Taipei’s hotels, restaurants and bars are offering a smorgasbord of goodies to woo prospective holiday crowds. Whether your Christmas list includes a takeout turkey or a multi-course repast in a posh setting, be sure to plan your festivities ahead of time. Read on for a comprehensive rundown of what is available in the city.
HOTELS
The Sheraton Hotel Taipei is embracing the holiday spirit with a donation campaign and charity sale for the Children Charity Association (中華民國兒童慈善協會), an organization that promotes children’s welfare. The Deli on the hotel’s first floor will donate 10 percent of its takings for all of this month to the association. Antoine, the hotel’s French restaurant, is also getting into a festive mood by devising not one but three set menus (priced between NT$3,200 and NT$4,200) featuring specialties such as foie gras and raw oysters. Pizza Pub will serve up a selection of Italian dishes such as beef tenderloin with foie gras Barolo lentil sauce (NT$2,000). 12, Zhongxiao E Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市忠孝東路一段12號), tel: (02) 2321-1818.
Photo Courtesy of Bellavita
The Grand Hyatt Taipei also plans to spread the cheer. The hotel will team up with the Taiwan Foundation for Rare Disorders (罕見疾病基金會) to organize a Christmas charity for patients in need. Apart from the benevolent mood, all of the hotel’s restaurants have created Christmas-themed menus. Bel Air will offer a five-course turkey or beef dinner set (NT$3,500) with exciting starters such as glazed monkfish medallions with green peas and black truffle foam. Ziga Zaga presents an Italian banquet with entree choices of roasted turkey with chestnut stuffing or pan fried codfish with lobster risotto (set menu NT$2,800). 2 Songshou Rd, Taipei City (台北市松壽路2號), tel: (02) 2720-1200 X3198 or X3199.
The Taipei Philharmonic Youth & Children’s Choir (台北愛樂兒童合唱團) will be joined by no other than Santa Claus to spread joy on Christmas Eve at the recently opened Le Meridien Taipei, while the Christmas dinner buffet (NT$1,880) at the Latest Recipe on the first floor places culinary emphasis on sashimi, pizzas, Japanese and French cooking as well as a variety of seafood and desserts. 38 Songren Rd, Taipei City (台北市松仁路38號), tel: (02) 6622-8000.
Across town, Shangri-La’s Far Eastern Plaza Hotel Taipei is presenting a myriad of selections at its restaurants. Italian chef Antonio Tardi at Marco Polo on the hotel’s 38th floor has crafted a seven-course spread for two (NT$7,600) on Christmas Eve that will include pan-seared wild scallops with parmesan cheese, ink squid chitarrina sauteed with spider crab and sea urchin, and natural beef rib eye served with candy lobster. The restaurant is also offering a budget afternoon-tea buffet (NT$590) from 2:30pm to 5:30pm until Dec. 30. 201, Dunhua S Rd Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市敦化南路二段201號), tel: (02) 2376-3156.
Photo Courtesy of the Far Eastern Plaza Hotel
Li Bai Lounge will offer a NT$1,000 set menu and live jazz music. Tel: (02) 2378-8888 X5893. For a Japanese-themed Christmas spread, ibuki on the seventh floor will serve up a dinner set (NT$3,200) featuring sliced duck breast and soba noodles, sashimi salad with homemade vinegar dressing and teppanyaki black cod. Telephone: (02) 2376-3241.
At the Sherwood Taipei, Toscana aims to pamper well-heeled patrons with a sumptuous Christmas feast (NT$12,999 for two) using premium ingredients such as smoked salmon from Switzerland and crab from Hokkaido. Christmas Eve dinner includes a complimentary bottle of champagne and a Swarovski’s brooch. 111, Minsheng E Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市民生東路三段111號), tel: (02) 2718-1188 X3001.
Grand Formosa Regent Taipei has also gone out of its way to create a wealth of good food at all its restaurants. Both Robin’s Grill and Robin’s Teppan on the second floor will delight carnivores with dinner sets priced NT$2,500 and NT$3,000 respectively featuring courses using duck liver, Australian rib eye, US beef fillet, lobsters and scallops. Lunch sets begin at NT$1,800 at the Grill and NT$2,500 at the Teppan.
