Foodie review time! On Sunday afternoon, my landlord Christine took me and some of the other teachers to a fancy schmancy restaurant in Sinjhuang called Herb Garden. Unfortunately, Melodie was not able to join us as a result of too much Lady Gaga at 9% the previous night... but I'm sure I'll be able to take her back to try the restaurant sometime.
For a place located under an overpass, surrounded by shacks and fields of mud, Herb Garden has a great atmosphere and was rather busy considering that we were there around 2pm, when most restaurants are dead. The charm of the building comes from the fact that it was built around the trees, so there are starfruit and plum trees that grow from the ground through the floor of the restaurant and up through the roof. Also, as the name suggests, they really do grow their own herbs for cooking, which is a nice touch.
The meals cost between $15-18CAN, which I thought was expensive for Taiwan but by the time we'd finished all of the food they served us, you easily forgave the price. First out was a seafood chowder (no thank you) with some bread cooked right on top of the bowl. The bread was great!
Bottomless glass of fruit punch with little apple cubes floating in it.
Pinapple/apple/tomato salad with some leafy things, octopus and other fishy bits. The fruit was great!
Young chicken (without the head attached!) with pineapple and a tangy sauce that was really, really delicious. This dish was cooked and seasoned perfectly.
Dessert was coffee and a milk pudding with mint and red bean. I did a fairly good job of eating around the red bean... damn, I'm pickier than a 4 year old so take my comments with a grain of salt... everyone loved the food here.
The garden outside the restaurant. Although it was a cloudy day, the weather was nice and there were still flowers blooming. As a Canadian, I find it's so weird to see bright, fresh flowers outside in the month of November! There was also a fake chapel on site where weddings were sometimes held, and a peacock (the Taiwanese bird of love) strutting his stuff in the garden.
Of course, the best part about going out with my neighbor is that there is always a lot of funny and informative conversation. For example, at lunch on Sunday I learned:
- She thinks her husband is ugly (he isn't!) and she tells him all the time "YOU'RE UGLY"
- In Taiwan, if someone tells you you're cute what they really mean is that you're not good looking enough to be called handsome or beautiful.
- She once borrowed her foreign tenants' young son for a concert because she knew he would get the singers' attention. She also knows way too much information about this singer and looked like she might jump across the table when Christine-teacher mentioned that she liked him too.
I love my neighbor <3
So! If you're ever in the mud field/overpass section of Sinjhuang I highly recommend Herb Garden. It is a very delicious garden indeed.
UPDATE: By popular demand, Nareesa's entree- featuring the world's biggest shrimp with the world's most beautiful eyes:
No comments:
Post a Comment