Finding a good meal at 4am in Taipei is a tough proposition, and so the arrival of an eatery that allows the latest of late-night snacking -- in a nice setting -- is a welcome addition to the city. That IR Cha Chen Tin offers a six-page menu from which to choose makes it all the better.
Located just off the intersection of Tunhua and Chunghsiao, the restaurant's back-lit white facade with huge stretches of uninterrupted glass is a bit ostentatious. Don't be put off; the atmosphere inside is relaxed and open to everyone, whether they've come with friends in tow or alone with a book. The spartan interior juxtaposes heavy, dark metal tables against lighted white panels, stainless steel and dark wood. Two huge walls at the back of the restaurant can open accordion-style onto a patio dining area, but they remain closed. Touches of Cantonese styling -- chi pao-clad waitresses, a bit of ornamental woodwork in the corner -- are the only things to suggest what's cooking in back. And there's a lot cooking in back.
The menu includes sections for soups, noodles and pastas, sandwiches, snacks, Hong Kong specials, steaks, house specialties, congees and desserts. It's a smorgasbord, but unfortunately only in print. The menu offers too few clues as to what's worth ordering and what should be avoided and the wait staff -- clearly unfamiliar with borscht and dozens of other items -- don't offer many clues either.
For starters, the cream of mushroom soup with puff-pastry crust (NT$160) house specialty is true to its name insofar as it is creamy and has mushrooms, but it is not special. The pastry seems better suited for a tart than a soup, even one as tasteless as this. The sauteed beef with ginger and garlic (NT$240), however, is excellent. The beef is lean and stir-fried to remain tender and succulent. Long-grain rice is a nice alternative to the ubiquitous short-grain variety. Steaks are among the better choices: pork, chicken, salmon, lamb and a fillet of beef are each prepared with special sauces. The pork chop with lemon grass sauce (NT$280) is also quite nice. As with the other cuts of meat, it comes with a mix of vegetables and some of the best french fries (NT$60) available in Taipei. Wash them down with one of the city's more expensive bottles of Taiwan Draft or Coors Light (NT$160).
Breakfast specials are offered from 6am to 11am and include Western or Hong Kong-style set meals (NT$149) and a selection of beverages.
IR is now in direct competition with Citystar Restaurant, a 24-hour dim sum eatery catty-corner to IR. Fans of latter's extensive dim sum menu may find less to like at IR, but what IR lacks in dim sum selection it more than makes up for with other selections and a better atmosphere.
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