The term "modern Chinese cuisine" might not mean much to those who haven't sampled the fare at Taipei's People restaurant (人間), but for the thousands who have frequented the dimly lit yet fashionably chic joint, then the term conjures up images of plates of food that boast a fusion of colors and the truly tantalizing taste explosions that accompany the restaurant's fantastic cuisine.
According to People's manager, Daphne Hua (華昌德), the secret of the joint's continued success lays with People's chefs' ability to blend modern ideas with age-old recipes. Open to the adaptation of simple home-style Chinese cooking, the origins of every dish on the menu lay with those that have been knocked out in kitchens across China for generations.
Not that diners would ever guess that the food they are munching on is of the same ilk as that cooked in homes nationwide. The combination of colors ensures that every dish fashioned in the kitchens of the People restaurant appears almost good enough to frame and hang on the wall. And with no MSG or artificial flavorings added to any of the food the taste remains as pure as nature intended.
PHOTO: GAVIN PHIPPS, TAIPEI TIMES
Keeping the foodstuffs' original taste certainly doesn't make for blandness, however, as People's combination of ingredients means that even the simplest of dishes is a sheer pleasure. Along with the appearance and taste, a meal at the People's won't break the bank or empty your wallet.
Moderately priced and too numerous to list in full, some of the restaurants' most popular dishes include deep-fried chicken slices with lime sauce (檸檬雞片) (NT$300), stir-fried sirloin slices on a pottery plate (陶盤牛肉) (NT$320), simmered sea-bass belly with soy sauce (燜燒魚肚膛) (NT$360), spicy bean curd in a paper pot (人間豆腐) (NT$250) and the interestingly named Buddha's meal (羅漢齋) (NT$280).
Along with a fine selection of savory dishes, the menu also includes an extensive drink list, with the wide selection of cocktails, liquors, beers, teas, coffees and soft drinks all as moderately priced as the food.
While the menu currently lists upwards of 120 dishes, in one month this is set to be cut back to 80. The reason behind People's decision has nothing to do with the seemingly never-ending economic downturn, however. Restaurant management has instead decided to cut the number of dishes on offer in order that the quality of the most popular cuisine can be refined and, if in deed possible, improved upon.
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