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RESTAURANTS: Canton

Cantonese cuisine with a twist. PHOTO: COURTESY OF HOLIDAY INN

The newly minted Holiday Inn East Taipei is engaged in a media blitz to generate publicity, and customers looking for hotel-quality menus at reduced prices are the beneficiaries.

Located just off the Northern Taiwan Second Freeway (北二高) in Shenkeng, Taipei County, roughly 10 minutes by car in non-rush hour traffic from Taipei 101, the hotel has brought in a general manager from Shanghai, a public relations director from Hong Kong, and hired an executive chef, also a Hong Kong native, from Taipei's Westin hotel. Its Western-style restaurant, Sam's Cafe, has been up and running for more than two months, and, on Wednesday, Executive Chef Paul Ng (伍見朋) was in the kitchen as the hotel unveiled Canton, its new Cantonese restaurant, in a preview lunch for journalists and travel agents.

Among the dishes served were Cantonese-style roast duck (廣東燒鴨, NT$900), pan-fried lamb chops with fermented bean curd (乳香焗羊扒, NT$450) and Ng's own special creation, sauteed shrimp balls with XO sauce (XO醬蝦球, NT$380). The second and third dishes are featured in Canton's NT$8,000 table d'hote menu, a 12-course meal for 10 people that comes with juice and two bottles of red wine. Among the other courses are braised shark's fin soup with mixed vegetables (紅燒三絲翅), steamed grouper with soy sauce (清蒸石斑魚) and stewed chicken with ginseng soup (鮮人蔘燉雞). A similar menu with a few slightly pricier variations costs NT$10,800.

Canton Address: 2F 265, Beishen Rd, Shenkeng Township, Taipei County (台北縣深坑鄉北深路三段265號2樓) Telephone: (02) 2662-8000 for inquiries or (02) 7703-5839 for reservations Open: Daily from noon to 2pm and 6pm to 9pm Average meal: NT$8,000 and NT$10,800 prix fixe menus for 10 guests, plus 10 percent service charge Details: Chinese and English menu; credit cards accepted

For the most part, the dozen or so courses sampled passed muster, provided one has a taste for Cantonese cuisine. Of these, the lamb and the sauteed shrimp balls with XO sauce, Ng's spicy take on a traditional dish, were the most memorable. My favorite dish was the Cantonese roast duck, but it is not on either of the set menus. Unlike Peking duck, the bird for the Cantonese variant is completely sealed and hung on a hook to lock in the flavor, leaving the meat a tad less dry or more oily, depending on your point of view.

Canton's decor includes a mirrored wall covered with white calligraphy and a reproduction of a Tang-dynasty painting from the National Palace museum. The dominant colors are gold, red and black; but the shades are muted and the overall effect is not overbearing. There are four private dining rooms, each named after a season; the smallest is available for an NT$4,000 minimum charge.

As with Sam's Cafe, the judgment here is that Canton distinguishes itself from the competition with its relatively low prices and is recommended if you have a car, perhaps as part of a trip to Taipei City Zoo or Shenkeng's Old Street. (The hotel operates a free shuttle bus service for room guests. For others, the nearest MRT station is an NT$200 cab ride away.) The set menus are good primers for people who are unfamiliar with Cantonese food, and the private rooms are suitable for small- to medium-sized banquets.

Until Oct. 20, Canton has "come three get one free" promotion during lunch hours for customers who bring their business cards.
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