On both sides of Civil Boulevard in the capital's fashionable shopping hub, restaurants thrive, tempting shoppers and welcoming diners with novel decorations and gimmicks and, of course, menus devised to pander to diverse tastes. Among these is Yao Tao Wai Po Chiao - a Japanese-style barbecue restaurant that has become a fixture of the area's culinary landscape.
Diners can go for either the all-you-can-eat menu (NT$450 per person) or individual orders from a wide selection. The buffet is slightly misleading, as the more expensive items can only be ordered twice. A standard meal of chicken, pork and vegetables is served first and customers can replace unwanted items. Given the confusion this produces, it would seem wise for the restaurant to ditch the set meal and stick with a straightforward all-you-can-eat menu.
The ingredients are reasonably fresh and well prepared. Streaky pork and strips of beef are two enjoyable items on the menu with an appetizing balance of lean meat and fat. Miso-flavored chicken chunks with skin take longer to grill, but are worth the wait. The shrimp comes de-shelled before making it to the gridiron, sparing the diner greasy fingers and unappetizing by-products.
PHOTO: HO YI, TAIPEI TIMES
The tender salted beef and beef fillet were tasty, but in their company the sausage plate, one of the joint's specialties, failed to make an impression.
Yao Tao Wai Po Chiao offers a variety of vegetables including mushrooms, sweet potato, sweet corn and peppers. While they weren't atrocious, they hardly compare to the meat and seafood that titillates taste buds even without the addition of sauces.
For those who worry about their daily intake of dietary fiber, a plate of greens is at hand and can be used to make wraps. Adherents of Chinese food therapy will be delighted in the refillable pot of ginseng chicken soup, which is said to be beneficial for the immune system.
Compared to other manifold barbecue establishments, this version lacks sparkle. Experienced diners point out that several local barbecue favorites, such as cow tongue and intestine, are only available through individual orders.
The service here is generally acknowledged as attentive and efficient in blog reviews. Bustling from table to table, the friendly wait-staff always takes the initiative in asking for orders and remains cheerful when diners obviously order more food than they can consume.
Overall, Yao Tao Wai Po Chiao is an agreeable place to take relatives and friends. For dates, the cheesy Mando-pop music and loud children are definite ambience-killers and the lingering grill odor on clothes may become an unpleasant factor in after-dinner amusements.- Ho Yi
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