Vegetarians in Taipei have no trouble finding nice restaurants to eat at. However, since the majority of people in Taiwan eat vegetarian food as a form of religious observance, most vegetarian restaurants provide only Asian food and some play overtly religious music.
The Yu family, long-time vegetarians themselves, noticed the monotony and set up Vegetarian Gourmet to provide an alternative. It has been open five years and remains one of a very small number of non-Asian vegetarian restaurants in town.
PHOTO: VICO LEE, TAIPEI TIMES
The restaurant is located in a quiet alley conveniently close to the Kungkuan MRT station. Its proximity to the National Taiwan University and National Taiwan Normal University explains why it's often full of 20-somethings with backpacks and Chinese-speaking foreigners.
Vegetarian Gourmet's menu looks not much different from those of non-vegetarian restaurants. Steak with black pepper sauce, steak with mushrooms, cod steak, ham and shrimp are just a few examples.
But don't be fooled. These are actually imitation meat made with konjac or beans. All dishes are prepared without eggs but some include dairy products. Although these products are slightly more expensive than real meat, their taste and aroma is similar to beef or pork, but they don't leave you with the heaviness of a meat meal.
The seafood roast with cheese (NT$280 alone or NT$550 for a set) is a popular dish that looks and tastes exactly like its non-vegetarian counterpart.
The chewy cubes of "squid" and slices of shrimp are made of konjac. The seafood flavor comes from a meticulously prepared sauce that is a blend of several spices. Pastas are also popular and the restaurant has several kinds on offer, including the healthy and light lasagna with spinach.
Fruit vinegar is a Vegetarian Gourmet speciality. The home-made fruit vinegar (NT$160) takes two to three months to brew and has a lingering aroma. The first taste may be a little too pungent for first-timers, but when you get used to it, its as smooth as a fine wine.
Afternoon teas (NT$150 including one serving of vegetable cake) are also available on weekends. There is a wide range of drinks, from a variety of coffees (with one refill) to smoothies, yogurt drinks and hot teas.
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