{"id":95286,"date":"2016-06-05T13:32:07","date_gmt":"2016-06-05T05:32:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jonathansin.com\/?p=95286"},"modified":"2026-04-10T10:45:50","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T02:45:50","slug":"shi-yan-tai-pei-tai-wan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jonathansin.com\/en\/shi-yan-tai-pei-tai-wan\/","title":{"rendered":"Taipei Cuisine. Taiwan] \"Eating in the Mountain Room\" - Kaiseki Cuisine with Taiwanese ingredients, far away from the hustle and bustle of the city."},"content":{"rendered":"
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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 \u2018Fu Hang Soy Milk\u2019, During this brief private trip, the four of us ate ten meals \u2013 not counting the street stalls and honeyed bitter melon juice \u2013 and of these, \u2018Shiyang Shanfang\u2019, which we made the long trek to in the Mid-Levels, is most worth mentioning.<\/p>\n

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\u2018Shiyang Shanfang\u2019 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.
\nThe starters were \u2018Apple Pur\u00e9e Tofu with Apricot Slices\u2019 and \u2018Corn Soup\u2019. Let\u2019s start with the corn soup: made from fresh corn\u2014that is, maize\u2014blended into a pur\u00e9e, 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 pur\u00e9e really stands out; it would have been even better if one could have eaten a whole apple.
\nAfter refreshing my palate with a glass of fruit vinegar halfway through the meal, I ordered a portion of \u2018Fragrant Fried Mochi\u2019. 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\u2019t 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.
\nNext up is Shiyang Shanfang\u2019s signature dish, \u2018Lotus Flower Chicken Soup\u2019, made with free-range chicken and corn,<\/p>\n

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.
\nThen there is the main course, the \u2018Mixed Seafood Sashimi and Vegetable Platter\u2019, 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\u2026<\/p>\n

Start with the lighter-flavoured dishes, then move on to the more flavourful vegetarian dishes in the centre. Cauliflower, nori and natto sauce, \u2018Treasure Island\u2019 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.
\nA 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\u2019s d\u00e9cor, the atmosphere created by the traditional architectural design, and the service enjoyed throughout the entire three-hour dining experience\u2014from the moment you take your seat until you leave\u2014and the charge is just $1,100 New Taiwan dollars per person. which is less than $270 Hong Kong dollars. Who could possibly say that\u2019s not good value?!<\/p>\n

*The Mountain Retreat of Nutritional Cuisine*<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Address: No. 7, Lane 350, Section 3, Xiwan Road, Xizhi District, New Taipei City<\/span>
\n Tel: +886 2 2646 2266<\/span>
\n Opening hours: Tuesday\u2013Sunday 11:00\u201315:00, 17:00\u201321:00; closed on Mondays<\/span>
\n Facebook: https:\/\/goo.gl\/VJLp9R<\/span>
\n Website: https:\/\/www.shi-yang.com\/<\/span>
\nSignature dishes: Lotus Flower Chicken Soup, Dried Cuttlefish Mochi, Squid Rolls, Mountain Spring Peanut Tofu<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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