Taipei Cuisine. Taiwan] "Eating in the Mountain Room" - Kaiseki Cuisine with Taiwanese ingredients, far away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Taipei lies within the short-break travel radius for Hong Kongers, so I recently went on a whirlwind 48-hour trip there with a foodie friend. We headed to the airport after work on Friday, had some spicy hotpot in Taipei at half past two in the morning, woke up at seven to enjoy a traditional Taiwanese breakfast at ‘Fu Hang Soy Milk’, During this brief private trip, the four of us ate ten meals – not counting the street stalls and honeyed bitter melon juice – and of these, ‘Shiyang Shanfang’, which we made the long trek to in the Mid-Levels, is most worth mentioning.

‘Shiyang Shanfang’ is situated deep in the mountains, far from the hustle and bustle of New Taipei City, offering a tranquil setting and a relaxed atmosphere. The restaurant is designed in an antique Japanese style, with flowing water, green trees, massive rocks and small bridges surrounding three small, detached Zen-style pavilions. The journey is well worth the effort just to sample the Taiwanese kaiseki cuisine, renowned throughout Hong Kong and Taiwan, which utilises produce from various counties across Taiwan as its ingredients.
The starters were ‘Apple Purée Tofu with Apricot Slices’ and ‘Corn Soup’. Let’s start with the corn soup: made from fresh corn—that is, maize—blended into a purée, it had a rich, sweet flavour; the freshness of the ingredients was clearly its greatest selling point. As for the tofu, it is homemade using peanuts instead of soya beans. Its texture is as smooth and tender as a custard, whilst the delicate fragrance of the apple purée really stands out; it would have been even better if one could have eaten a whole apple.
After refreshing my palate with a glass of fruit vinegar halfway through the meal, I ordered a portion of ‘Fragrant Fried Mochi’. The outer layer of fried mochi had a springy, chewy texture, whilst the inside was filled with a selection of savoury ingredients such as shiitake mushrooms, walnuts and salted egg yolk paste; although it contained salted egg, the flavour wasn’t overpowering. The accompanying broccoli was delightfully sweet, whilst the portion of pumpkin at the end felt rather small. I really love this dish; the textures complement each other perfectly.
Next up is Shiyang Shanfang’s signature dish, ‘Lotus Flower Chicken Soup’, made with free-range chicken and corn,

Lotus root, lotus seeds, chestnuts, pine mushrooms and chicken feet are simmered gently for ten hours, starting the night before; when served, dried lotus blossoms are added to the soup to unfurl, resulting in a broth that is rich, sweet and nourishing. A single pot of this stew is generously portioned; when shared amongst the villagers, each person can have five or six bowls, which is sure to satisfy Hong Kongers who love slow-cooked soups.
Then there is the main course, the ‘Mixed Seafood Sashimi and Vegetable Platter’, which varies from day to day depending on the fresh produce available that day. Several of the ingredients are served with specially prepared sauces, each combination carefully crafted. When tucking in, start with the milder flavours on the outside…

Start with the lighter-flavoured dishes, then move on to the more flavourful vegetarian dishes in the centre. Cauliflower, nori and natto sauce, ‘Treasure Island’ abalone, white fish sashimi, salmon roll with fish roe, squid and vegetable rolls, aubergine in sauce and baby bok choy. Finally, a single Taiwanese-style king oyster mushroom oil rice ball, along with locally grown Taiwanese fruit and vegetables, and desserts.
A meal of this kind of Taiwanese kaiseki cuisine comprises as many as eight or nine main courses, not counting the accompanying small dishes. Add to that the restaurant’s décor, the atmosphere created by the traditional architectural design, and the service enjoyed throughout the entire three-hour dining experience—from the moment you take your seat until you leave—and the charge is just $1,100 New Taiwan dollars per person. which is less than $270 Hong Kong dollars. Who could possibly say that’s not good value?!

*The Mountain Retreat of Nutritional Cuisine*

Address: No. 7, Lane 350, Section 3, Xiwan Road, Xizhi District, New Taipei City
Tel: +886 2 2646 2266
Opening hours: Tuesday–Sunday 11:00–15:00, 17:00–21:00; closed on Mondays
Facebook: https://goo.gl/VJLp9R
Website: https://www.shi-yang.com/
Signature dishes: Lotus Flower Chicken Soup, Dried Cuttlefish Mochi, Squid Rolls, Mountain Spring Peanut Tofu