This quaint restaurant in the Xizhi area was one of the highlights of this trip. From Nangang exhibition center metro station, we took a taxi to the restaurant.
We took a narrow and windy road up into the hills, alike to the roads in Jiufen. We were greeted by a young male dressed in a red robe when we reached the entrance of the compound, then the taxi drove down a steep slope into the restaurant entrance. There was a small parking lot, enough for about 15 cars, and we had to walk over a stream, on pebbled grounds through a pavilion with a simple flower arrangement and some name cards into the restaurant.
In the building, we walked through a dimly lit passage before being led into the individual private dining areas by group.
We had to remove our shoes and sat on the benches. There were flowers, candle, books and brochures lined across the dining table. Surrounded by stone walls, the whole place felt very cooling. We were offered oolong tea for a start and hot water boiler is placed at a corner for top ups.
We started the meal with a pink guava purée with passion fruit, followed by peanut tofu with tomato and corn purée
Next was smoked salmon roll with eggplant and black fungus atop scallop steamed egg custard
Mixed platter to go with pineapple vinegar included:
Vegetables, Squid rolls, raw fish wrap with seaweed and spring onion, uni atop beansprout wrapped in beancurd skin
Mullet roe mochi, pumpkin, oyster in bacon roll, was one of my favourite dish, yums!
We had a vegetable soup before the scallop rice ball with abalone mushroom
Then the highlight, lotus flower mushroom (various varieties) chicken soup, another of my favourite! We watched the waiter place the flower on the soup, the petals slowly open up and wilt into the soup. The middle portion of the flower is bitter and we were advised not to ingest, petals are fine.
Dessert: lotus flower tea, mixed fruits, taro with Chinese barley, mochi balls in black sugar syrup.
Overall, food was good. These healthy dishes supposed to nourish our bodies are made to taste as close to nature as possible. And I really enjoyed them.
Let’s check out the surroundings after a full meal! There are 2 sections of dining areas, indoor or outdoor. 2nd level gives a better view of the greenery. Take a walk around the vicinity and you’ll find mountain trails, streams, herbs, fruit trees and a huge star fruit tree with flowers growing on trunk. I’ve never seen a star fruit tree in my life, so that was something new.
Some things nice and interesting at the restaurant…
Delicieuxpate 