Photo Courtesy of Landis Taipei Hotel
Azie Bun on the first floor will offer a set menu (NT$2,200) that includes cured salmon with smoke foie gras, pan-fried US rib eye beef and duck liver with truffle and pan-fried sea bream and king prawn with champagne sauce. 41, Zhongshan N Rd Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市中山北路二段41號), tel: (02)2523-8000.
Paris 1930 at the Landis Taipei Hotel demonstrates French fine dining with a Christmas set (NT$4,000) highlighting delicacies such as stuffed pigeon with morel, truffle, chestnut and bacon with burgundy sauce. 41, Minquan E Rd Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市民權東路二段41號), tel: (02) 2597-1234 X1268.
Garden Terrace at the Miramar Garden Taipei will serve up a six-course Christmas special (NT$2,000) featuring green apple and salami with olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing as well as assorted seafood with saffron crocus sauce. 83, Civic Blvd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市市民大道三段83號), tel: (02) 8772-8800 X2311.
Do-it-yourselfers can head to Palais de Chine, where chef Sherilyn Fan (樊秀玲) from La Rotisserie, the hotel’s grill restaurant, will hold a cookery course on Friday teaching participants how to delight their guests with delicious treats at Christmas parties. The fee is NT$1,500 including a dinner featuring smoked salmon roll with Greek yogurt and roasted chicken. 3, Chengde Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市承德路一段3號), tel: (02) 2181-9999 X3250.
CHRISTMAS HAMPERS AND OTHER HOLIDAY GOODIES
The Deli of the Sheraton Hotel is serving up four holiday hampers (priced between NT$2,600 and NT$3,500) that include roast turkey, ham and Australian steak. Festive desserts and pastries such as Christmas cakes, gingerbread houses and stollens are also available. Telephone: (02) 2321-5858 X8373.
Meanwhile, pastry chef Reinhard Lackner from Austria has put together a dazzling selection of dessert and sweets at Grand Hyatt Taipei. There are also hamper choices including 5kg roasted turkey (NT$4,200) and 7kg Virginia ham (NT$5,200). Patrons can also make their own gift baskets out of the array of festival goodies and seasonal specialties on offer. Telephone: (02) 2720 1200 X3198 or X3199.
In the same sleek neighborhood, SALON DE THE de Joel Robuchon on the third floor of Bellavita is serving up a sweet tooth’s feast. Pastry chef Kazutoshi Narita creates his own artisan pastries including mille-feuille framboise and mogador using high-grade Valrhona chocolate. Gift baskets on offer are packed with French desserts (NT$1,680) and European yummies (NT$2,680). Certified Bresse turkeys weighing 2kg each are NT$1,500. Takeout orders must be placed five day before pickup. 3F, 28 Songren Rd, Taipei City (台北市松仁路28號3樓), tel: (02) 8729-2626.
Across town, Shangri-La’s Far Eastern Plaza Hotel offers three hampers priced between NT$2,280 and NT$4,280 at The Cake Shop on the first floor. The most luxurious basket contains De Cecco extra virgin olive oil and pasta sauce, Marco Polo Fusilli pasta, Italian nougat and a bottle of Valpolicella Superiore, Zenato 2007. The Cake Shop also has an array of festival goodies including blackberry pumpkin cake, caramel chocolate Yule log and Christmas stollen filled with marzipan, as well as takeout turkey and honey-glazed ham (NT$2,500 each) that both come with a bottle of red wine. Telephone: (02) 2378 8888 X5867.
At the Sherwood Hotel, two gourmet turkey hampers priced at NT$3,850 and NT$5,850 can delight six to eight diners with treats including pumpkin pie, sauteed vegetables and herbed potato wedges. Telephone: (02) 2718-1188 X3001.
Meanwhile, the Howard Plaza Hotel Taipei offers a turkey basket (NT$4,600) that comes with pumpkin pie, French bread and a bottle of red or white wine. 160, Renai Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市仁愛路三段160號), tel: (02) 2326-7421.
Azie Bun at the Grand Formosa Regent Taipei offers a turkey basket (NT$3,200) with stuffing made from chestnut and green apple. There is also a large selection of holiday sweets including chocolate madeleine, chocolate truffle, cinnamon biscuit and Christmas-themed cupcakes. Telephone: (02) 2523-8000 X3157.
A wallet-friendly option is the Landis Taipei Hotel’s turkey hamper (NT$2,980), which features a 6kg bird. Orders made before tomorrow will cost a discount price of NT$2,580. Telephone: (02) 2598-5558.
