Although Sung Moon (淞月) bills itself as a Shanghainese restaurant, a quick look at the menu reveals that it covers many points on China's culinary compass.
The interior is modern in its furnishings and austere in its aesthetic. The restaurant is shaped like an upside down L, with large banquet tables nestled into the small space in the front and back. Customers arriving in smaller groups are seated at comfortable rectangular tables in the center of the restaurant, which offer a view of a glassed-in kitchen where the dumplings are steamed, and pancakes rolled.
Determined, as we were, to eat our way across China, we began our culinary journey close to home with baby shrimp and Penghu melon dumplings (絲瓜蝦仁湯包, NT$180). Penghu melons are used, our waitress said, because they don't go mushy when steamed and they are sweeter than other varieties found in Taiwan. I would have to agree. The melon retained its texture and its sweetness provided a tasty contrast to the saltiness of the baby shrimp.
PHOTO: NOAH BUCHAN, TAIPEI TIMES
Moving north, the pan-fried sliced beef in pancake (大餅捲牛肉, NT$100) came next. Two hearty pancakes, which, we were informed, are commonly found in Beijing, arrived rolled with beef and a spring onion in the center. The pancake was cooked so that the outside was crispy and the inside soft and chewy.
Fried green beans with minced pork (干扁四李豆, NT$180), Sichuan style, took our journey west. The long green beans, cooked with pork, were firm, spicy and, surprisingly, not greasy. The intense flavor of the spices combined with the salty mince made this a favorite.
Traditional ma-po tofu (麻婆豆腐, NT$180), also a Sichuan favorite, is only for those who like their tofu hot. It is recommended that this spicy dish be eaten with a bowl of white rice.
Cantonese/Shanghai-style potted glass noodles with fresh shrimp (鮮蝦粉絲煲, NT$260), brought us back east. Absorbing the flavor of the ingredients it is cooked with, the noodles absorbed the flavor of the shrimp and the light sauce it was cooked in.
Though we only took a mini tour of the different schools of Chinese cuisine, it was decided that the food at Sung Moon is definitely for the discerning. So too is the service. The wait staff was attentive at keeping our teacups full and removing the plates stacked with shrimp detritus when the pile threatened to overflow on to the table - a first for this reviewer at a restaurant in this price range.
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