Yi Yuan Restaurant (頤園)
The Westin Taipei, B2, 133 Nanking E. Rd., Sec. 3 (南京東路三段133號六福皇宮); tel 8770-6556 ext. 2299. Average meal: NT$1,500 (lunch) and NT$2,000 (dinner). 11:30am to 2:30pm and 6 to 10:30pm. English menu. Credit cards accepted.
Atmosphere. Yi Yuan has plenty of it. This classic Peking restaurant has the look and feel of old China. Elegant glass screens etched with clouds, lots of gold trim, chairs and lamps cast from vintage designs. It's not cheap, for atmosphere comes with a price. But for those looking for value, drop in for lunch on weekdays, when a few of the homemade dishes can be had for around NT$600. For an appetizer, try the shredded abalone with apple and jellyfish. Bean curd with minced pork is another good choice - at Yi Yuan they stuff the curd with pork, an unusual, but welcome, adjustment. Vegetarians can try stir-fried golden mushrooms with gingko. The gingko is fresh and green, unlike most that have gone through a dehydration process. Sweet walnut soup is also recommended to those who love cream soups - in this mix you'll find only fresh cream and crushed walnut. For main courses, typical Peking dishes are available, such as roasted duck, which is carved and served table-side. The restaurants selection of meat - ranging from snake to venison - is imported from China, making the meat-based dishes the mainstay of Yi Yuan.
Ssu Ping Hsiao Chih (四平小吃)
41, Ssu-ping St., Taipei (台北市四平街41號); tel 2561-1412. Average meal: NT$200. 11am to 2pm and 5 to 9pm. Credit cards not accepted.
This place is well-known for its marinated, sour cabbage hot pot. You'll find good noodle dishes here and the owner, Mr Huang, started by selling dumplings, which are also a house specialty. But don't let them distract from the main course - a hot pot packed to capacity. Crab meat, meatloaf, clams, and shrimp are cushioned with sour cabbage. Huang won't give away his recipe but promises that the sour taste will last through numerous refills. And if the spice proves to be too much, there are cold dishes to soothe. Try the sliced trotter in brown sauce or the sliced beef in brown sauce. Being from northern China, the dishes aren't greasy and go great with a Taiwan Beer. A final suggestion: smoked shredded chicken. The chicken is served with cucumber that balances the salty taste of the meat.
Tao Luan Ting Roast Peking Palace (北平陶然亭餐廳)
2F, No. 86, Fuhsing N. Rd., Taipei (台北市復興北路86號二樓); tel 2778-7805. Average meal: NT$400. 11am to 2pm and 5 to 9pm. English and Japanese menus. Credit cards accepted.
This 30-year-old restaurant is proud of its Peking duck, and about 20 of them go on the table every day. But before they make it there, a good amount of careful preparation goes into ensuring the taste of this well-known Peking dish. The sauce takes three hours to cook. The apprentices train for a year before they are allowed to serve and slice the duck at the table. And to eat it, well, that requires a little extra time on the part of the diner as well. Take a piece of the tortilla-like bread and put the sliced duck pieces and some green onion on it, and don't forget to dab it in the sauce. Then tuck in three sides of the bread, like the napkin on a dining table, and finish it off. To round out the meal, Tao Luan Ting also has a selection of cold dishes, meats, soups and noodle dishes. Some of those recommended include the shredded chicken with beans, fried pea shoots, double-cooked pork slices, fried shredded shrimp with cabbage and the roasted fish. If you want a taste of what the authentic northern dishes are like, try baked bean curd with shrimp roe or the fried vegetables with egg.
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