The Sunworld Dynasty Hotel is also providing an affordable turkey hamper (NT$2,800) that comes with goose liver pate, apple tart, Caesar salad and French bread. A bottle of red wine from France is available for additional NT$350. 100 Dunhua N Rd, Taipei City (台北市敦化北路100號), tel: (02) 2719-7199 X3310.
For a big company of 10 to 12 diners, the Westin Taipei offers turkey (NT$3,888) and glazed honey ham (NT$3,300) hampers that come with pumpkin pies, homemade berry sauce, seasonal vegetables and muffins. 133, Nanjing E Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市南京東路三段133號), tel: (02) 8729-2760.
RESTAURANTS AND PUBS
For those seeking Christmas celebrations in a more relaxed setting, there are plenty of restaurants, pubs and bars to choose from in Taipei. On Tap offers a turkey dinner consisting of soup, roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, homemade mince pie and a glass of wine or beer for NT$700. 49, Ln 308, Guangfu S Rd, Taipei City (台北市光復南路308巷49號), tel: (02) 2741-5365.
Gordon Biersch has Christmas special sets (NT$3,488 for four and NT$5,288 for six) from Dec. 20 to Jan. 2. 2F, 11 Songshou Rd, Taipei City (台北市松壽路11號2樓), tel: (02) 8786-7588. A new branch of the American restaurant will open on Dec. 20 at 102 Dunhua N Rd, Taipei City (台北市敦化北路102號), tel: (02) 2713-5288.
Carnegie’s will host all-day Christmas turkey spreads (NT$490 for lunch and NT$680 for dinner) from Dec. 20 to Dec. 26, except for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The entree choices for the Christmas Eve dinner (NT$1,500) are roast turkey, prime Angus rib-eye steak or grilled salmon steaks. On Christmas Day, the menu (NT$880) is the same as the all-day turkey spreads, featuring roast turkey with sage and onion stuffing, pork sausages and traditional Christmas pudding with a complimentary glass of wine. Takeout turkeys (NT$2,900) are available beginning on Dec. 20. 100, Anhe Road Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市安和路二段100號), tel: (02) 2325-4433.
Toro with Ocsetra caviar from France, white truffle chestnut soup, poached langoustine with champagne emulsion and roasted goose breast with black truffle sauce form the centerpiece of the NT$3,880 dinner set at Justin’s Signatures. 17, Ln 265, Dunhua S Rd Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市敦化南路二段265巷17號), tel: (02) 2736-8000.
A less expensive alternative is Just In Bistro & Wine Bar’s special Christmas week menu, featuring traditional treats such as roasted honey ham with pineapple sauce, roasted Australia beef with red wine sauce and lamb leg with mint honey sauce and eggnog. 33, Ln 181, Zhongxiao E Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市忠孝東路四段181巷33號), tel: (02) 8771-9297.
Grandma Nitti’s in the Shida (師大) neighborhood continues its holiday tradition with two set menus (NT$800) and takeout turkeys priced at NT$250 per pound. Set dinners and takeouts must be ordered before Dec. 20. 8, Ln 93 Shida Rd, Taipei City (台北市師大路93巷8號), tel: (02) 2369-9751.
Diners with an appetite for a little French zest can check out Le Bistro de L’olivier. The entree choices for its dinner set (priced between NT$2,500 and NT$3,500) include king prawns with saffron creamy sauce and filet mignon with truffle sauce. 122, Anhe Rd Sec 2, Taipei City (台北市安和路二段122號), tel: (02) 8732-3726.
Wendel’s, the city’s well-known German bakery and bistro, offers a luxurious turkey hamper (NT$4,500) that consists of roast turkey in sherry gravy, glazed chestnuts, brussels sprouts, log cake, homemade baguette and a bottle of red or white wine. The restaurant’s turkey dinner (NT$5,400) is enough for a group of six to eight with a content similar to the hamper’s. The restaurant has two locations at 5 Dexing W Rd, Taipei City (台北市德行西路5號), tel: (02) 2831-4415 and 28, Ln 260 Guangfu S Rd, Taipei City (台北市光復南路260巷28號), tel: (02) 2711-8919.
A 10 percent service charge will be added to all the prices listed above. All hampers and gifts baskets must be ordered at least three day in advance, and dining times are for Dec. 24 and Dec. 25 unless otherwise noted.
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