The last time we reviewed Papa Giovanni's was in April of 2000 when there were rumors that Papa and family had opened a bakery adjacent the restaurant.
We returned this time on rumors that the bakery has closed and on more troubling reports of disgruntled patrons.
Because the Taipei Times has praised Papa and staff in past reviews, the news of unhappy clientele was ? well, news. Forumosa.com, an Internet site popular with Taiwan's expatriate community, has dozens of postings regarding Papa Giovanni's under its "restaurants, bars and clubs" forum.
PHOTO: DAVID MOMPHARD, TAIPEI TIMES
The postings almost unanimously decry the restaurant's poor service, high prices and Papa's "attitude." One post said he left the restaurant with "the distinct impression that it could only have been due to direst economic necessity that the owner stooped to allow me into his establishment."
But on my visit there Tuesday night I watched members of the Giovanni family walk most every patron to the door to say goodnight. I saw the wait staff attentively filling water glasses and clearing plates. Papa himself took my order and ended every sentence with "sir."
As far as I could determine during this single visit -- which was unannounced -- the rumors of Papa's despise are greatly exaggerated. Of the complaints I've read or been told, I share only one: the prices are too high. My order of a small caesar salad, king prawns in bourbon sauce, a glass of house white wine and tiramisu cost over NT$1,500. The small caesar alone -- which I ordered on Papa's suggestion -- cost NT$320. It had no romaine lettuce, no croutons, very little parmesan and not the slightest hint of anchovy.
The king prawns were indeed kingly and the bourbon sauce was delicious, but at NT$680 for four you'd have to be a king to order them a second time. You can find equally large and fresh prawns in most of Taipei's night markets for half the price -- with the caveat being that they're covered in mayonnaise, not bourbon sauce. No whines regarding the house white wine (NT$180); I should have had a second glass instead of the tiramisu (NT$180).
Talking with Papa on my way out, I asked what became of the bakery. He explained that he closed it because, as everything was baked after hours, he couldn't control the quality. He also hinted that there may not have been a market for his European-styled products. "Chinese people, they like soft breads," he said.
As for the complaints about him and his restaurant, he said he was unaware of the online postings and didn't seem overly concerned. "People sometimes don't like something."
Last week the story of the giant illegal crater dug in Kaohsiung’s Meinong District (美濃) emerged into the public consciousness. The site was used for sand and gravel extraction, and then filled with construction waste. Locals referred to it sardonically as the “Meinong Grand Canyon,” according to media reports, because it was 2 hectares in length and 10 meters deep. The land involved included both state-owned and local farm land. Local media said that the site had generated NT$300 million in profits, against fines of a few million and the loss of some excavators. OFFICIAL CORRUPTION? The site had been seized
Next week, candidates will officially register to run for chair of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT). By the end of Friday, we will know who has registered for the Oct. 18 election. The number of declared candidates has been fluctuating daily. Some candidates registering may be disqualified, so the final list may be in flux for weeks. The list of likely candidates ranges from deep blue to deeper blue to deepest blue, bordering on red (pro-Chinese Communist Party, CCP). Unless current Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) can be convinced to run for re-election, the party looks likely to shift towards more hardline
Sept. 15 to Sept. 21 A Bhutanese princess caught at Taoyuan Airport with 22 rhino horns — worth about NT$31 million today — might have been just another curious front-page story. But the Sept. 17, 1993 incident came at a sensitive moment. Taiwan, dubbed “Die-wan” by the British conservationist group Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), was under international fire for being a major hub for rhino horn. Just 10 days earlier, US secretary of the interior Bruce Babbitt had recommended sanctions against Taiwan for its “failure to end its participation in rhinoceros horn trade.” Even though Taiwan had restricted imports since 1985 and enacted
Enter the Dragon 13 will bring Taiwan’s first taste of Dirty Boxing Sunday at Taipei Gymnasium, one highlight of a mixed-rules card blending new formats with traditional MMA. The undercard starts at 10:30am, with the main card beginning at 4pm. Tickets are NT$1,200. Dirty Boxing is a US-born ruleset popularized by fighters Mike Perry and Jon Jones as an alternative to boxing. The format has gained traction overseas, with its inaugural championship streamed free to millions on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. Taiwan’s version allows punches and elbows with clinch striking, but bans kicks, knees and takedowns. The rules are stricter than the
RSS