A former National Taiwan University teachers’ dormitory, Tien Ming An is one of the very few spots that light up on the leafy Xuzhou Road (徐州路) when night falls, exuding a graceful quietude and charm that just about make up for its overpriced, mediocre food.
Nestled in the quiet school district near the Shandao Temple MRT station (善導寺捷運站), the establishment’s immediate surroundings are a low-traffic lane lined with camphor trees. The virtual non-existence of shops helps make the area feel a world away from the bustling heart of the country’s capital.
The restaurant itself is located within a Japanese-style house built during the colonial era. The house is well preserved structurally and efforts are obviously made to maintain distinctive features such as the sliding doors, narrow corridors and wooden floors that are common in traditional Japanese houses. Yellowish light from Chinese lanterns adds an aura of warmth to the restful space, which can accommodate around 40 diners.
Photo: Ho Yi, Taipei Times
In accordance with the restaurant’s homey feel, the menu is composed of simple Japanese-style snacks, and the drink list includes beer, sake, whisky and wine.
The brochette section includes combo plates priced between NT$280 and NT$420. Among the skewers my dining companion and I sampled on a recent visit, the beef tongue (牛舌, NT$160) was disappointingly overcooked and gamey, and the pork neck meat (豬頸, NT$140) was difficult to chew.
The chicken leg with scallions (雞腿蔥串, NT$120) was more tender and pleasantly flavored with teriyaki sauce. The glutinous rice chili (糯米椒, NT$80) was nicely grilled and retained much of the vegetable’s aroma. The restaurant offers a few green choices not commonly seen at similar establishments, such as zucchinis (節瓜, NT$80) and balsam pear (苦瓜, NT$60).
From the stew part of the menu, the miso pork intestines (味噌大腸煮, NT$140) had a melt-in-the-mouth texture and were seasoned with scallions, sesames, chili and onions. Chicken leg meat (雞腿肉, NT$160) from the deep-fried section came with a delicious sour green sauce.
One of the restaurant’s specialties, Taiwanese-style sausages (台式香腸, NT$120) were just the typical street food flavored with kaoliang (高粱酒).
Tien Ming An may cost you a lot if you bring a big appetite, but it is a cozy, atmospheric spot where diners can enjoy a few drinks and snacks while appreciating the architecture and reminiscing about the old days. The good news for the neighborhood is that people who work or study at the university get a 10 percent discount.
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