Mystery Critic
The Best Restaurants Out There - And Much More!
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Peng's Agora Garden 彭園會館, Taipei, Taiwan Last Visit: May 2009 BAD PICTURE WARNING - Sorry, forgot to bring a real camera....  "...Cooked with heart and soul of a legendary chef..." OVERALL This is one of the most successful chain restaurant (very small one) in Taiwan and it's founding chef is no less than the inventor of the Chinese American dish General Tso's Chicken 左宗棠雞, chef Peng Chang-kuei 彭長貴, one of the MOST famous chefs in modern Chinese history. Yes, that dish is actually not Chinese but first came out in New York City... The restaurants in this chain is nothing short of top-notch modern Chinese food. It may not belong to any specific regional cuisine, but just downright great food served in a high-quality environment. FOOD If you know anything about Chinese food, you'd know that there's no such thing as 'typical Chinese food." Northern Chinese and Souther Chinese cuisines, for example, are as different as German and French cuisines. Typically high-end Chiense restaurants belong to one of the eight (or more) major types of cuisine in China, but things are changing. Restaurants like this one is SUPPOSED to be Hunanese, but there's not much Hunanese in it. It's just downright superb quality ingredient cooked with "heart and soul" of a legendary chef (who has passed away in case you're curious to know). You can almost TASTE him saying "this needs to come out EXACTLY this way...."  If you want to check this place out, you've got to bring at least 5 people with you so that you can sample some of the "feast style" dishes. Some of the top dishes are "ham and baked tofu skin wrapped in toast", "braised pork hind leg" and "diced duck meat wrapped in lettuce." I know, my translation is making these dishes sound like punishment at Guantanamo, but trust me, they actually transcend cultures and tastes very well - I don't know anyone, including Kentucky-raise white boys, who don't appreciate these delicacies. If you grew up in Taiwan, then you will like everything here, even the ordinary and bland steamed fish or sauteed lobsters. You almost can't encounter a bad dish here because these guys really take their food seriously.SERVICE Just like most high-end Chinese restaurants, you are typically served in a private room with your dedicated or shared server crew who show up very frequently or you can call them with a bell. I wouldn't say these guys are as good as their food but they are very professional - I can only imagine at the prices they charge, these guys make much more than your average noodle shop waiters. The service is fast and leaves no mess, plus they meticulously divide the larger dishes to smaller portions to make sure you don't have to dig in and mess things up badly. If they had more smile on their faces, I'd give them a five.  I think I used the word "modern Chinese" earlier. Not only is the food not classic Chinese with a regional allegiance, the decorations of this place is also kind of wacky. It's western or even european in color scheme and decorations, but here and there you still see signs of "chinese" around. Overall it's very elegance, clean and once quality is taken very seriously here. In our room I was particularly impressed with the painting and the flowers they laid on the table, very tasteful and even match the garnish on the plates!!
VALUE I don't think any would come into a private room with sofa, use their Japanese-standard restrooms, eat some lobsters and expect a hot deal. If I use Taiwanese standards, this place is a downright rip-off, but by world standards and considering what you get for your dollars - I mean, Taiwanese dollars - the value is quite decent. For $300 you can feed eight people with some spectacular dishes and you'll actually be full. Not a steal, but the value is acceptable. Taipei has an extremely competitive high-end restaurant market, with a ton of elegant and huge joiints catering towards banquet and business dinners. Many, however, don't actually make good food - you can spend $100 a head on abalone and sharkfins but felt like you've ate garbage. This is one exception though - It's high-end, it's elegant, it's large, and the food is downright delicious! I invite you to come to visit my birthplace and try this restaurant (or its sister restaurants) out when you're here! BTW Here's a secret - Why am I not writing more reviews on food in my birthplace? Because everytime I got there, I only eat street food or "old memory food". When eating high-end in Taiwan, be VERY, VERY selective is my suggestion. The real BTW - I don't know anything about the other restaurants in the chain, but I've only heard about the same amazing quality of food. I'd say go try them if they are nearer to you than this one. Try this website, http://pyr.web66.com.tw, for info on the chain. |
