of the highest quality. A colorful variety of fish, sea urchin, lobster, shrimp, scallop, abalone and oyster are served on specially carved black-stone plates. Customers can enjoy the food either sat at a bar or a grand table made out of Taiwan cypress.

A taste of the restaurant's specialty, toro, [fatty meat taken from the belly of the bluefin tuna] sushi alone is proof enough — the thin slice of buttery meat dissolves on the tongue, leaving a rich tang in the mouth. The foie gras d'oie sushi offers exuberance in flavor and deserves a place at a world-class dining table.

Since freshness is the selling point, the use of seasoning is kept to a minimum. This rule applies to the restaurant's dazzling array of grilled and fried dishes. Seafood rice bowls, noodles and veggie goodies compliment the raw delicacies.

A piece of advice to first-time customers: menus are superfluous here.

"Our clients usually tell us what they want and what their budgets are and let us arrange sets for them," Li said.

To aid this holistic dinning experience, the restaurant is designed with an aura of privacy and tranquility. The bamboo grown outside the entrance provides a veil to fend off outside noises and the warm dim light reflecting on the wooden tables, chairs, black-stone floor and dark brown wooden ceiling create an overall effect of comfort and calmness. Diners who prefer the fresh air can dine in the small Japanese garden outside planted with pine trees, sweet osmanthus and other evergreens.

Since the establishment's quality feasts are in high demand, reservations are recommended daily although walk-ins may find seats available after 9pm.
This story has been viewed 1565 times.