Although it represents a nation not normally associated with haut cuisine, Taipei's German eatery, Gasthaus Zum Adler has been giving many of the capital's ever popular Italian and French restaurants some stiff competition since it opened in August last year. The brainchild of German national Bernard Soffner, the establishment's many interesting Teutonic dishes along with its simple but pleasant cafe-style interior have made it a popular haunt with both the business crowd and those out for an evening of wining and dining.
The Adler offers lunchtime diners the choice of daily specials, those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of rain-soaked winter afternoons a special tea time menu, and evening diners the chance to savor German beers and wines.
PHOTO: GAVIN PHIPPS, TAIPEI TIMES
Hailing from near the city of Stuttgart, Soffner has tried to ensure that the food he conjures up in his kitchen is as close as possible to the food he grew up eating in southern Germany.
This means that meat, especially wieners, rather than fish is the staple for many of his dishes, all of which are very reasonably priced at between NT$230 and NT$390. Served with noodles or potatoes, the wiener dishes include wiener with brezel (a large German pretzel) (NT$250), and the wiener with handmade noodles and goulash (NT$270).
In addition to the set dishes, the menu includes an interesting array of side orders for those diners still looking for a little extra nourishment. These include chicken strips (NT$170 to NT$330), pan-fried potatoes (NT$80 to NT$350), salads (NT$45 to NT$520) and a choice of wieners and liver sausage (NT$290 to NT$570).
Vegetarians needn't feel left out at the Adler. Soffner offers non meat eaters the chance to chow down on baked vegetables with cheese (NT$230), crispy pan-fried mushrooms (NT$80 to NT$350) and, of course, all the sauerkraut anyone could ever wish for (NT$80 or NT$150).
Along with belt-busting savory dishes the Adler also serves up a selection of truly delicious and reasonably priced desserts. While the most popular of these are the various flavors of cheesecake, the most filling and certainly most eye-catching is the banana and biscuit covered in rich creamy chocolate.
In addition to the German desserts, Soffner also offers patrons the chance to savor some of the finest Italian-style homemade ice cream to be found anywhere in Taipei.
Made with milk and without the addition of artificial additives or preservatives, the ice cream served up at Gasthaus Zum Adler is as pure and as delicious as it gets. Available in a multitude of flavors including passion fruit, mango and hazelnut, Soffner's ice cream is a great way to finish any meal at the Adler.
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