Taiwan: Dian Shui Lou Restaurant

 

After a full day of food with lunch at Din Tai Fung and the afternoon at the Taipei International Food Show, we weren't done.

 

We were told that we were having dinner with Mr. Walter Yeh, Executive Vice President of Taiwan External Trade Development Council, but when we arrived to Dian Shui Lou Restaurant we were greeted by a room full of people with cameras.  They told us that the local Taiwanese media wanted to film us and our impressions of Taiwanese cuisine. 

We started the 15 course meal with a series of appetizers:  marinated chicken leg in Chinese wine (Drunken Chicken), cold stir black Jew's-ear fungus with sweet and sour dressing, marinated sliced pumpkin with plum, cold stir flower seedling of areca with basil, stir fried shredded pork with bean curd and chili, deep fried anchovy with Chinese herbs, deep fried bamboo strips with bean paste and marinated cucumber in sesame paste.  

I liked the texture and taste of the flower seedling dish and I also like the fresh flavors of the pumpkin.  

My favorite dish of the evening was the sauteed minced shrimp in a lettuce wrap.  

A close second was the Beggar's chicken.  They let me do the honors of hammering it open.  

We also tried braise tofu with seafood and pork, tea smoked cod fish with wasabi mayonnaise, more steamed dumplings (pork, truffle and basil), pan fried wild vegetable pancake, and fresh and salty pork with bean curd and bamboo shoots. 

For the dessert, the steamed mashed taro paste with ginko nuts and vanilla ice cream had a really unique flavor.  I like the combination of hot and cold.  We also tasted a rich baked egg tart with kumquat paste.  It was a little too rich for me after eating all day.  They also brought out a platter of fresh fruit.

My friend Crystal showed us around one of the night markets later in the week.  She's great!

We met some interesting people and went home to crash for another action packed day in Kenting.  Keep reading to learn more about Taiwan!

Photos by Kristen Finn